Interview Series - Dave Molesworth
“As they say “back in the day” redcoats were awarded to the winners of Senior Class(now called Premier) winners in the single sculls, double sculls, pair oar(coxless), four our(coxed) and eight oar races. I was the first rower to get a redcoat in every event, not bad for a rower who started out as a lightweight.”
— Dave Molesworth
How did you start rowing?
I started by coxing the club senior eight around 1959
What was your first crew and who was in it?
My first crew was a mens lightweight 4 -Keith Rigden(stroke), me, Roy Hollis and Stan(Mohawk) Miles. The Club had just taken delivery of some new fours and the committee said (very big-heartedly) that we could row in the old plywood the “Albert Norman” which was in a very sorry state. The proviso was that we had to do all the repairs ourselves and get it back into racing standard –we must have done a good job as we went on to win the lightweight fours title at the NZ Champs in Wanganui.
Who was your 1st coach?
We pretty much coached ourselves
Who at that time was your sporting hero?
TOBY ANDREWS-Toby came to stay with us at age 20 from up north. He was a carpenter for Boon Sullivan Luke and used to ride a bike everywhere. Toby was a magnificently built guy with huge leg and arm muscles and looked like a champion boxer. The first thing he did when he arrived to stay at our house in Francis Street was to do a handstand then walk right around the house on his hands (try it sometime). Toby paired up with Bill Hunter to win the club’s first redcoats in the double sculls at The NZ Championships at Wairoa in 1956.
How did you and Tom come to be in a double sculls?
Tom and brother Ray Reid were planning to buy themselves a pair oar boat and row together. Ray however got transferred to Auckland where he went on to row with a number of top crews at The Waitemata Rowing Club. Meanwhile the Club had just ordered a brand new Sargent & Burton double sculls boat and Cyril suggested to Tom and I that we give it a crack. And as the saying goes “the rest is history”.
Who was the boss?
Tom –no question
Given you have rowed in every boat at NZ championship level –what is your favourite event?
As they say “back in the day” redcoats were awarded to the winners of Senior Class(now called Premier) winners in the single sculls, double sculls, pair oar(coxless), four our(coxed) and eight oar races. I was the first rower to get a redcoat in every event, not bad for a rower who started out as a lightweight. I enjoyed all these events but somehow there is nothing quite like rowing in an eight that is just humming along out in front of a field of also very fast eights all trying to knock you off.
So lets settle for the eights.
What was your BEST race?
Our first win with Tom in the doubles
What was your WORST race?
We had a very disappointing race at Henley-the organisers gave us a dunger of a boat and we never had a chance. The people of Whakatane had helped us get there and we felt we had let them down.
You and Tom had a trip to Europe –what races did you have?
This was where we paid back the townspeople with our training and racing leading up to the World Champs in Germany. We rubbed shoulders with the best rowers in the world at that time and came back full of new ideas of how to train and win races.
When you came back from Europe Tom called a meeting to form a squad to capture some redcoats. How did that evolve?
Tom had the basis of a promising four and at the time the blue riband event on every regatta programme was still the senior eights as they were called back then. Tom had watched and learnt carefully the training regimes they observed in Europe and he devised a plan to motivate his fellow rowers to go with him and knock off the top clubs like West End, Waikato and Avon. The squad went on to win not only the eights title but every other title as well.
It was good to see many of the redcoat eight back for the centenary –do you keep in touch with each other?
Yeah we do, but of course none of us are getting any younger so it gets a bit harder as the years go by.
Aside from Tom Reid -Who would you most like to row in a boat with?
That’s easy –WYBO VELDMAN - in my mind the best oarsman whoever walked this planet. You name it –he had it all- strength, stamina,a cool head and the ability to read a race- just everything a rower needs to win and win consistently.
If you didn’t row what other sport would you have chosen?
As a kid I just loved horse riding –that would have been my passion.
What job did you do while you were rowing?
I was a fitter and turner working with Tom, Baden Watkins and Mick Gosling at the Whakatane Board Mills. All great guys.
Where do you live now?
In Eivers road Whakatane, in the family home with siblings Barbara and Robert. We live by the river and I cycle down the Warren Cole Walkway most days and meet lots of interesting people and give tons of cheek to my mates along the way.
