AMERICAN ROWING COMES OF AGE equipment change that could make an instant difference. He bought a set of English oars. Leander used standard British 12’0” oars with 2’7” x 6” blades and 44” inboard.1317 The center of area of this blade was approximately 16” from the blade tip,1318 yielding an effective load ratio of 2.0. Yale’s original oars would probably have been 12’4” in length with 2’6” x 8” American blades and 42” inboard.1319 The center of area of this blade was approximately 10” from the blade tip,1320 yielding an effective load ratio around 2.3. Changing from American to British oars would have meant reducing load by almost 15%, which would have felt indescribably huge to the unfortunate oarsmen having to adjust overnight. Harper’s Weekly: “The ease with which they tore through the water was surprising and disturbing.”1321 American journalist Ralph W. Paine believed incorrectly that the crucial difference between the English and American oars was blade width, the same mistake made twenty years earlier by observers of Ned Hanlan’s custom oars.1322 “The theory of the Yale stroke is absolutely correct for wide blades. The shorter swing than that of the Englishmen is necessary with our oars, and the shorter length of stick [reach at blade entry] and lessened leverage [layback] are the results of the use of our blades. “There was not time for the men to accustom themselves to the change. The 1317 oars: 366 cm, blades 79 x 15 cm, inboard 112 cm, Lehmann, p. 70 1318 Glendon, p. 151 1319 oars: 376 cm, blades 76 x 20 cm, inboard 107 cm 1320 Glendon, p. 151 1321 Paine, Harper’s, p. 764 1322 See Chapter 13. 1323 probably due to the requested custom collar placement. 1324 Paine, Harper’s, p. 764 1325 For Henley course landmarks, see Chapter 5. British oars were balanced differently1323 and felt awkward.”1324 The Grand Challenge Cup The opening round between Yale and Leander turned out to be tremendously nerve-wracking, with both boats within one deck until well past the half-way point. The Times of London: “As was expected, the Americans began at the quicker stroke, 22 and 43 in the half and full minute respectively, to the 21 and 41 of Leander. Yale were all aboard for the first four strokes, and Leander drew a quarter of a length in advance, but the strangers steadying themselves lost no more by the top of the island. “They then went the faster, so that the boats were nearly level at the quarter-mile post, and Yale led by their forward canvass between Remenham Rectory and the Farm. “However, Leander once more gained steadily, being a few feet to the good at Fawley Court boathouse, which is the half distance, and which was reached in 3min. 25sec. Leander then drew away foot by foot off the big wood above the boathouse, and led by five or six feet at the little gate on the towpath.1325 “Then at the three-quarter-mile mark, where Yale were getting short in their stroke, and where want of swing and absence of length in their rowing were beginning to tell against them, the Leander Eight drew right away, rowing very steadily and lengthening out and getting clear at the mile post. Yale could not go the pace, and Leander continued to draw away and won 349
