AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 217, 10 September 1904, Page 12

AQUATICS.

Writing on July 29, my London correspondent records a creditable victory achieved by two New Zealand swimmers—Mr. C. S. Margolioutli, junr., and Miss Hilda Ilitchings, both of Napier, who won the mixed doubles handicap in the Queen's Club Championship of the London meeting. No less than r>o couples entered for this event, but the two New Zealanders came oft" the happy victors. An efl'ort is to be made to induce the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association to hold the next championship repatta. in Wellington.

Jim Stanbury, of Newcastle. New South Wales, is anxious to row George Towns for the World's Championship, and with that object in view is now busily engaged fretting the necessary stake money together. At the present time Stanbury's weight is 15st 91b as he stands, and he foels confident he could strike form again. He would not think of rowing inside eight months. He realises that he will have to indulge in a lot of hard work to get down to his rowing weight. 12st 71b, and for that reason it is not his intention to rush matters.

The Christchurch Union Eowiug Club has 129 names on the roll. The overdraft, which includes a debit balance of £97 7/7 brought forward from the previous year, now stands at £15!) 0/1, and it is anticipated that the gTeater portion of this will be liqnidatied during the present year. The assets are valued at £1979 6/9. The total prize-money amounted last year to £121, which the committee state is the record for the "colony for the past season.

The Invereargill Rowing Club is in a very satisfactory financial position. It has a credit balance of £55 9/10, assets valued at £SCO 8/4, and there are no liabilities. The Wangapui Rowing Club proposes to obtain two eighl>oareu boats for the oominc season. In order, to raise funds for its purchase, and also to enlarge the boatshed, the club has decided -to hold a bazaar next month. \t Henley Regatta the coxswain of the First trinity crew, Cambridge, in the Thames Challenge Cup was Prince Yugala of Siam. The First Trinity coxswain in the Ladies' Challenge Plate was K. Obura. a Japanese.

On the the score of utility there is, perhaps, no practical purpose to be served by a man attempting to swim the Channel 'twixt Calais, and Dover. The conditions under which such attempts are made are to a very great extent artificial. The swimmer waits for a day when tidal and atmospherical conditions combine to render the task feasible, and the water is at its highest temperature. Then, fairly "pickled" in blubbery matter, armed with "goggles' to protect his eyes, or a mask which completely covers his face and renders him more or less proof against the incommoding assaults of occasional choppy sea*, the aspirant to cross-Channel honours enters the water. During his swim he is escorted by a tug and probably several smaller craft manned by friends, why ply the swimmer with food and drink, and give him a lee berth if the wind or waves are troublesome.

Thus prepared and escorted a man may under very favourable elemental and tidal conditions emulate Captain Webb's feat, but the elemental and tidal combination necessary to his- success is seldom to be found. Yet almost every year some, swimmer is found ready to ta«kle the job which up to the present only Webb has accomplished. Others have claimed to have done, the trick, hut their claim to share in Webb's glory is ignored by all .save a few credulous friends. This year has produced quite a crop of aspirants to cross-Channel fame. Montagu.' Holbein intends to have yet another try to master the difficulties of the big swim, and newspaper enterprise has induced that old-time pedestrian and sprint swimmer .lack Haggerty. and the ex-amateur mile champion S. W. Oeasley to go into training for the task. Taking the records of the three men into consideration. (Jreasley appears to be the likeliest man to succeed (says our London correspondent).

Vet another aspirant for cross-Chan-nel honours has turned up in the person of John Weidmann, a native of Dover, who accomplished the extraordinary feat of swimming from Dover to lUmsgate. a distance of approximately 20 miles, in six hours. The most wonderful thing about Weidman's swim was that he not only entered the water innocent of the oleaginous preparations which most long distance swimmers cover their cuticles, but took neither food nor drink throughout the journey. He is a sturdily built ex-mariuer of 3">. and veisrhs about 13 stone.