AQUATICS.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2688, 11 December 1871, Page 3

AQUATICS.

• The competition between the members of the Lyttelton Boating Club for the five pewters presented by Mr W. Cameron to the club, came off on Saturday afternoon at four o'clock. The race "was pulled in heats, and was a time one. The course was from a mooring bnoy off the Screw-pile jetty round the two coal hulks and back—once round. The pulling throughout was very good, but we cannot say as much for the steering of the boats. Mr W. Cameron acted as starter and time-keeper. The gigs Snowdrop and Harebell were the boats used in the race. In thc first heat both the gigs got away on pretty even terms, but the Harebell nearly got capsized by crossing the schooner Nile's buoy rope, but the men on board seeing the danger lowered it in time. In rounding the hulk the Snowdrop was leading by about two or three lengths. A capital race home brought her in ahead by five seconds. The crews were—Snowdrop : T. Hester, Kiddey, A. Cuff, J. Stout, Treagear coxswain. Harebell : Harrison, Talbot, Dransfield, Rich, Humphreys coxswain. In the second heat, a new crew took the place of those defeated in the Harebell, and consisted of Messrs Hall, Roper, Packard, Atkinson coxswain, the same crew being in the Snowdrop. The starter sent the boats off well, but the coxswain of the Harebell lost a great deal of ground by his wild steering, and the Snowdrop came in winner by seventeen seconds. As the crew of the Snowdrop had won two heats, they considered they were entitled to the prize, but it was decided that they were not, the amount of time required being six seconds. In the third heat, the first crew changing boats took the Snowdrop, and the winning crew the Harebell. The race was a capital one, both boats running neck and neck to the hulks. In turning, the Harebell sheered in closer to the shore, and lost several boats' lengths. The Harebell put on several good spurts, but was unable to overtake her opponent, who came in a winner by ten seconds, gaining the race by five seconds. The winning crew were Dransfield, Talbot, Harrison, Rish, Hnmphreys, cox. It is understood that scratch races will take place every fortnight. A meeting of the members was held the same evening at the Empire hotel,.when there were about twenty members present. It was decided to enter for the champion four-oared race at Kaiapoi regatta, and also for Messrs Shaw, Saville's, and the Mayor's cup at the Lyttelton regatta. The cups won by the members will be presented to the winning crew on Friday evening next.