AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 276, 27 November 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

AQUATICS.

The principal topic of interest amongst sailing and rowing- men at present is the forthcoming ronsonby Annual Regatta. General entries for the regatta close on Monday evening next at the Ponsonby Club Hotel, and it is to be hoped that there will be good entries for each event.

A large number of yachts were down at various bays in the Gulf last Saturday and Sunday, and the crews had an enjoyable cruise.

Speaking- of Chapman, 'Trident' writes as follows in the 'Sydney Mail:' —C. Chapman, the amateur champion of New Zealand, is under the care of Chins. NeiJsen, Avho will do all that is in his power to improve his rowing and hake him comfortable. Chapman is tall, well built, muscular, and carries no soft flesh. He has the appearance of a good athlete, intelligent, tough, and of agreeable manner. lie got afloat the day after his arrival, and like many a better man, and his christening by a fall out of his boat, caused by the breaking of a scull.

The fierce battle which was fought over the amateur definition question at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Swimming Association at Christchurch is of more than passing interest to rowing men (writes 'Neptune' in the Wellington 'Post'). Putting the whole matter in a nutshell the minority in swimming circles were fighting for the adoption of a definition almost similar to that which is in force in conection with amateur rowing. The N.Z.A.R.A. has declared that rowing, as far as the amateur definition is concerned, shall stand absolutely independent of other branches of athletics. A section of the Swimming Association is desirous of bringing- about a similar state of affairs" in that institution, and appearances point to the success of the agitation in the near future. The strict amateur definition which the Swimming Association still- adheres to, and which is being so hotly attacked, provides that cash men in other branches of sport are ineligible to compete as amateur swimmers. The opposition party contend for a definition which ignores other sports, and provides only that a man shall be a pure amateur in swimming. It is on these lines that the battle is being fought.

The Victorian Rowing- Association has decided to hold the champion fours and sculls on December 11. Chapman, single scijll champion of New Zealand, will be a competitor in the sculls.

Rowing (wi-ites 'Tingle' in the 'Australasian') is getting- a fast hold of Western Australia, which has some excellent courses, and where they have the second special advantage of possessing men who have learnt rowing in Victoria, the school of Australian oarsmen.

In an interesting article, headed 'How to Train an Oarsman,' Mr W. B. Woodgate, the well-known author of 'Oars and Sculls,' lately replied in the 'St. James' Gazette' to Sandow's request to be allowed to train the Cambridge eight on his system. Talcing the standpoint that 'specialists' in physical contests may be 'athletes' as well as 'general practitioners' in muscle, he admits that the Sandow system may be efficacious for the artist in 'feats' of weight lifting-, etc., but not necessarily for the oarsman, the runner, or the boxer, because the competitor here needs the exercising of special muscles, and also needs 'condition,' which whatever Sandow may say, demands dieting-. Hard work trains; special diet keeps the subject up to the strain. 'Training'—as oarsmen and runners understand the term—-is directed to prepare the internal organs as well as the external muscles for the impending contest, Sandow's special feats do not generally involve the same extent of continued rapid strain which is required of oarsmen, runners, and boxers. Hence internal training is no*t so essential for excellence in the gymnastic schools, e.g., tobacco —for toleration of which in training Sandow pleads—may not in due bounds hamper the play and growth of muscles for a weight lifter or trapeze turner. As to Sandow's challenge that he will, if allowed, train a university eight to a pitch of

perfection unknown before, Mr Woodgate says: 'It is possible that a president of a university boat club might feel that he was rather taking a leap in the dark if he were to embark upon a new departure of this sort. If Sandow is really competent to revolutionise modern theories as to university training, can he not induce some minor crew engaged in a race of less importance than that of a university match to submit to an experiment at his hands, for the confidence and for the future enlightenment of the athletic world?'

There are several obvious reasons (says the London 'Sportsman') why Sandow's suggestion that he should train a university crew and make its chance of winning the boat race a certainty cannot be entertained. The time he requires could not be given, and the choosing of the crew so long before hand would be contrary to the usual practice and to tradition. The crews are picked on account of what they have done individually on the river for their colleges. If there were no hopes of the honour, the choice having already been made, rowing would be seriously discouraged. Those "who are likely to be. called on might, however, take up the Sandow system of training independently, and thus give it an informal trial.