EERC Regatta 1936

Transcript

EERC Regatta

Visiting Clubs Beaten in Hard Races.

“Ruthven” and “Jacobs” Cups Stay at Home.

By reason of it being the oldest rowing club on the Thames, the Eton Excelsior R.C. is no doubt entitled to some privileges; at least our fickle clime must be under this impression for the Club’s annual regatta held on Saturday was marked by the best day of summer.

A clear blue sky and glorious sunshine made it a perfect day for the river. Most people would have preferred to spend it lazily drifting in a punt rather than desperately driving skiff or outrigger downstream to the winning post. But the competitors made light of the heat and in its long and famous history the Windsor Reach has never known keener racing nor the Eton College raft a more enthusiastic crowd.

The regatta has nothing of the carnival spirit about, but it is delightfully informal and not without gaiety or colour. Blazers of several well-known up-river clubs added to the brightness of summery dresses and a programme of cheerful music, by the courtesy of Messrs. Fenemore, Howlett & Co. livened up the waiting moments between races. The fact that one man mistook Marlow cardinal for Leander pink immediately labelled him a “dry bob”, but he was not alone. There were many like him on the raft people who ordinarily have no great enthusiasm for rowing and yet found much in the regatta to attract them and great pleasure in the sport.

Hard racing and a close finishes produced plenty of excitement. It was the ladies who started it with a dead-heat in their dongola race and at a second attempt the Bucks crew got up in the last few strokes to win by inches. From that point onwards there was no keeping crews apart and few came home alone.

After a host of thrills with capsizing canoes, wayward dinghies, one of which did its best to uproot the winning post and some clean, high-stroke sculling, the scratch fours gave a grand finale to an enjoyable day. Strange though it is, scratch races, where the greatest uncertainty exists, have become the greatest certainty for producing close racing. The forty entries promised well and the draw made up ten extremely useful crews. There was nothing outstanding about any of them -a good blade here and indifferent one there, but good and indifferent were all driven by the same spirit of grim determination which helped more than one crew to hang on when it looked all out.

In the first four heats less than yard separated the boats; in the fifth it was four feet, the sixth a length, the seventh feet again and the eighth someone said a coat of varnish though literally it could not have been more than inches. The final produced a fighting finish and A. U. Shiach’s crew got home from D. A. Bond’s crew by no more than the advantage given by the Bucks station.

The Junior Fours was not so close, but it was a triumph for the local club. Rowing over the longer course from the Mill Stream, Eton on the Berks station disposed of Marlow R.C. in convincing manner and though Reading R.C. pushed them harder in the final P. Watson got a fine response from his crew along the Brocas and they passed the post with more than a length to spare.

In the Open Maiden Four-Oar race Eton and Reading R.C. were the only entrants and the former were again successful over the longer couffle P. L. Keys took his crow away smartly on Bucks station and were almost clear at the bridge. Along the Brocas the stroke was raised and Eton went ahead. At “The Clumps” they were a length up and by the winning post was reached this had been increased to two lengths without undue effort.

The Handicap Sculls was outstanding for the fine performance of R. J. Cork, whose combination of power and stylish ryhthm promises better things. He put up the fastest time of of the five competitors, who included V. A. Wood, the Club’s senior sculling champion, but just failed to concede his handicap and was placed second to A. G. Blake, another useful oar.

Of the visitors L. H. Newson Smith (Wraysbury) was the most successful. With Club colleague, B. Gofton Salmon, he won the Gent’s Invitation Double-Sculling, and with his wife carried off the Mixed Double Sculling. Both were smart, well-earned ble victories and were made possible by Nowson shrewd stroking. Mrs. Nowson Smith also shared in the first win as cox and the way she avoided an obstinate punt approaching the raft was a fine piece of work.

In order to reduce the programme to reas. onable proportions quite a number of events had been decided previously, but this did not in any way detract from the merite of this popular river meeting. There was plenty of work for the many willing hands to do and the success of the regatta was largely due to their untiring efforts. To mention names might be invidious, but here one takes the risk of referring to Mr. C. D. Dyson, hon. secretary, who gave much time and the thought to super vising the programme and arrangements: to Mr. T. Luff, who broke his holiday to “pull his weight” with the Committee; and to Mr. Hobbs, the captain, Mr. F. W. Buck, the vice-captain and Mr. J. B. Powell, the assis tant hon, secretary, who all did their various jobs behind the scenes quietly and efficiently.

Among the many other helpers who immed istely come to mind were the Judges, Mr. T. Boswell and Mr. B. N. Betteridge; the ladies who made tea and served welcome “coolers” of lemonade and ices, and of course, Mr. Albert Claret, the manager of the Eton College Boathouses, and his staff who gave every assistance on the raft and during the week.

In the unavoidable absence of the Mayoress of Windsor (Mrs. A. E. Churcher) the cups and prizes were distributed by Mrs. A. H. Dyson, wife of the president, who congratu lated the Club and winners on their successful day. Later the President added his own Cong having many happy regatta days in the congratulations and expressed the hope of the future.

The Committee and the full list of regatta officials were as follows:

Committee: Messrs. H. A. Baker, A. G. Blake, D. A. Bond, G. W. Bayley, R. J. Cork, D. A. Bond, R. 8. Turner and A. Sharratt.

Regatta Officials: Mesara. V. H. Hobbs, A. W. Aitkinson. C. L. Andrews, B. M. McDonogh, R. Long. J. B. Powell, F. W. Buck, G. W. Corps, O. H. Collins, T. Boswell, F. Wilkinson, A. T. Watson, N. L. Huggins, B. N. Betteridge, J. H. Harding and T. Luff.

Two courses used during the afternoon were:

• Junior Fours and Maiden Fours:- Mill Stream to enclosure.
• Double Sculling and Scratch Fours:- The “Clumps” to enclosure.
• Dinghys, Canoes and Dongolas: From enclosure, upstream, round buoys (Bucks to Berks) and back.

Junior Fours – For the “Ruthven” Challenge Cup.

HEAT 1

Bucks Station: Eton Excelsior Exe R.C. (R. J. Cork, bow, H. C. Gough. R. 8. Me Donogh, P. Watson, stroke, and B. J. Cork, cox), 1;

Berks Station: Marlow R.C. Owen, H. R. Taylor, stroke and B. Curral, (D. C. Scribbans, bow, R. G. MeOmie, D. W. мусох), 2.

FINAL

Bucks Station: Eton Excelsior B.C. 1

Berks Station: Roading R.C. (S. C. Cave, bow, W. J. Milne, D. H. A. Drayton, J. H. Childs, stroke, and B. D. Walters, cox) 2. Won by one and a quarter lengths.

Open Maiden Four-oar Race – For the “Jacobs” Challenge Cup.

FINAL

Bucks Station: Eton Excelsior R.C. (W. R. Bashford, bow. H. R. Pannell, D. H. Budd, P. L. Keys, stroke, and B. J. Cork, cox) 1.

Berks Station: Reading R.C. (H. Drury, bow, A. P. G. Babbington, M. F. Anstey. F. Povey, stroke and B. D. Walter, cox) 2. Won by two lengths.

Handicap Sculls – For the “Wise” Challenge Cup.

1. A. G. Blake
2. R. J. Cork
3. V. A. Wood

Men’s Invitation Double Sculling – For “Wakefield” Challenge Cup.

HEAT 1

FINAL

Mixed Double Sculling

HEAT 1

HEAT 2

HEAT 3

FINAL

Ladies’ Dinghy Race

FINAL

1. Berks Station: Miss N. Wilson and Miss S. Latham.
2. Bucks Station: Miss P. Ottrey and Miss Blaskett 2

Canoe Race

HEAT 1.

Berks Station: A. G. Blake and B. Dorms, 1.

HEAT 2.

Bucks Station: N. Miroy and R. Good, 1.

HEAT 3.

Bucks Station: V. A. Wood and P. Ede, 1.

FINAL

1. Bucks Station: Wood and Ede.
2. Berks Station: Miroy and Good

Mixed Dinghy Race

HEAT 1

Centre Station: Miss Wilson and W. R. Compton, 1.

HEAT 2.

Centre Station: Miss Poulton and 8. W. Latham, 1.

HEAT 3

Bucks Station: Miss P. Osborn and C. D. Dyson, 1.

FINAL

1. Berks Station: Miss Poulton and Latham.
2. Centre Station: Miss Witron and Compton.
3. Bucks Bucks Station: Miss Osborn and Dyson.

Ladies Dongola Race

1. Bucks Station: Mrs. Newson Smith, Miss Poulton, Miss M. Sabine, Miss S. Latham and Miss N. Wilson. 1
2. Berks Station: Miss J. Martin, Miss M. Latham, Miss P. Ottrey, Miss J. Wilson and Miss B. Laird. 2

Men’s Dongola Race

HEAT 1

Centre Station: C. D. Dyson, A. G. Blake, D. A. Bond, H. Smith and P. G. Sizer, 1.

HEAT 2

Berks Station: N. Miroy, J. White, L.. H. Newson Smith, C. V. Brown and E. A. Jennings, 1.

FINAL

1. Bucks Station: C. D. Dyson’s crew.
2. Berks Station: N. Miroy’s crew.

Scratch Fours

HEAT 1

1. Bucks Station: E. H. Stubbe, N. Miroy, F. E. Bell, A. G. Blake and A. Sharratt, 1;
2. Berks Station: W. B. Compton, D. Burnford, P. Watson, W. R. Compton and B. J. Cork, 2.

HEAT 2

1. Berks Station: D. H. Budd, R. O. Rathbourne, E. Watson, D. A. Bond and G. Kirby, 1;
2. Bucks Station: H. Smith, F. W. Buck, A. Smith, A. J. 8. Taylor and C. Tuckey. 2.

HEAT 3

1. Berks Station: L. D. Habbitte, R. W. Bashford, G. C. Morgan, A. U. Shiach and J. White, 1
2. Bucks Station: E. Manson, G. Crabb, D. G. Yardley, P. Smith and P. Keys, 2.

HEAT 4

1. Bucks Station: P. R. Muir, D. 8. Harrison, D. J. Hill, J. B. Powell and L. W. Dingley, 1
2. Berks Station: E. A. Jennings, J. J. S. W. Cunningham, E. Pannell, V. H. Hobbs and W. B. Chipperton, 2.

HEAT 5

1. Bucks Station: R. McDonogh, W. Myers, C. V. Brown, V. A. Wood and J. Triggs, 1
2. Berks Station: G. W. Cowley, H. C. Gough, D. R. Goodchild, H. Mews and N. N. H. Lipscombe, 2.

HEAT 6.

1. Bucks Station: D. A. Bond’s crew, 1
2. Berks Station: A. G. Blake’s crew. 2.

HEAT 7.

1. Bucks Station: A. U. Shiach’s crew, 1:
2. Berks Station: V. A. Wood’s crew, 2.

HEAT 8

1. Bucks Station: D. A. Bond’s crew, 1;
2. Berks Station: J. B. Powell’s crew, 2.

FINAL

1. Bucks Station: A. U. Shiach’s crew.
2. Berks Station: D. A. Bond’s crew

EVENTS PREVIOUSLY DECIDED

The results of the more important events decided prior to the regatta were:

Senior Sculls

Prize presented by Mr. A. H. Dyson.

V. A. Wood beat R. J. Cook by half a length.

Windsor v. Eton Eight-oar Race

Challenge Cup presented by the late Sir G. H. Peters, J.P.

Bucks Station: Eton (C. Tuckey, bow, L. Shore, R. 8. HGGough H. S. McDonogh, H. G A. G. Blake, stroke, B. J. Cork, cox). 1

Berks Station: Windsor (W. R. Bashford, bow, J. G. White, A. Sharratt, P. Watson, V. H. Hobbs, J. B. Powell, F. W. Buck, V. A. Wood, stroke, C. D. Dyson, cox)…. 2 Won by one length.

“Devereux” Cup Fours

For the Challenge Cup presented by the late Mr. E. C. Devereux.

W. R. Bashford (bow), H. R. Davies, E. Manson, H. C. Gough (stroke).

“King” Fours

For Challenge Cup presented by Mr. W. G. King H. R. Pannell (bow), R. Davies, V. H. Hobbs, P. Watson (stroke).

“Herbert” Swimming Cup.”

For Challenge Cup presented by the late Mr. J. O. Herbert.

R. H. Pannell.

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