ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 12

ROWING.

CBr Meeoubt.)

; COMING EVENTS. To-day.—Christchurch Regatta. February 6 -Wellington Regatta. February 13.-Ncw Zealand Championships Regatta (Morcer, Auckland). February 2o.—Wanganui Regatta

T?S?: a ?T^?x^i €^foiL the Christchurch Regatta at Little River to-day, as' under :— .., SemorFours: Star Boating Club (Wellin K - I S. Bwil,s^lub, ; ? nd: ;^ terb^ . .Souths' Double Scullsi'Stari: : Union ■ : (2); Avon Club, Afcaroa Boating Club Canterbury, Chmtohureh Amateur lowing O, ?M2)> and : .Lytteltou Rowing Club.-V .=, ,- Maiden Fours: Star, Union, Avon, Cantorbury,: and Christehurch' Amateur. "Junior. Double Sculls':, Star, ■ Union :-r(2)i Otago Rowing Clubhand Lyttelton. ■••'; bur n f2V ; rS: '■ ■ Star ''■'■' - n, "■' Wld ' G-anter- '■\ Youths' Fours:; Star, Union, Avon,-Canter-,bury, and. Christchurch Amateur , -'-■■ -■-'■• ■■ .-Maiden Double Sculls : f Star, Timarußbwi I 5 o }SN',S. nl (2). Avon, Akaroa, Canter-; oury (2), Chnstohurch Amateur, and Lyttel- :: Junior-Fours: Star^': ; Union, Cbristehiirch .Amateur,- and Lyttelton. : ' - ' ■ '-. ;■ ■ :.- Senior,; Double ; Soulls: .Union.'and Canter-.pury',;-,-,/.i .-;:;.:':. ;..';;-;.-..i ■),,.,■.:;;■,.., ;-..-,■■■. .: ■ , .The outstandmg-features!of the.entries ate the. small- fields in the senior events-and-tho paucity;.of nominations .from- the>lAkaroa Club. It is reported thatgrass-seeding opera-' tions on-the Peninsula:account for'the'rlatter condition,'; but it is peculiar for■stich a pfosperousclubnotto be represented in, strength at:a regatta .practically.at its back door.' As stated :last; week the Star, Club is the onlylocal L ojub represented, -and I•- expect to: see' its. men well up in the Junior Foursr Junior. Doublo Soulls, Maiden. Fours, and ■' Youths' Double Sculls; The exeorable rowing weather of. the. past, two weeks, must militate'against the local men's ohanoes, and, for this reason,' do not./expect-to see them ' prominent in either the Senior , Fours or' Pairs. ;, -■-. ' ~; ■ The .Union Club (Christchn'rch) will be re-' presented, m every event.at the Wellington" Regatta' -next Saturday, except 'tho Single' ScUllb. O:,:: , ; ": ■;. ' //.:-.*. ■' ..,■<>...:*. :■ .'-••; An::event..of more than local interest was decided,at Picton last Saturday. , ' This was a challenge race between the'two Blenhflim ;R.C. crews,-known respectively: as Jackson's .and; ..Jordan's. ...The, former:- is , ' the. present: champion four.of.the Dominion, arid Jordan's' oombiriation,, a-.very^successful : junior -Jrew some■ seasons back, ..challenged:the. champions' .to row for. tho pfiyiloffe of representing the .club at Auckland.on February,l3, hence the race" under;;, review.f. The, crews-met' indemsively ;'on New 'Year's : Day,. when the' older crow were.successful,; bnt; ah accident 'to-the "Jorda.ii combination.spoilt the test.,' A great 1 o'rowd 'followed : the ' down from ,; Blen T ' heim, and}; all- Ticton '.turned out.: for/ 'the , ' :event, which was described-tome as.underi in a,'letter;fvbm,an enthuaiaet who was , pre- 1 sent:—"■■"■•;.. : .-.•;'• ■-■ : :j.' , --'\W--- ■-.■.•-- : -- ": ; '',-T.•'■-■■• 7 : got. about a half ..length-the. best of the -start,-, and a great race ensued up 'to : the Mabel. Island,- Bock-arid-neck all the way. From there on theMaunches got-left behind,' and thoseon the, wharf had-the best view. l ' VJaeksdn.teßs me that at .this stage he found! he ha'd;their , strength; and ho lengthened outto 29,-the" others , rqying , 38-34. ■ ■ With.'the'" slower stroke, "Jackson'gradually drew- away,'-and-.half a milo;from ; .homo had a'length's' ;iead, : which, : with a , .spurt o.yer the? last^quar- ; - : ter >t :he : ;.mcroasedy.to threQ-'lerigths at-the : finish. ;,So Jackson,and Waikato to defenditheir'titles'.';;W'-';-: : ;; - ; ■>£':'■'.-'. : : ':-- : --■'•; '

:.; - : -f 'About ■ half.;.-; : a inilo ~f rbm: . : home ■"Jor-i .dan seenied to.put. on-a , treinondotis : spurt. : but'tho ,others ; hai them .well in; Hand, ."and-: kept,their 'distance;; by only quickening; l a 1 ■little..' Jordan's' crew seemed in- tip-top 'ditionj- and' Jackson.was ''content te^.keep.'a , little!ahead and hold' something in' hand for i'the'-'fihi^^'-. 1 ;■:.'■..'.-';-|.■■'■;:■■;. v-- , :; , -V■■-,,-\-,- ■■:,-;-v,':■■,-'; : ;:: ■ ;^"JackfebnJ finished; somewhat ■'■■distressed,* 'likewise vwh6";had;;his ■ back" ■' humpfld ; up, arid was ; .rolling, but. • For all that, the : :boat:vwas fairly, steady.;and:thc.>time almbst■ 'perfect.--, : , They,'got: a; good hefty ■ o'at'ch'. well ; before .the..rigger, and get a;tremendous lot. of . paco out of their boat.- ; Wjt_'-a slow stroke: ■•nany.-, faults.in.style appear, but "when , tKoyi ■are going;.'at. top, vat. abouV- ith'ey, row .better and '■ well ;tbg'ether.'.'.ah,d-'especially .pn jot .of beatinfe. 'Dickj Heggluri(3) is .'easily 'tho; pick of;thO'crew,.arid.l consider hini the-beet" :'«Wi in. .New,' Zealand :; in; hia;■ placed His bro- : ;K ler . Xharley •. is "the. weakest; member 'M). the ■ crew,; but. he, is a. good averageimanjlis irt : tiptpp 'condition, .and', though- Kb -rolls-out a .shade,- it .helps'; to;,balanco. Girling. ; ■-. ','■■ . ..'. ,-,'! "Of- the.'otfier.'crewi','Jordan. ahd : -'Heffer are .good -.out, bow> and; two^:.who'.have not got : the reach; of. the others, , cannot got their; share of.wbrk'on. i;And;Japks6nfound that, rowing 2E>_hß .could wear, them down while they wero doing ,34-5.:. ;However,,.-.they,.are : all.■ ,'very ■youn4--.(about:2?: all, of, them), and they will probably, be'heard;of in a , year' or two, . committee decided not to send Jackson's on ti Wellington before ;Waik'ato.■-.-', Jackson is .very-keen on' having a weekon the river , whore a few days' hard, work would put him m r his best form. •; I expect they will all.go to the ; post,in the best of .condition. - Possjbly;tlwn. Jordan may go te Wellington. The only, going .from here is Bentley's maiden, four, Stars a bit of a''shake at Picton. .-_ Ihey-arb- considerably improved since then.": y-y.:-C'.' : -'.o :■'::;, ;'■■•.-•■'■■■■ ■■■■ ~■"■ -• '.'Tingle," in the. "Mariborougli Express " takes exception • to. some : remarks of • mine that- -appeared :in .this :,columh some "■■* time .■back.-;.Hβ says:—"ln ;: their reports of ■ the lato,: Piotpn. regatta,-' two .of the - Wellington .papers;wero,very,rough on- the showing made by the champions in the Senior Fours ' The DoiiiNiOK man was,particularly.severe, and after making -allowance -for'-'th'oi rough : water characterised .the performance •as ' a shocking display for a champion crew.' He eoes pn',to.say thatr.'the crew-.never,,-had length or swing, and has'.owed its -success in the past, to; its hard,, snappy work ■ and excellent combination-. .Iteally,: now!. I wonder what 'Mercury!,.would were he to; see ii snapshot ot the finish .of the champion fours in Bicton,.:when J..H. Morrison:rowed bow in placo ft Chae. Heggltm. The picture shows tno placed crews, and the Blenheim four;has the; best reach and. forward, body, swing of ,the;:lot. -.That is the". secret rof --.the: crew's success;.* long swing back has , ;never been cultivated,: but, instead,; attention has been mainly'devoted:to getting tho work'on at the business end of the front of "the rigger._;:. As no man , in-the 'crew- spans less'than six feet; from tip to tip, it is quite obvious ;that they have amplo reach.". •■ ...This'is notyconvincing—quite tho other way mfaot.. The faot that, the men are all six feet bears ,out -my',contention re' the ab- ), li-^Vadmit-they -have' ; fT6a.au': whiohis to ascertain extent-why. they.;: have :got.:; along -bo;, .well.;, without "swing," .the;'reachraoss'! -forward' making up for;the .absoncevof tho "swinging." . My statement'will ■ be ; borne -.out.- by r any; good critic—in.fact; it has.been timo:and again; As, for;the crew's; performance on New Year' b Day, it admittedly iwas belowits usual form, and it;certainly was"a shocking display for a champion.crew." -.■-.; .: : ~■ •

Says a writer in an Australian exchange :— "From what, Ben Thorougbgood tells me there is: little,., likelihood of his \race with Harry Pearce taking,, place before sMarch next. The'.date suggested by Pearce was February 27);b.ut',-Th'orpu'Bhg6od says that , will not.suit him,;as he leaves Newcastle on' tho 13th of next, month for Woodburn,'where he is to'train Fred Ford for'his race with'Georgo Day on March 17. Thoroughgood adds that if Pearce had agreed 'to row when he first communicated ; with him on tfo subject in November last the. race could have been decided this, month, , but .having promised Ford that lie would see him ; through his training bo.cannot disappoint him." ■'-- :•'■■: ' ■■'