A vast crowd was on hand to watch the race between Messenger and Harry Kelley on 12 May 1857. Every public vantage point along the Putney and Fulham to Mortlake and Chiswick course was taken up by spectators. Messenger rowed in a boat of his own construction and was piloted by Thomas MacKinney who had in 1851 been contender for the title, losing to Robert Coombes. The race was started by mutual consent; a common method at the time. However, there was no "foxing" or "gamesmanship" by either party as was often the case and the men got away promptly and fairly. Just after the start Kelley was perceptibly in front but after a dozen or so strokes Messenger looked like he was recovering the lost ground. Eager shouts from the crowd encouraged him but the spurt did not last long and by Finch’s he had begun to fall astern. At Rose Bank, Kelley was more than a length ahead and he increased his lead so that by Hammersmith Bridge, reached in nine minutes, he was four or five lengths ahead. By Barnes Railway Bridge the distance between the men had doubled and although both men were partially stopped by skiffs it made no difference to the result. Kelley crossed the line in 24 minutes 30 seconds. See also World Sculling Championship. James Messenger was a boat-builder in Teddington. He built the "Lady Alice" for H. M. Stanley's second African journey. James' son, Charles A. Messenger was a professional single sculler in Sydney around 1881. A grandson, Herbert Henry, known as Dally Messenger, was a good cricketer, sailor, and a champion canoeist, but became best known as a rugby league footballer.