1953 NSW AAGPS Head of the River
High’s great row – credit to stroke (E.E. Christensen, The Sun, NSW, 12 Apr 1953)
Coach Frank Nicholls gave full credit for Sydney High’s smashing win in the GPS Head of the River yesterday to 16-year-old stroke Jim Woodcock for the tactics he employed in the race.
High broke s sequence of wins by Shore in scoring by half a length with St. Joseph’s a length away third.
With conditions all against fact times, High, the lightest crew in the race, took 8:25.25 seconds for the mile and half, the slowest since Grammar won in 8:32.15 in 1940. Most of the crowd expected the race to be between Shore and High. Before High left the pontoon to paddle to the start, Nicholls told Woodcock, “It’s you’re race, take it away”.
Nicholls said he had a very high opinion of Woodcock’s ability and there was no need to tie him down to any set plan. “Jim is only a light boy, but he is fine stroke and has the invaluable nack of preserving rhythm and at the same time obtaining the maximum effort from his crew,” said Nicholls.
Nicholls thought High won the race from the mile where they commenced to swing along in their best style. Before the race he was confident because High had registered three wins in their races against Shore earlier in the year.
Senior 1st Eight
Major Rennie Trophy
8:25.25
¾ length
1 length
1st High – Bow: D.J. Denny, 2: G.G. Corry, 3: E.R. Coleman, 4: R.T. Clark, 5: J.B. Caddy, 6: A.B. Salt, 7: W.J. Leroy, Str: J.S. Woodcock, Cox: R.R. Donaldson, Cch: F.M. Nichols
2nd Shore – Bow: G.R. Solomon, 2: R.P. Waddington, 3: Peter Gordon Ellison, 4: C.B. Gordon, 5: B.C.E. Jackson, 6: E. Sunstrup, 7: B.J. Clayton, Str: J.D. Wilson, Cox: J.G. Henningham, Cch: W.G. Thomas
3rd St. Joseph’s College – Bow: J.B. Hickey, 2: J.V. Phillips, 3: J.M. Taylor, 4: J.B. Jarasius, 5: I.A. Ormsby, 6: W.R. Northcott, 7: J.L. Burton, Str: S.J. Hunt, Cox: R.H. Haggerty, Cch: Rev Brother Leonard, R.N. Tinning
Second placed Shore crew
Senior 1st Four
Yaralla Cup
6:02.35
3 lengths
½ length
1st High – Bow: R. Clark, 2: M. Braithwaite, 3: B. Lloyd, Str: R. Jenkins, Cox: G. Guest, Cch: A. Callaway
2nd St. Joseph’s College
3rd Newington
Senior 2nd Four
6:08.15
2 lengths
1 length
1st Shore – Bow: R.R. Dickson, 2: R.R. Warden, 3: A.F. Vivers, Str: M.A. Minns, Cox: A.M. Whybrow, Cch: H.M. Perry
2nd St. Joseph’s College
3rd High
Senior 3rd Four
4:36.00
3ft
3ft
1st High – Bow: B.E. May, 2: R.B. Hardy, 3: M.J. Curley, Str: R. Downie, Cox: B.W. Bottomley, Cch: G.C. Pilger
2nd Newington
3rd St. Joseph’s College
Senior 4th Four
4:50.00
1 length
Dead heat
1st Shore – Bow: O.J.T. Wood, 2: M.W. Simpson, 3: D.R. Lowe, Str: T.J. Wood, Cox: R.H. Taylor, Cch: R.A. Gilfillan
2nd St. Joseph’s College
2nd St. Ignatius’ College