The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1896-08-08
Yale's Defeat at Henley

All the world has known for some
days that the Yale crew was easily
beaten by the Leander crew in the
first heat for the Grand Challenge
Cup for eight oars at Henley. 1t
cannot, however, be suggested by
the most ingeniously ill-disposed
person that the beating was not an
entirely fair one. The Yale men
we're in capital health and spirits on
the day of the race, had not lost
pound in weight, weighed ten
pounds per man more than the
Leander crew, and thought that the
hot July weather suited them bet
ter than it did the British oarsmen.
Further Though it turned out still
day, with little or no breeze) Yale
drew the Buckinghamshire side OF
the Thames, station which is con-
sidered on windy day to be worth
one-aud-a-half lengths to the boat
that is lucky enough to get it. The
crew were treated with the utmost
kindness and attention, and we may
rest assured that no "kick" Of any
kind will be made by any but the
ignorant and malevolent; it certain
ly will not be Registered" by the
Yale coach and crew. Now for the
causes of defeat-that is to say, the
reasons why the Yale crew did not
row fast enough to win their heat.
The crew never got really together"
they rowed short, lacked swing, and
were perplexed by the changes in
oars and slides, and by the coach's
extreme anxiety to pick up ideas and
suggestions from the English crews.
Now, it is possible to be too open
to new impressions, and this, while
an amiable failing, is sort of weak
ness. Sob" Cook seems to have
been even too ready and anxious to
learn. The fact is that visiting
crew should not try to gain any new
theories of rowing after preparation
for the race has once begun: it
should row its own stroke in it's own
style as we'll and pluckily as it
knows how, and Herewith be con-
tent 1t should, further, not attach
an exaggerated Importance to the
result of contest in what is, after
all, only sport and recreation.
There is, of course, no reason why
oarsmen visiting country where
eight-oared rowing is highly devel-
oped and carried on under favorable
circumstances, should not after their
own work is done, watch their COM
petitors' style, and try to get ideas
for future use; but to attempt to
adopt a new, or partially new, theory
a week or two before the contest, is
hopeless. Every University oars.
man in England is quite satisfied to
row the stroke taught to Elton
schoolboys, who, as regards form
and Workmanship, are not excelled
by any crew in the country. Both
coach and crew are thoroughly
agreed as to what to what to do and
how to do it. and there is no diverg-
ent theory of rowing present in the
minds of any Of the men in the boat
or on the bank. What an advan-
tage this unanimity is to the morale
of a crew is obvious. Instead of
falling to pieces" when called on
to row hard race, their body-swing
remains rythmical, and their stroke
long and even while the strength to
grasp an oar lasts.
1t has been suggested that the
Yale crew would perhaps have done
better in four-mile race; but, in
reply to this it must be remembered
that the Leander men are all long
distance rowers, and that their
Stroke won the Oxford and Cam
bridge boat-race this year through
magnificent staying and squirting
qualities, whereas Yale's Stroke oar
was faltering at the half-distance, in
a course of less than one-and- half