HARBOUR RACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 62, 14 March 1930, Page 13

HARBOUR RACE.

! BIG XOETH SHOEE SWIM. The largest number of entries for a distance race in Auckland for over three years have been received by the North Shore Amateur Swimming Club for their first annual harbour race for the M. Morgan Cup, to be decided to-morrow, commencing at 3 o'clock. The course, which was to have been from Devonport Wharf to Cheltenham Beach, lias been altered owing to sewerage conditions to starting point Torpedo Wharf, Fort Cautley. out round Dueler's Spit beacon, with the finishing point Devonport Beach, a distance of one and a quarter miles approximately. The following handicaps have been declared:—D. McLeod, 0. Anderson, A. Gunn. S. Bacon, F. Wells, J. F. Curtayne and T. Lowe, withheld; J. Enwright, scr; W. J. Stevens, E. Ashby, Irn; L. Smith, Hni: E. de Loree, E. Blakewell, G. Leask, lfni; 1). Hyauiason, E. Sellars, 2m; E. V. Cunnokl, 2Jm; J. Beattie, 3Am; C. Hearnc, A. Lockie, 4ni; J. P. Farrell, 4£m; J. Perrin, Cm; T. Eowell, A. Spraggon, D. McKay, A. E. Moore, 7m; H. Watkins. H. Homiston, 74m; E. J. McQuillan, H. Neale, 7|m; L~ Beck, N. Crump, J. McEae, 8m; A. A. Thompson, Sim; A. Curtayne, L. S. Vosper, 9m; , ■L D. Foster, 10m; Miss M. Elworth', llm. Competitors Avill assemble on Devonport Beach at 2.130 o'clock on Saturday, from where they will be taken over the course before the start. AN ENGLISH BABY WONDER. "The world's wonder baby," is the title that has been bestowed upon Marjorie Best, the two-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. JolmV. Best, an English couple. It is claimed for this two-year-old marvel that she can swim farther than any child in the world, dived fifteen feet when she was eleven months old, is training to swim the English Channel. As a five-months-old infant, Marjoric delighted in putting her head under water in her bath. "I knew that she was a born swimmer and I had not the slightest hesitation in arranging for her to take the plunge,' , said Mr. Best, in telling of how his (laughter received her first baptism of water. "Her mother took her to the end of the diving board and dropped her in. This distance from the board to the water was 15ft and the depth of water was 9ft. When she came to the surface she was smiling and clapping her hands. She loved the exprienct!," said Mr. Best. Marjoric is exactly two years and two months old, is 33 in high, and weighs 271b. Half the secret of the baby "champion's" success is the fact that she comes from a family of swimmers. Her father was a keen long-dis-tance swimmer before the war and today is one of the highest paid instructors in the world. Her mother is also an accomplished performer in the water. Aucklanders who read this paragraph can be pardoned for smiling at the idea of a two-year-old youngster training to swim the English Channel, but apparently it is the ambition of the Bests that their daughter shall some day accomplish the feat, and it can be understood that they regard any swimming that the tiny tot indulges in as a step towards a distant goal. WATER POLO COMPETITION. WAITKMATA A IN THE LEAD. Tlie following is the position of the teams in the Auckland water polo competition : — P. W. L. D. Pts. Wnitemata A <! G <• 0 12 I'onsonby A "» 4 1 0 S Grammar 6 4 2 0 S Mount Eden <> 4 2 0 S i'arnell •'• : * 3 0 0 Philomel 6 3 £ ° « North Shore 5 1 3 1 3 Waitemata B 5 1 4 0 2 Ponsonby B 5 1 -1 0 2 University 6 0 o 1 I Owing to the baths being otherwise hooked, there will he no games played this evening, but arrangements are being made to continue the competition later in the week.

WHANGAEEI HARBOUR RACE. WHAXGAREI, Thursday. The Whangarei Swimming Club liolcl its harbour race to-day from Kissing Point to llie town wharf, a distance oC just over two miles. The weather was h'ne and, with calm water and a making tide, the swimmers made pood times. The event was a handicap one, Miss Audrey Dent winning decisively from a pood mark. All the placed competitors were well separated. lOach competitor was followed by a dinghy. Miss Dent iinisiied quire fresh but said the water was starting to get fairly cold toward thn end of the race when the inflow of fresh water was mot. Results were as follows :—• Miss Audrey Dent (10m). 47m 455, 1; A. Walker (8m), 4Gm 455. 2: I. Stirling (Cm), 45m 455, ;j; 11. Windust (10m), 51m 15s, 4. ,T. Eedwood, scr, registered the fastest time of 43m 50s. There were 14 starters. MATAMATA CLUB FORMED. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) MATAMATA, Thursday. At a meeting held at Okuia on Wednesday night it was decided to form a Jlatania'ta and District Swimming and Life-saving Club. The following officers- were elected :— Patron, Mr. J. D. Anderson; president, Mr. J. Buchanan; vice-presidents, Messrs. "W. Aitken, R, W. Stevens, 11. Sutherland; secretary, Mr. W. F. Faulkner; treasurer, Mr. D. G. lliggms; committee, Messrs, Spinley, •T. La Trobe. 11. Briscoe, W. John. W. McDonald; captain, Mr. 11. Sutherland; handicapped, Messrs. C. Taylor, A. Stewart, and R. Martin ; auditor, Mr. W. L. Barkman. It was decided to affiliate with the South Auckland Swimming Centre, and to hold the lirsc carnival on Thursday, March 27.