| Date | 5 April 1935 |
|---|---|
| Source | Windsor, Slough & Eton Express |
| Reference | EE01-0143 |
| Volume | Eton Excelsior Rowing Club, Volume 1 |
| Collection | Eton Excelsior |
Transcript
Head of the River Championship
Eton Excelsior R.C.’s Smart Performance
The Eton Excelsior Rowing Club, the oldest on the Thames, added a not unimportant chapter to its long history on Saturday when an eight took part in the Head of the River championship race from Mortlake to Putney, over a four and a half miles course which the Oxford and Cambridge crews will row tomorrow (Saturday), but in the opposite direction.
There was a total entry of 126 eights and for their first attempt the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club did well to finish No. 52.
The marshalling of the crews at the start is an undertaking which singles out this race from all other sporting events, as it involves over 1000 oarsmen and 126 coxswains. The work of the officials was an unenviable one; a strong cold wind was blowing and standing in a launch giving instructions through a megaphone was anything but a warm joke. The crews paddle up each side of the river above the starting point, and get into position. They are started at ten seconds intervals.
The London Rowing Club, No. 1 crew again won the championship. They have been successful since the beginning of the event, although in 1927 they tied with Thames R.C. Their time on Saturday was 19 m. 41 s. Jesus College, Cambridge, were second; Thames R.C. No. 2, third, and Thames R.C. No 1, fourth.
Eton Excelsior’s time was 21m. 57s.
It will be remembered that to get their boat to Chiswick the eight rowed from their headquarters just below Windsor Bridge to the premises of the Ibis Rowing Club who kindly accommodated them. The distance was thirty-one miles and the crew put up a splendid performance by starting at 10.15 on a Sunday morning and reaching there at 4.10 p.m. the same day.
For the Head of the River Race the crew was coached by Mr. F. R. Derry from the stroke seat. The crew was as follows: A. Sharratt (bow), V. H. Hobbs 2, F. W. Buck 3, R. J. Cork 4, N. J. W. Nicholls 5, D. S. Harrison 6, J. B. Frampton 7, F. R. Derry (stroke), L. H. Dismore (cox).
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