Issue 99 - June 1997

News

• Wallingford Regatta organisers, inspite of receiving another record entry, showed their awareness of the fact that rowing is not always a spectator sport by introducing sex and violence into this year's proceedings.

  They arranged for men to chase young ladies over the course and the men were triumphant. The Eton and Abingdon schoolboys in Senior 2 eights managed to catch, and overtake, two female novice fours from Linacre and Somerville Colleges, and two men's coxless fours managed to do the same to Miss Malenczuk of Abingdon and Miss Feld of Reading. The girls did not seem enamoured with the new format and queried the legality of the proceedings, but it was all right since a voice over the intercom which sounded rather like the new 'rule-maker', Tony Martin, stepped in explaining that the sculling race had been stopped for safety reasons and awarded to the sculler who was in front of him at the time.

  Mmmm. Some of the problems experienced were probably covered by Rule 2-5-4(b)

  'The commands 'move to starboard' or 'port' should be used first. If this fails the umpire may try 'bowside' or 'strokeside'; or any other words to achieve the desired effect.'

  Presumably the latter equates to 'get out of the way, Linacre,' since, probably in common with the majority of the racing world, Linacre would not have a clue which is port and starboard in the heat of battle or even out of it.

• Rodney Bewes is on a whirlwind tour with Three Men in a Boat, his rendering of Jerome K. Jerome's masterpiece first played at the Kenton Theatre, Henley. If you live near near Croydon, Dartford, South Shields, Goole or Hunstanton I'm afraid you've already missed it. More dates - including Rodney's long sojourn at the Assemble Rooms during the Edinburgh Festival - are to be found in the printed copy of Regatta Magazine.

© Copyright REGATTA, 1997.