AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 305, 21 December 1912, Page 16

AQUATICS.

ROASTING. Crews from the Whangarei Rowing Club will be entered in every race on the Whangarei Regatta programme on -Sew Year's Day. The members of the Northern Club feel confident that they are in a position at least to emulate their splendid performance of la-st year, when they obtained a place in every race with the exception of the light maidens. .Something of a sensation was caused j in Whangarei rowing circles last week I when the youths' crew, which is rowing j remarkably well, defeated the heavy- j weight maidens. The latter will be called | upon at the regatta to defend the I Chapmen Cup, and, subsequently, the j provincial championship, at present held by the club. They say in Whangarei that tJie Auckland oarsmen will need to stay very wide awake, as the local men will prove to be verj formidable opponents.

There was at one time a suggestion that an eight-oar race might be included on the programme of the next Mercer regatta, and that the Wanganui Rowing Club might be persuaded to send a crew to compete in the event. The Waganui Club will not. however, permit their eight to leave the river, and as there are not the boats in Auckland alone to make a race, it has had to be abandoned. It would be a very fine thing to have eightoar rowing in full swing in Auckland in time for the big championship meeting to be held on these waters during the exhibition exenoonent next year.

The West End light juniors have a dashing style, with plenty of life in the boat, but at times their swing is too short. There is a tendency all through the boat to wash out at the finish, giving a bad appearance. The striking time is good, and the crew is well together. Obviously the four has been skilfully coached, but with constant watching for the remainder of its training period it would improve almost beyond recognition. The washing out is due to some extent to the unfinished swing, and further to faulty hand work. You must now row into your tummy, but most finish at the chest. The blade must foe kept covered, just covered, from catch to finish. It must not be " ro-wed " out at the finish, but must be cleared by dropping the forearms, from the elbows to the knuckles in one piece, just enough to lift the blade out of the swirl made by t/he stroke. This done, drop the wrists to get the feather, and shoot the hands out like lightning.

The dropping of the forearms and of the wrists, and the shooting out of the hands must be so quick as to be all one movement, although it muet be understood that there are the three things to think about. If washing out is to be avoided, the roots of the thumbs must be brought in to touch the chest every time just above the floating ribs. It is of course essential that you should have the back braced all the time, else as you sag down you will get the hand level all wrong, and you will wash out just the same.

Messrs. R. Bigelcrw (captain of West End) and R. Faxrell (another prominent member who is also on the A.R.A. executive) have presented a very fine cup to their club for competition in the handicap sculling race. The generosity of the donors is keenly appreciated by their clubmates. and their object, to encourage sculling in the club, wiD certainly be attained more effectively in this way than by any other means.

The Xorth Shore heavy maidens average list. 61b. throughout the boat. The crew consists of 6421b. of good muscle, bone and sinew, which is used to good purpose. The crew is v«iy nice}y balanced with the bulk of the weight in the centre of the boat. They show very good form, but uneven leg pressure causes swinging oirt sometimes, which pives an ugly se-issors-like appearance to the crew when the weijrht is put on. Big men usually take a deal of watching in this respect, but as training continues, and the men harden up. there is less and less excuse for it. Reference has previously been made in thpse notes to the " interclub contests" that have been arranged for by the Xorth Shore Rowing: Club, to be rowed iff on 11th January next, at the aunual regatta of North Shore Yacht Club. The of rhp Shorn mpn is to fnster sociable interest in each other's doings among the oarsmen of the har-

boor by giving them an opportunity to fraternise in friendly argument and contest. Tv 7 ith this object in view the hon. secretary of the North Shore Rowing Club (Mr. R. A. Spinley) has sent a circular letter to each of the clubs on the harbouT, the fallowing being a copy: "By permission, and with full approval of the Auckland Rowing Association, mv club is arranging for a series of interclub contests for trophies valued at fl 1/ each (including one for the coxswain), to be rowed for at the trials held at Devonport on the afternoon of Saturday, January 11, 1913, at the North Shore Yacht Club's regatta. The rowing events are entirely to be run by the N.S.R.C., and have been so arranged with the idea ofendeavouring to create greater interest in one another amongst the members of the sister clubs, for we feel sure that the rowers of Auckland do not meet each other sufficiently in friendly contests to cement a feeling of good fellowship that should exist among the followers of the cleanest of sports. "The programme proposed is of three races, consisting of a youtSs' four and an open four, and an open double-sculls —all purely non-class races, so that the status of the fortunate winners will not be prejudiced. My club is giving trophies valued at £10 10/ in all, but so as not to allow the Club's finances to

)ear this total cost it has been arranged ;hat a nominal entrance fee of 1/ per nan be charged. The dub hopes there)v to recuperate a little on its expendi;ure in the endeavour to establish what t hopes to see later on carried out by :he other sister clubs. Entries for two ir three crews in each event will be ac!epted. for it is proposed, if such is the :ase to row the events off in heats, lllowing one crew from each club only ;o compete against one representative )oat from the other clubs. Therefore ;wo crews from each club will not be :alled upon to row against each other ixcept perhaps in the final.