ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 12

ROWING.

(Br MEncoEi.i '.-.'-. COMING EVENTS. .:'■■[.'-. March 15.—Ngaruawahia Regatta' (Waikato). Easter Monday.'—Whelch-Fogwell.: .Match (Akaroa). ■ Hearty congratulations to .'the Wellington Rowing Club-on. the succoss of its representatives at Napier last Saturday. The club's good luck came not before it was due, for the last few seasons have been an uphill battle against misfortune for the club Tmembers, especially in : regatta racing, and all oarsmen will join in hoping that the Napier success is only one of many to come: The writer understands that tho win might have been even bigger, as tho youths' fours were seriously handicapped by tho fact'of'one of their number: suffering badly from boils and a; poisoned finger, Ho was not fit to row at all, but did not want to cause the scratching of tho crew,- which rowed into third place, being beaten by 1J lengths by Napier..'. "■■-, .-After- several attempts the Star'.Boating Club has raced off: its Ladies' Fours event. ; As usual with this fixture there was a largo .entry, and the preliminary heate were dison Saturday afternoon, leaving the final for, Monday.- The crews their leitViri were Laurence (stroke), Olive, Wardrop: and C. E. Bridge (stroke), Cowles, pan,-, and. Hunt, and after a determinedtussle in the final-tho former combination was adjudged the winner bv one length. Laurence, stroke, of the' winning crew, has been in a winning vein this season, as this is tho fifth race he has placed to his credits .Writing'of the late championship regatta, a ; . Weekly. Press" correspondent saysi-rThe course, on the Waikato is' probably the straightest that could be obtained for a tidal i river, but the general opinion expressed-by i rowers was; that it is hardly a course that • would tost a man's endurance. -The two-mile l ; race, for instanco, was rowed off in Bmin. lsec., which is about: 4min. faster than that j .registered, on salt water. Owing to : the cur-. rent, the,races with,coxswains were started'■ by the aid, of cork buoys, thus enabling .'the • ra<?es , ■mi got off in much faster; tinier than i v *m- a ..The starts were made by the dropping , of a.flag, a custom that does not meet with i. favour, of, the majority of crews;' who generally i prefer the gun!- By the latter course the ,'conipetitors are able'to keep their eyes ■ m their boat... While at Mercer' several of ■ ~ the plubs. complained >of tho accommodation provided, and in some'instan'ces'-thoy hada :.. justcause. It .was hardly fair'to ask competitors, (especially somefwho ; had come many miles) to find that the only available sleeping abode. Was on: the floor! oufon a' balcony.*. These, complaints have since been refuted by the delegate of the New Zealand Council,-who stated that although the accommodation was not of ? the,best, the local Rowing Association could riot be blamed.for,the matter.- If the local association did hot look after this, •; .who.was expected to? >The committee must hayo known the .number of competitors coming up, and surely it'would not. have been much'trouble to have made accommodation .safe; for competitors instead.of outsiders. . While on this.';- 1 question.!'.■might state that at, one lodginghou'se- the : tank'.water gave out .on the day before the regatta,, and the only water then available was some that-was- . taken from the river. On regatta day, several crews'complained: of attacks ; of dysentry. The representative. entries for a ■■■ champiori- : ship.were the worst that have taken place for : some time. ,With : the- exception of a- crew from Pioton, Blenheim, and Christchurch Union, the -regatta was practically a North Island''affair, most entries ' being -.received from the Auckland Association themselves. 1 ...The .'.-'Sydney;Morhing/Herald"'has'■■ the : following- about Hagney,, the!atcst.cyciistsculler:—When ..interviewed, ;. Hagney," who" looked tho picture; of health;: said he was getting along'with'-'Pearce "very: nicely; '.'When Lfirst got into' work," ho remarked,: "I was put, as Arnst was,' into a club skiff, in. which! learnt the, first rudiments .'of tho art.; Igot on so well inthe first, couplo. of: months that I was taken out-of this.class of boat and.transferred to a,wager';b'6atV '■ Now I am: content;. Everyone whoihasi-seeh me rowing and has watched my progress smcolstarted say, that I> will be tho world's champion within ■. 12 -months. '.Of course,'.'■„• said ; the ex-oyclist, "I don't feel quite aa. confident as ,do some of my, admirers,.'for.! am more or-less a .'novice yet;'. One thing,'.however, I must say, and that is. that!.always feel strong in my .training.. I ; have good wind; and seem to get better with each day's practice. ;_ln the'feet'and leg'work,.thanks tovthe: cycling I have done,! am almost.perfect.in that direction.■■/'Once'..l get my arm; shoulder,: and: body muscles :into\proper condition I conscientiously think I would ■ l&e to meet 'Ariist.,. .'l'.really feel. as. if Imightgivo him a.genuine.hard go. ~Tho fact that! am Bft.: Hhy.in height, and have"consequently a long;feach,'.should enable mo to got good leverage in'my-.strokes.- Tt was this-last that stood to Arnst. At present," said Hagney, 'fPearce fancies my.charice against anyone in' New South Wales, .and the syndicate who support me Have.hope's that the time is not far'distant when lean: challenge for the Australian title. • .One man- at present .is prepared, -after watching my progress,; to' back me for £50 to row: anyone out here. ' Though I think! will require, a few "more months', training.-. before that- could be successfully carried out,! think I, should have little -difficulty, in defeating anyone' outside Pearce, i.my trainer.. Pearce is admitted to-be'the only sculler, m New-South Wales;capable of wrestiug'the'.Australian championship from rhoroughgood." ~ ' ,r;■ :■ -, The' Newcastle correspondent of the-Syd-' ney; "Referee" >-says:-After: "all, there'is': every likelihood that Ben Thoroughgood,the holder of the.title,-will'raise his stake-for. a race with Harry. Pearco :■' for tho sculling oliampionship, of Australia.., His first deposit of. £25 has already been lodged with the 'editor of the 'Referee," and he: says'. the,:b'ther money will be forthcoming, at the appointed time. Thoroughgood is at present on the Richmond, training Fred Ford for: his race with George, Day on the 27th instant.., As soon as the.race has been decided pion will return to Newcastlo, and endeavour t.i arrange-terms with Pearce for a race to be rowed early in May. . Thoroughgood will not,think of- rowing before May, as ho has his : stake vtoi-look after, in addition to cotting himself .fit.'---He says the' amount''required is £14Q, and of that sum'ho thinks he-can command about £75.. At Morpeth the^ other : mght his-friends' a' euchro party, and it is,expected that this will return aprofit'of about £15. That is a very satisfactory, result'indeed, .but all tho same it is very hard that the champion : sculler of Australia should have to rely on such fractions to raise- a paltry £100 to- enable him to defend the title : ' : I