Greg Searle's Come-Back

On Sunday, 14 February 2010, I wrote an entry about rowing magazines, and, I have to confess, I whined a little about the new lay-out of Rowing News. I'll be darned if I do not have to change my mind after receiving the issue for April. Now, here is probably what the magazine wanted to do in the first place, a clean, easy-to-read lay-out with full-page columns (it seems the issue I was not so impressed by had a lot of technical mishaps). Not only is the lay-out looking nice, there are some great articles, too. I especially enjoyed the piece by Chris Dodd about the British oarsman Greg Searle, the old Olympic champion who has decided to make a come-back in the boat for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Greg Searle’s greatest moment was probably when he and his brother Jonny, and their coxswain Garry Hebert, in the coxed pair beat the famous and ‘unbeatable’ Abbagnale brothers in the final of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 – a nail-biting race.

Click here to read BBC's Martin Gough's blog entry about Greg Searle and watch a video interview with Searle. To watch the amazing Olympic gold medal race in 1992, click below.

'Tunny' - A Great Coach

I am not sure when this little pamphlet was published, but it states that it was ‘revised Michaelmas, 1956’. The pamphlet, Introductory Notes on the Art of Rowing, 12 pages, was written by signature ‘B.T.’, which stands for Brian Tunstall. I have by now read quite a lot of different books and pamphlets on how to row, and, being short and concise, I think this is an excellent little work on how to become a good oarsman or oarswoman. To give you an idea how Tunstall has done it in his booklet, here are the sub-titles: ‘The Idea of Rowing’, ‘The Idea of Racing’, ‘On Keeping Time’, ‘The Beginning’, ‘The Finish’, ‘The Recovery’, ‘Coming Forward’, ‘Light Hands’, and ‘Getting the Feel of it’. Tunstall gives easy instructions to follow, in an easy language for the novice to understand. Again, a wonderful little pamphlet, which now is hard to come by.

Who then was Tunstall? William Cuthbert Brian Tunstall (1900-1970) was one of the leading naval historians starting in the 1920s and to his death, and wrote ground-breaking works on naval tactics and other books on naval subjects. Before the war, Tunstall was a lecturer in History and English at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and the Secretary of the Navy Record Society. During the war, he was the naval correspondent for the BBC European Services. Later, he lectured at the London School of Economics and at the Royal Military College of Canada. Rowing historian Bill Lanouette (seen on the left) in Washington DC, who has just handed in his book manuscript about the professional oarsmen, the Biglin Brothers, to his literary agent, has told me that when he was studying at the London School of Economics in 1964-1965, he had Tunstall – or “‘Tunny’ as we used to call him” – as rowing coach at the school’s boat club. “We rowed from the University of London boathouse at Chiswick, just upstream from the ‘Boat Race’ course,” Bill writes in an e-mail. He continues, “during breaks in his coaching [‘Tunny’] would regale us with stories about the signal flags used at the Battle of Trafalgar. A great coach, and a grand character.”

Many thanks to Bill Lanouette for the information about Brian Tunstall. Good luck with your book on the Biglins.

Buy The Rowing Stuff!

Yesterday, Chris Partridge, who is running the great blog Rowing For Pleasure, had an entry posted about a visit he made at Turks Auctions. According to Chris there is a big collection of rowing gear that MUST go! Although I will be travelling across the pond in a couple of days, to go to Sweden, I will not be able to take a detour to England, this time. But if you live there - what are you waiting for? Go immediately to Chatham Boat Yard to buy the rowing stuff!

A Picture Cavalcade of Boat Race Day

Here is a picture cavalcade of Boat Race Day. Hélène Rémond, who, in an entry yesterday, wrote about the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge, has taken all the photographs. Thank you, Hélène, for allowing me to post them here.

The Thames Embankment

Launches for the Boat Race

The Media Centre at Thames RC

Inside the Thames RC is a wall of the results

On Friday, the day before the Boat Race, the light blues, Cambridge, went for an outing

At the start at Putney

Which way to Hammersmith Bridge?

Oxford still in the lead coming out of Hammersmith Bridge

The enterprise is flourishing on Boat Race Day

The Boat Race Through French Eyes

Hélène Rémond, whom most of you readers of this blog would recognise as a frequent contributor of thoughts, ideas, and written material, managed to persuade the editor-in-chief of the French newspaper where she is working, to send her to London to write an article about the famous British Boat Race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. I am happy to say that she also agreed to write a little report for H.T.B.S. (‘Hear The Boat Sing’). Thank you, Hélène, for both the nice article and photographs!

By now, all your H.T.B.S. readers have the information: Cambridge won the 156th Boat Race last Saturday, and against the odds, as the bookmakers predicted Oxford’s victory. Earlier posted entries on this blog give links to major articles in British newspapers, and the official website of the Boat Race is really comprehensive.

As correspondent for the French newspaper Ouest-France, I had convinced the Chief-editor of the Sunday edition (Dimanche Ouest-France) that the Boat Race was an event that could not be ignored and as I had planned to spend the Easter week-end in London, I was willing to write about it... In France, rowing is not given much coverage. Often, people confuse it with canoeing or kayaking. I am always very happy to participate in the promotion of the sport which exercises your whole body and which is so enthralling. Its history appeals to me. And the Boat Race is a British institution!

I am pleased to share my photos with you all. I arrived on Friday at the Media Centre, at the Thames Rowing Club in Putney. Near the Putney Bridge station, I came passed a park with a public notice announcing the Boat Race. It made me feel very enthusiastic to be in London to witness this special event. On Friday, the embankment was rather empty and calm although the Press Launch brought about a certain amount of journalists who were presented the Cambridge crew. It was an opportunity for me to photograph the rowers who were to become victorious the following day.

On the day of the race, as the beginning of the afternoon was approaching, there was an increasing number of people gathering along the Thames. As Tim Koch explains in the post entitled The Old Boat Race Course, the Hammersmith Bridge was open to the public this year and this is where I was to see the race and where I shot most pictures... It is amazing to witness this endurance test.

I asked Chris Dodd if he could explain to French readers the popular craze for the Boat Race as about 250.000 persons gather along the banks of the Thames. “Because it’s there. It’s a simple two-horse race that’s been around on the present course since the 1850s, and still has an amateur feel about it. Both universities have worldwide allegiances. And it is a good excuse to go the pub”, he smiles.

And when I asked the question to members of the public on the Hammersmith Bridge, they agreed it was a nice moment to share with friends and have a beer! Actually, the pubs – just like the rowing clubs at the start – are full to the brim. Tim refers to pubs, and I have come passed a few (and photographed the sign of the Old Ship), near the Furnivall Gardens, where a big screen presented the whole event. There was a real festival atmosphere, with music, and much liveliness. The good weather conditions made it all the more enjoyable: no April showers even if there was a good chance of some rain on Boat Race day according to the forecast.

More of Hélène’s photographs from the Boat Race will be posted tomorrow!

Earl Of Iveagh's Dinner...

Hélène Rémond, one of the readers of this blog, spent the Easter weekend in London to cover the Boat Race for a French newspaper. While at the Thames RC, which acted as the Media Centre, she found an interesting ‘invitation’ for a dinner in 1930, the Wingfield Sculls Centenary Dinner. Tim Koch wrote about this dinner in an earlier entry, on Friday 26 March, which I then followed up with another entry, on Saturday 27 March. You can see Hélène’s photography of the invitation above. I am happy to report that tomorrow, I will post an article Hélène exclusively wrote for this blog about the Boat Race.

Great Blog For Rowing Coaches

The other day I came across an interesting blog about coaching rowing, ARC – The Association of Rowing Coaches, South Africa. This association was formed in February 2006, and the following year Jamie Croly began posting articles of interest to the group’s members and other rowing coaches. I did not have to spend that much time to realise what great stuff was on this blog. Under ‘Labels’ you will find entries with everything a coach needs to know. Among ‘Labels’ you will also find a heap of articles written by famous coaches like: Mike Spracklen, Jurgen Grobler, Harry Mahon, Harry Parker, Kris Korzeniowski, and Thor Nielsen. The last entry was posted in December 2009, so I am not sure if Jamie Croly is still updating the blog, but there is enough of really good material for you to study for a long time.

World Rowing Library

In the latest issue of FISA’s World Rowing Newsletter for March, the international rowing federation has assembled a collection of rowing books and DVDs, the World Rowing Library. The rowing books and DVDs in the collection can be purchased in the Library. One of the books that you are able to buy is Dan Boyne's Kelly: A Father, A Son, An American Quest; a book which I am proud to say I had a small part of producing. To have a look at the World Rowing Library, please click here. Of course many of these books are available in your local book shop. If you live in the U.K., or Europe, do try Richard Way Bookshop in Henley-on-Thames.

The Old Boat Race Course

After finishing up selling beer at Auriol Kenisington RC’s bar during Boat Race Day, Tim Koch sent me an e-mail. He writes, “I cannot add much to what has been already said about the 2010 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race. More often than not the event is just a procession, but this year it was an exciting spectacle. As the race was held over Easter the crowds on the towpath were fewer than usual but this resulted in most people getting a good view. For the first time in many years, people were allowed to stand on Hammersmith Bridge which was only closed to motor traffic. It reminded me of the famous Walter Greaves painting, Hammersmith Bridge On Boat Race Day (1862).” [Seen above]

Tim continues, “The Boat Race always prompts me to revisit a favourite print from the Graphic magazine of April 1875. The 'Champion Course' (Putney to Mortlake or visa versa) is, naturally, little changed but the man made landmarks come and go. In 1875 the start had an aqueduct where Putney Road Bridge now is. Leander still had a Putney boathouse. The Surrey (port side) bank down to Hammersmith is still much the same. The Soap Works became Harrods Depository which is now converted to luxury apartments. The bridge is the old Hammersmith Bridge (1826-1886) which supported 12,000 people during the 1870 race. At Hammersmith (on the Middlesex or starboard side) the distillery, foundry, lead mills and oil mills are (thankfully) gone. At Barnes, the Surrey side is now built up but Middlesex retains more of its open spaces. At the finish there is no Chiswick Bridge (opened 1933) and the end is marked by the ‘Ship’ pub. Indeed, the pubs are the most unchanging landmarks. The aforementioned ‘Ship’, the ‘Bull’ at Barnes and the famous ‘Star and Garter’ at Putney all thrive today. The course is much like the sport of rowing - in some ways unchanging, in some ways always changing.”

Thank you, Tim, for this nice history piece about the Boat Race Course!

After The Boat Race

After The Race

“What Do They Do Till The Next Boat-Race, Father?”
“Well – They Go On With Their Rowin’ – With A Bit Of Studyin’ Thrown In.”
[From Punch, 28 March 1923]

HAPPY EASTER!

What The Papers Wrote About The Boat Race

So, Cambridge won the 156th Boat Race with 1 1/3 lengths in a time of 17 minutes 35 seconds.

Here you can read what the major British newspapers wrote about the race:

Guardian's Andy Bull's Cambridge surprise favourites Oxford to win the Boat Race

Telegraph's Rachel Quarrell's Boat Race 2010: Cambridge beat Oxford in 156th university showdown

Also from the Daily Telegraph's Simon Briggs's, Boat Race 2010: Oxford's Winklevoss twins lose their Facebook status

And Simon Briggs's second article in the Daily Telegraph, Boat Race 2010: Compelling contest augers well for the future of rowing in Great Britain

Independent's Alex Lowe's Cambridge overturn odds to win the Boat Race

Independent's Chris Dodd's Rowing: Cambridge stay the course to snatch victory

The Oxford Times's Mike Rosewell's Where did it go wrong for Dark Blues

Of course, do not forget to check out the Boat Race official website for more good stuff about this incredible race. And there is the whole entire race on a video - thanks to BBC.

Cambridge Wins The 2010 Boat Race

Although the Thames was cold and grey, the conditions were great for the Boat Race. Oxford was the favourite and was leading slightly in the first half of the race. They did not, however, manage to pull away from the light blues, who powered through the Surrey bend, and won a fabulous race. An hour earlier, Cambridge’s Goldie boat had won their race, too. With Cambridge victory, head coach Chris Nilsson and his light blue crew stopped the dark blues’ winning streak. More news and links about the Boat Race 2010 are soon to come…

Boat Race Info

Get all the information you need about today's Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge by clicking here.

Boat Race Practice

Chivalrous old Lady (watching Boat-race practice), “Well, If That’s What You Call A Boat-Race, John, I Think It’s Distinctly Unfair.”
[From Punch, 18 March 1925]

Tomorrow it is time for the Boat Race on the Thames again. It can be hard to predict which boat is going to be the winner. But one thing is for certain, it is either Oxford or Cambridge!

(This is borrowed from the legendary BBC correspondent John Snagge, who during the 1949 Boat Race reported: “I can't see who's in the lead but it's either Oxford or Cambridge.”)

Have You Been Fooled Today?

Here in the U.S. ‘April Fools’ Day’, also called ‘All Fools’ Day’, is not a big thing. It is more commonly praticed in European countries where hoaxes and practical jokes are played on family members and friends. However, in some countries even the television and radio stations are the biggest ‘prankers’. For example, in the beginning of the 1960s the Swedish national tv had a long piece how the viewers could turn their b&w tv set into a colour tv by putting a lady’s nylon stocking in front of the tv screen. Another year, a Swedish radio station claimed that a famous Swedish music scholar, that everyone knew hated the accordion, had come up with a new invention, an ‘accordion filter’ that you could install in your radio to block out any accordion sound in a music piece played on the radio.

So, have there been any April Rowing Hoaxes? Not counting my own lame try a year ago, "New" Boat Type To Be Launched, the only one I can remember is in the 1990s when ARA’s magazine Regatta (or was it the British independent Rowing Magazine?) had an ad from the boat builders Aylings, who was going to sell their shells with an extra feature, a bow ball with a spring! The cox, or one of the rowers, would be able to push a button to release the bow ball, which would then shoot out from the bow and that way win a close race. I do not know if Aylings ever received any orders…