The following criticism of the Yale University crew recently appeared in the Yale News:-
As a whole, the crew have good control of the stroke, which is rather like that of '86 than '87, as the blades are carried back flat a little longer than last year. Of late they have got a better hold on the water at the beginning of the stroke, but the finish still falls short of being as clean as it should be. They have a magnificent swing, and at times good control of boat and slides. For the past two or three weeks a slower stroke-30 or 31 per minute-has been used than that which the crew rowed earlier in the spring -33 or 34 per minute. In the race the regular stroke will be about 33 or 34, possibly as low as 32, and it is not expected that it will be raised at any time above 35 or 36. The principal faults of the men, with their weights, are as follows:-
1. Wilcox, '88 S., 155 lbs., is slow with his hands, pulls through the water unsteadily, finishes too shallow and does not lift his oar out clean. He is an old man and what is lost in weight is more than compensated for by the endurance which his age gives him.
2. Gill, '89, 173 lbs., labors under the disadvantage of being very short and does not sit straight. At the end of the recovery he hesitates before taking the water. His blade work is excellent.
3. Brewster, '91, 170 lbs., is a new man and has many faults. His oar is too deep for the first half of the pull and at the finish he draws his hands into his lap so as to allow his oar to wash out. He also drops over at the catch and is not as steady as he should be but has very good staying powers.
4. Woodruff, '89, 178 lbs., slow with his hands, swings to port, cocks his oar over the catch, pulls too shallow and does not finish clean. Body work is for the most part good and he has good control of his slide.
5. Corbin, '89, 180 lbs., is the most powerful oar in the boat, but is slow with his hands, settles at the end of the stroke and is slow in swinging up.
6. Stevenson, '88 (Capt.), 172 lbs., does very good work but lets his oar go too deep in the water and never sits straight. He is a very powerful and has splendid staying powers.
7. Carter, '88 S., has no bad faults, is probably the best oar in the boat, and a conscientious worker.
Stroke, Cross, '88, 162 lbs., has had considerable experience as stroke of his class crew and commands the confidence of all the crew as a very regular stroke. He swings to port at the end of the pull and jerks his hands in very fast, but is rather slow in getting them out again.
R. Cook, '76, will meet the crew as soon as they reach New London. The launch has already been sent up. The crew will practice twice every day, but will do no very hard work until the race.
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