AQUATICS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10771, 18 January 1932, Page 3

AQUATICS.

oSAILING AND BOWING RACES. The easterly blow on Saturday unfortunately cu used the rowing and sailing events which were to tie held between crews from 11.M.5. Veronica and tin? Rowing and Yacht and Power Boat Cl nils, to ho postponed. However conditions improved yesterday and three races were field. The first which was held in the forenoon was a milling race in whale boats between a crow from the Veronica and a crew from the local Rowing Club. McAlpino (E.R.A.) Webber, Simpkins, Ellatt, Evans (A.B.’sl and Bade (L.S.) cox, represented the sloop and Cullimore, Haua. Harvey, C. Cameron, 0. Denniston and C. Tonkin, cox, represented the Rowing Club. The race was a great go from start to finish. The course was approximately a mile long, from opposite Sixth Avenue to the Veronica. Tauranga hold the lead for nearly half the distance and at I lie Railway bridge wore two lengths in front. Then the visitors settled down in earnest, amt after a great tussle crossed the line ahead by a length. A sailing race was the next event on the programme, and took place immediately after lunch. Lieutenant Warrand, C.P.O. Miles, C.E.R.A. Jackson, Chief Writer Whatmore and E. R.A. Usmar were the crew representing the Veronica, while Messrs P. Simmonds, W. I l '. Cross, Mears, B. K. Gifford and Master K. Andrews were the Yacht and Power Boat Clubs representatives.. Both boats got away well at the start, with the visitors a few lengths ahead, but on the run up to the buoy near the railway bridge they gained little, and when the boat jibed round the buoy the local crew were only about four lengths astern. This distance narrowed and wlieu opposite the Town Wharf both boats wore level. Then the Tauranga manned boat took tiro lead, and by the time the other end of the course was reached, the blind beacon at I lie entrance to the Omokoroa Channel, the local crew was well ahead. The wind was northeast and the Veronica’s crew made the mistake of making ton long hoards and at one stage grounded mi the Sulphur Point Spit, but they were soon off and by manoeuvring’ their plate were able to keep their course. TanrangJ. increased its lead on the run back and rounded the railway bridge buoy well ahead. The wind was now round to the South-east and blowing freshly, and the second round was sailed in 45 minutes against practically an hour for the first. Tauranga further increased its lead in this round and won .comfortably. Undoubtedly the visitors were ha.iulicapped by not being familiar with the harbour and will no doubt give a better account of themselves if they visit the port, again.

But the race which evinced the most interest of the day was a sculling race between two crews of the Veronica in skiffs lent for the occasion by the Rowing Club. The crews wore as follows: Winch, Gerrard, Malone, Milne (sir), B. Cullimore (cox), and Webber, McAlpino. El la (I, Fade (sir.), C. Cameron (cox). The race was started at five o’clock and the conditions were perfect. The wind had dropped and the water was as smooth us glass. The course, a little under a mile, was from opposite First Avenue to the Veronica. Milne set the pace from (ho start and held a slight advantage when (lie, boats passed under the bridge, but Fade bad his crew well in hand and pulling resolutely and with a good swing proved too strong for their opponents and won by two lengths. The race was not without incident. As the skiffs approached the sloop the bow man in Milne’s crew caught a crab or two and on one occasion a capsize was narrowly averted and then the number two in the same boat, putting all bis energy into his rowing proved a little too powerful for his scull and it parted at the outrigger. Still it was a good race and considering the fact that neither crews have had any great amount of training in skiffs, they both acquitted themselves remarkably well. Tauranga sports are looking forward to (tie next, visit of the Veronica when further events will be arranged and acquaintances renewed.