AUCKLAND'S CRACK OARSMEN DEFEATED

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 34, 10 February 1939, Page 13

AUCKLAND'S CRACK OARSMEN DEFEATED

Wellington Preliminary to To-morrow's Dominion Championships at Picton.

v. wlf- ° f ri he Auckla nders R. B. Smith and A. Morey, at the Wellington Regatta last Saturday came as a surprise to local oarsmen. En route to the New Zealand championships meeting, which takes place at Picton to-morrow, they are strong local hopes for titles on which they have had a stranglehold for the past fe;wr seasons. Smith is the present single sculls champion, jmd he and Morey hold the double sculls title. Yet at Wellington Smith was beaten by the Petone sculler P. Abbott in the singles, the Pearce Cup event, which was rowed off the mark and not on handicap, as was thought by some local, oarsmen, and Abbott and K. Boswell beat the, Auckland pair in the double sculls.

Wellington reports state that Abbott steered a better coarse than Smith in the single and led him throughout. This gruelling race is stated to have affected the later performance of the losers in the doubles. To-morrow's contests will therefore be awaited with great interest, and it is apparent that the Aucklanders have Stern opposition to face at Picton. There is a likelihood that their records' of recent seasons will be broken. The holders of- the other Xew Zealand titles are as follows:— Pairs. —'Wanganui (H. Robertshawo, B. Durie). Four?,—Clifton (T. G. Fowler, B. Old, F. Olsson, G. Topliss). Eights.—Wanganui Union (R. Gould', stroke, H. Benge, If. Granville, R. Coxon, A. Tonks, W. Halkett, G. Delves, SI. Luxford); E. B. Smith has won the Xew Zealand single sculls championship on four occasions, at Hamilton, 1931-32 season; Wellington, 1935-36; Akaroa, 1936-37; and Wanganui, 1937-38. He also crossed the line first at Pictou in the 1933-34 championship. This race was rowed in rough, -water, and in consequence of touching Jackson's boat, Smith was disqualified and the race awarded to W. Turner, the ex-Tauranga oarsman then representing Napier Rowing Club. Turner had previously won the title upon three occasions—at Picton', 1923-29 and 1929.-30, and Wellington, 1030-31. E. Stone' (St. George's) and D. Hadfield (Waitemata) share the best record with four successive wins. Turner, Stevenson and Smith have each four wins,, but could oniy manage three successive victories. Can Smith make his record four on Saturday? » JfcGruth (Otago Rowing dirt)) has five wins to his credit between the

P. ABBOTT—He showed Smith the way home twice. seasons of 1592-3 and 1901-2. His best run was two successive wins in 1901-2-3. Since 1907-S the title has been held consistently by Xorth kland scullers. Double Sculls. Smith and A. Murey have held the double sculls title twice: 1936-37, at Akaroa; 1937-38, at Wanganui. When' rowing for the Waitemata. Club Smith and J. Johnson won the title at Picton, but lost to Abbott and Gimblott (Petone) at Auckland, tluv next year. North Island crews have held -the title since 1913-14..