Wellington’s Brilliant Win In Eights

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31927, 3 March 1969, Page 22

Wellington’s Brilliant Win In Eights

(N.Z. Press Association) WANGANUI. The precision-trained Wellington eight reversed last year’s upset win when it brilliantly out-rowed the Auckland title-holders in the feature race of the New Zealand rowing championships on Saturday.

Thousands lined the banks of the Wanganui River as Wellington and Auckland began their 2000-metre struggle, spurred on by a head wind and slight, outgoing tide. It took only 100 metres before the two crews had the edge on the field. They continued to pull away strongly to the 500-metre buoy, with the rating dropping from 45 to 40.

The perfect bladework of the Wellington eight took its toll on Auckland’s Olympicstudded crew when the strain was really beginning to tell with about 800 metres of the course covered. Once Wellington had won

a vital half-length break on Auckland it acted like a catalyst—and the margin soon doubled as Auckland’s chances ebbed.

Entering the final quarter, Wellington’s power increased as it sensed triumph, while Auckland's rating spiralled as New Zealand’s most celebrated stroke, A. Webster strove to make his crew do the impossible. But Wellington was still rowing away as the gun fired. A monster “crab” by the Whakatane coach and stroke, T. Reid, after only 300 metres of the fours took a lot of the glatnoiir out of the contest, as Whakatane then had the task making up lost ground on the immensely-powerful Hutt Valley four before it could challenge for the title. The incident happened when Reid, stroking from the bow, was almost thrown from the boat. His feet were jerked from the stretcher, and he only saved himself from the water by grabbing the side of the boat. He recovered amazingly well, however, and the Whakatane crew performed splendidly in going through the field to take

second place, a length clear of Oamaru. > M. Watkinson was in great form to take.another double, with wins in the single and double sculls, teaming in the latter with his brother, P. Watkinson. T. Reid’s dismal day continued in the double sculls when, with N. Mills, he could not peg back the Wat-' kinson’s commanding lead, and then was beaten-by half a length at the finish by a fine Wairau combination in R. Si Sutherland ahd J. W.' Gibbons.

The coxed and coxless pairs race? provided far more of a spectacle than the easy Whakatane wins at Lake Karapiro last year; The Olympic representatives W- Veldman and W. Cole were not as dominant and, the Union pair, R. Satherley and J. Little, stole a measure of glory in testing the unbeaten Whakatane crew so closely.

Union actually headed Veld: man'and Cole .for 500 metres in the coxless event, and although Whakatane’s great power-showed in the middle stages," Satherley and Little were only 1) lengths behinti at the finish.

• In the coxed event, Union had the edge ,on Whakatane with 1000 metres gone, but despite rowing their third grtielling race of the day Veldman and Cole somehow found reserves of energy to snateh a three-quarter length lead with 800 metres to go.

CHAMPIONSHIP Single Scull?.—West End <MWatkinson) 1, Hawke’s Bay 2, Otago 3. Distance: 2 lengths, 2i lengths. Time: 6:36. ’ Dduble Sculls.—West End (P. Watkinson, M. Watkinson) 1, WhakatipU '2, Whakatane 3. Distance: 2 lengths, 4 length. Time: 6:6.

Coxfed' Pairs.—'Whakatane (G. Vejdman, W, Cole) 1, Union (Christchurch) 2, West End 3. Distance: 2. lengths, li lengths. Time: 6:45. Coiless Pairs. —Whakatane (G. Feldman, W. Cole) 1, Union (Christchurch) 2, Canterbury NO. 1 3. Distance: 1} lengths, 31 lengths. Time:, 6:31. Fours.—Hutt Valjey (R. Joyce, M. Erwin, R. Collinge, P. Wear) 1, Whakatane 2, Oamaru 3. Distance: 26 lengths, 1 length. Time: 5:52. Bights.—Wellington (G. K. Shaw, J. A. Hunter, C. J. Black, U. D. Trevenon, R. Cuff, C. J. Shaw, P. Delaney, O. R. Gilbert) 1, Auckland 2, Oamaru 3. Distance: U. lengths. 2J lengths. Time: 5:30. JUNIOR Single Sculls,—West End No.

1 1, Waikato No. 22, Invercargill 3. Time: 6:38. Double Sculls.—West End 1. St George 2, Invercargill 3. Time: 6:20. Coxless Pairs. —Tauranga 1, Star No. 1 2, Wakatipu 3. Time: 6:29. Fours.—Waikato No. 1 1, Union (Christchurch) 2, Aramoho 3. Time: 6:15. Eights.—Waikato 1, Tauranga 2, West End 3. Time: 5:37. MAIDEN Single Sculls.—Union (Wanga. nui) 1, Aramoho 2, Hawke's Bay 3. Time: 7:3. Double Sculls.—Star No. 1 1. Whangarei 2, Whakatane 3. Time: 6:31. Coxed Pairs.—Tauranga No. 1 I, Ngaruawahia 2. Awarua 3. Time: 6:54. Fours.—Union (Wanganui) 1. Hutt Valley No. 1 2. Aramoho No. 13. Time: 6:2. Eights.—Waikato No. 1 1. Petone 2. Aramoho 3. Time: 5:30. YOUTH Fours.—Wairua 1, Petone 2, Oamaru 3. Time: 6:40. Bights.—Wairau 1, Waikato 2, Hutt 3. Time: 5; 47. NOVICE Fours.—Hutt Valley 1, Union (Wanganui) No. 1 2, Blenheim J. Time: 6:19. Eights.—Hutt No. 1 1. Aramoho 2, Waikato 3. Time: 5:53. WOMEN ■ Fours.—Auckland University No. 1 1, Auckland University No. 22, Avon and Hamilton (equal) 3. Time: 3:17.