Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-05-04

New York, May 3.-Amateur rowing
clubs and college carsmen are greatly
interested in the training progress of
the Union Boat Club eight of Boston
which has been entered for the Grand
Challenge Cup at the Henley, Eng
land, regatta, to be held July "a. The
crew and substitutes consisting main
ly of former Harvard University oars
men are rapidly rounding into rowing
form and experts who have been fol
lowing the daily training predict
powerful, fast and finished eight will
carry the Union Boat Club colors at
the famous English regatta. The crew
as composed at present contains some
of the heaviest, strongest and most nm
ished oarsmen to win varsity letters
in recent Harvard Fights. Although
the combination averages well over $50
pounds at the present time, 1t issex-
pected that when it is boated on the
Thames the average will be but a
pound or two below these figures.
The oarsmen substitutes and coaches
are scheduled to sail for Liverpool on
June Is and will arrive at Henley
about June "a. This will give them
seven days in which to complete their
training and become familiar with the
course which is far different from the
American courses upon which they
have been accustomed to row. Dur
ing the trip across the Atlantic the
oarsmen will continue their daily
training as far as conditions will per-
init. Running and setting-up exer-
cises will be part of the schedule and
II is possible that the rowing ma
chimes used by colleges and boat clubs
for indoor work will be carried abroad
for use during the voyage. Every ef-
fort will be made to land the crew in
close to perfect condition. 1t is
thought that the weeks training at
Henley will be sufficient to complete
the conditioning without the danger OF
upsets due to the climatic changes as
would be the case in longer interval
between arrival and racing.
1t has been learned from the past
experiences of athletic teams ana
crews competing in England that
stay of two or three weeks abroad
takes the edge off the physical condf-
ton of American athletes. The ell
matte conditions are such that it is
better to fix the date of arrival several
months before the competition or plan
to arrive at the scene of contest with
in a few days of the event. Both
methods have been adopted by past
entrants at the Henley regatta and
both have been found feasible but
there appears to be no compromise
possible If the oarsmen are to retain
their best physical condition up to the
day of the races.
This has been the experience or
American oarsmen during the past
forty years for as far back as 1873
Americans began to cast longing eyes
at the famous trophies competed for
annually at Henley. In that year G.
w. Lee entered for the Diamond SOULS
and was defeated by narrow margin
after an exciting race over the one
mile $50 yard course, which is but 10
feet wide at it's best reaches. The
same year the famous Columbia Uni
versity four won the visitors chal-
lenge cup for tours. In 1892 ]. j. K.
Ooms of Hollond won the Diamond
Souls. being the first foreigner to cap
ture the historic rowing trophy.
In 1881 Cornell entered four for the
stewards cup and was defeated. The
Ithaca oarsmen tried again in 1895, en-
tering an eight for the Grand Chal-
lenge, with no better result. The
next year Yale tried for this trophy
and was defeated by the Leander
eight of that year. Six years later
tho University of Pennsylvania crew
met a similar fate.
The crews of other nations, however,
have been more fortunate for the Club
Nautique de Grand of Belgium scored
the first foreign victory for the Grand
Challenge Cup in 1906 and repeated in
1909. Three years later the Sydney
Rowing eight of New South Wales
also won. Canada, too scored VIC
tory in the Diamonds Sculls race of
1904 when l.. f. Scholes of Toronto
won. Several Canadian clubs have
sent Fights to Henley but never sue
ceeded in winning the Grand Chal-
lenge. Another attempt will be made
this year SO that the Union Boat Club
crew will have competitors from this
continent as well abroad. While the
Union Boat Club eight is a Boston
rowing club entry, it is composed of
former Harvard oarsnen which is,
however, quite different from the en-
try of a Harvard crew at Henley
Harvard has never enteredsa varsity
crew at Henley, although the Crimson