by Greg Martin

In the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 , 27 British ships faced the 33-ship Franco- Spanish fleet and defeated their arch-foes in a bloody battle .

There was no blood spilt in the battle for placings in the annual Balmain Rowing Club ’ s Peter Kemp Sculling Classic when a fleet of craft descended on the Hawkesbury River early last month .

Just bloody hard work as the 45 single scull and nine double scull oarsmen and women toiled against a running tide and slight breeze on the 13km journey from North Richmond Bridge to Windsor Bridge .

Sydney University Boat Club ’ s 24-yearold

, Marcus Della Marta , beat the fleet to the finish line , but unlike Lord Horatio Nelson , he lived to celebrate his victory .

It was the Bachelor of Arts student ’ s second successive victory in the prestigious event which is named in honour of the great Hawkesbury waterman , Peter Kemp .

The great sculler ( 1853-1921 ) competed in a worldwide golden age of the sport towards the end of the 19 th Century – he was world champion from 1887-88 and again from 1889-90 .

The Kemps lived near the confluence of the Colo and Hawkesbury Rivers where he honed his skills and great strength rowing heavy rowboats with and against the powerful tides down that way .

All the competing craft departed at 30-second intervals at North Richmond with Marcus being first to greet the judge in a time of 52mins 39.73 secs .

If I were a betting man – and I am – I would have wagered London to a Brick that Marcus would be the first sculler to complete the course . After all , he had the form on the board ! He and his men ’ s double sculls partner , David Barthalot , last May narrowly missed selection to compete at the Paris Olympics after finishing a close third in an international regatta in Lucerne , Switzerland . First or second place would have resulted in them heading to Gay Paree , but they were narrowly edged out

by US and Serbian crews in the shadows of the finish post .

The other major trophy presented was the Fernie Kemp Cup , which was awarded to Lake Macquarie Rowing Club ’ s elite sculler , Trudy MacDonald , who led the ladies home in the single sculls , completing the course in 1h 6mins 25.33secs .

The cup honours Fernie , the daughter of Peter Kemp , herself a champion sculler in the first decades of the last century .

And a special mention in dispatches to members of Windsor Paddlesports Club in helping organise the regatta – and provide scrumptious sausage sandwiches to spectators and hungry scullers on their arrival in Macquarie Park .

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