ROWING

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21354, 22 December 1934, Page 19

ROWING

AKAROA REGATTA PROSPECTS OF CANTERBURY CLUB J Liy STROKtj The crews of all clubs are now down to serious training for thcAkaroa regatta, and if the day is fine some good racing should be seen. in the youths' double sculls class, the Canterbury crew will be Gray and Flower. They are showing good promise. They have balance in the boat, and tfhey work determinedly. With any luck, they should win. Canterbury's youths' four have not been, able to traiu a great deal. They show promise, but have hardly settled down. Loughnan, a new r/.ember, combines slide and body action well; but the others in the crew should remember that the last few inches in the slide forward should be the slowest. In the maiden four-oar class, Canterbury will be represented by three crews. The third crew has just started training, and unless it is very fit it cannot hope for much success. The second crew has trained consistently and lately has improved very much. The men row a rather slow stroke, but the boat runs well. Three (Currie) should drop his hands to lift his blade out, and should then turn, not fiiclc, it out. Bow has shown marked improvement. The first maiden crew has also been training well, and is now polishing off. Bow is inclined to pull himself up with the toe straps. He could overcome this by swinging his body further up before he lets his. knees off the brace. The others in the crew are swinging well; but stroke should remember that there is a maximum to the speed at which a crew gets the best results. Getting a higher rate of striking by hurrying the slide work tends to retard the beat.

The maiden pair, Head and Hooper, were beaten in a challenge by Renaut and Steeds after a fine race. Read gained a length early in the race and held it until Slanmore road, but from there the challengers drew up. The boats were even at the Avon sheds, and at the finishing line the challengers were half a length ahead. The maiden sculls, Spence and Hampton, are going well and should race prominently. The arm work is still somewhat overdone.

The junior sculls. East and Hervey, seem to have settled down and are going comfortably. The first junior four have a very good body swing, but they will have to increase the rate of stroking to be in at the finish. Bow is inclined to flick his oar out at the finish and to push it away on the same plane as that on which he brings it in: A distinct drop is necessary and the hands sfnould be kept well down in the forward movement Two and three are inclined to be sluggish with their handwork, and improvement in this would help towards faster rowing. The second junior four have been together for so short a time that they have not had a fair chance.

The senior pairs and sculls are going' well and have their boats running evenly. They would be well advised to get someone to steer them from the bank so that they can pay full attention to their work. North v. South Race The Otago Rowing Association, which has been allotted interprovincial eight-oar championship, to be rowed on Easter Saturday, has set to work in its Besides the interprovincial event, it is proposed to row a north v. south race, and the association is also trying to have the inter-university eight-oar race and some inter-club races on the same programme. For the north v. south race, the Otago association proposes to invite nominations from those available, for selection. They will be watched by the selectors during the interprovincial race and the crews will be announced later. Otago. it is stated, intends to make strong representation 1:o the New Zealand council for the right to have at least one member among the selectors. ... ~ There is every possibility ot Australian representation at the New Zealand championships on the Whau Estuary on March 2, 1935. According to the Wanganui oarsmen who went to Melbourne. H. Turner, of New South Wales, is very keen to make the trip. It would be a fine race in the single sculls if Turner, who is the Australian champion, R. B. Smith, and A. K. G. Jackson, both former national titleholders, and rapidly-rising P. A. Abbott were matched. Members of the Auckland Ladies Rowing Club have commenced activities for the season. Several new members have joined up. and a good season is anticipated. The members, who are quartered in Heme Bay, have shown much aptitude for the sport. Mr E. J. Crotty, the manager of the Wanganui eight-oar crew which went to Melbourne, thinks that the standard of rowing in New Zealand is superior to that in Australia. He has great respect for the fine physique of the Australian oarsmen.

ENGLISHMEN STAY IN AUSTRALIA LONDON OARSMEN PRAISE COMPETITORS (Received December 21, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON. December 21. Sports writers refer regretfully to the news brought by the London Rowing Club crew that Sam Bell, Wilson, and Turner are remaining in Australia. They praise Turner as one of the best strokes seen at Henley since the war. Those who returned speak highly of the competitors they met in Australia, and of the facilities at Yarra. One said: "We had a hard job to win the final against the New Zealand crew. We-had four weeks' intensive training, and we needed it."

Probably never before has Auck- | land been so gaily decked with the crimson of pohutukawa blooms as | it is this sumnjer. In parks, streets, and private gardens, the trees arc covered with colour. The first blooms appeared several weeks ago, rather earlier than usual. Trees in exposed places suffered from the recent wet weather, but not so much as to spoil the display. Some are still in bud, and there is certain to be a wealth of flowers when the Duke arrives. The trees in Parnell Park are specialty beautiful at present, and the clump in Albert Park, overlooking Victoria street, is a good example of what may be seen in many other places. As time goes on, and "more trees are planted, Auckland may well become famous for its pohutukawa blooms as many Japanese resorts are for their annual displays of pink cherry blossom.