Boating Part 37

(6) That the boats start by pistol shot.

(7) That umpires be appointed by each college to see each boat in its proper position before starting, and to decide any accidental dispute.

H. Saunders, Ch. Ch.

H. Moresby, Ex. Coll.

E. A. Hughes, Jes. Coll.

Henry Towers, Ch. Ch.

T. North, B. N. Coll.

H. Roberts, Ball. Coll.

Of the details of the racing, all that we can gather is that Christ Church finished head.

In 1827 rules were again drawn up and signed at a meeting of strokes; the new code being much the same as its predecessor, but with one or two small alterations. There was no U.B.C. in existence, and therefore no fixed code, but only such as was agreed on from year to year.

_Rules for Boat-Racing, 1827._

(1) That the racing do begin on May 29.

(2) That the days of racing be Tuesday and Friday in each week, and that if any boat does not come out on those days its flag do go to the bottom.

(3) That no out-college man be allowed to row in any boat.

(4) That no boat be allowed to race with less than eight oars.

(5) That the boats below the one that b.u.mps stop racing, those above continue it.

(6) That there be a distance of fifty feet between each boat at starting.

(7) That the boats start by pistol shot.

(8) That umpires be appointed by each college to see each boat in its proper place at starting, and to settle any accidental dispute.

The rules of the racing signed by:--

C.H. Page, Ch. Ch.

R. T. Congreve, B.N.C.

A. C. Budge, Ex. Coll.

R. Pennefather, Ball. Coll.

F. C. Chaytor Geo. D. Hill, Trin. Coll.

David Reid T. Fox

During these races Christ Church lost their pride of place. Balliol seems to have first displaced them, and they in turn fell victims to B.N.C. who remained head. The exact details of the racing and full list of boats in this are unfortunately wanting.

The racing of 1828 began as usual. No MS. copy of the rules has come to our hands for this year, but they are believed to be a reproduction of those of 1827.

The racing resulted thus:--

June 1.--Order of starting B.N.C., Balliol, University, Christ Church, Trinity, Oriel.

B.N.C. and Balliol remained in _statu quo_; Christ Church claimed a b.u.mp against University which the latter disputed. Oriel b.u.mped Trinity. The disputed race between University and Christ Church was renewed on June 3, and the Christ Church men put wet paint on their bows so as to make sure of leaving their mark if they should touch their opponents. They effected their b.u.mp. The other boats do not seem to have raced on June 3.

The next race was on June 4 between B.N.C., Balliol, Christ Church, University, Trinity, and Oriel. Balliol b.u.mped B.N.C., and the other boats therefore ceased rowing according to the rules.

The third race was on June 7. Balliol, B.N.C., Christ Church, University, Trinity, and Oriel, started in this order: Balliol kept ahead; Christ Church b.u.mped B.N.C., and the two between them had therefore to cease rowing; Trinity then took off. On June 10 the races were renewed, but no b.u.mp was effected by any boat.

On June 13 there was another race, and Christ Church displaced Balliol and went head.

The races concluded on June 16, when Christ Church retained the heads.h.i.+p, and B.N.C. reb.u.mped Balliol.

The Christ Church crew of 1828 were:--(bow) Goodenough; 2, Gwilt; 3, Lloyd; 4, Moore; 5, Hamilton; 6, Mayne; 7, Bates; (stroke) Staniforth.

Hamilton became Bishop of Salisbury.

In 1829, in consequence of the first match of its kind being then arranged with Cambridge, and the date being fixed for March 10, there were no b.u.mping races. Christ Church were accredited as head of the river, from their having held that position from the preceding year; and they were saluted as such. A scratch race, however, was improvised on Commemoration afternoon, between the boats, apparently manned by mixed crews of all colleges. It seems to have been a b.u.mping and not a level race, for the record of the race is 'no b.u.mp.'

In 1830 the races were renewed, and the following colleges put on eights:--Christ Church, B.N.C., Balliol, University, St. John's, in the order named.

The racing began on June 8, and Balliol b.u.mped B.N.C.

On June 11, another race, and no b.u.mp by any boat.

On June 15, St. John's b.u.mped University, the others above them retaining their places and rowing to the end, as the b.u.mp was astern of them.

On June 18 another race, but no b.u.mp.

On June 20 another race, and no b.u.mp.

We hope at a later period to supply the hiatus in history between this last mentioned year and 1837, in which year the written records of the B.N.C. book commenced, and for which charts of the races are published. Meanwhile we shall thankfully receive any information on this subject from the heroes of those days who may now be alive and hearty.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HENLEY COURSE

_London: Longmans & Co._

E. Weller]

_HENLEY, PAST AND FUTURE._[24]

[24] From the _Field_, July 5, 1886.

The inauguration of a new era in the history of Henley Regatta naturally tends to make the mind wander into vistas of the past, perhaps even more than into speculations of the future. There are oarsmen living who can recollect when Henley Regatta did not even exist, and yet we are within an appreciable distance (three years) of the 'jubilee' of the gathering.

There are sundry old Blues of the 1829 match still hale and hearty, and the regatta was not founded until ten years after that date. _Apropos_ of that 1829 match, we have never seen it officially recorded that in the race Cambridge steered up the Bucks and Oxford in the Berks channel of the river, where the island divides it. Yet we have heard the Rev. T.

Staniforth, the Oxford stroke, relate the fact. For some strange reason, the general opinion of _habitues_ of the river prior to that match was that the Bucks channel gave the better course. The boughs of the island trees obstructed the Berks channel more than now, and this may explain the delusion. However, the Oxonians doubted the soundness of local opinion, and tested in practice the advantages of the two channels by timing themselves through each. They naturally found the inside course the shorter cut. In the race they adopted it, while Cambridge, so we hear, took the outside channel; and the previous lead of Oxford was more than trebled by the time that the boats came again into the main river.

Times and ideas of rowing have changed much since the first regatta at Henley opened and closed with contests for the Grand Challenge Cup, the only prize at its foundation. The 'Town' Cup seems to have been the next addition, under the name of the 'District Challenge' Cup, in 1840; but it does not figure again until 1842, and in 1843 takes the name of the Town Cup. There were first cla.s.s fours 'for medals' in 1841, but the Stewards' Cup was not founded till the following year. The 'Diamonds'