Organised by the “Regio Rowing-Club Italiano”, racing took place on a 2,000 metre straight course on the Guidecca canal, which separated the island of the same name from the city of Venice. The canal was about 400 metres wide. A line of linked gondolas and boats created a channel. The weather was perfect - very hot (32 degrees Celsius in the shade), with a cooling breeze which ruffled the water during some of the races. The races 4 +: 4 started 1. BEL 2. FRA 3. ITA 4. SUI A determined start by the French and Italian crews, but the Belgians went ahead, thanks to greater coolness, confidence and cohesion. The French gave their all, but steered a zig-zag course. The Italians dropped back. At 800 metres, the Belgian crew’s line effort gave them a length’s lead, and they continued to draw ahead to gain a superb victory. 2x: 4 started 1. BEL 2. ITA 3. FRA - ALS-LOR (Not rowed out) The very experienced Clarembeaux and Crombet were more together than their rivals, and with their longer stroke beat the Italians from Milan by three lengths. The French led to 900 metres, but faded badly in the second half of the race. lx: 5 started 1. FRA 2. BEL 3. ALS-LOR 4. SUI - ITA (Not rowed out) Fourth in the 1900 Olympic Games, Robert d’Heilly, in spite of steering difficulties, due, perhaps, to the current, easily took an early lead. At 200 metres, his left scull was knocked out of his hand as it hit a wave. He retrieved it and started sculling again. With a long, elegant stroke, he caught and passed Barbenes from Strasbourg, and from then on was not pressed. The Belgian, S. Crombet, had a bad start and seemed troubled by the waves, but he kept going and moved up from last to second place. 2 +: 4 started 1. BEL 2. FRA 3. ALS-LOR - ITA (Not rowed out) The young crew from Ghent, Guillaume Visser and Ur- bain Molmans, demonstrated their obvious superiority. 8 +: 3 started 1. BEL 2. ITA 3. FRA The winners, very young, fit and well coached, although of average build, rowed with impeccable style. Their regular swing, their strong drive, their quick extraction and their excellent preparation of the body for the catch; all contributed to the speed of the boat. The Belgian oarsmen proved their superiority by carry ing off four of the five possible tides. The new starting procedure had been used. A reporter from the “Echo Sportif ’ of Brussels stated that crews had never started more simultaneously or conformed more closely with the rules. The Italian federation had organised a tote system. For a stake of five francs, the pay-out was six francs for the fours race, nine francs for the eights, ten francs for the pairs, eleven francs for the single sculls and twenty-six francs for the double sculls. From nine o’clock onwards, the evening was given over to a party for the oarsmen thrown by the Bucintoro Com pany. Travelling expenses in 1903 The amount was based on the shortest distance in kilometres by rail from the home town of the participating clubs to Venice. In addition, reductions in the normal fare had been negotiated with the rail com panies. Each federation was reimbursed as follows: 1. for each crew member who completed the race according to the rules; 2. for one coxswain; 3. for each single and double/pair, a fixed payment of 10 French centimes 4. for each four and eight, a fixed payment of 15 French centimes. July 30th 1904 — Saint Louis 3rd Olympic games As in 1900, the Olympic Games events formed part of the general programme of a universal exhibition. Only North American oarsmen competed in the rowing events. A single foreign crew figured among those in volved: a Canadian eight. There was no FISA official present. The races 4-: 4 crews 1. USA 2. USA 3. USA 2-: 6 crews 1. USA 2. USA 3. USA lx: 4 crews 1. USA (Frank Greer) 2. USA 3. USA 2x: 6 crews 1. USA 2. USA 3. USA 8 +: 2 crews 1. USA (Vesper Boat Club from Philadelphia). In the crew were Louis Abell and John Exley, already Olympic champions in the eights four years earlier, in Paris. August 15th 1904 — Courbevoie (Paris) 13th FISA congress Present: Thirteen delegates from six federations. Auguste Lagogue, president of the French federation, was elected chairman of the congress, by acclamation. Oscar Gregoire, the president of the Belgian federation, pointed out during the discussions that, whereas the na tional federations were perfectly free to change their own Part 1 21
