Henley

Eight youths from Browne & Nichols, Cambridge, Mass. preparatory school, responded to the shrill yawps of a blond 13-year-old coxswain last week and won the Thames Challenge Cup in the Henley Regatta, second highest English rowing honor.* Not since 1922 when Walter Hoover of Duluth won the Diamond Sculls, famed single scull race, had the U. S. had so large a share in the glory that is Henley victory.

Favored among U. S. entrants had been Columbia's 150-pounders, winners of a preliminary regatta at Marlow and during the U. S. rowing season losers of only one race. Eliminating the Westminster Bank crew in the first heat, Columbia stroked to a one-length victory in the second over the Kingston Rowing Club boat, coached by R. C. Sheriff, young insurance-broker author of Journey's End, current War play. Columbia was eliminated in a windy third heat by the heavier crew of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Next day Trinity met the Massachusetts youngsters. At first Browne & Nichols trailed by one-third of a length. By the quarter-mile mark they had raised their stroke, imperceptibly slid into a quarter-length lead. Trinity answered, drew level. Both shells were even 150 yards from the finish. Both spurted. Browne & Nichols spurted fastest. That afternoon they raced the Thames Rowing Club, won by a length and a quarter. They were later to be presented to Ambassador Charles Gates Dawes, the Lord Mayor of London, King George. Browne & Nichols is almost exclusively a Harvard preparatory school. Harvard men last week rejoiced at the prospect of a sequence of Harvard rowing victories after the Henley champions matriculate.

Joe Wright Jr. of Canada, son of the University of Pennsylvania's oldtime rowing coach (who was there to watch him row), lost by three feet the Diamond Sculls, which he won last year, to Holland's L. H. F. Gunther.

*First: Senior Grand Challenge Cup, won last week by the Leander Rowing Club of England.