AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 76, 1 April 1899, Page 4 (Supplement)

AQUATICS.

The West End Rowing Club will hold trial fours for Mr M. McLean's gold medals next Saturday afternoon.

The annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities has been Avon by Cambridge, according to an English cable. The time was 21 minutes 4 seconds. Last year the weather was most unpropitioiis, ; bad enough to have caused a postponement, but the authorities decided to go on, with "the result that the Cambridge boat was* pretty well waterlogged, and Oxford won by twelve lengths in 22min 15sec. In 1597 the time was 19min 12sec, after about the hardest race on record, whilst the fastest was 18min 47sec in 1893. Last year Oxford completed 32 victories to 22, and nine in succession. Cambridge won last in 18S9, having had four consecutive victories, the first run of luck since 1574, and she has,now added another victory,to her list.

It is stated on the best authority, according to a London daily, that Tobin bronze wHl^betised in the construction of the America Cup defender. The yacht will be plated in a measure like the Defender. . The plates that have their edges lapping On the inside of the other plates will be flanged inward, while the plates lapping outside and showing will be riveted in the same manner as we're those of Defend-

ei\ She is to have a steel boom and gaff, in addition to her Oregon pine spars, and her sails will be made of the newly-devised cross-woven canvas which will not stretch, as the sails of the last Defender did. The launch of the new boat, it is said, will take place early in May. .