June 2, TPEARING away' to a lightning start and seizing an early lead, the World Eight, beautifully stroked by Thoresen, maintained their initial advantage throughout the mile and a half course and streaked home first past the post in the International Eights—the feature event of the Shanghai Rowing Club's Spring Regatta held at Tungkadoo yesterday—winning by the decisive, margin of two and a half lengths.
Amirica, fighting over every inch of the way, came second, with England two lengths behind in third place and the Empire trailing in the rear.
Conditions were smooth enough, but the men in all races rowed into a 2nd-Bow: BD. 3, Stepanott, 2, EA. adam 9 Fraser, Stroke? Cube, amt selfish eross wind and the current In the earlier events did not seem to be moving fast. For the large gathering spectators, on the other hand, con ditions were ideal, The blazing heat
cecollng, breeze which carried with It othe sun ras tempered by. the rene of the disndvantaxes it presented {o, the less fortunate oarsmen.
the Regatta was well run, with the starts fast and on time. The opening event furnished an idea of what. was to. come, when the "International Bights of the programme off to on exciting beginning.
The next International event. was the Pairs race. This proved an extra ordinarily close affair until the halfway mpi, when it developed into a struggle between the Norwegian and the Russians. Fighting heck and. neck they came spurting towards the finish and in. the end the extra weight behind the. Russian "couple carried them abe and. they put a length daylight ween. the boats at the post, Eng-and again finished third and' Amer-fen came in fourth, the International Fours race the superiority of the Norwegians and the Russians was again, obvious and once again it developed into, a. struggle between the two. Thif time the Norwegians got. their revenge and Thoresen pushed his crew ahead in the final drive for home in a terrific spurt that killed the opposition. The Norwegians went away by themselves atthe finish and won. virtually as they pleased by" two clear lengths, with "avery tired Russian crew Hrugaling desperately in their wake. America came third x short distance behind and. England finished fourth, with the Empire some way behind fifth and Scotland neatly seven Tengths behind. last The International events all tended drive one fact home—training will {ell Tu each instance the crews that hud putin the most training came fist ud second, and they fully de~ served their violones. "On the other and. inal fairness. to the "English crew, At should be stressed that they were' beset by difficulties and dosed by misfortune throughout the training period. They were unlucky in losing Sno of their men a Weel: before the race and the final-blow came on the Very morning of the Regatfa—an eleventh second stroke of ill luck.
Featherstonehaugh, their No. 2, was found to be.sulfering from acute appendieltis "snd at the last moment Victor Stott took his place in the boat without a single day's training. Al praise is due to the latter for the tne showing he put- up in ex. ttaordinarily' dificult elreumstances, stepping into. the boat to row. a teen ous mile and a half race his frst time out with the crew.
The full programme and results sallow.
Event 1—Inters ter—Wonts—Bow: 0, Thoresen alle, a Ko icimaten, 4, Poke elf, 6 Ue Bdobnie
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.