Maidenhead Regatta 1938

Transcript

MAIDENHEAD AMATEUR REGATTA

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Maidenhead Amateur Regatta can rarely have been a more pronounced success than it was on Saturday, when brilliant sunshine attracted a large company of spectators, entries were more numerous than usual, and the racing was some of the closest of the season.

Maidenhead is an upstream course of five furlongs and has always been looked upon as a “sprint” course.  It was made much faster than usual on Saturday by a strong following wind and the slack stream.  Although no figures have been kept in the past it is thought that the time of 3min. 21sec. set up by Eton Excelsior in winning the Thames Cup eights for the second successive year is a record for the course.  It was 18sec. better than the time recorded by Eton Excelsior last year, and the fast conditions were further in evidence when the Junior-Senior Eights race was won in 20sec. faster time than last year and the Junior Eights in 26sec. better time.

There were only four entries for the Thames Cup eights, and, as was generally expected, Eton Excelsior gained their third success in this class this season having previously won at Reading and Staines.  They beat Henley by three-quarters of a length in their heat on Saturday, and Clifton by a length and a quarter in the final, the latter having disposed of Bedford in their heat.  Eton Excelsior reached the semi-final at Henley, and have certainly had a good season.  Twickenham R.C., thanks to a strong finish, won the Junior-Senior Eights, thus following up their victory in the same class at Staines.  Ibis, who had beaten Maidenhead, led Twickenham to within 100 yards of the winning-post, when Twickenham spurted so well that they won a splendid race by a canvas.  It was an excellent effort on the part of S. Simpson, well backed up by the rest of the crew.

PROMISE FULFILLED

There were 11 crews in the Junior Eights and Henley R.C., who had shown great promise earlier in the season at Reading, at last succeeded, by beating the holders, Bryanston School in their heat and Quintin by a length in the semi-final.  In the final Henley met University College and Hospital, who led until the Enclosure was reached and then dropped back.  Barclays Bank were a little fortunate to win the “Orkney Cottage” Cup for Senior Fours, as in the final against Twickenham the latter made a bad start and fouled the buoys in their first few strokes.  Later the Bank crew went off the course and fouled a number of buoys, but they hung on to the early lead and won by half a length.  Maidenhead gained a popular victory when they won the Junior-Senior Fours rather unexpectedly against Marlow, whose steering went to pieces.  Under the name of Logie a crew from Winchester College had a big advantage over the eight crews entered for the Junior Fours.  The Logie crew included two of the Winchester four who won the Public Schools Cup at Marlow.

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