Rowing INTER-SCHOOL RACES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29361, 14 November 1960, Page 19

Rowing INTER-SCHOOL RACES

St. Andrew’s Wins

Eights

The fifth annual eights race of the Christchurch secondary schools was rowed at Kerr’s Reach on Saturday morning. Five crews from Christ’s College (two), Christchurch Boys’ High School, St. Andrew’s College, and Shirley Boys* High School took part in the event and, as the result of heats held on Thursday evening, they were divided into two divisions.

In these heats Christchurch Boys’ High School beat Shirley Boys’ High School and St. Andrew’s College beat Christ’s College B. Christ’s College A had a bye. Christchurch Boys* High School, St. Andrew’s College and Christ’s College A therefore started in the first division race, and the second division race was contested by Shirley Boys’ High School and Christ’s College B. Conditions for the races were ideal with a light-northerly blowing down the course, the tide being almost full. The first division crews faced the starter with St. Andrew's College on the New Brighton bank, Christchurch Boys’ High School in the middle lane, and Christ's College A on the city bank. All three crews had a good start with Christ’s College showing out by a canvas after the first few strokes, when their No. 6 crabbed and forced the crew to stop. St. Andrew’s College quickly took the lead from the High School crew and steadily edged out to a threequarter length lead. Meanwhile Christ’s College had quickly recovered to be a length behind Boys’ High School.

With the advantage around the first bend, St. Andrew’s College increased its lead to a length at the half mile mark with the other two crews holding on grimly. At this point Boys’ High School increased its rating slightly and slowly narrowed the distance from St. Andrew’s around the second bend, until at the three-quarter mile mark St. Andrew’s College's lead had been reduced to half a length with Christ’s College still no more than a length away. Although strongly challenged by both their opponents, St. Andrew’s College was able to raise its rating over the last 200 yards in a remarkable sprint to win by three-quarters of a length in the extremely fast time of 4min 51.4 sec. As far as is known this is the fastest time ever recorded in this event.

All three crews showed very competent oarsmanship, but the St. Andrew’s College crew deserve especial mention for its outstanding performance. This crew was made up of unusually large and uniform oarsmen physically for schoolboys and maintained a consistently long stroke through the water even under pressure towards the end of the race.

At no stage did the crew falter in its swing or combination and it was a credit to its coach, Mr M. J. B. Worseldine.

The Christchurch Boys’ High School and Christ’s College crews were little inferior to the winner, the latter showing very good combination. The outcome of this exciting race would probably • have been even closer if the Christ’s College crew had not had the misfortune to crab at such a vital stage of the race.

In the second division race Christ’s College B gained an early lead but were closely pursued by Shirley Boys’ High School until the final stages when the College crew went ahead to win by two lengths, in a time of 5:10.7. Results: —

First Division. —St. Andrew’s College 1, Christchurch Boys’ High School 2, Christ’s College 3. Threequarters of a length; three-quarters of a length. Time, 4min 51.4 sec.

Second Division.—-Christ’s College 1. Shirley Boys’ High School 2. Two lengths. Time, smin 10.7 sec.

What does education often do It makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook.— Thoreau.