Sports Letters: Floating ideas

Sir: I fully support your correspondent's plea that the Boat Race should be opened up. The present arrangement is too often a tedious spectacle, notwithstanding the physical and skilful effort of the participants. It has become an anachronism and I say that as one who for three years spent almost every afternoon on the Cam.

It is high time that:

crews from other Universities with proven merit should be eligible to compete.

the Race itself is made more interesting both for competitors and spectators, with more crews rowing over together and / or in heats.

how long do the ladies have to continue the indignity of a separate Race on a different course? This distinction is clearly as anachronistic as the Race itself.

Yours sincerely

JEFF ALDERSON

(Gonville and Caius College, 1954-7)

Iffley, Oxford

3 April