The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-09-08
EXPECT CLOSE RACE
EngIishmen Say Harvard Cam
bridge Rowing Contest Will
Be Well Fought.
YANKEES CHANCES FAVORED

Condition Of American Crew Believed
to Be Better Than That of Their
English RivaIs-StyIes of oarsman-
ship Contradictions Boat Shorter
Than the English.
London, Sept S.-Americans watch
ing the work of the rival crews from
Harvard and Cambridge universities
which race today on the Thames are
very confident of the result. Some
English and such impartial observers
as have expressed themselves agree
that the transatlantic crew is certainly
ready for a trying race and that if vic
tory is to favor the crew with the
longest stroke easiest leg work, broad
er blades and longer slides the Ameri-
can crew can well be satisfied All
observers, however, agree that the race
will be a close one.
Both crews were out for brief peri
ods to keep their muscles tuned up.
Practicing starts took up the morn
ing's work, and the Americans did so
we'll that there was little to choose be-
tween the crews.
Contrasting the style and speed of
both crews shows that the Harvard men
use their legs more and have gone over
the full course within three seconds of
the record time on a moderate tide
and were delayed in the spin some FIVE
seconds. They finished apparently
quite fresh and with some reserve
strength. The course Is nearly four
and one-haIf miles.
English Crew Is Fast.
The Cambridge crew swings more.
and 1t is reported that they have COW
cred mile in 4 minutes 3 seconds.
The Englishmen are quicker in getting
away after the pistol report, but their
stroke is shorter one. In the Ameri-
can boat the longer leg drive takes the
place of the swing.
The most obvious differences in the
crews is that the Americans use oars
with wider blades, swivel rowlocks and
longer sliding seats. There is a dispo-
sition here to disapproye of a profess
sional coach and to find fault with a
crew so trained as Harvard is, and the
English varsity sentiment prefers
coaches who go in for what is called
form rather than speed.
The professional coach's rule seems
to be to get speed with the least possi-
BILE exertion. The use of longer and
fewer strokes is advanced as an exam
pie for the American coaching idea.
The theory is that the crew using the
fewer strokes will survive the longer,
and this bit of theorizing finds favor
with a few of the English and major
ity of the impartial observers.
Yankee Cockswain Lighter.
The American cockswain is twenty
one pounds lighter than the Cambridge
man. Stuart, the Cambridge stroke,
keeps shouting at his fellows every few
strokes. He always does this in races.
1t may cheer the light blue oarsmen,
but it may also ''fidget' them.
The Englishmen have been training
and rowing ever since spring and can
not be so fresh and vigorous as earlier
in the year. Englishmen admit that
they are not at their best. The Har-
ward crew has been successful as
crew, and no suspicion of staleness at
taches to them.
Some of the English judges say that
the Americans knife their blades into
the water and half feather them in
leaving the water The Cambridge
crew drop their blades squarely and
raise them squarely. The Americas
style is that adopted by professional
scullers, but not taken up by amateur
crews in England.
The American boat is three feet
shorter than the Cambridge boat. They
start with bows level The amateur
crews are very finicky about adopting
new ideas in boat building, and the
English makers have to follow the
amateur specifications closely. The
American boat has every advantage
that new ideas in lightness and
strength have advanced.
The newspapers devote many coll
umns and the premier places in their
editions to the Harvard Cambridge
boat race, giving their readers all the
information possible on every point of
interest, the opinions of leading oars
men relative to the outcome of the
contest, the pictures of the men who
will row, etc., and altogether doing
their utmost to make the occasion a
great success. All of them admit that
the race is an open one, but a majority
patriotically pin their faith on the
Cambridge crew to win.