Brentwood At the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race 2014

26 April 2014Tony Carr, Emeritus Brentwood Faculty, House Master & Rowing Coach

After attending just about every major rowing event during my coaching career including World Championships at the Junior, Under 23 and Senior levels, the one event that I had missed finally came my way this year. My family decided to give me a gift of a special trip to London, UK for the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race at my 75th birthday celebrated in January. We then contacted Malcolm Howard, Ellis ‘01, an old Brentonian whom I had coached at school and the junior worlds. Malcolm is the president of the Oxford University Boat Club this year. A Gold and Silver medal Olympian for Canada, he had stroked the blue boat to victory in 2013 and was selected by his peers to run the club in his final year. He arranged contacts for me so that I could watch the race from the river on board the Salient a rather fancy yacht with drinks and lunch for guests while he slogged away on the water in one of the rowing world’s longest and most gruelling races. I got an opportunity to watch a river practice one day during the week with some other parents and guests aboard the Bosporus which is a sleek mahogany launch that could hold about a dozen passengers. On board that day was an Old Blue from 1977 who had rowed with another old Brentonian, Mike Moran, our first Blue from Brentwood and a very successful one who had won three years in a row. Since that time Brentonians Morgan Crooks, Scott Frandsen and Malcolm Howard have all represented Oxford in the senior or Blue Boat. I was given two tickets to watch practices but gave the other one to my son, Rory, who could take time off and join me in London for this special event. He watched the last practice on Sunday morning before the evening race the same day. On board with him was a Princeton coxswain who later steered the Oxford Blue boat about 30 years ago. While at Princeton he had coxed Harold Backer for several years and spoke at length to Rory about this. When, at last, the major race began at 6 pm, we had front row seats for the first two kilometres as the crews fought it out before our eyes. Oxford got a lead of nearly a length and there was a small oar collision between the Oxford 7 man and Cambridge 2 seat. A stroke or two later the Cambridge man caught a huge crab and was almost tossed out of the shell with his oar going over his head and behind him. His bow man managed to get the oar back to the hapless number 2 and the race continued with Oxford now in full command of the race. They went on to win by 35 seconds, a record margin. A few hours later Rory and I, now changed into tuxedos and black ties, attended the Boat Club dinner and Ball at the Hurlingham Club in Putney near the start of the race. I met many people I had coached for and against and it was nice to hear just how much Brentwood College Rowing is admired and respected in the UK community. The many trips to Henley and many small victories at club regattas on those tours have left a lasting impression. During the week before the race I also went up to Henley on Thames to see Adam Neill, former Brentwood rowing coach, now rowing with the Leander Club there in the Senior 8 and preparing in a pair for the GB trials just completed last week. I was given the loan of an old bicycle and coached from the bank in the traditional style. Adam and his pair partner had lunch with me in the Angel on the Bridge and then went back for further training at their club. I believe the pair finished 10th out of 23 boats trying out for places on the GB team last weekend. Adam is again performing extremely well on the ergometer and is vying for the top spot in Britain as part of his plan to row for GB soon. One other event I attended in London was a soccer game at Stamford Bridge where this longtime Chelsea fan got to see his team play live and also win. What a wonderful holiday and 75th birthday present. I look forward to seeing many Brentwood Alumni at the Regatta this weekend and taking in some excellent racing. Tony Carr, Emeritus Brentwood Faculty, House Master & Rowing Coach

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