ROWING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21715, 24 February 1936, Page 8

ROWING

THREE TITLES CHAMPIONSHIP; r: ;S*# ;.■■• ' : ' :S^S^,, v : ;' ; '; Three out of the four notional titiW changed hands at W«ililU*QO OO K»turday, when tbo ;ÜBW rowing championships were decided or the, KorokcfrO; courts jjearf P*tom : A»" moho lost th© four* to We ton, Stwr th«. pairs to Hamilton, ans A? & .<V#g*«; «>n, of ,«!«•; Union »*«»« i^ b sculls by K 8, SaJpS «£*&» WW&* 1 mata Boating .Club, Auckland. 3»o I only tittff retained, war the j&oublf: sculls, defended by P. .Abbott -*qM C. Oimblett of the Fetone Bowing Clufev Except during the middle of the afternoon, when.a jobblt necosritated ths postponement until later, to lib* w of the champion single sculls end tho champion double sculls, the water was almost ideal for rowing. _ More than SO crews* viarted Wellington for the contest?, which were under the auspices of the Wellmgton Regatta Club. The big race of the day, the New Zealand champion fours, brought out nine crews, but actually orfy iiiree finished, <b» *«st giving up through their boats becoming swamped or withdrawing because they had fallen into the rear in the troublegome water at* the tim'e. Nevertheless, the very large crow 4 lining the course on the Hutt road, or following the race in motor-cars, enjoyed a thrill near the finish, when Picton took the title from Aromoho in a close race for the line. A sensation marked the finish of the single sculls, Jackson being robbed of the title by Smith, who swept over the line half a canvas ahead of the Wanganui man. After negotiating a narrow channel between two rocks, P. Abbott, of Fetone, coming up in third place, ran hard on to another rock, and badly damaged his boat Results: New Zealand Champion Fours (two miles)—Picton Rowing Club fIU Jackson, G. Charters, E. Smith, A. Cornish) 1, Aramoho Boating Club (P. Stowers, F. Jones, T. Ditchfield, C. Harrison) 2. Blenheim Rowing Club (R. Tapp, S. W. Cox, W. Humphrey, H. M«cfc*y) 8. Aa» started: Clifton Rowing Club, Hamilton Rowing CluiJ. Star Boating Club, Petpne Rowing Club. Union Boattng Club (Wanganui), Wanganui Rowing Club., won by three-quarters of a length, with a big gap between Aromoho and Blenheim, which paddled in slowly to finish. The rest did not finish. n % Light-weight Maiden Fours (one mile)— Wanganui Rowing Club (W. But-back, W. Christian, M. G. Henui, D. Stroud) 1, Napier Rowing Club 2, Star Boating Club 3.. Also started: Wellington Rowing Club. Wairau Rowing Club, Union Boating ciub, Aramoho Boating Club, Wellington Rowing Club No. 2, Fetone Rowing Club. Won by one and a quarter lengths, with two lengths between second and third. Wellington Plate (one mile)—Wanganui Rowing Club (R. Edwards, H, Robertson. M. Clay, A. R. Byres). J, Fetone Rowing Club 2, Hamilton Rowing Club 3. Also started: Blenheim Rowing Club, Union Rowing Club. Aramoho Boating Club, Star Boating Club. Clifton Rowing Club. Won by five feet, with two lengths between second and third. Youth*' Fours (one mile>-Union Boating Club (Wanganui), (». O'Pannell. J. Lumsden, S, Butcher. Z. Longman) 1, Canterbury Rowing Club 2, Fetone Rowing Club 3. Also started: Star Boating Club, Wairau Rowing Club. Picton Rowing Club, Wellington Rowing Club, New Plymouth Rowing ciub. Won by a length and a quarter, with a length between second and third. Junior Pairs (one mile)—Fetone Rowing Club (K. BosweU. B. Rigby) 1, Star Boating ciub 2, Wellington Rowing Club 3. Won by two lengths, with a canvas be* tween second and third, * Junior Single Sculls (one - mile)—Wei-, ltngton Rowing Club No, 1- (H- Spoor) 1, Union Boating Club 2, WeutegtonvßoWing Club No. 3 3. Also started;; petooe Rowing Club (H. R. Prttehard)J Wanganui Rowing Club (E. Merchant). Won* by three lengths, with 10 lengths between second and third. New Zealand Champion Single Sculls (one mile and a half)—Weiteraata Boat*, ing ciub (R, B, smith) 1, Union Boating Club (Wanganui) (A X. G. Jackson) S. Wellington Bowing Club (H. J. Luke) «, Also started: Wairau Rowing Club. Fetone Rowing Club. Wanganui Rowing Club. Won by half a- canvas, with a wide gap between second and third, through Abbott cpming to grief on,» rock within a few; yards of the finish. ■-' \

New Zealand Champion Double Sculls (one mile and a Rowing Club (P. Abbott, C. Gimblett) 1, Wei*, lington Rowing Club W, J- Luke, JELWoolcott) 2, Union (Wanganui)' Boating Club. (A K. O. Jackson. A. Tanks) 3. The only starters. Won easily. New Zealand Champion Pairs (one mile and a half)— Hamilton Rowing Club (B. Sandos, J, Flynn) 1, Star Boating Club (G. c Cooke, F. n. Hullins) 2. Union (Wanganui) Boating Club Ko. 2 (A. Tanks, W. B. Kruse) 3. Also started: Clifton Row* ing Club, Union (Wanganui) Boating Club, Otago Rowing Club, Aromoho ' Boating Club. Won by three lengths, with a.fair distance between second and third. - Maiden Fours lone mtte)--Canterbury Rowing Club (L. Robertson, W. M. Graham, J. E. Stewart, H. S. Read) 1, Aromoho Boating club 8, Wairau Rowing Club s. Also started:, Napier Rowing Club, Union Boating ciub, Fetone Rowing Club No. l, star Boating dub, Arapawa Rowing Club, Wellington Rowing Club, Fetoni Rowing Club No.f, New Plymouth Rowteg ciub, Wanganui Rowing Chip* Won by one and a half lengths, with * Quarter of a length between second and third. Junior Fours-Petone l, star 2. Picton 3. Won by three Wngths. Also started; Arapawa, Union. Wellington, and Aramoho. • xJOP5 w *l& I"?* mtte)Wellington <R. Peterson, W; Mclvor, - B. McNruvF MwedlW 1. New WymoumT Aramoho 9, Also started: Fetone, Won by three lengths, with a length between second and third.

AN EXCITING FINISH

SMITH AVOIDS TWO ROCKS

ABBOTT'S MISFORTUNE

(PBESS ASSOCIATION TKLSGBAX.)

WELLINGTON, February 22.

Incidents without parallel in New Zealand rowing marked the finish on Saturday afternoon of the champion single sculls contest, on the Korokoro course, when the holder, A. K. G. Jackson (Union Rowing Club, Wanganui), lost the title to R. B. Smith (Waitemata Boating Club), by a few feet, when it appeared that victory for Jackson was certain.

Six competitors started in the race, They were H. J. Luke, (Wellington Rowing. Club), T. Hegglun (Wairau Rowing Club), P. Abbott (Fetone Rowing Club), A. K. G. Jackson (Union), R. B. Smith <Waitemata),"and fl. Foster (Wanganui Rowing ChtM., At toe mile post of the mile and a half race, Jack* son had secured a comfortable lead from Smith, Abbott being in third position, and the rest tailing off. With about 100 yards to go, Jackson had a good two lengths' advantage of Smith. Jackson was rowing well out from the Hutt railway embankment; Smith being much closer in. When it seemed that nothing could deprive Jackson of the title, Smith quickened his stroke, and began to close the gap. A few feet out from the bank, and 20 yards from the finishing line, a rpck was breaking the surface of the rising tide, and between 12 and 15 feet further out from there was another and a very much larger one. standing high out of the water. Smith's course took him straight for these rocks, and it appeared to the spectators that be must hit one or the other. £•"*** *ow<* ing furiousjy in* last minute effort to beat Jacksonu Disaster seemed Jnevit* able, but just as Smith finished one stroke of Jus sculls, thereby bringing, then his thealdt entered/the; channel formed 'tar' the' rocks, and pw«d cleanly between them

just as he was swinging next stroke. In a swept over the line; defeating., *Bfßl||M son by half a canvas. ,V;^-!2llll Meanwhile Abbott was fast on approximately the c<jujff|ftf|lßMW had followed, but slightly shore. It was seen that he straight for the rack tbaj,i9J)MMSHn9| just avoided, before &S< entry into the channel other rocks, The' warning, but evidently* MtetafaaggHMM clamour for went on and crashed his to the rock, which was Which jarringly pulled Luke, coming, up behind the line inta placfe f boat had feet, and' sanlc * wi. 4 , ' /fc^l Mra§H^H|