1926-1927 Rowing Victoria State Championships
The recently formed Victorian Ladies Rowing Association conducted its first annual regatta on 23rd April 1927 at which the first official Women's Four Oared Championship of Victoria was conducted. The race was won by Albert Park Ladies.
Melbourne Rowing Club had a great season winning both the four and eight oared Championships. But Todd and Jopling continued their domination of the pair oared Championship.
Index to Results:
Champion Men's Scull
(2 1/2 miles)
Time: 17:54.0
1st H E Ricketts, Essendon
2nd H May, Hawthorn
3rd G F McKenzie, Mercantile
The Sculling Championship was decided prior to the Championship Eights race on Saturday, 13th November, 1926, over a 2 1/2 mile course from the 42 chain mark to the 3 mile 2 chain mark in Coode Canal. Three scullers competed. The result was an easy victory for H. E. Ricketts (Essendon).
Champion Men's Pair
(1 mile)
Time: 6:54.0
1st Wendouree – Bow: Ray W B Todd, Str: John R Jopling, Cox: T Hewitt
2nd Hawthorn
3rd Sandhurst
4th Ballarat City
5th University
6th Melbourne
This event was rowed on Lake Wendouree, Ballarat, on Saturday, 11th December, 1926. Seven crews entered. The race was won by the sterling Wendouree crew to whom the heartiest congratulations are conveyed. The redoubtable pair, Messrs. Jopling and Todd, have, by winning the Champion Pairs for the fifth time, succeeded in eclipsing all records for the race, and their performance is likely to remain unbeaten for many years.
Champion Men's Four
(2 1/2 miles)
Time: 16:29.4
1st Melbourne – Bow: T S C Flint, 2: E J Farrell, 3: F C Borrman, Str: H A Schlichting, Cox: W Dron, Coach: Mr E Horsburgh
2nd Sandhurst - Bow: G Hazelwood, 2: D Marrows, 3: J Hosking, Str: H Irvine, Cox: Wilfred (Bill) Parkinson
3rd Albert Park - Bow: L C Brittingham, 2: E W Cole, 3: W P Austin, Str: Walter N Ricketts, Cox: S Mather
4th Banks - Bow: M Burke, 2: W T Owen, 3: L Marshall, Str: H J Eakins, Cox: A Bailey
5th Nagambie - Bow: R Duggan, 2: V Sullivan, 3: F Furlong, Str: M kays, Cox: R Sutton
6th Richmond - Bow: P Costello, 2: R Jenkin, 3: L Scully, Str: C Jarvis, Cox: A Robertson
DNS Wendouree - Bow: Stam McGorm, 2: G Hutchins, 3: W Ray B Todd, Str: John R Jopling, Cox: T Hewitt
The Four-oared Championship was rowed over a 2 1/2 mile course from 2 chains below the 2 1/2 mile mark in Coode Canal to the 2 chain mark at Queen’s Bridge on Saturday, 15th January, 1927. Seven Crews entered. The winning crew was Melbourne Rowing Club. Wendouree did not start. Melbourne are heartily congratulated on their meritorious performance of winning with the same crew for the third year in succession the Four-oared Championship, a feat which has only been accomplished by one other crew.
Champion Men's Eight
(3 miles)
Time: 18:14.6
1st Melbourne – Bow: Theo S C Flint, 2: G K McLeod, 3: G O Heyword, 4: F V Porter, 5: F C Borrman, 6: E J Farrell, 7: B C Edwards, Str: H A Schlichting, Cox: B Coombes, Coach: Mr E Horsburgh
2nd Wendouree - Bow: R Merriman, 2: W Ware, 3: R Pierce, 4: E Beacham, 5: Stan McGorm, 6: F Yates, 7: W Ray B Todd, Str: A Hall, Cox: A J King, Cch: J B Suffren
3rd Hawthorn - Bow: E Cuthbertson, 2: V Barker-Hayes, 3: J Murphy, 4: P Waters, 5: A Duncan, 6: B S Cash, 7: T Wicks, Str: J Duncan, Cox: K Gambling, Cch: P H Wicks
4th Essendon - Bow: R A Jones, 2: W Brockwell, 3: T L Mannix, 4: G T Weatheritt, 5: D Johnson, 6: W R Fraser, 7: G J Adam, Str: E C Edmonds, Cox: W Irving, Cch: H R Newall
DNS Barwon - Bow: L Coulson, 2: S Neal, 3: J Teige, 4: W Grose, 5: J McLure, 6: A G Osborne, 7: R Degenhardt, Str: R Emms, Cox: R Whealer, Cch: A Colenso
This race was rowed over a three-mile course from the 3 mile 2 chain mark to the 2 chain mark at Queen’s Bridge on Saturday, 13th November, 1926, being won by the Melbourne crew. Barwon did not start. The winners are congratulated on their performance.
Champion Women's Pair
(Distance - Not recorded)
Time: No time taken
Margin: 2 lengths
1st Albert Park Ladies - Misses D Hassell, F Murphy and Cox F [indecipherable]
2nd Essendon - Misses Ricketts and Robinson
3rd Bendigo - Ada Green and Violet Clifton, Cox: Billy Parkinson
4th YWCA – Bow: Misses K Johnstone and W Barr
The crews raced for a trophy presented by Misses Partington and Spinks.
The recently formed Victorian Ladies Rowing Association conducted it's first annual regatta on 23rd April 1927 at which the first official Women's Pair Oared Championship of Victoria was conducted. The race was won by Albert Park Ladies.
Champion Women's Four
(Distance - Not recorded)
Time: No time taken
Margin: Not known but described as a runaway victory.
1st Albert Park Ladies - Misses Hood, Atkins, Ludlow, Brooks, Cox: Cross
2nd YWCA - Misses Docherty, Burran, Johnstone, Barr
3rd Bendigo – Misses Barnes, Howser, Ada Green, Violet Clifton, Cox: Billy Parkinson
The crews raced for a large trophy and four miniature trophies presented by Phoenix Manufacturing Company.
This was the highlight event on the program at the Victorian Ladies Rowing Association's first annual regatta on 23rd April 1927. Selection of the Interstate Four depended upon the result.
Sources
Victorian Rowing Association, Reports 1903 - 1944.
Programs from the Rowing Victoria records
The Argus, Monday 25th April 1927, page 6, sourced from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3850802