moored boat with a lounge and a terrace, including a running buffet. The members of the town’s three rowing clubs, dressed in a very elegant uniform, worked tire lessly to make the event a success. Each had his specific role to play, and fulfilled it perfectly. All were helpful, at tentive and impeccably polite, supplying any information requested quickly and pleasantiy. The boats were stored in the boat-houses of the three Prague clubs: “ Veslardsky Klub Slavia”, “Veslardsky Klub Blesk” and “Cesky Veslardsky Club”, on the canal which adjoined the rowing course. The local clubs were prepared to lend boats to crews who, for any reason, had been unable to transport their own . The boats in ques tion were from England (Sims), France (Dossunet) and Germany (Leux, Deutch, Perthes). Eliminators On Saturday, September 5th, there were ten eliminators on the programme. Each heat could accommodate five crews, and the" winner of each heat went through to the final. 4 +: 7 started El: 1. HUN 2. BEL 3. TCH 4. POL Eli: 1. ITA 2. SUI 3. FRA lx: 7 entered - 6 started - BEL (scratched) El: 1. SUI 2. POL 3. TCH Eli: 1. NED 2. FRA 3. ESP 2+ 5 started El: 1. SUI 2. NED 3. ITA Eli: 1. FRA 2. BEL 2x: 6 started El: 1. SUI 2. FRA 3. HUN Eli: 1. TCH 2. BEL 3. ITA 8 +: 6 started El: 1. SUI 2. FRA 3. TCH Eli: 1. NED 2. POL 3. BEL Finals On Sunday, September 6th, there were large crowds, perhaps twelve or fifteen thousand more than the day before. The weather was dull, grey and cold. In order to assist the competitors with their steering, a line of punts, each flying a flag of the same colour as that of each crew’s station at the start had been moored just beyond the finish. Unfortunately, the steamboat traffic had not been stopped. The large umpire’s launch was driven more slowly than the previous day, causing less wash. On the other hand, the second, smaller launch increased its speed, sending very strong waves crashing against the banks. 4 + : 1. ITA 2. HUN 3. BEL 4. SUI Hungary and Italy got off to a lightning start. The Swiss stopped shortly after the start to appeal, as one of their slides had broken. Realising that their appeal was being ignored, they started off again. After a neck and neck contest up to 1,200 metres, Italy went ahead, to win. They were applauded enthusiastically by the spectators. 2-: 3 entered 1. SUI 2. NED 3. TCH Another easy victory for the famous pair, Reinhard and Siegenthaler. lx: 4 qualified — 3 started: the French champion, M. Detton withdrew, saving himself for the double sculls event. 1. NED 2. SUI 3. POL Constant Petersee, the Dutchman, already European champion in 1921 in 2x, made up the two lengths which separated him from the Swiss, Schneider, easily and without any trouble, then, maintaining his long, flexible stride, increased his lead all the time. After a poor start, the Polish sculler, Count Osiecimski-Czapski, recovered, giving the Swiss sculler some cause for alarm. 4-: 4 started 1. SUI 2. NED 3. ITA 4. TCH Switzerland and Italy went into an early lead. The Italians veered towards the left bank, instead of heading for the centre of the river. It must, however, be remem bered that these were coxswainless fours. The Swiss, refusing to let this force them towards the bank, held their course. The Italians continued to cut across. The oars became entangled. The Italians, whose fault it was, were the ones to suffer. The more experienced Swiss were the first to disentangle themselves. Before their ad versaries had started to row again they had gained a lead of more than two lengths, which they held right to the fin ish. 2 + : 1. SUI 2. FRA 3. NED 4. BEL The Swiss oarsmen, Reinhard and Siegenthaler, coxed by Walter Ludin, took the lead, to win their second title of the day, having won the coxswainless pair event only one hour previously. The Frenchmen, Lumpp and Mar- chal, tried to come back at them, and had almost suc ceeded, when, 200 metres, from the line, they could not keep up the pace, and finished in a state of exhaustion. 2x: 1. FRA 2. SUI 3. TCH 4. BEL Jean-Pierre Stock and Marc Detton, of the “Societe d’Encouragement au Sport Nautique de Paris”, won this race at a tremendous pace. Unusually, the time was faster than that for the coxed fours or the coxswainless fours. The favourites, Bosshard and Schmidt, came se cond, and the Czechoslovakians, Julius Gerhart and Josef Straka, a pair with a future, fought bravely for third place. Part 2 61
