THE SPORT OF ROWING Championships in Duisburg, beating Vesper!”4584 The Lucerne result was Harvard first in 5:55.34, followed by Bled-Monar-Argo of Yugoslavia, Slavoj Vysherad Praha of Czechoslovakia and Central Sports Club Navy Moscow of the Soviet Union. Sigward: “Harry Parker noted they had become the first American university eight to win in major international competition since 1959. He said, ‘That victory did much to confirm our belief in the ability of that crew, and college oarsmen in general, to achieve the level of performance now required for victory in international competition.’”4585 Zang: “His first great team, the one that Sports Illustrated immortalized, was, according to Parker, a highly motivated group. From that Varsity Eight came four doctors, three lawyers and the beginning of a rowing dynasty.”4586 Then Vesper Falls Allen Rosenberg had only a couple of days to celebrate Vesper’s defeat of Harvard. Ratzeburg was still smarting over losing to Vesper at the 1964 Olympics. Just as he had suggested a rematch in flat water after losing to Cornell in headwind conditions in the heats of the 1963 Eastern Sprints,4587 Karl Adam reportedly had approached Rosenberg after the twilight Olympic loss into a headwind in Tokyo4588 and said, “We don’t row in the dark or in the wind. Let’s do a one-on-one rematch at Henley in 1965.”4589 Now what historian Eric Sigward has called the greatest match race in the history 4584 Parker, personal conversation, 2004 4585 Sigward, op. cit. 4586 Zang, p. 116 4587 See Chapter 98. 4588 See Chapter 107. 4589 Qtd. Sigward, op. cit of rowing was coming to pass in the Grand Challenge Cup final. Sigward: “When the big moment took place, Princess Grace was at the prow of the launch. Brother Jack Kelly, Vesper’s eminence grise, stood behind her. “Al Rosenberg and Dietrich Rose, Vesper’s coaches, were there. Harry Parker and ‘The Greatest Crew in the World’ were there. Karl Adam was there. Like armies moving ineluctably to a place of great decision, the finest coaches and rowers in the world gathered at Henley [and the future of international rowing was set in motion.] “At the signal, the Germans erupted at 45½. They managed to maintain this punishing cadence until they had a third of a length. Rowing at 39, not really a settle, they crossed the finish line in 6:16, one second ahead of Vesper. “The Henley Royal Regatta Record reads: “‘Ratzeburger started at 45½ and did not drop below 39 throughout. Vesper started at 44 and then rowed 37-38. “Ratzeburger led by one-eighth length by the quarter mile and three-quarters of a length at the Barrier. Vesper made a good effort just after the three-quarter mile and reduced the lead to half a length at the Mile. Ratzeburger raised their rate to over 40, led by three-quarters of a length and won a magnificent race by half a length. All the times were new records.’”4590 “Afterward, Vesper stroke Bill Stowe said that he had been waving to Grace Kelly in the judges’ boat and missed the first stroke. That accounted for their losing a deck-length at the start, which ended up the eventual winning margin.”4591 Unfortunately, Vesper lost to them again by a second a week later in Ratzeburg and then twice more the following month in both 4590 Sigward, op. cit. 4591 Sigward, personal correspondence, 2008 1272
