ROWING

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1926, Page 25

ROWING

Western Australia can' claim to be the premier rowing State of Australia in recent years. In addition to holding the King's Cup for Australian champion eights, their recent defeat of New Zealand is worthy of great praise. Out of seven starts in the interstate eight-oar championship Westralia has won twice (in 1921 and 192-3), was second twice (1920 and 1923), and third in 1014 and 1922. They were unplaced in. 1924, but, owing to the Olympic Test Race, in whicli they finished a close second to Murray Bridge, the crew was not the best, a number of oarswen being unavailable.

and Volunteer gave rise to many arguments between the followers of each boat, and was the subject of conversation for weeks after the event, yet these old-time enthusiasts fail to realise that just as keenly fought races take place every Saturday now. Not only in one or two, but in at least half a dozen classes, we see boats sailing for soma hours and finishing with only seconds between them. Take, for instance, the M class. It is the exception to have to record anything over two minutes between the original four boats at least in this class. We all know how keenly the 14-footers are sailed. Another class which lias improved this season is the ISft V class boat?. Yesterday they had the record for entries with IS. No, the old regattas had nothing on the present ones, except that the annual aquatic function was the one and only attraction in those days, and almost every one of the residents made it their pleasure to view the regatta from flagship or foreshore. We are more cosmopolitan now in the choice of our pleasures. Only a proportion now take their holiday on the water, yet this proportion is a large and ever-increasing one. The one drawback to the present regatta, in the writer's opinion, was the lack of a flagship open to subscribers and the general public. Opinions differ on the point, hut we can recall many fine sailing ships and oversea steamers which have acted as flagships for past regattas, and have been well patronised by the public. Perhaps we may again see this, the best of the many old-time traditions, revived, and a ticket for the flagship be a favour much sought after.

The race held last Saturday for the Macky Memorial by the first-class yachts of the Squadron saw a good go betwen Prize and Rawene in the beat up harbour to the Eona buoy. After passing the King's wharf an unfortunate incident occurred between these two boats which has drawn a protest and counter-protest, and will have to be decided by the Sailing Committee of the club. lorangi led all the way, but did not put enough time between her two smaller rivals to enable her to win. The system of time allowance according to rating, once the most popular system of class racing, has lost its charm, judging by the poor entries. In the secondclass there were three entries, but only Little Jim and Scout finished, the latter winning in corrected time by just over 6 minutes. This is Scout's second win in succession, and they are both well deserved by her young skipper and his crew. As usual the M boats had a great race, only 41 seconds separating Matarere. Manene and Mollie, which finished in that order. The Richmond Club 'hejd their regatta on Saturday, but for various reasons only eighteen boats finished in the five races although the entri^ c id handicaps were excellent. . now owned by Mr." T. L. Thompson, commordore of the club, had the bad luck to carry away her bowsprit when she was holding a good 'position. Eona and Queen March had a really close race on the first round, but Eona walked away from her opponent on the second, and put .over eight minutes between them. The Point Chevalier Club was again dogged by bad luck in the shape of hard westerly weather on Sunday, and all the events suffered from lack of starters in consequence. Perhaps a fixture on Easter Monday when the tide is full at noon would attract good fields. The bigger boats would be away cruising, but many of the smaller boats do not go far away. This date should be worth considering. The Victoria Cruising Club holds a cruising race to Surfdale this afternoon and harbour races for the small classes. This club also has a fixture next Saturday in the form of a cruising race to Home Bay, where the annual picnic is to be held the next day. The Power Boat Association has a very ambitious programme set down for next Saturday, and it is to be hoped weather conditions are favourable. The principal event is the annual race for the Masport Cup, carrying with it the title of the speed championship of New Zealand. Besides Miss Devonport and two other local speedsters, there will be three competitors from .Wanganui, Miss Virginia, Kotuku and J. and J. In add. tion to the Masport Cup there will be the Burt Cup, in which the boats are to be steered by a lady. Adelaide is the present holder of this cup. Other races sure to attract great interest will be for speed 'boats over SO knots and one under 30 knots; also a general handicap for boats with speeds over 20 knots. For all the above the prizes are on a liberal scale. The one-mile speed trial will also be held, the winner to hold the challenge shield won some years ago by Fleetwing against Disturber. This will be run over a course with fixed marks. The other races will be run over a special course laid down off the King's wharf. It will have sis turning marks, three at each end, thus avoiding any hairpin bends. Each round will be approximately two nautical miles. The club has obtained permission to make a charge of one shilling for admission to the end of the King's wharf, and a good afternoon's sport is assured. For the New Zealand speed champLnship a challenging club is entitled to run three boats. The Wanganui Club boats have been already mentioned, but the three local craft will be selected after viewing their performance on Regatta day. It is a pity that Fleetwing Junior is not available owing to Mr. C. J. Collins' absence on the Ruamano's cruise round New Zealand. Mention of Euamano has brought an inquiry as to the significance of her name. It appears that the new boat is named after a mythical Maori god who came from Hawaiki with Piakea, after whom Mr. Court's former boat was named. Ruamano arrived this week at the Bluff and left for Stewart Island. Here the crew will be given a royal time by Arthur Moffett. commodore of the Stewart Island Club, Tom Bragge and the rest of the crew of the Murihiku. From here the launch will go back to the Bluff, and round to Dunedfn. She will not remain at Diinedin long enough to see the Sanders Cup contest 5 but will proceed north to Lyttelton', from which port she makes a "straight run to Napier. Then on to TauranW and Mayor Island for the big fish and so home, arriving about the first week in March, is the programme. Ruamano is to have another boat follow in her track. Mr. W. R. Patterson, of Whangarei, whose big trading launch is ncaring completion at Bailey aud Lowe's, has decided to make the same trip round both islands of New Zealand, starting from Auckland on or about February 20 and going north about. That we are urgently in need of at least one boat harbour was again sadly demonstrated last week when a nor"'--caster did a lot of damage to our pleasure fleet, the 14-footres suffering most In addition to the Sanders Cup contest, which commences at Dunedin on February 19, the Otago Association lias decided to hold the Cornwell Cup contest at the same time. The first race for this cup. which is confined to boats of the Takapuna 32ft Gin one-design class, will also be held on Friday, February 19. Xo doubt the Sanders Cup will take place in the morning and the Cornwell Cup event in the afternoon. Crews have already been selected from the Takapuna Club, Wellington, Canterbury and possibly other centres will al.-o lie represented. The Sanders Cup, won last year by lona, is now being exhibited, together with the miniature, at the Otago Court of the Dunedin Exhibition, and in view of the approaching contest, is exciting considerable interest. As wo predicted last week. lona, with her veteran skipper, Alf. Wiseman, has been chosen as Duncdin's defender of the cup, and she will be the hardest boat of the five for our boat to beat. The provincial challengers have now been chosen except Canterbury's boat, which would apprar to lie between Peggy and Sam Sinclair's Linnet 11., both new boats. Amongst those who suffered during the late gale was Mr. J. Low, of Kohi" maraina, who had his 28 feet launch completely smashed up alongside the Kohi wharf. The engine was salved on Sunday last, but this was the only thing left of the boat. Over half a dozen dinghies and small boats were broken up between Orakei and St lielier's Bay.