AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 183, 2 August 1913, Page 16

AQUATICS.

ROWING. Writing from London, our correspondent says:—The Australian amateur sculler, Mt Cecil McVilly, who has been in England for come time past preparing for Diamond Scull honours at Henley, gave a taste of his quality in the Senior Sculls at the Harlow Regatta. This event assumed quite international importance, for in addition to McVilly, the competitors included Kusik, of St. Petersburg, Kurt Hoffman, of Germany, E. B. Butler, of the Toronto Argonauts, in addition to local scullers. McVilly'e first opponent was Watts, of the Thames Rawing Club, who, though rowing gameily, could not hold the Australian, and was ibea-ten comfortably by a length. Huggins, of the Stains Rowing Club, proved a tougher morsel for McVilly, who, after leading well, was caught, and only won by half a length, and this, i thanks mainly it seemed, to Huggins' "erratic 6teering. Meanwhile, Kusik had disposed of Hoffman, only in turn to be ■beaten in the second round by Butler, wbo thus qualified to meet McVilly in the final. The Canadian was deemed to be more or less a certain winner, but his race with Kusik had taken a good deal of the steel out of Butler, and McVilly, making the pace a cracker from the "start, quickly assumed the lead, and though Butler spurted again and again, he could make no impression on the Australian, who won comfortably by two lengths and a bit. Tn the Diamond Sculls the Australian is one of fourteen entrants, and in addition to Hoffman, Kusik, and Butler, the entries include the Italian, G. Sinigaglie, G. de la Plane, of France, Anatole tPerresseleneff, of the Racing Club de Paris, and G. T. Allen, an Irish crack. McVilly, by the way, bad a narrow escape when he took his first practice outing at Henley last Monday. The German sculler, Hoffman, was on the river at the same time, and he and McVilly, sculling in opposite direetioits at a fast pace, nearly collided. Luckily the crew of an eight saw tbe danger, and raised a mighty shout of warning, which caused both scullers to stop dead. They were only just in time, for their frail craft actually grazed each other as the scullers mutually sheered off. McVilly scullers mirtually sheered off." [McVilry •won the Diamond Sculls easily, according to our cable advices.] The annual prize night of the Auckland Rowing Club was celebrated witb -fitting ceremony , by a most successful dinner at Buchanan's Cafe in Karangahape Road. Mr W. Coleman (president of the club) occupied the chair, and representatives were present from all the local clubs. Mr R. Farrell, acting secretary of the Auckland Rowing Association, and Mr J. D. Roberts, of the Kawhia club, also attended the dinner, and during the course of a very jolly evening enjoyable items were contributed by Messrs Blomfield, Crossley, Flett, and' Heather. Quite one of the mostrinteresting features of the occasion was the presentation by Captain T. P. Sommerville, on behalf of his son. Mr R. C. Sommerville, of the Sommerville Challenge Shield for eight-oar rowing. One of the main pornhs which Mr Sommerville has in view is the promotion and encouragement ot the lost art of eight-oar rowing in local waters, and the Auckland Rowing Club, in taking up the movement so earnestly, is but fulfilling another of the selfimposed duties, the efficient execution of which has constituted its distinguished record in the field of Auckland's athletics. Mr Sommerville will carry the support of the best amateur influence in Auckland in his desire to have rowing a purely amateur sport in every sense of the word. His ideal of bringing about a reform in the direction of substituting ■trophies, as such, for money prizes in regatta events, may be beyond the sphere of practical club administration at the present time, but it is none the less admirable for all that. He points out quite rightly that some modification in this direction would enable overseas oarsmen to complete on level terms with English oarsmen. In the event of such a state of affairs being made practicable in the Dominion, he has undertaken to present a new Best and Best eight to the Auckland oarsmen, with a smaller 6hield, or cups, to be competed for locally. The Sommerville Shield is for wider competition. Following is the list of prize winners in the Auckland Rowing Club for events rowed under the auspices of the club during the past season: — Members' Trials. — J. A. Gentles (stroke), F. Collinson, E. Lightfoot, and :C. Walsh. President's Trophies. —J. W. Gow (stroke), E. N. Cavaye, G. Thorpe, and F. P. Lenihan. *F. S. Gardner Trophies.—-J. W. Gow (stroke), W. Barris, F. H. B. Stainton, and E. G. Rhodes. Hellaiy Trophies. —W. Belcher (stroke), E. N. Cavaye, F. H. B. Stainton, and W. R. C. Benjamin. Subscription Trials.—j. Wylie (stroke), J. A. Gentles, F. H. B. Stainton, and J. A. Whitton. Members' Trials.—J. Lovett (stroke), W. Barris, A. T. Crossley, and D. Cook. Kohn's Trophies.—J. Wylie (stroke), A. M. Forbes, C. Walsh, and H. Prescott Hummer Bros.' Trophies.—J. Wylie (stroke), J. M. F. Connelly, A. M. Forbes, and J. Harris. W. T. Brown's Trophies (pair oars). — A. King (stroke) and C Walsh. j H. Schmidt's Trophies (pair oars). —! H. King (stroke) and H. Jenkins. Chas. Fin-ay's Trophies (pair oars).— j R. Murray (stroke) and A. King. I Coxwain's Trophies.—Won by Brown, Burnett, Murray, Goldwater, and A. j Ginger. I

The next official function in local rowing circles will be the annual dinner and prize nig-ht of the St. George's Rowing Club, ■which will be celebrated in the "Tiffin." It had originally ibeen arranged to bold this gathering on Wednesday evening next, but when it was realised that that was the occasion the boxing championships, the committee very considerately decided to ?•**?<*« tt* ceremony tiU SMwdu