THE SPORT OF ROWING Boat Club, with a trip to the European Championships waiting for the top American crew. Canning: “New Zealand jumped us at the settle. They held a half length or a little more. The other boats dropped back steadily. “And then we reached the bridge – 750 gone, and we were still holding on to New Zealand. In fact, we were moving on them. “Suddenly we were right there, right beside them, it seemed. “And then they were moving away. “We were nearing the finish. Hoffer was calling us up . . . It was over. We had lost by 2.1 seconds. New Zealand had the trophies, and we had a trip to Vichy. “We had learned. We had improved.”4655 Hoffman: “After losing at the North Americans in St. Catharines, the first time we had ever lost as a crew, Harry brought us together the next Monday and said that we now had the opportunity to make a choice between being a very good college crew or deciding to become a true international- caliber crew. That choice, he suggested, was ours, and the opportunity to make it would be at the Nationals. I think we answered it pretty clearly in Philadelphia where in a downpour we raced level with New Zealand for much of the race and to a very strong result.”4656 The final regatta in the season was the European Rowing Championships in Vichy, France. New Zealand had returned home, but all the other major contenders would be present. Canning: “There were three heats in the eights. We drew France, Great Britain, Yugoslavia and Ratzeburg. We had had a second shot at New Zealand and almost 4655 Canning, op. cit., p. 70 4656 Hoffman, op. cit. caught them. Now we wanted to succeed against the Germans. [Ratzeburg false started and was called back.] “‘Êtes-vous prêts? . . . Partez!’ The start was good. We went screaming off the line and left everyone – everyone – wallowing. “After 500 meters I checked to my right, and Ratzeburg still sat back half a length. “‘Perhaps,’ I thought, ‘it was that false start of theirs.’ But the second 500 convinced me. We were still half a length out on Ratzeburg, and the rest were well back. “‘It’s our baby,’ I told myself, ‘just pack away this second 1,000.’ “Then Ratzeburg began to move, and with their challenge we felt the pressure. We lacked experience in beating back challenges. “In the heat of competition, if a very few circumstances are strategically changed, the upper hand can shift. No, I wasn’t going to let it happen. Pull, dammit, pull, and keep those mothers behind us! “But they passed us and stole our victory. Why? How? I wasn’t sure. I was pretty befuddled at the end of it. “East Germany and Russia joined Ratzeburg in the final on the basis of the first day’s heats. We were to face Czechoslovakia, Norway and Spain in the repêchage the next day. Only the winner would advance. The Czechs had led East Germany for 1,500 meters before losing in their heat. It figured to be a tough race, but we killed them. We knew we had to, and we did. “On Sunday, the summer’s climax was at hand. I was on my way to a starting line for the ninth time since Red Top. The experience was an old one, but somehow those fellows in the other boats made it an eerie first. “I was conscious of only brief segments of this all-important test. At the 500-meter 1290
