SCULLING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 317, 2 October 1908, Page 8

SCULLING.

THE WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP. The beautifully-fine weather experienced during the past few days has been taken advantage of Tjy both .Arnst and Webb to get in some good work on tho river, says a Wanganui writer. ■ The former is afloat twice a day, covering some ten or eleven miles in the mornings generally, ■ and about four miles in tho afternoon, which shows that lie is doing a solid preparation. Ho is often accompanied by aJocal amateur, either M'Donald, Marshall, Victor Braithwaite, or Christiansen. On Sunday morning there was a very big crowd out on the river banks to watch tho scullers. Arnst sculled up beyond the railway bridge, accompanied by M'Donald, Webb and Green passing them on tho way.' There is a great difference between tho two, not only in size, 'but also in style, though it must bo conceded that, considering the short timo ho lias been at tho game, Arnst rows surprisingly well. Of course, thero is room for improvement yet, 'but this will como with experience; In some respects his stylo is like Jim Stanbury's, but while ho has ono or two of tho lattor's faults, ho lacks tho ex-champion's splendid finish, and that smart catch which characterised Jim's rowing. Dick appears to miss the water a bit sometimes' at the "catch," which is probably due to want of confidence. He seems, to jerk tho ..weight on, arid does not pull the stroke cleanly and evenly through, like the champion, tho.rosult being that his boat does not run between the strokes so well as it' should do, and it dips a bit. Theso are defects which will probably disappear, if not, altogether, at all events to a great extent before the day of tho raco. That ho can drive his boat along vory fast when ho puts tho woight on is apparent,, and by the timo ho strikes something liko his top form he will no doubt convince the local critics that he is going to bo an exceedingly hard nut for tho_ champion to crack, with his great roachj his immense strength, and his < tremendous staying power. As.for Webb, it need only be said , that he is rowing in his. best style'already, in fact, he seldom does otherwise. His health is-Al, and the steady. work he is doing on. the river agrees with him. , Ho has become quito at horno in his last new boat, which appears to suit him admirably.