Although the Regatta this year contains no such sensational races as the Cornell-Hall race of 1895, nor the Yale-Leander race of last year, yet the meeting was on the whole one of the most interesting, if not the most interesting, one that I have ever seen, Perfect weather, a very high average of rowing, close contests, and in the majority of cases, record times, are enough in themselves' to account for the enjoyment of the spectators; and I can safely say that in the opinion of those I have conversed with, it has been a record Henley. The sensational races of 1895 and 1896, were, az} pointed out ina previous letter, mainly sensational, because the American crews competing were first class, in their own style, and the great interest evoked was due to the fact that these crews were using a new style of rowing, with a manifest wish to upset the accepted English style. And the American coaches had repeatedly pointed out that. with the American short stroke, their boats travelled fast, as the time tests proved.
Tt was, in fact, a battle of the styles the race for the Grand" was really not to show which was the best crew, but which was the best style of rowing. This year there were no American crews, but there were two Datch eights, a Dutch and a Canadian four: and a study of their methods compared with the American and English is of great interest.
The two Dutch crews were Ist, The "Triton" boat Club of Utrecht University, which competed for the. '*Grand"; and 2nd, the Delft Students' Laga " boat club, which competed for the "Thames." The Dutch four which competed for the **Stewards" were out of the "Triton" eight from Utrecht.. These crews were a very good lot to look at; strong and muscular they pulled well together, and undoubtedly lo their -bont travel, but as they never went over the course at" racing speed, the time tests were practically of no use. Their style of stroke, however, was not approved by. the English critics: the main fault being the absence of body swing; they seemed to finish entirely by arm work, the stroke not being pulled through according to the English view. None of the sporting papers ever thought they had a chance; whereas in 1895, they all thought that the Amsterdam crew would win, which they did. The Canadian four though undoubtedly very fast for a certain distance, were never ed fancied on the Henley Reach. They pull the short, snappy, American stroke, which has so often proved disastrous' when matched. against a good crew pulling the long stroke of the English crews. One of the first to arrive at Henley was Leander. They have this year built a new Club House, just below the bridge on the Perks side, a large and handsome building, which is a great improvement to the appearance of the river bank. Their performances on the Reach were very much admired; and their style of. rowing was characterised as finished but some ted cynical persons observed. that they were openly ex] the view that. they "finished" in more senses then, one; and would go down before Now "College. London bad two eights, neither of them first: class. Thames two eights rather worse than London. The other clubs which put in an early appearance were Balliol, Christ Church and Trinity, Oxford; Emmanuel, King's and Hall, Cambridge, all of which were very good eights, and improved daily on the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.