June 1951

THE BOAT CLUB They're under ! Up went the shout from those wind-blown spectators on the bank, and some were already beginning to mourn the loss of five 'dear' Templars, when the Manor crew also started to play submarines.

Now we began to get a little anxious, for we could ill afford to lose two of our boats. This was. the eventful spectacle the first round of Junior House Boat Races presented. The Manor crew managed to stay rather more on the surface than their Temple opponents, and the latter had to row a boat home with their 'seats' sliding up and down in river water ! The Manor won the race in a time of three and a half minutes, which, in view of the conditions, was not bad at all.

Both crews pulled into York City landing stage to empty their boats before completing the return journey. The first round of the Senior Boat Race between the Grove and School House was rowed two days later under perfect conditions. At the start both crews were level, then down the reach Grove draw ahead by a foot or two, though still there was no appreciable change. Then at Scarborough Bridge, the Grove, who had been rowing the slightly slower stroke, gave her a `ten', and cleared the School House crew, who were making heavy work of it by now and could not reply to the challenge. Grove won by a length, in four minutes forty-eight seconds.

The remainder of the House races were rowed on Saturday, 10th March, as part of the York Spring Regatta Programme. This gave to some of the junior crews the novelty of using 'stake' boats at the start. The first race between School House and the Grove juniors again gave us a surprise, as here again the Grove triumphed against a muh more experienced House crew. The first senior race between the Rise and Temple saw both crews togther all the way to the diving boards; but by York Boat House Rise gave her a 'ten', and Temple soon faded out of the picture, suffering the unforunate accident also of one member of the crew coming off his seat in the final stages of the race. And so the Rise won comfortably by four and a half lengths in four minutes thirty eight seconds. A second junior race between Manor and the Rise then followed. There the 'Manor crew rowed with more steadiness than ever before and easily beat the Rise, who were rather apt to rush things.

The finals after tea saw the Manor crew take away the junior cup after being down at the start by over a length. They rowed magnificently to win the race by two lengths, Jackson, R. A., the stroke, deserving commendation for the fine way in which he held his crew together when all seemed lost.

The senior final saw the second Grove crew in action against the Rise. At the start both crews were level, but by the diving boards the Rise were comfortably a length up, and were rowing with a 59