Boating Part 5

THE DIAMOND CHALLENGE SCULLS,

FOR SCULLS.

Open to all amateurs duly entered for the same according to the rules following.

GENERAL RULES.

_Definition._--1. No person shall be considered an amateur oarsman, sculler, or c.o.xswain--

(_a_) Who has ever taken part in any open compet.i.tion for a stake, money, or entrance fee;

(_b_) Who has ever knowingly competed with or against a professional for any prize;

(_c_) Who has ever taught, pursued, or a.s.sisted in the practice of athletic exercises of any kind for profit;

(_d_) Who has ever been employed in or about boats, or in manual labour for money or wages;

(_e_) Who is or has been by trade or employment, for wages, a mechanic, artisan, or labourer, or engaged in any menial duty.

_Eligibility._--2. No one shall be eligible to row or steer for a club unless he has been a member of that club for at least two months preceding the regatta, but this rule shall not apply to colleges, schools, or crews composed of officers of her Majesty's army or navy.

_Entries._--3. The entry of any amateur club, crew, or sculler, in the United Kingdom, must be made ten clear days before the regatta, and the names of the captain or secretary of each club or crew must accompany the entry. A copy of the list of entries shall be forwarded by the secretary of the regatta to the captain or secretary of each club or crew duly entered.

4. The entry of any crew or sculler, out of the United Kingdom, must be made on or before March 31, and any such entry must be accompanied by a declaration, made before a notary public, with regard to the profession of each person so entering, to the effect that he has never taken part in any open compet.i.tion for a stake, money, or entrance fee; has never knowingly competed with nor against a professional for any prize; has never taught, pursued, or a.s.sisted in the practice of athletic exercises of any kind for profit; has never been employed in or about boats, or in manual labour for money or wages; is not, and never has been, by trade or employment, for wages, a mechanic, artisan, or labourer, or engaged in any menial duty; and in cases of the entry of a crew, that each member thereof is a member of a club duly established at least one year previous to the day of entry; and such declaration must be certified by the British Consul, or the Mayor, or the chief authority of the locality.

5. No a.s.sumed name shall be given to the secretary, unless accompanied by the real name of the compet.i.tor.

6. No one shall enter twice for the same race.

7. The secretary of the regatta shall not divulge any entry, nor report the state of the entrance list, until such list be closed.

8. Entrance money for each boat shall be paid to the secretary at the time of entering, as follows:--

_._ _s._ _d._ For the Grand Challenge Cup 6 6 0 " Ladies' Challenge Plate 5 5 0 " Thames Challenge Cup 5 5 0 " Stewards' " " 4 4 0 " Visitors' " " 3 3 0 " Wyfold " " 3 3 0 " Silver Goblets 2 2 0 " Diamond Challenge Sculls 1 1 0

9. The committee shall investigate any questionable entry, irrespective of protest.

10. The committee shall have power to refuse or return any entry up to the time of starting, without being bound to a.s.sign a reason.

11. The captain or secretary of each club or crew entered shall, seven clear days before the regatta, deliver to the secretary of the regatta a list containing the names of the actual crew appointed to compete, to which list the names of not more than four other members for an eight-oar and two for a four-oar may be added as subst.i.tutes.

12. No person may be subst.i.tuted for another who has already rowed or steered in a heat.

13. The secretary of the regatta, after receiving the list of the crews entered, and of the subst.i.tutes, shall, if required, furnish a copy of the same, with the names, real and a.s.sumed, to the captain or secretary of each club or crew entered, and in the case of pairs or scullers to each compet.i.tor entered.

_Objections._--14. Objections to the entry of any club or crew must be made in writing to the secretary at least four clear days before the regatta, when the committee shall investigate the grounds of objection, and decide thereon without delay.

15. Objections to the qualification of a compet.i.tor must be made in writing to the secretary at the earliest moment practicable.

No protest shall be entertained unless lodged before the prizes are distributed.

_Course._--16. The races shall commence below the Island, and terminate at the upper end of Phyllis Court. Length of course, about 1 mile and 550 yards.

17. Boats shall be held to have completed the course when their bows reach the winning-post.

18. The whole course must be completed by a compet.i.tor before he can be held to have won a trial or final heat.

_Stations._--19. Stations shall be drawn by the committee.

_Row over._--20. In the event of there being but one boat entered for any prize, or if more than one enter, and all withdraw but one, the crew of the remaining boat must row over the course to be ent.i.tled to such prize.

_Heats._--21. If there shall be more than two compet.i.tors, they shall row a trial heat or heats; but no more than two boats shall contend in any heat for any of the prizes above mentioned.

22. In the event of a dead heat taking place, the same crews shall contend again, after such interval as the committee may appoint, or the crew refusing shall be adjudged to have lost the heat.

_Clothing._--23. Every compet.i.tor must wear complete clothing from the shoulders to the knees--including a sleeved jersey.

_c.o.xswains._--24. Every eight-oared boat shall carry a c.o.xswain; such c.o.xswain must be an amateur, and shall not steer for more than one club for the same prize.

The minimum weight for c.o.xswains shall be 7 stone.

Crews averaging 10-1/2 stone and under 11 stone to carry not less than 7-1/2 stone.

Crews averaging 11 stone or more, to carry not less than 8 stone.

Deficiencies must be made up by dead weight carried on the c.o.xswain's thwart.

The dead weight shall be provided by the committee, and shall be placed in the boat and removed from it by a person appointed for that purpose.

Each compet.i.tor (including the c.o.xswain) in eight- and four-oared races shall attend to be weighed (in rowing costume) at the time and place appointed by the committee; and his weight then registered by the secretary shall be considered his racing weight during the regatta.

Any member of a crew omitting to register his weight shall be disqualified.

_Flag._--25. Every boat shall, at starting, carry a flag showing its colour at the bow. Boats not conforming to this rule are liable to be disqualified at the discretion of the umpire.

_Umpire._--26. The committee shall appoint one or more umpires to act under the Laws of Boat-racing.

_Judge._--27. The committee shall appoint one or more judges, whose decision as to the order in which the boats pa.s.s the post shall be final.

_Prizes._--28. The prizes shall be delivered at the conclusion of the regatta to their respective winners, who on receipt of a challenge prize shall subscribe a doc.u.ment of the following effect:--

'We, A, B, C, D, &c., the captain and crew of the ______________ and members of the ____________________ Club, having been this day declared to be the winners of the Henley Royal Regatta ____________________ Challenge Cup, and the same having been delivered to us by E F, G H, I K, &c., Stewards of the Regatta, do hereby, individually and collectively, engage to return the same to the Stewards on or before June 1, in accordance with the conditions of the annexed rules, to which also we have subscribed our respective names.'

_Committee._--29. All questions of eligibility, qualification, interpretation of the rules, or other matters not specially provided for, shall be referred to the committee, whose decision shall be final.

30. The Laws of Boat-racing to be observed at the regatta are as follows (_see chapter on this subject_).