8 + : 3 started 1. BEL 2. FRA 3. ITA The Belgians, beaten the previous year by the French, took their revenge. In the evening, there was a very splendid banquet at the “Grand Hotel”. The maestro, Camille Saint-Saens, a keen oarsman, and honorary president of the “Club Nautique Dieppois”, thanked the organisers on behalf of his country for their warm and enthusiastic welcome. There followed a firework display beside the lake. August 18th 1907 — Strasbourg 16th FISA congress Present: 13 delegates from 6 federations Oscar Gregoire once again took the chair. The decision adopted the previous year to replace the 2+ by the 2-, in 1908, was rescinded. The International federation forbade the clubs and their members to accept prizes, whether in cash or equipment vouchers from any boatbuilder, on pain of expulsion. From 1909, the minimum weight for coxswains in pairs, fours and eights, would be 55 kg. In order to make up that weight, 5 kg of dead-weight might be carried under the coxswain’s seat. The coxswain must be a member of the club whose crew he was steering. In international races, in the event of disputes between clubs of the same national federation, these would be decided by the federation to which those clubs be longed. If an argument occurred between clubs belong ing to different federations, it would be decided by the national federations to which the clubs belonged. If an agreement could not be reached, the matter would be referred to the international federation at its next con gress. In his publication, “Rowing and life on the water,” Ge orges Flouest, of the French Federation, drew attention to the presence of non-delegates. He pointed out that the congress consisted of three delegates per affiliated na tion, and that he had noticed among those present peo ple who were friends but not delegates. “It is an infringe ment of the rules, albeit a mild one; but it is one which must be pointed out, as these gentiemen joined in the discussions as though they were delegates. If three delegates are not enough, then let there be four or five. But on no account should outsiders be allowed to take part in the discussions,” he concluded. August 18th 1907 — Strasbourg 15th men’s European championships The races took place, as in 1902, in the port of Kehl, a few kilometres from the capital of Alsace. Landing stages had been built on piles and grandstands had been erect ed. In spite of difficulty of access, the location had been chosen because it provided an ideal rowing course: 2,000 metres long, 115 metres wide, perfectiy straight. Safety provisions consisted of 10 rescue boats, manned by sappers from Baden. Nothing had been overlooked: snack-bar, public conveniences, telephone link between the start and the finish, etc. The crowd began to fill the grandstands long before the first race. Entire families had come on foot from Stras bourg to Kehl to see the races. Fathers and mothers, boys and girls, all cheerful and happy in the knowledge that, for the first time for 37 years, the German authorities Part 1 25
