ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 12

ROWING.

(Br MercdM.)

• COMING EVENTS. January 21.—'Wairoa Regatta. fanuary 30.—Ohristeliurch llogatta. February 6.—Wellington Rogatta. ■-. t ■ February 13.—Naw Zealand Championships (Waikato Rivor,j Mercer)^ February 20.—Hawke's Bay Regatta. GWuary 25.—Wanganui Regatta. ■■■,■■■■ What lifts happened to the champions ? first It Was Webb, than Burns, then Miss >Junneloy, and now the Blenheim Champion Four has been made tO.bito the dust, tieriainly' the fall in this case'Sb not so serious; is theftitlo; is not affected thereby,, and the jhampionship regatta on February 13/ will »ive the crew another chance of rehabililafc* ng .itself... The '-defeat, however, is likely io have a serious effect ih. another way. It is -known that-the crew ."is .anxious, to' get )vor to Australia to measure blades with the srews there, and that,the stroko has written ivor as to prospects, etc. There appears ;o be\ no four-oared event ih either Sydney )r Melbourne'wherein the crew could get a race as things are at present, but,-had its weaoiice' been considered a sufficient draWi" t is not unlikely that an inter-clubi or even m inter-State, race would havo been ] arranged. However, now that the combination is a-beaten one, it may not' bo con-: udered worth while to accommodate it.' On ts rowing on. tho day.' the crew deserved. Its lefeat. Certainly; it was hampered by the 'jobblo" that prevailed (but not' more so Jian : its fellow-orow from the ■. Blenheim shed), and'the weight of extra water 'shipped luring the journey, must have had lt9 effect. Hut, .even allowing-for this, it waß a shocking display for a champion crow, . The brew never has had length or swing, and has owed its success, in. the past-to its hard,', snappy ivork aiid excellent combination. On Januiry l ,there was 110 :"snap" -in the boat, nor ivas there Any combination, and, there being neither lengtnnor swing to fall-back upon, :ho' crew was beaten, and beaten badly.•;.- ■. The Blenheim "second string" (J. N. Jon dan's orew) put up u good ■ performance for \ mile or so, when whatever chance it had jf winning was disposed ,of by No. 3 breaking the string-of his poppot. But for' this icoident-the, crew. must have had an' excharico, as at the time "if was holding i good position, and rowing the best , form jf all tho crews engaged. The Star, orew stuck with tho leaders'tor half' the'distanee,ind looked like making a showing, but - lost; ,tft combination, and faded away- Over- the latter, part: of the: journey. f . . The '• winners,: tho Pieton representatives, L Peraho (6tr.), T. Gallery, W. Godfrey, ind 3?. Scott woro' admirably- suited by . tho lively water, andmade tho best' of their new boat and.- the weather conditions. Their stroke was characterised, mainly-by, its .liveliness, In fact. this feature was noticeable n all this club's orews. It appeared to be sbtained, by smartness. of the "catch' . and luiekness in getting tho:hands away,: whiah system provfed-.the correct .ono. for- the prevailing following .wind and sea,-. I was told ay . the stroke; that the orew- had- done a trial- over the 'course in just under .11.30 a Mttplo of days before. tho race, which shows that it must have been pretty well-wound, up is regards training. , r Picton'also won the Junior .Fours v without' wishing to detract from the meritorious raco put up by tho winhers, I must say that, in my opinion), this' event -w&s handed ovor to .-them :by .execrable watermanship .of the Star representatives,. -'At half distftttco- the Star men had a load-of quite two- lengths, and were rowing well -within'' themselves.; wliott tho stroko started an ..epidemio . : of crab-oatohing-that, was.- oanght , by-: every, member', of tho crewexcept vNo,.'.- 2. : I.understand that it was . that -;tho ;boat- had 5 beon; rigged -lowet .thaii .the.crow's knowledge, ..but oven-tills does not wholly acoount for.thd faultitioss in rowing, i- The, want Of-.careful wrist work - with correct and smart dropping and getting away: of the. hands is mora; likely tc bavo been tho reason. If tho losb or this race has the effect of: improving tho crew iu ■ this' yery will not hato beeii lost in viun.;' The Wellifigtonv junior four;, rowed a„\idpi ternimed:ra<« ftgdlhstl'heavy . ddde. Owing to a mishap, W. Shilling, the Original stroko, waS -forced -to ser&tohi for-'thovovent.:-';Tliis necessitated a complete reforming of. the crew at tho last: moment.- H.', M'Kinley came down to' the stroke seat from. No. ,2, and- his : pldeo 'was'fllled 'By jflrteil, 'of..ntlio maiden fouri -' As 'this ;'6oiftbmitipn had timo l 'even to get in one'. practice .row, it was considered -adviiablo n'ot.i.to ,uso-:..t1i0 beslwmd-bWt-l boat/ /; Roiling"'ibsalufcdly.. .uritriod, and in a'heavy clinker boat,'the,cfew put up a sterling performance in getting a» close as'lt did, espeoially as tho 6teering of the'• coxswain■ left 'a whole, lot to -be desired. . The - bad: luck that haunted ■ the, Wellington Club* still' clung to it' in thd 'Maiaeh' fours, in which through' a- misunderstanding betwooh tho starter and his - giin'the . Welling-ton-boat: got. hopelessly left at the post. However, even , with all things equal, 1 doubt if tho Star., crow-, would,havO been beaten. This combination,, stroked by ,J; Bi Davis, rOwed; with,'great . dasharid were never troubled, which remarks also-.' apply to the two'members thereof , C. H. .Laurencc and M. A. Turner, to wit, who so handsomely bolted with tho Maiaen Pair race. Tho fourth member of the orew". was Lambert, who was brought 'into tho: boat at the eleventh hour in placo of S. G. Cowloa. The latter was unablo to inako the. trip. /,-Mo' Star youths .wore,out "oh-their, own:-in their oventl and' though headed in the eafliei stages'. by ; welling;ton'wore, kept steadily ai their work by Decil Bridge, their stroke, and got tho lead at half, ww Rowing a good powerful stroke with plenty of buck In- it, thoj' Vworo: never ..troubled!.again,- .and won handsomely with something ,in "hand The prize money -for : ;the Piefan Regatta waS eut tirt by the four 'competing' clubs as follows :~->Piett]n £41, Star £25, Blenheim £22, Wellington £2. - Remarks on tho Otago and Lyttolton Regattaß ; are'held over until next weeki Says "Nautilus 1 ! in tho "Roferaa" ranent a matter already referred to ill tho early part of this column!— Mr. R. A. Cumming, of tho North Esk 11.0., Launceston (Tasmania), was in to see mo on: Monday in re* ferencoj.to, ft letter appearing a few issues back- frohi' Mr.. John Jaoksonj of, Blenheim (New Zealand). Mr. Cumming said that a crow from his club would bo happy to meet tho Blenheim R.Ci's crew in a match raco ii such & mooting could bo arrahgod—at Laiinceeton, ho hoped) but otherwise over soat mutually-agrecd-upon course. Mr. Cumming said, that the North. Est crew' would :: be •seated,\Aß'. followsA, T. Smith (bow). T, H. Scarborough (2), D. Munro (3), ana D. Robinson (stroke). Mr. Cummmg added that ho would bo glad to hear from Mr. Me Jackson on:the matter.- v- 1

'l'ho Star Club's annual swimming sports' are to be lield off' the Club house next Satur T day 'afternoori, and an: energetic' coinmittee has' been v ßfil) up and is hard at work oil the arrangfiniouts. '