100 Years ago at Henley

Union Boat Club, closes to the camera, meeting Harvard for a celebratory row at Henley Royal Regatta this summer.

HTBS just received an e-mail from American 1956 Olympian cox, Bill Becklean (whom we wrote about on 18 June). Bill went to Henley Regatta this summer to, among other things, cox in a ‘reenactment race’ to celebrate the 1914 Grand Challenge Cup race between the American crews Harvard JV and Union Boat Club, of Boston. A race that Harvard famously won.

‘Both organizations showed up with veterans to row over the course during the lunch intermission on the day of the finals. Both crews much enjoyed the demo,’ Bill writes.

The UBC crew, back row: Bill Becklean, Charlie Clapp, Sam Batchelor and Derek Silver; front row:  Val Hollingsworth, Mike Corr, Rob Wettech, Alecs Zoluls and Josi Shamir. (Sorry, no information on the names in the Harvard crew more than Devin Mahoney, cox.

Update 3 August: On the River and Rowing Museum's new blog Home Front Henley, on 5 July, there is a contemporary account of the race between Union BC and Harvard - read it here. See also the blog on 30 June, here.

The Olympic '56 Eight Reunion

A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of bumping into William ‘Bill’ Becklean, cox of the Yale crew who took the Olympic gold medal in the eights in 1956. We had a nice chat, and Bill mentioned that he and the others in the Olympic eight crew were soon to have their annual reunion. Yesterday, he sent along a photograph of the group, of which only five remain. Special guest at the reunion was Emory Clark, of the Vesper ‘64 Olympic eight, also an Olympic champion.

I would like to share the photograph of the group with you readers.

Left to right: [at the head of the table] Bob Morey, stroke; Tom Charlton, bow and captain; [white trousers] Bill Becklean, cox; Ann Esselstyn; Emory Clark, of the 64 Vesper Olympic crew; Dave Wight, #2; and Caldwell ‘Ess’ Esselstyn, #6 and host of the reunion, at his farm near Hudson, N.Y.

Bill writes: ‘Only five of us are left, Emory was added this year, so we didn't have to retell all the old rowing stories!’

Thank you, Bill, may there be many more reunions for your group to come!