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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0758.PDF
[/JJGHT From the first competition to the last nothing occurred in the slightest way to mar a perfect after- noon's sport, the events being staged and performed with a clock-like regularity from 3 o'clock until well on towards 9. Illustrative of the times in which we live and the cares thereof, a little diversion came about midway in the programme. Distant and muffled boom- ings began to make themselves audible, apparently increasing in number and nearness. Eyes began to search the sky, and whispers of " Air raid " passed from lip to ear. Concurrently the megaphone man ordered all those many people sitting on the wall in front of the grand stand with their legs dangling over the track to withdraw these useful appendages to the inner side. At that moment the band struck up the National Anthem. That settled it. We all felt very brave and very loyal, and we all had a queer kind o.f little fluttering where our lunch ought to have been. In fact, there was just a momentary " nervy " wave. But the sports proceeded, and the spring doors at the back of the stand—that had been " released to accommodate the tea-takers—continued to furnish what we had thought was the boom : ©f guns, and by the time H.H. Princess Helena " Victoria—upon whose arrival the band had struck up—had taken Tier seat in the allotted place, it was realised that one more imaginary air raid had fizzled out. ". The Ladies' 60 yards' flat race was a popular event and attracted a huge crowd of entries, the 'competitors having to be arranged in 13 heats of 12 runners. Miss White, of Darracq's, who has even improved on her running of last year, when she won three prizes, was again successful, winning a mag- nificently fought out. race by a short head and thereby securing the Challenge Bowl and the "FLIGHT" prize. If all of those girls are as fast—or, rather, work as fast—as they run, the output of aircraft should rapidly increase, as politicians keep telling us it will. Curiously enough another member of the Darracq house, Mr. Howell, won the 440 yards flat race and carried home the other " FLIGHT " prize. lH.P." «< Whitecraft." "A.S.C AT THE AIRCRAFT ^SPORTS. JULY 26, 1917. The high jump took plaice in a remote corner of the arena, and the two cycle events were arranged to finish on the far side of the track. The why and the wherefore of this was not readily apparent, especially with a track exactly four laps to the mile. Next year, perhaps, it will be arranged to finish before the grand stand. Certain it is that finishing on the far side, with the host of officials and others lining the track near the finishing line, nothing could be seen of the riders after passing behind the crowd 100 yards from the finish, until they emerged 50 yards on the other side. Still, we're not kicking. It was but an incident that was, no doubt, noticed and made a note of in the proper quarter. The Cigarette race ^caused endless amusement, especially the way the male competitors grabbed their fair partners by one hand and hauled them along on the return journey, like paterfamilis catching a train with " Lil Em'ly streaming away behind." The moral attached to this event seemed to depend greatly upon the quality of the matches used, and we" all know what war-time matches are like. £ < ;f • The great feature of the two-mile walk, apart from -: the fine form displayed by the winner, who went right away from the start at a pace nobody but himself believed he could hold, was the " stunt " put. , up by Mr. No. 178. This spoitsman left the mark,, shoulders braced, elbows to side, and chin high, in orthodox fashion, at a brisk four miles an hour, and a smile that was seraphic, childlike and bland. Nothing could non-plus him. The cheers of the crowd each time he passed the stand only broadened his smile, and continuing the while other events were in progress, he finished the course some time later in the afternoon to a round of applause. The boat race was something new to many, being a sport of soldiers, imported by the Y.M.C.A. A pole is requisitioned and borne by the "crew," who pro- ceed backwards in boating fashion, the " cox " only travelling forward and steering the craft. " Bow " - is evidently an unthankful number in these boats— for he generally, according to observation, gets run off his feet, and falling backwards gets a stirring poke in the midrif by the end of the pole propelled by the other five stalwart " oarsmen." At the turn for " home " also there is trouble of sorts, owing to the boats taking " one another's water," and through faulty steering administering many biffs amidships.' One poor "bow" went clean over his opponent's " boat " into the " water " beyond, followed by a couple of yards of " boat." Nobody was drowned. In the Inter-Works Championship, Napier, holders for 1916, were again successful, winning with 19 points. There was a dead heat for second honours between Handley Page and Darracq, each with 10 points. Also in the relay race came a dead heat between Sopwiths and Gwynnes, illustrative of the quality of the racing and the form and training of the competitors. The Obstacle race caused endless amusement as usual, especially at the water jump, which appeared to be a surprise trap to the runners, judging by the •; way the first round took it—or didn't. All in this heat fell in together, and took the water so literally = that the attendant had to turn on the hosepipe and replenish before the next round. But the balloon had been pricked, the next round took things very carefully, dropping gently over the hedge, feet ^ together, so avoiding getting tripped up by what • might be called "tanglefoot," and getting wet only: to the knees. 758
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