page_title: Charles A. Messenger
section_title: Strange Race
hierarchical_section_title: Charles A. Messenger / Strange Race
caption_attribution_description: English: Charles Amos Messenger was the father of the renowned Dally Messenger, superstar of Rugby Union and Rugby League from 1902 to 1907 to 1914
context_page_description: Charles Amos Messenger, a professional sculler, was born in 1853 in London where his family was well known in aquatic circles. He married Annie Frances Atkinson on 30 November 1875 in Gore St Fitzroy, Victoria, and died in Sydney on 21 April 1905.
  The couple had eight children including the original Australian superstar of Rugby League and Rugby Union, Dally Messenger. and the younger Wally Messenger, who also represented Australia in Rugby League.
context_section_description: One of the strangest races ever recorded was that between Messenger and Bill Beach in March 1883 in the Anniversary regatta held in Sydney. Largan, the English sculler, was also in the race, but had his boat cut in two by a 14-ft. open sailing boat shortly before the start. He, however, started in a borrowed outrigger, but retired after going 200 yards. 
  The weather was very rough, and, after changing places repeatedly, Messenger, who was leading, had his boat burst open and swamped forward by a sea, the after part sticking up in the air about three feet. Beach who had broken his slide and was pulling on a fixed seat, then shot up to him and yelled out, "I've beaten you now." Messenger was, of course, inclined to give in, but the people on the steamer yelled at him to go on in hopes something would happen to Beach also. Sure enough they were right, for in a few minutes the stern of his boat sank and the bow cocked up at an angle of 45 degrees. 
  Then, Messenger seeing hope once more, removed his feet from the straps, took off his roller slides and held them in his mouth, and then standing up in his boat, half of which was completely buried under water, he turned round and sat straddle legs across the boat, his legs dangling in the water, a tempting bait for any shark in the vicinity. He faced the nose of the boat, and after an hour's hard rowing, during which the water was breaking over him, he rowed his boat stern first the last quarter of a mile, and passing the flagship a winner of one of the most singularly contested races ever recorded. After swamping, Beach gave up the contest.
caption: Charles Amos Messenger - Champion Sculler of Victoria, Australia and runner-up for the unofficial "Championship of the World"
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