Rowing Time Trial To Canterbury

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31904, 4 February 1969, Page 20

Rowing Time Trial To Canterbury

Powerful rowing by the Canterbury crew enabled it to win the 4f mile time trial from Pleasant Point to Kerr's Reach, on Saturday, by 15 seconds.

Union No. 1 was second well clear of its No. 2 crew. Canterbury covered the course In 23 mln 20sec

The aim of Introducing the event was to emphasise the importance of distance work in achieving crew combination and stamina at the peak period of training for the New Zealand championships. Amazingly, though none of the crews had trained specially for this event, all finished, and the times from first to last were grouped with in three minutes Most cham pionship races are usually about 2000 metres

SLIGHT DELAYS The crews assembled at Pleasant Point and were grouped for send off In esti mated order of strength at 30sec intervals. It was hoped that the weaker crews would be able to hold their leads until all crews had passed through the narrow Brighton Bridge, where passage is restricted to line astern.

The Union No. 1 crew, however, was just about to over haul Cure of Kaiapol at this point and had to row in its wake for about 100 yards The first seeded crew. Canterbury, was forced to slow in a similar manner by the same crew at the passage of the Bower Bridge, having made up the 60 sec difference In just under two miles.

These delays were momentary, however, and the first four crews home, Union No 2, Union No. 1, Avon No. 2 and Canterbury. finished Inside a period of 50sec.

Canterbury was unchanged from the senior eight which set the fastest time in an earlier time trial. It began at a fast pace, taking bridges and sharp corners with skill, but the lack of relaxation on the slide took its toll in the final mile, when, with Avon No. 1 taking the bends very wide, Canterbury • ook a long time to pass

In fact, over this stretch. Canterbury failed to improve the 16sec already gained on its nearest rival, Union No 1, by the Burwood Bridge Union, with five senior oarsmen. R Satherley. J Little T Smith. B Fraser, and D Stevens. In •he boat rowed Impressively at the start, rapidly overtaking Cure and Avon No 1. and Its finishing burst was spectacu 'ar. NOVICE FORM

The most satisfying feature of the trial was the fine performance of the novice oarsmen in Avon No. 2. who won the event on handicap, and of the first crew to cross the line, Union No 2. Both showed sound coaching and rowed steadily over the whole distance. Union No 2 in particular. finished strongly. Cure, though using shovel blades, was rowing a very short stroke and. after being passed by the two senior crews, was forced to bring up the tail. The times were:

Canterbury. 23 20 4. 1: Union No. 1. 23:35.02, 2: Union No. 2. 25:32 0,3: Cure. 25:35.0. 4: Avon No 2. 25:53.0. 5; Avon No. 1, 26:10.0. 6