AMERICAN ROWING COMES OF AGE “The Harvard crew in its first spin on the river today created a good impression among the onlookers. “Several trials over the entire course were held this evening. The Harvard crew paddled to the halfway mark in 3:43 but rowed hard over the last half, finishing in 7:16. “The Union Boat Club crew covered the course in 7:16, doing the half in 3:32. Winnipeg also took 7:15, Jesus College 7:14, while the Leander Eight made the best time, 7:08. “The Harvard crew, which arrived late last night, looks very fit. The men are in excellent spirits and are comfortably quartered.”1525 Sunday, June 28: “There is an air of quiet confidence about the Harvard headquarters at Henley, though members of the crew are cagey and are not making rash predictions. Capt. Leverett Saltonstall said he regretted today’s enforced idleness, as Sunday crew practice is tabooed here, but he said to The New York Times correspondent: “‘We are going for a row tomorrow morning as well as in the afternoon, and also on Tuesday and Wednesday, but will only have one speed-trial each day. Saturday’s trial time of 7:17 was better than we had hoped for, considering it was the first day off the boat. We expect to do considerably better before Thursday’s race with the Leander crew. We saw Leander cover the course in 7:05 on Saturday. “‘The Union Boat Club say the Jesus crew [Head of the River at Cambridge1526] is very good, and I understand the Germans also are formidable. They say we drew the better position for our race with Leander, as there is a slight advantage to us on the inside course. 1525 American Crews on Henley Course, The New York Times, June 29, 1914 1526 Mendenhall, op.cit, p. 288 1527 American Crews on Henley Course, The New York Times, June 29, 1914 “‘The distance here seems longer to us than on the course at home because here we are rowing against the stream. The narrow course will not bother us any. The members of the crew are all in good physical condition and ready to row the race of their lives. It is curious that not a single one of the fellows has been to Henley before. “‘The oarsmen are all greatly impressed with the picturesqueness of the scene, and enjoy the novelty of eating out of doors in the garden back of our house. “‘It is too bad we had to lose one day’s training, though several men went punting this morning. Later we motored to Oxford and visited University, Trinity and several other of the colleges. We motored back and went to tea in a bunch as the guests of Mrs. Wilson Noble, an American married to an Englishman. We all had a bully time.”1527 Tuesday, June 30: “Henley is prepared for a record Royal Regatta which beginning tomorrow will continue until July 4. Interest in the racing, especially in the contest for the Grand Challenge Cup, in which four countries – United States, Canada, Germany and Great Britain – will compete for the aquatic supremacy, never was so intense. A crowd surpassing even that present in 1912, when the King was among the spectators, is looked for. “The little riverside town is already overflowing. The boats, houseboats and cottages house many Americans. Alfred G. Vanderbilt’s big houseboat is again one of the attractions of the river and is more generously decorated than ever. The American Rhodes Scholars are here in force, and along the towpath the colors of many American colleges are seen. “The Harvard and Boston crews were out morning and evening but were engaged only in starting practice. The men are 407
