Henley Thursday: Hotting Up

The most exciting race of Thursday was between Molesey Boat Club and Seeclub Zürich, Switzerland, in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup (Men’s Intermediate Coxless Fours). It ended in a dead heat in a time of 7 minutes 14 seconds. (It was re-rowed on Friday with a victory for Seeclub Zürich by 3/4 length.)

Tim Koch’s writes:

There are many differences between a proper journalist and a rotten old blogger, one of which is that the professional spends most of his or her time at Henley tapping away at a computer, drinking mineral water and meeting deadlines. Those who write for a blog tend to spend their time meeting friends, supporting the bars and restaurants – and sometimes watching rowing. They get home late, do some cooking, feed the cat, search for a clean shirt for the next day and only then start writing – or not. Deciding it’s far too late for that sort of thing, they put up links to anything written by the Telegraph’s Rachel Quarrell and to the results page on the Regatta website. They also make sneering references to the Daily Mail, but still link to the paper’s extensive picture coverage. Some egotists refer readers to articles in which they are mentioned. The really bad ones just reproduce the press release written by the Regatta’s Caroline Searle. They do it like this:

The world’s top rowers made their first appearance with Australia’s Nick Purnell getting the better of Danny Fridman in the Diamond Challenge Sculls for single scullers. Fridman is the first Israeli to have competed at the Regatta. In the opposite side of the draw in this event Dutch Champion, Roel Braas, had a comfortable win over Mark Mitchell.

Meanwhile a series of superb finishing sprints in close races saw Hampton School, the University of London and the University of Western Ontario all move past their opponents in dramatic style in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, the Visitors Challenge Cup and the Temple Challenge Cup.

Manchester University lost a scull during their race with Rudern, Tennis Und Hockey Club Bayer Leverkusen and Ruderverein Berlin V.1878, Germany. The commentator would probably have preferred that the Germans did not race again.

Weather forecasters predict that the current sunny weather will persist. Friday will see World Junior Single Scull Champion Jess Leyden from Hollingworth Lake make her first appearance at this Regatta and GB Rowing Team squad members Scott Durant and Alan Sinclair will begin their challenge in the Silver Goblets for men’s pairs.

The sensational French double of Stany Delayre and Jeremie Azou will race for the first time in the Double Sculls Challenge Cup for men. New Zealander Mahe Drysdale and George Bridwater will go head to head in the Diamond Challenge Sculls. Drysdale is the Olympic champion in this event and his compatriot is making a comeback after winning Olympic bronze in another boat class at the 2008 Olympic Games.

I, of course, would never be so lazy. They say that ‘a picture paints a thousand words’. If that is true, here are 16,000 of them.

In the Diamonds (Men’s Open Single Sculls), AP English of Nottingham RC (weighing 11st 13lb / 76kg) beat LAJ Wells of Thames (weighing 14st 1lb / 89kg) ‘easily’.

Photographers zoom in on Sydney RC, Australia, who beat Nottingham RC and Loughborough Students’ RC in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup (Men’s Intermediate Quadruple Sculls) by 3 3/4 lengths.

Two different modes of river transport, both elegant in their own way. JT Linke of Australia, in the foreground, has just beaten EA Hazine of Kingston RC, ‘easily’ in a heat of the Diamonds.

Some spectators demonstrate a form of rowing, which does not involve ergo tests or abstinence from alcohol. It could catch on.

A cox from Star Club contemplates the meaning of defeat having lost to Upper Thames RC in the Britannia Challenge Cup (Men’s Club Coxed Fours).

HT Playfair of Sydney University, Australia, leads HJ Bradbury of Jesus College, Cambridge, in a heat of the Diamond Sculls, eventually winning by 3 3/4 lengths.

The wonderfully named Ratsgymnasium Osnabruck, Germany, recover after losing to Radley in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup (Junior Men’s Eights).

The all-conquering Abingdon School show some muscle in their race against Monmouth School in the Princess Elizabeth.

Abingdon rather cheekily finish their race against Monmouth by going to ‘easy and balance’ as they cross the finish line, winning by 1 1/2 lengths...

... Monmouth, on the other hand, finish less elegantly and collapse in front of the press box, a bit of overacting that losing schoolboy crews seem keen on these days.

Kings College School, Wimbledon, fail to impress the wildlife in their heat of the Princess Elizabeth.

Part of the Temple Challenge Cup, on display in the trophy tent.

The new base to the Grand Challenge Cup (Men's Open Eights) is displayed on the right, next to the old cup and base. The original cup and base dates from 1839 and over the years extensions were made to add new winners’ names. When the Harvard 1914 winners returned to row over the course in 1964, they presented the Regatta with an identical new trophy as the original was becoming very delicate. This year some Harvard oarsmen have given this new base with space for 140 future winners. It is in memory of Harry Parker, Harvard’s coach for 51 years, who died in 2013. Harry’s Henley blazer can be seen on the right. Wonderful evidence of Harvards 1964 50th anniversary row is on the British Path site.

Yesterdays ‘drink of the day’ was the ‘Bengal Tiger’. Today it is the splendid iced coffee that is served in the Stewards' Enclosure. When I was younger and more tolerant to alcohol, I would add a brandy to it. These days I have it ‘neat’.

P.S. I met up with Martin Gough, former BBC Sports Reporter and now a professional coach (and a new dad). His nice take on Henley aimed at the non-rowing public recently appeared in the West London Journal. Excitingly, he is also the man behind a new rowing blog, The Rowlup. It not only contains Martin’s informed and perceptive analysis of the rowing scene but also some nice bits on rowing history. HTBS approves.

The Putney Embankment – London’s ‘Boathouse Row’, Part 3

Westminster School Boat Club. Seen in this photograph is OUBC coach Sean Bowden.

Here continues Tim Koch’s third and final part of his story about The Putney Embankment – London’s Boathouse Row.

Vesta RC had been formed in 1871 and was initially based at the Feathers Boathouse on the River Wandle in south London. By 1875 it had moved to the Unity Boat House on the Putney Embankment (run by the famous rowing and boatbuilding Phelps family for many years). The Unity is now Ranelagh Sailing Club, situated between Westminster School BC and the building that Vesta erected as its boathouse in 1890 and which still serves it today.

Westminster School BC

The only Victorian boathouse not yet mentioned that still stands on the Embankment started life slightly differently. What is now Westminster School Boat Club was erected by the boat builder, J.H. Clasper, I think in the 1880s. John Hawks Clasper (1835-1908) was the son of the famous and innovative Newcastle boat builder, oarsman and coach, Harry Clasper (1812-1870). John moved south in the late 1860s and by the 1870s was building boats in Wandsworth (just upriver from Putney) and in Oxford. Many of the boats used in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race in this period were made by him. The first reference that I have of him as ‘Clasper of Putney’ is 1882 when he ‘steered’ Payne in the Wingfield Sculls from a following boat. Between 1887 and 1897, ‘Clasper of Putney’ again built many of the craft used in the University Boat Race. The original building has been thoughtfully and ‘lightly’ adapted for modern use by WSBC and the name ‘JH Clasper’ is still nicely picked out in red brick on the gable end (see above and on top).

Imperial College BC

The next surviving boathouse at Putney dates from much later. It is the very pleasing building put up for Imperial College (London) BC in 1937. The PECA Report again:

‘Its sleek moderne lines make for an attractive contrast to the dominant Victoriana, varying the styles of the group of boathouses but keeping to their overall character. It is a highly individual and positive building, featuring a wave motif on the rendered panel beneath its cluster of Crittall windows. It is also one of the only quintessentially 1930s buildings in this part of Putney. A contemporary extension to the boat house […] was added in 1997.’

The modern extension is not unattractive and it allows the original and better part of the boathouse to dominate. Sadly, a small terrace of Victorian houses had to be demolished to make way for it.

The remaining architectural ‘style’ on the Embankment is, unfortunately, that of the post 1939-1945 War period. The PECA is generous:

‘[…] relatively recent additions reflect the architecture style of the 50s and 60s and should be regarded as positive in terms of their function and group value even though their overall design lacks the finesse of their neighbours.’

While accepting that a rowing club must be a functional place and not (in the words of the late Peter Coni) ‘a sporting slum’, I find it hard to be positive about the architecture of Kings College School (built for Barclays Bank RC), HSBC (since 1992 the name for the Midland Bank, the full name of the ‘Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation’ is never used) and Dulwich College (built for the NatWest Bank RC). The only building with some character in this group is that of Crabtree BC (built for Lensbury RC, a club for Shell Oil and British Petroleum employees). I find it difficult to date but its nice external spiral staircase suggests that it may be older than its three neighbours to the west.

The architecturally not so attractive Kings College Boathouse.

In its conclusions, the Putney Embankment Conservation Area Report says:

‘Many of the boathouses on the Embankment are fine or indeed excellent buildings, but it is their use that gives them their group character.’

That ‘use’ is rowing. Long may it continue!

The Putney Embankment – London’s ‘Boathouse Row’, Part 1.
The Putney Embankment – London’s ‘Boathouse Row’, Part 2.