SCULLING DISPLAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 402, 11 January 1909, Page 7

SCULLING DISPLAY.

':- : ;-■■'- aunst -;r ; ; ;: Wind and water were against lite'.'sculling ■'display given by 11. Ainst,: tho world s chanir pion, and AV. Fogwell oh Saturday afternoon. Early in. tho aft-ernoonla south-east .wind.pro-. rriisVd to afford a'tolerable sculling course at' Day's Bay,'-the place, originally- chosen for tho! exhibition, and the.terry' boats ..DiichesE,' Cobar, V and;-Piloit, .carrying the two "crack"', oarsmen, with H., Floyd, Master of-the. (3ere-' monies,. and ,a, fair number of profitable spectators sot put-for .thai .'destination.' 'They were followed by ala number of yachts and small boats, filled, with unprofitable/spectators. By the.time Day's, Bay was-reached the blustering "wind, had veered round further to the south, and the:,sea was found so rough that it-wae impossible to 'giro'an exhibition there. The. direction of the/wind wne the most unrortuiiatopossibUy, arid-the only place •whore' there was. any chance.for reasonably good rowing, in the opinion- of the promoters, whs on the opposite side.of,the harbour, bc- ■ tweon Point Jcrhingham and ■ tlio- Taranaki Street Wharf.-; ■ • '.' - ; : -■■' ,■'

Thither the .fleet of ferry-boats and ynohts, put.back,,- and in a choppy, seaj against .an awkward -wind,, the. experts'"commenced their' display.- To..'add; to the discomfort of spec-, tfltors, the afternoon was cpld ariS^'threatened, rairi, while, the embarrassments of tile rowers were : increased by. the. action; of. the numerous, boats andTnotor.laiinches, "which.nersisteh,tlyV ' g6t. across -their cour.sei .. .Fog.jVoll /took •the start, froin.■; Arnst, rowing against; a headbreeze in the. wash.'of steamers aild.other ci'aft which,»would. riot keep their, distance. After a race, which Artist, won, .-from"'. Point Jerhingham ; t6wards the. Sts\r. boat sheas, the scullers. conceived the idea of .making fancy, sprints at;,various.arigles.to the forrv boats,so that. .the. onlppkers,'could. stSu'dy.', their ''respective :' styles. l ." Ml'.' H.: Floyd..described the points, of the two .rowers ..to the .spectators, on the Duchess.. Tho principal stand-by,of the world'.s champion is-hisVevring'; his loose,easy action., supported by. his: great strength, enables ; Hiin ,to drive;. his, . boat, through : th& water with, the least possible friction. . .Local/ experts say that thej. hav'o not. seen a man, since fl..'Searle,;. with the splendid swing/of Arnst.'■.'. Fogwcll showed himself a much neater sculler than. his big companion),,but the action of,a.small:man in a boat invariably, looks better than that of. 'ft large-framed-rower. In. any case, -Fog- • \vell's.advantage in the fine points.of rowing weroi.hiuch' mpi'6 than compensated :for >by Arijst's-great po\yer.- : . ' ' -,■.. . ' -Several examples wore given',of the method of starting by mutual consent, 'which is'now almost invariably followed,\i except in; matches on tho.Thames,..where the.tide runs so swiftly that the sterns of the competing ■boats are held until the signal for the race" to start is given'./Finally, Arnst came in',to* wards the Taranaki Street Whtirf, and from there made a fast sprint towards iHo Queen's.Wharf, Fogivell endeavouring in vain to over-' take Though the-chopping sea Militated against: a display;of scientific rowing,' the methods by wheh .the/sculjers minimised , this disadvantage were'instructive •to amateur oarsmen. Altogether the ■ display given was an interesting, one, though/better , weather conditions would have made it more attractive. ■■''.'• ■ , : .'

' ifli:rioj-d unci "W; Fogwellj the well-known .rowing men, will leave .Wellington early this ..week on a eyeing jaunt to Noiv Plymouth imd Rotorua. It is probable that'B., Arnst will follow 'tlienr.jVftcr'tho jaunt, Fogwoll ■will go to Aliaroa to .train-.for? his match for '£200 a-side and the' New "Zealand championship, to be rowed, against :.GV Win! -, !!, at Akaroa on Easter Monday, ■ i