Haines Has Quiet Summer; Singles Take Over at Weld

"Quite a bit different from last summer," said Bert Haines the other day as he stood at the top of the Weld Bost Club dock-runway. There was one oarsman shoving off in a wherry, a couple more running themselves against the wall of the Boat Club, a few swimming off the end of the dock.

Otherwise the summer rowing hub was as quiet as Newell Boat House across the way, padlocked ever since the Varsity crew look off for New London after Commencement.

"Last year at this time 1 had seven eight-eared on the water," said Haines, who turns out consistently championship 150-pound crews during the spring. "Now, with only 17 Freshmen reporting here, I can't get up out two shell-barges and have only enough experienced men to fill one regular shell."

Actually, Weld isn't entirely uninhabited. Between 160 and 180 per day slip in unobtrusively to work out singly or under Haines' direction. The genial lightweight crew coach estimates that 60 percent are in the graduate schools.

Two Rigs in Use

In back of an extension of the dock, in relatively quiet waters, are two stationary single rigs. Similar in principle to the eight-oar, indoor tank in Newell, they are used for singles practice, with triangular holes in the oar-blades to simulate actual conditions.

The neophyte singles oarsman must spend at least ten minutes on the practice rigs before he is allowed to take the safest of three available single-blade boats at Weld--the wherry. The wherry is the widest of the three, measuring 19 inches in width. The single scull is the narrowest at 12 inches and in between is the compromise--or comp--at 14 inches.

Singles for Skilled

"Most of the men," said Haines, "want to get into a single right away. But we don't let 'em. They lose their skill in the singles because they have to worry all the time about staying aboard."

Haines added that the oarsman would be lucky to graduate from a wherry in less than 20 to 25 rows in one.

Commenting on the probable state of 150-pound rowing next spring, Haines said that he would have to find a new stroke and a new number four oar for his Varsity boat, but he expects about nine crews to come out in the fall, so he will have plenty to choose from.

Haines Eight Undefeated

The past spring Haines' Varsity crew went undefeated for the second straight year. Since they raced every lightweight boat in the world, they can claim an unofficial international championship to match the Varsity heavies' unofficial national championship.

Furthermore, concerning their prowess, Varsity coach Tom Bolles has remarked that Haines' one-fifties were about the sixth best crew in the country, regardless of weight, at the Henley distance.