The journey by car from Bath to Zagreb covered territory familiar to Monkton oarsmen of some 20 years ago. The M20 was a better road than the old A2, but the journey seemed to take just as long. Driving through France, there were signs to Amiens, where both the 1st VIII and the Colts won at a regatta in 1988, and Soissons where in 1989, 20 MCS oarsmen stayed unexpectedly in the Hotel Terminus, near the station. We had squeezed in there (was it really three to a bed?) with no notice of our arrival after a difficult journey from Mcon.
Then on into Germany, where there were signs to Koblenz and Trier, which will be remembered by the crews that went to Summer regattas at Bad Ems in 1982 and 1983. After Munich, the road led us through Austria, with signs to Linz (where Alex Partridge rowed in the Junior World Championships in 1998). Then on through Slovenia (and a quick visit to the rowing lake at Bled) into Croatia and Zagreb for the World Junior and non-Olympic Senior World Championships of 2000. (We could have followed a truck from there on to Bulgaria and Plovdiv, the venue for last years Junior World Championships, where Alex Partridge had won Gold.)
Zagreb is a beautiful city, once in Yugoslavia, but judging by the comment made by a hotel waiter, those times are best forgotten. Modern Croatia (written somewhat confusingly as Hrvatska and hence HR on Croatian cars and .hr as the top domain name in Coatian internet addresses) is keen to link to Western Europe and delights in being free of some of the old restrictions. English magazines are widely available, though we did not manage to find a London newspaper. English is taught in the schools, and well taught, judging by the confidence of two teenagers who did an excellent job of cleaning 1200 miles worth of flies off the car windscreen. They said they would use any tip to help to pay for school, and I believed them so gave them a bit extra.
The Croatian people were at all times kind and welcoming, though one we came across at the end of a 14 hour working day naturally showed signs of strain and distinct lack of humour. Who wouldnt? During a drive in the beautiful countryside on a free day from rowing, we looked in vain for a picnic site at the top of a narrow hillside road. We turned round at the top, to be greeted by a local, who invited us into his house to share a simple lunch. Like many Croatians, one of his useful hobbies was looking after his plot of land which boasted a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and vines.
As usual at international regattas, the various national groups exhibited typical characteristics. The Brits, nearly all of whom were parents and relations of the crews, looked somewhat pale to start with (later red from the continuous hot sun), having no doubt dropped everything in their offices in order to support their offspring. But they had planned well, bringing a good assortment of Union flags large and small, and soon gelled together to cheer on the GB crews.
What has all this got to do with rowing? International meetings in any sport bring many nations together. The crowds for rowing are pitifully small, but at least we dont have to be corralled in pens according to the flag we are waving. As BT would say, its good to talk, and talk we did to people from all over the world. I am reminded of a conversation I had with a coach from Argentina at Plovdiv in 1999 we got on well, even if our two countries had been at war not many years ago.
All the young men and women who compete, as well as their coaches, administrators and supporters are roving ambassadors, and they must surely do much to keep the world a safer place for all of us.
What about the rowing, then?
When we arrived at the course direct from the Autoroute, we discovered from the Secretary of the Coupe (the second-string junior international event), that the GB team had lost by one point to France, which was rather better than the GB result in Nantes the previous week, when we had lost 10 races out of 12. Better news of the Nations Cup at Copenhagen (Under 23 team), where Alex Partridge had won a Gold Medal in Coxed fours.
Two Monkton oarsmen were competing at Zagreb. Steve Williams in the GB Senior coxed four. He had already raced and won his first round before we arrived. Henry Bailhache was stroke of the GB Junior coxed four, and his first race was at 0910 on the Wednesday. The crew was dumped off the start (to quote a member of the crew), and they were soon down by a length and a half. Another member of the crew recalled how they decided that they were rather better than this, and they hauled themselves back to first place with some room to spare at the end of the 2000 course, earning a place direct to the final. That race was not to go as well; the crew felt they had misjudged it, but the crews from the other heat were consistently faster.
Steve Williams and the GB Senior Coxed Four never appeared in any danger of losing, so Steve became a worthy World Champion. He learnt during his stay in Zagreb that he had also been selected to be in the British Olympic rowing squad as spare man. What a pity that coxed fours have been dropped from the Olympics.
Julian Bewick