1941: Rowing

The year 1941 was almost if not quite up to the equal of any previous year in both quantity and quality of Intercollegiate Rowing, notwithstanding the draft and enlistment for service in the United States forces. The Naval Academy was probably the only one seriously affected for the reason that the Senior Class and practically all of the Varsity oarsmen graduated a year ahead of time.

As in the past three years Harvard and Washington University of Seattle, Wash., demonstrated that they are both worthy claimants for top honors. Harvard made a clean sweep in the New London Regatta which is, of course, their goal and objective for the entire season. Washington's Varsity went through the season undefeated, climaxing its season by winning at Poughkeepsie in a field of nine splendid crews. Washington also won the annual Spring Regatta with California on the Oakland Estuary at three miles and made a new record of 14:28, and subsequently defeated Wisconsin in a mile race at Chicago. Altogether Washington's Varsity defeated a total of ten crews.

The Harvard-Yale race is the oldest rowing contest in the United States having been held since 1852. The record of the Varsity crew races through the years is as follows: Harvard won 40; Yale won 39. Harvard Varsity was undefeated in 1941, winning a total of five races and defeating nine Varsity Crews. Harvard's J.V. was likewise undefeated; other Harvard crews, viz. 150 lb. and Freshman went through the season with a total of three minor defeats. All of Harvard's crews defeated a total of nineteen other crews.

Thè Poughkeepsie Regatta, most spectacular athletic event in the world of sport, was held on June 25 under conditions as nearly perfect as could be desired. In the Varsity race, Washington and California demonstrated their superiority from the start. They rowed in one and two positions all the way; Washington winning by two lengths. Cornell throughout maintained its position in third place. Syracuse moved up from seventh place at the mile to fourth at the finish. Columbia was in 4th place at the 2 mile mark but slipped back as their Number 2 man weakened and passed out in the last quarter, but the other seven men kept gamely on to the finish. For the first time in many years, Navy had no entry at Poughkeepsie.

Either Washington or California has won the Varsity race at Poughkeepsie eight times in the last ten years; Washington four times, in 1936-37-40-41; California four times, 1932-34-35-39. Navy won twice, in 1931 and 1938.

California is entitled to be classed second best for the season. They finished a good second in the Varsity race at Poughkeepsie and won the Junior Varsity in that regatta. Their only other competition was in two minor races on the West Coast.

Cornell finished third in the Varsity race at Poughkeepsie and won the Freshman race in that regatta with a fine sprint in the last quarter. Cornell lost to Navy in a dual race at Annapolis on May 3 and lost to Syracuse on May 10.

Rutgers deserves special mention because up to this year, it was classed by this writer as one of the Junior rowing group. In 1941 Rutgers definitely rose to Senior caliber and is entitled to be rated tops for 1941 in the Junior Group. Rutgers made the best record since resumption of rowing. The crew had plenty of competition and faced some of the older colleges that had been in the rowing game for generations.

Results of early season Cup Races were as follows. The order in which the names are given indicate the position of the crews at the finish:

Adams Cup. Harvard — Navy — Pennsylvania. 1 miles at Annapolis, Md.

Bill (Edward Lyman Bill) Cup. Rutgers — Boston U. — Dartmouth. 1 5/16 miles — Raritan River, New Brunswick, N. J.

Blackwell Cup. Columbia — Pennsylvania — Yale. 1 5/16 miles — Schuylkill River, Philadelphia.

Carnegie Cup. Scheduled for April 27, Ithaca, N. Y. Cancelled owing to bad weather.

Childs Cup. Princeton — Columbia — M.I.T. — Pennsylvania. 1 miles — Lake Carnegie, Princeton, N. J.

Compton Cup. Harvard — Princeton — M.I.T. 1 miles — Charles River, Boston, Mass.

Jas. Matthews 150 lb. Trophy. Pennsylvania — Cornell. 1 5/16 miles — Ithaca, N. Y.

Rowe Cup. Harvard — M.I.T. — Boston U. 1 5/16 miles — Charles River, Boston, Mass.

Jos. Wright Trophy for 150 lb. crews — Harvard — Princeton — M.I.T. — Columbia — Pennsylvania. 1 5/16 miles — Charles River, Boston, Mass.

Dad Vail Regatta.

Rutgers won in a field of seven crews which group has been designated as the Junior Group. The rating of other colleges in that group would seem to be the order of their finish in the Dad Vail Regatta: May 17, 1941, Ohio River, Marietta, Ohio — distance 15/16 miles.

What a grand contest it would have made if Harvard, Washington, California and Cornell could have met shortly after the Poughkeepsie Regatta at a mile and 550 yards in a race on Lake Carnegie, Princeton, where conditions are as ideal for shell racing as can be found anywhere in the world. A race at this 'Henley' distance or at 2,000 meters — the Olympic distance — is likely to be held only when we have the Olympic Rowing Try-outs or as might have been this year, the try-outs for the Pan American Games Regatta which are scheduled for 1942 at Buenos Aires, Argentina. A representative committee was appointed prior to the outbreak of War to arrange for try-outs and assemble a Rowing Team for the Pan American Regatta and this Committee will function if World War conditions permit. In any event both college and club rowing authorities have arranged a schedule to provide for a very active season in 1942 and have been encouraged to do this to maintain interest and benefit in physical development of the youth of our nation.

1940: Rowing

College rowing in the United States enjoyed a year of great activity. The competition was good and of a high order throughout. In reviewing the results, it appears there were more crews than usual that rated as 'good.'

Those Universities that competed at Poughkeepsie and New London and in the various established cup races, comprise the following: California, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Navy, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Syracuse, Washington, Wisconsin and Yale. In this group Harvard and Washington stand out as the two best with Cornell a good second.

Harvard's exceptional record of victories in all classes, however, viz., Varsity, J.V. 150 lb. crews and Freshman entitle it to first place in the top flight of Intercollegiate Rowing for 1940. For the third consecutive year, Harvard climaxed its season with a clean sweep against Yale at New London. Harvard's Varsity won four important races and lost only once by a narrow margin of 2 feet to a powerful Cornell crew at Ithaca, with the other competitor Syracuse, 3rd. The distance was 2 miles. Oddly enough, it was Cornell that nicked Harvard's perfect score in 1939 on the same course. Harvard J.V. lost only one race. Its Freshman crew was undefeated.

Harvard won the following cup races:

Adams Cup (Harvard, Pennsylvania & Navy)

Rowe Cup (Harvard, Syracuse, M.I.T. and Boston University)

Compton Cup (Harvard, M.I.T. and Princeton)

Adams Cup (Harvard, Pennsylvania and Navy)

Goldthwaite Cup for 150 lb. Eights (Harvard, Yale and Princeton)

Joe Wright Memorial Trophy 150 lb. Eights (Harvard, M.I.T., Princeton, Cornell, Yale, Pennsylvania and Columbia)

Washington had a very successful season. The Varsity and J.V. both won at Poughkeepsie. In the Varsity race there were eight crews; in the J.V. race there were six. Varsity and J.V. had previously defeated California over a 3-mile course at Seattle.

To show the high caliber of competition at Poughkeepsie a glance at the order of finish will show that the first five Varsity crews all finished within 35 seconds. Wind and water conditions at Poughkeepsie were very unfavorable and caused a nerve-racking delay of four hours in the start of the Varsity Race. Owing to this delay, the tide had commenced to turn which accounts for the slow time of the Varsity race, viz., 22 min. 42 sec. as against the 1939 record made by California of 18 min. 12 6/10 sec. In brief, the race this year was 4 min. 30 sec. slower than the 1939 race.

Cornell had an exceptionally good season and its Varsity crew was a threat to Washington throughout the entire four miles at Poughkeepsie. In fact at the 3½ miles, Cornell took the lead away from Washington but due to a delay of four hours in starting the Varsity race, it was rowed at the turn of the tide and as previously stated, required 4 minutes 30 seconds more than the record time made in 1939. Cornell was only 3 3/10 seconds behind Washington at the finish and was closely followed by Syracuse, Navy and California. Cornell won the Freshman race at Poughkeepsie in a field of 4; which gave that crew an undefeated season. Cornell's Varsity won the Carnegie Cup (Cornell, Yale and Princeton) and Cornell gave Harvard's Varsity its only defeat of the season at Ithaca.

California suffered a reaction after an undefeated season in 1939. The stimulus of Olympic competition is strong with California whose Eight successfully represented the United States in two Olympics: 1928 and 1932. The cancellation of the 1940 Olympic Games had a dampening influence. Outstanding features of California rowing in 1940 was their undefeated Freshman crew. This crew defeated Washington in 2 miles at Seattle; also defeated several California Junior Colleges. California's Freshman did not compete at Poughkeepsie.

Columbia started the season well; defeating Rutgers and Manhattan at New York; made a clean sweep of Varsity and Freshman races against Navy at Annapolis and won the Childs Cup at Philadelphia (Columbia, Pennsylvania and Princeton). Columbia was not a factor in any of the three races at Poughkeepsie.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is making a fresh start with a new coaching system. Freshman and 150 lb. crews won several races and give promise of something worth while in the next few years.

Navy. The Varsity did not have a single victory, although it finished a good fourth at Poughkeepsie in a field of eight. The J.V. crew won its early season race with Princeton and Cornell and lost to Columbia and Pennsylvania. The J.V. climaxed its season by finishing second at Poughkeepsie in a good field of six crews under very difficult wind and water conditions.

Pennsylvania had an indifferent season. Its Varsity won over a strong Rutgers Crew in the first race of the season and defeated Wisconsin and Marietta in the final race of the season at Pittsburgh. These were the only highlights in Penn's 1940 season. The 150 lb. crew defeated Princeton in an early season race. Penn's J.V. won over Navy and Harvard in the Adams Cup Regatta.

Princeton started out well; its Varsity defeating Navy at Princeton — 1¾ miles. Princeton made its first entries at Poughkeepsie this year with Varsity and Freshman Crews. The Freshman crew looked good; it finished 2nd to Cornell, defeating Syracuse and Columbia. The Varsity finished last in a field of eight.

Syracuse. All three crews gave evidence of class and furnished some good competition in several early races. They all did very creditably at Poughkeepsie. The Varsity finished third, after leading the field of eight crews for the first mile and a half. The J. V. finished fourth and the Freshman, third.

Wisconsin defeated crews of the Detroit Boat Club and Ecorse Boat Club at Detroit and finished second to Pennsylvania and ahead of Marietta at Pittsburgh. Finished next to last in the Varsity race of eight crews at Poughkeepsie.

Yale won the Blackwell Cup — 1¾ miles — Harlem River, New York City, defeating Columbia and Pennsylvania. Yale Varsity defeated M.I.T. and Syracuse — 2 miles, Derby, Conn., and the J.V. crew won on the same date, place and distance.

The colleges that formed the Dad Vail Association held their second annual regatta this year (1940) at Springfield on May 18th. Distance one mile, 550 yards.

The writer suggested some years ago the idea of a Henley of America, and Princeton as the ideal place for holding such a regatta, probably a week after the Poughkeepsie and New London Regattas to enable Varsity eights and probably fours to compete at the Olympic distance of 2,000 meters, or perhaps better, the Henley distance of a mile 550 yards.

This would be a grand climax and especially interesting since the Olympic Rowing Try-outs and the English Henley Regatta which provided opportunity for America's best crews at short distances are definitely out. The Lake Carnegie course and the beautiful college town of Princeton provide a setting unequalled anywhere in America for holding such an event. There could also be races for single and double sculls with college and Club entries. The idea is worth thinking about and with a little effort could be developed into an annual affair of outstanding importance and distinction.

1939: Rowing

Harvard's exceptional record of victories in 1939 in all classes, i.e., Varsity, Junior Varsity, Freshman and 150-pound crews, clearly entitles her to first place in Intercollegiate Rowing in United States. Add to this the three victories of her Varsity in the English Henley to capture the Grand Challenge Cup and Harvard's Varsity can be considered as the World's Champion for 1939.

This does not overlook the magnificent victory of California in winning the Varsity Race at Poughkeepsie in a field of seven crews making a new record of 18:12 6/10, and the fact that Washington's Varsity was only 1 and 4/10 seconds behind California in that race. Syracuse deserves honorable mention for winning first place in the Junior Varsity Race at Poughkeepsie in a field of six crews, and Washington's Freshman crew for winning first place at Poughkeepsie in a field of six crews.

Harvard climaxed the most successful season in its history with its second successive 'clean sweep' of the New London Regatta with Yale. Two weeks later, the Varsity Eight won the Grand Challenge Cup at the 100th anniversary of the Henley Royal Regatta at Henley, England. This was the second time Harvard had won 'The Grand,' the former occasion being 1914, just prior to the World War.

Harvard's is the only American or Canadian crew ever to bring 'The Grand' to this side of the Atlantic.

Harvard Varsity's only defeat was by Cornell on Lake Cayuga's turbulent waters in a two-mile race on May 27. Harvard's Junior Varsity lost only to Navy, while the Freshmen and the 150 pound crews, were undefeated.

Harvard won the Rowe, Compton, Goldthwaite, Joe Wright Memorial Trophy, Adams and New London Cup Races; Yale won the Princeton, Blackwell and Carnegie Cups; Princeton, the Childs Cup.

California's Varsity was manifestly a superior crew, undefeated in all her three starts. Her victories were very creditable, and in the two most important California made new records: a lead over Washington by six lengths in the annual regatta over a 3-mile course on Oakland Estuary, April 15; and first place in the Varsity Race (4 miles) in a field of seven at Poughkeepsie on June 17.

In England on April 1, Cambridge University defeated Oxford by four lengths in 19 min. 3 sec. in the 91st Annual Race on the Thames from Putney to Mortlake, a distance of 4¼ miles. Neither Cambridge nor Oxford crews, however, competed as such after this race as they frequently do in the Henley Royal Regatta.

In Single Sculling Jos. W. Burk of the Penn Athletic Club of Philadelphia again demonstrated his right to the title of World's Single Sculls Champion by winning the Diamond Sculls at the Henley Regatta for the second successive time and also retaining his National and Canadian Singles Championship for the third successive year. He completed a string of 37 consecutive victories in singles over a period of 3 years, a record never equalled.

1938: Rowing

Two outstanding regattas and one great crew featured the year in rowing. At New London, June 24, a slightly favored undefeated Harvard crew met an undefeated Yale crew for the annual Harvard-Yale Classic over a 4-mile course upstream. Harvard taking the lead early won by a length in 20 min. 20 sec. It marked the first time since 1934 that either crew had rowed undefeated. Harvard had defeated every major crew in the East (Navy, Pennsylvania, Rutgers, Syracuse, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia and M.I.T.) to stand unquestionably as one of the best crews in the United States and one of the great crews in rowing history.

In the Junior Varsity and Freshman races during the morning and the combination race the evening before, Harvard registered a clean sweep over Yale for the first time in 23 years.

At Poughkeepsie, June 27, in the 40th annual Intercollegiate Regatta, a brilliant Navy crew rowed the 4-mile course in the extraordinary record-breaking time of 18 min. 19 sec., so fast that California, Washington, and Columbia who followed in that order also broke the record. It marked the first time in 6 years an Eastern crew had defeated its Western opponents.

The Cup Regattas in the United States were dominated by Harvard and Yale crews. Yale won the Blackwell Cup Race with Columbia and Pennsylvania, the Carnegie Cup race with Cornell and Princeton, a record-breaking 2 miles of 10:23.4; Harvard won the Goldthwaite Cup Regatta for the 150-pound crews over Yale and Princeton; her varsity crew won the Adams Cup Regatta over Navy and Pennsylvania, the Compton Cup Regatta over M.I.T., Princeton and Syracuse. Pennsylvania won the Childs Cup Regatta over Columbia and Princeton. In the American Rowing Association's Intercollegiate races, held May 14 on the Charles River, Harvard beat Cornell, Syracuse and M.I.T. in that order.

At Putney-on-the-Thames, April 2, in the 90th meeting of the famous Oxford-Cambridge Race, Oxford outrowed Cambridge by 2 lengths over the 4¼ mile course in the time of 20 min. 30 sec.

In the Royal Henley Regatta held July 2 on the Thames, the Kent School (Conn.) Crew defeated the London Rowing Club in the finals by a length in the fast time of 7:03. The Diamond Sculls were won by Joseph Burk, American Sculler of the Penn Athletic Club, Philadelphia. Burk in the time of 8.02 broke the course record set 33 years ago by 8 seconds.