Robert (Bob) Sexton
The original design for the racing shells used in the Annual St. John's Regatta was the brain-child of Dr. H.H. Rendell.
In 1886, as a result of his interest in yachting, he began a study of yacht design and construction. This led him to believe that there should be no trouble in designing a racing shell which would be at least 10 seconds faster than the fastest boats then in use. These had been built by Phil Mahoney whose boat "Iris" the Doctor thought was Mahoney's masterpiece.
One of his great friends at the time was Bob Sexton. Their friendship developed through their mutual love of yachting. Sexton earned his living as a carriage builder but, as a sideline, built boats of various types including yachts.
After Dr. Rendell designed a new racing shell, based on designs then in une in England, he had Sexton build a model which was shown to members of the City Boat Club, which was formed in 1887. It met with their approval and they gave orders to have a boat built to the design.
While building to this model was being considered, Dr. Rendell wondered how it could be improved. So strong were his thoughts that, when the model was returned to him, he started to design another boat and wondered which was the better. However, before he could decide, he destroyed the original design, unbeknownst to anyone at that time.
It was at this point that the genius of Bob Sexton was finally displayed. He built a shed in his backyard and, without assistance from anyone, he built the new racing shell.
Dr. Rendell stated that Sexton built that boat without any mechanical aids. He had no means to bend timbers nor any steambox to aid in bending the long, thin, fragile planks of cedar.
He also pointed out that Sexton was not capable of building from blueprints in the accepted sense of the word. Dr. Rendell said that he and Sexton plotted out types of boats on their dining room tables, using hat pins for markers.
Their first boat, launched in 1895, was christened "Glance". At 49 feet in length, it was several feet longer than any of the Mahoney boats.
"She's too long to turn quickly." "Her low freeboard fore and aft will cause her to swamp in anything but the smoothest water." So concluded critics of the slim new racing shell. Despite the derision of Committee members, Rendell and Sexton had embarked on a course that was to revolutionize the design and construction of racing shells.
To the above comments, Dr. Rendell replied: "Gentlemen, you are about to see the quickest turn ever made at the buoys, and I sincerely hope that on Regatta Day the water will be rough. Then you will see the safest boat on the pond come through with flying colors !"
The boats in use up to this time, the heavier Mahoney boats, required a very quick, short stroke to keep them moving well and all dipped their bows and raised their sterns considerably when the oars were being driven through the water. But this didn't happen to the new Sexton boat. Between the long, heavy strokes, she continued to "shoot on" over the water.
However, only Regatta Day itself would decide which was the better boat. The results of the 1895 Regatta left little doubt about the matter. While onlookers gazed with what must have been sheer amazement, the "Glance" swept 13 first place finishes out of 14 races !
The blow struck against conventional racers was devastating. So great was the success that it gave rise to the rumour that the "Glance" had actually been built in Halifax, imported in sections and put together here.
In 1896, the Regatta Committee approached Rendell and Sexton and, remembering with obvious alarm the record of the "Glance" the previous year, informed them that there would be no Regatta if the "Glance" was permitted to enter as no other boat could compete with her.
To their surprise, Rendell immediately complied and the decision was met with great acclaim. He promptly asked for the use of the boathouse and advised the Committee to allow the crews to continue their training as he and Sexton would have another boat ready for Regatta Day.
All this occurred Just 10 days before Regatta Day.
Sexton and Rendell had the old Mahoney boat "Iris" placed on the blocks in the boathouse and, within half an hour, the old shell, with bow and stern chopped off and only the body left in its original form, looked like "an old wreck in a very dilapidated condition". A new bow, stern and keel were quickly shaped, and so ended the first afternoon's work.
Thereafter, under Sexton's skillful hands, a new "Iris" began to emerge. Exactly one day before the Regatta, a bewildered crew appeared at the boathouse to test the rejuvenated "Iris". They were given strict instructions by Dr. Rendell to "row 200 or 300 yards down the pond to test it for speed and turning ability, then return to the boathouse and inform the builders of their opinion.
Needless to say, Sexton and Rendell had built another winner. That year, the "Iris" won 11 of 14 races and the public concluded that there was no use fighting Sexton's boats. The only thing to do was to build all new ones.
Dr. Rendell stated, "This is a record in boat building which I think will never be beaten, and it goes to show what a wonderful workman Bob was. Just think of it! Only ten days before the Regatta, yet he tore down, altered and rebuilt the "Iris", fitted her with new seats, stretchers and row-locks and had her painted and ready for trial the day before the Regatta. I greatly doubt whether a man could be found today capable of doing so much high-class work single-handed in such a short time."
The "Cabot", built in 1897, was a failure. Intending to design a boat with greater speed, Dr. Rendell made a mistake of not allowing for turning. He made the bow and stern lines long and fine but left the keel straighter than the other boats. As a result, the "Cabot" was better on the straight-away but "a brute's to turn.
The next boat was the "Bob Sexton", built in 1899. Later that same year, Sir Edgar Bowring arranged with Dr. Rendell to design a boat that would beat the "Glance" and the "Bob Sexton" and in 1900, Sexton built and launched the "Red Cross" for Bowring Brothers.
In 1901, the famous "Blue Peter", which Sexton and Rendell believed was their masterpiece, was built. History was made when a crew of Fishermen from Outer Cove won the Championship Race in the record time of 9:13.8 in the "Blue Peter". This record stood for 80 years. The "Blue Peter" retired from the pond in 1921 and was moved to the C.L.B. Armoury where it remains on permanent display.
After the "Doctor" was built in 1903, Dr. Rendell found that his professional duties were so demanding that he had no time to design more boats so Bob Sexton built all succeeding boats (9) on his own.
Quoting Dr. Rendell, "It is only fair to say that we were agreed that the "Blue Peter" was the best all round boat on the pond and so he continued to build all new boats on the moulds of that boat only changing the shape of their bows so that they might be distinguished from one another."
Next came the "Sam Slick" (later rechristened the "Togo") in 1904; the "Red Lion" for the Messrs. Reid, 1906; "Pink-Up" (rechristened "Mary") for the City Boat Club, 1909; "Guard", 1910; "Nellie R", which spanned nearly four decades, giving longer service and winning more races (84) than any other boat, 1912; "Cadet", 1914; "Blue Peter II", 1921; "Star of the Sea"; and "Coronet".
Bob Sexton also built two boats for the Bell Island Regatta - "Eclipse" and "Doctor"; four boats for Rev. Fr Summers for the Mundy Pond Regatta; and four four-oared boats (36 feet each) for the St. John's Regatta Committee in 1936 - "Buttercup", "Royalist", "Red Cross", and ,"Freedom"
Over a 50-year career, Bob Sexton built 15 six-oared racing shells for the St. John's Regatta, 13 of which were 49 feet in length while two, "Doctor" and "Togo", were 51 feet. Unfortunately, he left no successor. When he died in 1944, there was nobody in Nfld. who was able to carry on his work. In 1948 when new boats were required, it was necessary to seek builders in England and four boats were imported from Salter Brothers. They were of sturdy construction but were much heavier that the Sexton boats and consequently were not popular.
In 1952, Past President M.F. Howley, a professional engineer, made a complete set of drawings of the "Blue Peter" at the C.L.B. Armoury. All boats since have been built to these specifications.
Bob Sexton, the builder of the racers which made our Regattas, was the greatest boat builder in Regatta history.