In the race in question Cox darted away with the lead. Casamajor had
hitherto led all opponents in real racing, and _amour propre_ seemed to
prompt him to bid for the lead against the new flyer; he quickened and
quickened his stroke, till his long swing back vanished, and his boat
danced up and down, but he could not hold Cox. Brickwood was last,
rowing his own style, and sculling longest of the three. After passing
the Farm gate, Casamajor suddenly changed his style, and went back to
his old swing. Maybe, Cox had already begun to come to the end of his
tether; but, be that as it may, from the instant that Casamajor
re-adopted his old swing back, he held Cox. (It did not look as if the
pace was really falling off, for both the leaders were still drawing
away from Brickwood.) In another minute Casamajor began to draw up to
the leader, still swinging back as before. Then he went ahead, and all
was over. Brickwood in the end rowed down Cox, and came in a good
second. Casamajor at that time edited the 'Field' aquatics. His own
description therein of himself in the race seems to imply that he
realised how he had at first thrown away his speed by bidding for the
lead, and that he purposely, and not unconsciously, changed his style
about the end of the first minute and a half of the race. His
description of his own sculling at that juncture (modestly penned) was
'now rowing longer and with all his power.' This was quite true--he was
not using his full power until he relapsed to his old style. These
illustrations of two of the best scullers ever seen bidding for
impossible leads, and then realising their mistakes in time, may be
taken to heart by all modern and future aspirants to sculling honour.
[Illustration: SCULLING RACE, WITH PILOTS IN EIGHT-OARS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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