AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 57, 6 March 1912, Page 7

AQUATICS.

The Auckland Rowing Association's regatta at Helyer's Creek on Saturday made a very pleasant outing for oarsmen, and for some I*2oo holiday-makers. Helyer's, when the tide is in, is just about aa pretty a corner as may be found in the harbour, and is certainly worthy of being known to a good many more people than seem to know about it. A few weeks ago a man •was building a tea kiosk over at Lake Takapuna. He had lived in Auckland for about 30 years, and had never been at Takapuna before. There seems to be a moral somewhere; perhaps it may be worth while looking for it at Helyer's Creek—when the tide is in.

It is claimed that the course at Reiver's Creek is the fairest rowing course in tbe harbour. Probably it is; eteewbere there are disadvantages of tide and rough water for crews on the outside or the inside position as the case may be. There is-also a certain amount of doubt as to whether the current is equally strong over the full width of the Waikato courses.

One might give a great deal of satisfaetkm in a cheap, insincere kind of -way. by referring to the Saturday meeting ae a very successful regatta. But that sort of thoughtless talk doesn't help things on airy. The regatta was a very pleasant outing for all concerned, but it «u not altogether satisfactory as a rowing meeting. It is to be hoped, however, that there regattas will be held regularly every year, or even more frequently, and that each one will be an improvement on the one before, until oarsmen are fired with the same degree of enthusiasm that characterised Auckland rowing in its palmy days a few years ago. The programme for Saturday afternoon was too ambitious a proposal altogether, and it Was a great pity that the four-class race, introduced for the first time te> this province, should have, of necessity, been cut out. Twelve races in two hours thirty-'ftve minutes—five races in the same boats in one ■hour forty minutes—was a pretty solid proposition for clubs to undertake successfully in the most fortunate circumstances. And, when, to make irp for time lost at the Beginning, the intervals between races were further curtailed, club captains give up the attempt in despair. Club successes on the j day's performance* Were: Waitemata," -2 firsts, 3 second*!: Whangsrei, 2 firsts: St. George's, 3 Brats (all single senile), 3 seconds; West End, 1 first, 1 second -, North (Shore, 1 first, "2 seconds; Auckland and Ngarnawahia, 1 'first each; and Hamilton, 1 second.

The Marshall Oup. Which Was won by C. E. Stone on Saturday from 5s behind scratch (the limit man getting 10s, and the second and third placed finishers starting off scratch), was presented to the Auckland' Sowing Association in 1803 by Mr. J. Marshall, to encourage the use of wager boats in the days when keen supporters of rowing were fostering outrigger work to the exclusion of heavy whaleboat racing.

It is interesting to cast a backward glance over the line of sculling champions, of whom C. E. Stone is the distinguished successor:—lßßß, .T. Foster (Vapier R.C.); 1889, T. McKav (Wei-! lington H.C.);/1890. T. Sullivan (Wei lington R.C.); 1891, W. Bridson (Wellington RjC.l : 1892, M. Keefe (Auckland R.C.): 1893, J. McOrath (Otago R.C.): 1894. M. Keefe (Auckland R.C.); 1895, ,T. McOrath (Dunedin BjC.); 1896, C. Chapman (Wairewa 8.C.); 1807, C. Chapman (Wairewa 8.C., Canterbury); 18S8. J. MeGtath (Otago JLC.); 1800, P. Graham (Xorth Shore SLC.) ; 1900, T. Spencer (Wellington R.C.): 1901, J. MeGrath (Otago R.C.); 1992, J. MeGrath (Otago BX.); 1903, W. Webb (W-Sngsmui Union); 1904, J. MeGrath (Otago RjC.) ; 1965. G. Welch (Akaroa BjC.) ; 1906, W. Webb (Wanganui Union); 1907, G. Welch (Akaroa 8.C.); 1908, G. Welch (Akaroa 8.C.); 1909, C. E. Stone (St. George's fcC.); 1910, C. E. Stone (St, George's R.C.); 1911, C. E. Stone (St. George's BjC); 1912, €. E. Stone (St. George's EX.). Of this crowd the veteran, 3. F. McOrath, who won his first championship in 1893, was Stone's principal opponent at this year's championship meeting. The laws of hoatt-raeing- provide that the umpire may act as starter, 6r not, as he thinks frt. When he does not so act the starter shall toe subject to the control of the umpire. At the Auckland Bowing Association's regatta on Saturday Mr. J. Maxwell was both starter and umpire. He is, an admirable starter, has the absolute confidence of all rowing men, and is rigidly punctual. Wow let us have a look at the umpiring duties he had to carry out, in addition to his starting duties. The intervals between the consecutive races on the programme were as follows:—Am, 10m, sm, 15m, 20m, 20m. lm, 39m, lm, 14m, and 25m. Will somebody please point out how an umpire can follow through these races, and still be punctually at the starting post? The President of the Auckland Bowing Association (Mr. H. A. Man-inert is himself an oarsman with a record to be proud of. You win find his name in the records of winning crews at the Auckland Bowing Association's regatta as far back as 1891. Quite possibly he was a philosopher then; he certainly is one now. He was down to act aa timekeeper on Saturday. With the conditions of tide, wind, or current never twice the same rowing timer dent seem to matter very-much. Any srey, with •.revolver shot at-one end, and a signal goa at the other, With no Smoke to speak of -vtfbM from either, it wouM be interesting to know how a inau Mtold keep his times in the erron instances. Some fast rowing was expected. For instance, the umpire was due to start the lightweight juniors at 3.55, to follow a mile and a-half race, and to return to start the handicap settlls at &56. A mile and a-half +n half-n-minnte, that, is 180 mOes an hem, is pretty good going, isssn w a HgnvWriiMt J££|Br four, Psmgh ttsnrenssis m> or two good iMshsj wasv* Jack

of dash and stylish vigour about the rowing as a whole. Waitemata Seniorswon rowing 36 to the minute. That id as it should be. The other crews were

roefully sluggish in their Wrk,

one wants them to race -"their slides, but what is wanted is that they should punch their hands out like lightning, and, especially, that they should not hang at the catch. The dwell at the catch is fatal to the life and movement of the boat. Her nose buries, and aha flounders along like a log, instead of skimming like a swan. The vice of feathering under water la very prevalent in Auckland oarsmen. The bucketing, dirty finish, does not give the boat a chance to get her nose up, and go over the water instead of through it. The cure is to row up to the chest, not into the tummy, then drop the whole forearm from the elbow, dropping the wrist for the feather only when the oar is clear of the water. It is a feet, and not merely a gag, that the boat should travel faster when the oars are out of the water than wheU the stroke is hei»,g taken. The bucketing flnish, which comes from dropping the wrists too soon, effectually stops the boat from running between the strokes.

PROVINCIAL TOUifINAMEXT NEXT MONTH. There was a good muster at Buckland's paddock, Epsom, on Saturday when the Remuera Cluß put in some useful practice. The club, though it hat lOst some of the old hands, has several very promising young players who bid fair to keep ( up the reputation of tbe club. In H.' Cotter (captain) and 8. Worsp (secretary)_ the club have two good organisers, and the former is an excellent coach. Of the recent acquisitions to the members' list, D. Kettle gives promise of being a most nsefu l player, and D. Gorrie also shapes well. The members are particularly keen this season as lie provincial tournament takes place at Auckland' this year. It begins on April 9th, and concludes on the 13th with the usual sports. About ten clubs will be represented, and tbe eontest for the cup should be very open. At present the trophy is held by Te Awarmrtti, but Remuera, which held it the year before, intend to make a big bid for it next month.