Rowing REGATTA AT HENLEY

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28939, 6 July 1959, Page 17

Rowing REGATTA AT HENLEY

Australian Wins Sculling

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright} HENLEY-ON-THAMES (Oxfordshire), July 4.

Stuart Mackenzie (Australia), the European and Empire and Commonwealth Games sculling champion, won the diamond eculls in the Royal regatta at Henley today for the third successive year. He later teamed with Christopher Davidge to win the double aculls. becoming the first man ever to have won both sculling events at a Henley regatta. In the diamond sculls, the Australian led throughout to easily beat his American opponent, Harold Parker, by three lengths. Mackenzie won in a time of tmin 39sec for the one mile 550yds (1111 metres) course.

On one of the hottest days of the year, the course was packed with spectators, but the final turned out to be little more than a paddle for the big Sydney sculler. Mackenzie, stroking at M to the American a 33. was soon a length and a hall ahead. He increased this

to two lengths and a half by the time a third of the course had been covered.

Mackenzie was three lengths ahead at the mile mark and, rowing magnificently wltb tremendous strength, was many lengths in front as he neared the finish. Seeing that the American had no chance whatever of catching him. the Australian dropped his rating almost to a paddle and allowed his opponent to get within about three lengths as he siowty crossed the finishing line. This behaviour did not meet with the approval of a section of the crowd, which mildly booed him. Double Sculls Mackenzie and Davidge. representing the Leander Club, later won the doubles sculls, beating Normsn Birkmyre (Ariel Rowing Club. Bristol) and George Justice (Birmingham Rowing Club) by two lengths and three-quarters in Tmin Msec. Harvard university was an easy winner of the Grand Challenge Cup for eights, the highlight of the Royal regatta. The American crew, rowing with tremendous power, was never headed by their British opponents, the Thames Rowing Club, and won by two lengths and three-quarters in «mln 37sec It is now six years since a British crew won this event.