ROWING NOTES.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7257, 17 January 1889, Page 2

ROWING NOTES.

By "Argo." The Lyttelton Regatta of 1889 is now among the list of past events, and though Jield co early in the year, it will be about the last to be forgotten, as it is voted on all sides to have been the most successful held at the Pore. The weather.Was simply Eerfect for the general public,;but a slight reefce" during the' early part of the" day made the water choppy, and in consequence the light stumps took in a quantity, but later in the day things improved, and by this time the Single Sculls was rowed, the state of the water was all that could be desired. The racing was above the average, and with the exception of the Maiden Double Sculls, the finishes were close andexciting. The Senior Double Sculls was simply a race between Union and Kaiapoi from start to 'finish, Lyttelton, the only other etarter dropping astern after half the distance had been traversed. The Union in taming round the" buoys, otherwise I think they would not have beenpuahed so hard at trie finish, but as It was that ancient old couple, Wright aud Winterbourne,' finished only a few feet behind them, after one.of the best races ever seen at thia Kegatta. Strong a man as Foster Is the race Bad its effect' on him later in the day, when after rowing in the Pairs it took him all his time to beat young Laurie, the Canterbury Club's representative, in the Single Sculls, but in this event Laurie turned round the wrong buoy, giving him an advantage which materially assisted him in being as close up at the finish, but notwithstanding this hie rowing in this event and in the Senior Pairs was a very creditable performance for so young a rower.

In the Jnnior Double Sculls Kaiapoi had a little up their sleeve when they passed the*post about two lengths in front of the Avon crew, Lyttelton and Canterbury dividing third honours between, them. Kaiapoi were a cut above the others in the Maiden Double Sculls, my selected crew getting no closer than third place, and I was rather surprised to see Union out of the hunt in both this race and the Maiden Pairs, but the V iue an< * white representatives were maidens in every sense of the term, and previous to the beginning of che present season had hardly ever handled an oar, so their performance was nofc so bod when these facts are considered.

The Senior Pairs was another Rood race, and with the exception of Kaiapoi, who retired after rowing a little over half a mile, was anybody's race a few hundred yards from home, bat what with the erratic steering of the Canterbury coxswain and the bungling mess the Union made in turning the buoys the Lyttelton men had a very lucky win o\ er the Canterbury boys, who undoubtedly should have won. The Maiden Pairs saw a grand set-to between Canterbury and Lyttelton, resulting in a head-heat. Canterbury should have won this event, but they could sot respond to the spurt of the local boys, who came witb a wet eail end josfc Rob level with them on. the post. A tosa of a coin decided against the two crews rowing off for first place, the first and second prises belegr divided between them."

The Junior Pairs was pfo*Sr~"~~" another good race. Lyttelton aid"?? c . ** bury again fighting for flrot hmw** KaiapoT, who I named to win, CS? o, * lucky in breaking a slide while in* J" , * position, spoiling what seemed »»" ! rosy thine for them. Union occantlS * good position the greater part. amY* journey, but want of condition ovMaJS* caused them to give to Lyttelhin "? Canterbury, the former winning h* a ° bare length. Dg V • There were four starters in thn oi , Sculls, but as I have touched on thiai? 81 ! before, it is needless for mc to ownM* anything except that Graham's eh»« was spoilt by carrying a coxswain TOCe As there are a number of persona »«. are of the opinion that Laurta i. °° little, if anything, inferior to Feater ZiU the sculls, it is to be hoped that thefW* bury Club will be able to obtain- « boat in time for the ChriatchurchHeoS" as a race between these two in liffhYW? , would cause a considerable amoontS interest, especially as this class ofl£ would be more suitable to Laurie th«»^? 5 clinker stump. The Lyttelton RWtSk* evidently infused a little more K&Jfi local men, as several crews are already net with a view to the annual Regatta at I-nt Forsyth. but there is a verVmaZd absence of old rowers at active work inS now, they seem to be dropping out v«2 rapidly, but it only wants a few nmtßL such as that held at Lyttelton oXt Year's Day, to make themanxiouatota« another go. ""."ave Talking of the Christchnrch Be»t». reminds mc that the Club haMrd*. cided to hold their annual regatta on La£ Forsyth again this year, and this decision is generally upheld by all who at* acquainted with the Canterbury wate*? Our northern friends are evidently inloVa with the Waimakariri, but I hare »*» this river far worse than tho lake washS year. I wonder where a smooth piecoof water could be found in New Zealand dm! ing such a wind as we had last year • «»* tainly not on the Waimakariri. ' W The prize money for the rowing mcea at Lyttelton has not yet been paid over owing to a protest being entered agtlnst the Kalapol and Avon on the ground of their crews being over age. Although I am of opinion that the protestors are Acting more on supposition than knowledge of the age of their opponents,. I hope that the committee will thoroughly sift the matter, as some very peculiar junlora have at times taken part in these races, and, without mentioning names, I niieht state that on one occasion I have sees & junior (?) rowing in a race for youths under twenty-one, while his wife ran family of two gazed at the mighty efforts of their closely shaved bread-winner to beat two or three crews of boys, and all for honour and glory. Messrs Smith and Boulton have onea more returned to their old quarters, so 1 suppose we will shortly see the winning crew of the Amateur Champion Fours, of last year, at work agaiu. Mr F. A, Styche, who accompanied them to Sydney, will not return, having obtained employment there shortly after the race. The Union Rowing Clubs Trial Form, for which seven crews entered, will bo rowed this evening and to-morrow, I shall expect Bourke'slot to beat a rather mixed set of crews. Copies' of the New Zealand Rowing Annual and Oarsman , * - Companion can be obtained from Mr E, D. Bees at the boat-sheds.

By "Kelson. ,, j^ Almanac for 1888S9. I notice that It tie edited by MrW. H. Field and %%. Biss, both of Wellington, and contain* twenty-two more pages pi interesUiig.id< formation than last year's almanec, andie addition to several new and intereating articles there is a very good photograph ol the winning crew of the AtnatetU Champion Fours of New Zealand W TV'anganui last year. . From a cursory glance the alma&ae seems to have been very carefully compiled, and gives records oC all last season's races and regattas, as well as $he Inter, university boat race, the Intercolonial matches, and the Wingdeld sculls. The only suggestions I can make as to its improvement are, that I should hare liked to have seen the article oa " coaching," in last' year's almanac by "Senex," repeated, the weights of tha champion crews, and, if space had admitted, the record of the Grand Race at the Henley Rfgatta might possibly have added to its interest. This latter race, I might mention isiha eight oar race open to all amateur clubs of the world.

The Almanac opens with a calendar, then a first rate review of the season 1837, and '88, down:to thetirao of theCaaterbury Bowing Club deciding to send '* etevr to the Sydney Regatta, and terminates with a touching! allusion to the memory of the late Mr .William FitzGorald. There afe no less than three articles that touch on the art of rowing, and another Terr able article is on the use of rowing, which I must say I thoroughly eridorse,lheugh I am at a loss to know who W, I?, K ths author, in. , , I strongly recommend every rowing niaa in New Zealand to pbtaiu a ijdby of tnts Almanac, not because of, its qaeapneaa (one shilling a copy) nor out of patriotism to encourage a local industry or national institution, but because of iw reaiworth. both as a good book of reference and of deep interest to all rowing men. My impression of the LyOelton Eeg&tfel of ISB9 is that it was one of the pretest sights I have ever seen. The day. fas very bright and warm, but the wind prevented the glariug eun being oppreasOT. The ships were gorgeously decorated wite bunting, tha people were there la thousands; the hills were looking be&tttSfully green, and the town with the rocks and shadows above reminded mc very much of Funchal, the capital of Madeira, of course on a small scale.. The wind w*s splendid for yacht facing, better thaa&fc Akaroa, in that it was not so equally; tile sailing races were all well contested, ana could be well seen from either bses*waters. ■ . The ships, bost race was, I consider, tna prettiest sight of the day* the rowing of sailors is always interesting to river men to watch. The heavy boats and shapeless oars look such ugly weapons to a stranger, and the style of rowing, all arm worMo leg work, all jerks and bnt little swing seem so eccentric to a landsman, wmss chief power lies in his legs. But I shosrfa. like to see four sailors ia » light skit, »J even if they kept above water I elwsW doubt if they could move it ac fast aia tssj move their own boats. " The centipede Twelve-oared Naval A? , tillery Cutter race was also picturesque. The Fort Chalmers crew won easily ; taay were the only crew that ewung with their bodies at alt towards the end of the raps. Though the hilJsto a certain extent she!* tered the course for the ordinary raeee ia* side the breakwater, vet there waa a. tpmendous amount of wind there fttsaa nasty choppy eea, very trying to any crew that had trained on still water, end SaXM to good style. The oarsmen bad to resorc to sailor rowing to get up some waves fl&a down the other side. But wM* has always appeared to mc a mockery of rowing is having to. vm » complete circle round o, buoy halfway, o ]™* the course ; this turn not only Iβ llkelf to strain boats, pars, and meu, but completely to my mmd eliminates all tee glory from the winning boat of being em> posed of the best oarsmen. I doa t ib®«« to cay that the best oarsmen did noewwa. win the races, but I think I eoald nW® two crews that would have taken beSsyf places if it were not for tbl* *•"%& alone the eea running at the time. se wind, sea, and this turn were grand J*4£ bones for strong men wanting in detaiffie of skill. I doift see ho»v this circle round the bnoy can be doae «»» with, unless it be a very, calm oaf, «?. then the races could be raced oatei#|«| breakwater and in a straight course, IW same amount of credit seemed .to : WiW attach to the winning crews of these nm as attaches to a winner of an ess* B8 * , ra fliavealwaysbeenat a loss to %*&* etaud why the programmes and the p«f™ all lay such emphasis on the names o*, m boats that the uaen row in, as if the «ew were quite a secondary consideration. * don't remember seeing the name or e»e boat published in any of the P?^£ C S of the Henley or any other of the Eeip£? regattas, or msationed in the papera, o* ceptlng that In the latter so raot i? cß JZ nameof the builder of the boat to a» tioned. Of course in sailing »«■. "5 matter is different for these, thongs g course, the crew and captain have■»«*£ doUTsailingthe boat, yet it is «*.*|B that shove her along, and the genera! buu| end the rigging are most i'nP seldom vary from one season *° «a*«ffi and are therefore a means for *&££!<** the boat, bat all that Is E*« erall racing boat are the rdwlocka and Hie tumes, o£ the men that row in it.