First day of rowing delayed

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33777, 25 February 1975, Page 28

First day of rowing delayed

(Brom

T. R. DUNBAR)

WAIHOLA. Lake Waihola and the national rowing championships have again proved uneasy bedfellows. Two years ago, when the championships were last held at Waihola, the first two days of competition were abandoned. Yesterday, none of the scheduled 23 races could be run. The day’s events were finally called off about 4.30 p.m. Heats were to have been held in the maiden eights, the

senior fours - and coxless pairs, the junior doubles and eights, the youth fours, and women’s pairs. The lake was calm early in the morning and it was unfortunate that an earlier start than 2 p.m. had not been arranged. About 10.30 ami., a strong south-westerly made the water too choppy for the rowing to start on time. After inspections of the lake at 1.30 p ; m., 2.30 pun,, and 4.15 p.m., the chief umpire (Mr B. J. Fraser) called the day’s events off. The regetta organisers were unperturbed, and hope to hold all the postponed

events today. A full 12 hours of rowing will begin, weather permitting, at 7 a.m. WATKINSON OUT In surprise moves, two Munich Olympic representatives, Murray Watkinson and Dudley Storey (both West End, Auckland), have withdrawn from the championships. They have not been in peak form, and decided at the last minute not to make the long trip south. Watkinson would have been attempting to take his tenth title in the single sculls, and Storey, a member of the coxless four which won the silver medal at Munich, had entered the!

fingie sculls, and, with Watkinson, the double sculls, The withdrawal of Watkinson, who did not rac e at Waihola in 1973, has left the sculling title open, but Dick Tonks (Union, Wanganui) seems the likely winner. Another defection is the Whakatane senior four, which will not try to regain the title it won at Waihola tw ° years ago and lost to Avon last year. All Christchurch clubs are fit, if somewhat frustrated by the abandonment of yesterday’s rowing, and are “raring to go,” according to Mr E. R. Lindstrom, one of the Avon coaches.