Media Release
published in the Canberra Times on 15
March 1971
ANU eight wins 3-mile event
by Peter Sekuless
The Australian National University
won the first three-mile challenge race against the Royal Military
College, Duntroon, by two thirds of a length after a hard fought
contest on Saturday.
The ANU crew becomes the first winner
of the trophy presented by Dr Clive Disher who stroked the first
AIF eight to victory at the Peace Regatta at Henley-on-Thames
in 1919.
On Saturday the university crew took
a lead of about two lengths shortly after the start near the
mouth of Sullivans Creek. The cadets were in the station nearest
the bank for the first mile and pegged back University's lead
so the students could not cut the corner at Hospital Point.
The cadets did not lead at any stage,
but kept within a length to two lengths of the ANU. In the Central
Basin, with about one mile to go, ANU produced a fine effort
to recapture the two-length lead that Duntroon had been whittling
away.
For the final mile the cadets gradually
caught up with the students, but ANU was able to hold them out
over the finishing line. The official time for the race was 17:07.0.
Another distance event was contested
yesterday. It was the Colin Panton Memorial marathon race from
Scrivener dam to the East Basin, a distance of 5 1/2 miles. More
than 150 oarsmen competed making it hard for the scratch eights
to row through the field.
The winner was the Canberra Rowing
Club senior four which is without doubt the best four in Canberra.
The winning time was 45:58.0, more than 1 1/2 min faster than
the Telopea four which came second.
The Canberra crew did not take the
lead until the Commonwealth Avenue bridge. A Canberra Grammar
tub four had held the lead to that point and continued its plucky
effort to come seventh. Although tub boats are given a large
handicap, rowing the clinker shells over 5 1/2 miles was hard
work, especially for the Grammar crew which had its coach, the
Rev Len Nairn, as cox.
Grammar's eight was the best of the
eights, coming in sixth with the Lyneham and RMC eights equal
eighth.
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