ARNST V. WEBB

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 539, 21 June 1909, Page 8

ARNST V. WEBB

; ; PINISHING-OFF TRAINING WORK. . V'.;(By:Telegraph.-Sr^al.Correspondent) .'.. : 'i:--:\-\S '■■■■';■'% v.i''.VvV' v -l Wanganui,''Juio. 2b.''/■ ■'■■•'• vWith■ : tho'/finV ■ weather of the last .two ; days, the scullers have done their :finishing- :• off.'work ;under, s pleasant,: conditions.. The "local' confidence, that ■•.Wobb■.'■will' regain the ':;■ championship is really remarkable., , ... ! '. ;::/ On.-Saturday-..,:both.men were-put, Arnst W- doing two strong rows, and Webb covering ~,..a couple of miles in:very taking form.' : />Mr.; Si. .Cbbintes,:; editor of' the Sydney : :.;:'i'R«f«ree," who is;hero for.the race, voices' .;.., .the . opinion ..that ■ Webb is • showing an im- ,;'.' proved stylcr-c.lean and; hard \at the catch, •...':".'vrith .a. stroke-.finishing hard .with an effec- '''■'■:■;■ tivo';'leg; : 'drive.'j: -'■; ■::''; '.. " , -': ; -': : .- ;•,•.).';■'•' : ; .To-day there was a large crowd up the ~. nver to see:the. scullers. ; .Arnst) paced ■sy '..'"■ Fogwell,.came dowfl the course,: getting a .:■;■ swinging pace with, his long,. powerful .: strokes.-'Webb, who,:was not afloat, con- ■■ .'tented himself; with walking exorcise. V Both m.en : will be out to-morrow,' but practically their training work is ended. ■■'. The fresh is now 'out of- the'river; and if .no rain falls the: water should be perfect. : ; ,;Arnst is slightly, favouritoin tho.betting; : ■ The:. latest, weights, of tho. men' are':— ;-■ Arnst, 13st. 21b.; Webb, list. 51b. THE EYE OF BATTLE. X . (ByTelegraph'.-Press Association.) ""'• -'.■'■/' '.".■:■,'■■.','■•.;'■■ Wanganui, Juno 19. ■i.Visitors are now: arriving in numbers'for .'-, the sculling championship race nest Tuesday, ''.:■ interest in which increases ( from day to day. Theweathor, whichbas been wet and squally \- for over a week, .is/now beautifully fine. "■'" The champion ; and . ex-ehampion finished -their hard'work to-day,' arid will now take :'things easy.: Both men are in excellent conv: : dition,.arid.a'desperate struggle is expected. Though ho has had some severe trials, Wobb 'has.had.no; recurrence of the'arm trouble ; which interfered with him last- Decembor, and is as well as ho ever-was. He is.quictly confident,of '.turning' tho, scale on the cbam- : pion, while tho latter has ;the utmost confidence in hisown ability to win. ■■;■•'■'•.' ■V"'' '„,' ; -: ; ,'-^'•"' Wanganui; June 20.', . _, Though the match is : to. tako '' place on ■;■ Tuesday,.:public'•"interest, is .not so keen as ■■, might bo,'expected..' This is, no doubt,'to ',; ho;accounted for; hy tho fact' that tho last 'meeting of these, men. proved a. rather hollow :.. :thing. :After.that race;Webb stated that he' had'been beaten on' his merits, having gone : 'to; the post/.in his best form., ' : This vwas ■■ known by a select few to have: been ..any- ' -. thing but the correct condition of affairs, but Webb; somewhat •magnanimously, 'persisted "■:'■. in. publioly. extolling; what was Teally'a ; fino ;.; performance ty Arnst.' Tho consequence is • that to-day many people believe that Webb ;ha's rip.chance of • winning.: Tho'opposite opinion, is held by those who have been asso- ■ ciated 'with the challenger.';Whilo acknow- . ledging Arnst's ability, thoy say; that' Webb's ;. real powers' aro not: known by the outside . worlcf. - There is every reason to expect a : , large influx ol .' visitors/ 'Nearly' all the hotel ; '-".accommodation 'has .been' secured. As the ... race ;ifli J to,'; be'-rowed "at 2 p.m., 'visitors, V from. both .north ind south will bo able to come and goin one day. ...

RIVER.' .;:, ;;•,A, correspondent, writing from Wanganui :."m..Friday,.states.---* 4 The river is down, but . tore is'suro.to bo a'-good run in the water '■ on-Tuesday. :li.so; it'would,bo in favour of the-lighter man, Webb, and. furtlier, would :.'shit; his ■;. style /of rowing, as hei does jnot .crouch' so .'mnoh'.atithe catch as lie used 5 te.' : Wobh.-sits up,more, and rowing rather short ;: (compared with Arnst); finishes : straight' up, dips shallow, and appears to pull very much ,;With;''his arms,';instead :'of utilising his 'leg-' ■power,to the'rull. ,;Arnst has got; back into, tho style' of rather,over-reaching at tho catch ; —he does not sit up so' well;.to.'it—as v'diately,' .before the: last ; race. He does not get the'-.pace'out of his. boat between tho :-, strokes; that ho:'did,';and still feathers with .his rightscnll tpblong;.. The race should be a splendid'one, as I think.tho men are closer '..matched as to form than; in Decembor last."'

- -i; ARNST'S RECORD. Born at Tai Tapu; twelve miles out of .Christehurch, oh Novomber 25, 1883, Richard Ainst;was brought up on,a.farm. He took tp,.,spdrt early;,in his career,-and made-his. first public. appearance ,on the race track' as a'cyclist in, 1901,, when only 18, years of age, securing two', firsts ancl on©,, second. Later.'on ..ho'cbmpoted v in'.'tho Timaru .to Christehurch road race,.finishing fourth,' and in''the '.samp .'event tho following year ho finished, third; : ':■'[' }[:*■',. \\ ' V' ,; ':■' , ._ Thca : ho; visited.'-Australia,, and competed in'the Warrnaihbpol to, Melbourne road race, m-which; put' up the second fastest .time, tho"event beingVfwoh;'-by:his;hi-other'Jack, ia.,; record "'time. •: Arnst competed' in . otJhor events and then returned, to' New Zealand.

In 1903 ho won the New; Zealand Wheel Race... This' was .'followed by a'.number of fino''performanccsyin handicaps,' mostly two miles, in 'many '■ of : which he proved, successful. /.. Another trip to Sydney was .then, mado by ■. Afnst, and ■ while. there he appropriated tho..; Sydney,: Thousand. 'This was.' in 1906,. : Arnst now set.to work, and, behind a. motor pace, broke all records from a-standing start. Altogether. Arnst's cycling ■ record ' stands thns-r6l firsts, 72 seconds,, and many, thirds/ Arnst,now decided to go in 'for-sculling, and went .to Australia to hayo six months' training'under' Charles "Towns. ■ It seemed to' many ah "impossible task which Arnet had sei:'himself.::.No one denied that ho had the 'determination :and stamina, but his want of .familiarity ;with 'the ; :water was, regarded' 'off ah bar to any degree of' success. ; . He-. entered, upon his task (withenthusiasm and a determination to overcome ; all obstacles., Occasionally ho;fell out of his -oqat through sheer ignorance in management, but undaunted by thoso experiences he battled 'along,' 'and now,, has achieved the proud distinction - of'. being champion of the .World.-'Uv ,V. : ,;,;;,,.\ f-\'\: •.'■■ .''.'.-.•''' '■■■': .' ■ ;' ; Within; six. months from - tho timo he first put his foot into, a boat (August 12, 1906) he competed at the Anniversary Regatta in Syd;ney, and rowed second to S. Pearco. He would undoubtedly have won on that occasion but 'for the choppy -water. ..The host 'month' ho -won hisjfirst boat'race, scoring in' ; tho Rush. Handicap on tho Pturramatta, off 31 seconds.';'. iV'js :>' .'T, ' : ; '..-'' ■ Ho followed this iip by falling out of his boat at Maclean, but a little later won a race .'at tho same place off scratch. Tiiohandicappers were so impressed by the form shown'by ..Arnst that they pulled him right back 'to 'scratch, and.irom that mark ho won at Ul/marra, beating C. Towns (soratcti), and then at Woodbum finished fourth. Later on at ,Coraki.ho scored another win.. ,

'.;:;■ Hotuen decided to'challenge Webb for tho championship of tho world, and'tie match of December last was the outcome. . After arranging the match with Webb, Arrist went to .. Sydney" to row a match, over tho Parramatta ./course with' Harry Pcarco. That race was _ won bytheNew.Zealandor, and'so impressive /was his performance that many of the best judges in Australia considered £0 would beat ..Webb. He did so with almost ridiculous case about ten lengths, taking tiho lead from tub' first stroke. WEBB'S PREVIOUS WINS. ■ -Webb's' first professional race took placoon December 25, 1908, when he met and defeated James Stanbury on the Wanganui River for tho Championship of New Zealand and a'£2oo purse. His nest engagement was ; : the match; on the Parramatta River against ; -.',- Charles' Towns, whom ho: dofeated easily at the finish for. £500 aside and tiho World's Championship. This was on August 3, 1907. ': Finally he defeated Trosiddor on February 25 of that yeaT, at Wanganui, and earned then the:title of .Champion .of the World. ' There was a wide divergence of opinion as to .the.spaco which separated tho prows of the two boats at tkrfrnish of the race. . Tho judj»e,(Mr; TV D. Commtns) stated that, in-: clfading the length.of Wobb s boat, thoro was a space .of 2} lengths between 'them —i.e., :.;■ lengths :of daylight.. WhHe,making that decision!, the iudira oranDlained of 'having beea

! .perched high upon a bank instead of down at the level of the water. Others who were .stationed at the finish gave the distance bertween the boats at four lengths; the Wongarai "Herald" gave it as five lengths. Until I the last championship race went against him, I; the only defeat Wobb had sustained rn single sculling events was that at WcHington.at the hands of Whelch. At that time ho was quite unfit to race, having had only a coupte of .week's training. This defeat was wiped out at-Picton in the fallowing year. He stands at'sft.loin. Webb's record, shortly, stands as follows: 1896.—First, Maiden Pairs, at Akaroa; second, Double Sculls, at Akaroa; first. Maiden Pairs, at Little River; unplaced, Youth Pairs and Donblo Sculls, at Christchurch, Regatta. .' ;• 1897.—First, Junior Fours,' at Wanganui. ■■: 1898.—Second Junior IJouis, at Wellington;: second, Junior Fours, at Picton; second,' Senior Fours, at Picton. 1900.—First, Maiden Double Sculls, at : Wanganui; second,' Junior Fours, at Wanganui ; unplaced, Senior. Fours, at Wanganui.,.

1902.—First, Championship Single Sculls, at Wanganui; first. Senior Single Sculls,'at Wellington. 1904.—First, Senior Single Sculls, at Wellington ; first, 1 Senior Fours,' at Wellington; Senior.Fours (best boats), at Wanganui. . 1905.'—Second, Championship Sculls, 'at Wellington; first, Championship Double Sculls, at .Wellington:' first, Senior Sculls, at Wanganui; first, Sonior Clinker Fours,'at Wanganui; first, Senior Fours (best boats), at Wanganui.

1906.—First, Champion Singles, at Picton; first,.. Champion Doubles, at Picton; first, Senior; Fours Vat', -,Wnitara; first,• Senior Singles, at Wanganui'; second, Senior Fours, at Wanganui;' arid defeated James Stanbury for the Championship of New Zealand. .." 1907.—Defeated Charles Towns for the Championship of the World. 1908 (February) R.: Tresidder for. the Championship of tho World. 1908-(December).—Defeated by Arast for tho, Championship of the World:.

;.;;,' CHAMPIONSHIP CONDITIONS. • 1n ,, 1 1' *° r 'he sculling championship of the world, the following conditions shall bo observed:—

(1) The mles. shall be those now adopted andl! named "The Championship Boat Race Laws." ' (2) : .The : .course.shall be not less than three (3) miles, nor more than four.and a quarter j (4i) .miles straight away. The holder has the right to name the course. , • (3) Tho-stakes shall bo as follow:—Not Jess than' .£SOO a side when it is an international contest; not less than .£2OO a sido when .two scullers of the same place or country row. (4) The "gate money'' shall be divided so that each.man receives an equal-share. (5) A,challenge.shall only be recognised as "bona fide" when accompanied by a deposit of £100 if.race be "international, and .025 if between local men, and this placed .in the hands of a'.feputabla person; who shall notify tho person challenged, of the .nature of the challenge..' (6)-A holder of "the championship must-ac-copt a ""bona: fine"; challenge within threo (3) months, and must race within six (6) months of the'acceptance of the challenge, or forfeit his title,- rinless he has to row in another country, when tho limit shall bo nine-(9) months. (7) Richard Arnst,' of Tai Tapu, is hereby recognised as Champion. Sculler of tho World; and we are agreed to recognise as his successor anyone who may defeat him, or to whom he may. forfeit by default, provided always tho rules and conditions pow agreed to by us aro duly observed. In the event of tho death or retirement of a holder of the title the championship shall revert/to tho 1 immediate exchampion., . '~, ~ - ,■

(8) The agreement to.race shall bo drawn on, the conditions now'approved by ns, and named "Boat' Race—Articles of Agreement." , ■ (9) The race may be postponed, by the consent of both parties, for one or more days. CHAMPIONSHIP BOAT RACE^LAWS; , (1) The referee (who shall be named in the articles binding tho match) shall have the scullers in charge from tho time the raco is specified. t& start until its final termination. '• (2) The start shall be by mutual consent, unless otherwise agreed upon; but if the scullers fail'to l starl*'withih ; 2o minutes from the timo they are ordered; out by the referee, he-6hall order them to go on a signal given by him. (3) Choice of stations at. the start ohill be decided by drawing of lots or tossing of a coin. (i) The judge shall be stationed at tho finishing lino,'and ho shall report to the refereo the order in which the scullers pass the winning post. . (5) Races shall be started by the bows, and be judged at the finish by tho bows. ■ • (6) 'A' Soulier's propor courso is such a courso as will enable him to reach the winning, post in tho shortest possiblo tfrao, provided that he allows amply wator fa-; tho other competitor to steer his propor course on the side on which such competitor started when such compotitoi is in a position'-to enforce his right to such water.- Any sculler failing lo keep'his proper course does so a( his peril in tho event of a foul occurring...' ■.., • (7) A sculler shall stand by his own accidents; (8) In the ovent of a dead-heat the refereo shall:order the race to be rorowed, but not within, fourteen days of the'day of tho deadheat.!., ..-..

(9),Tho referee, if appealed.to, hut not without an appeal, shall give his decision on anj point coming Within his jurisdiction immeuiately^after tho race. In the event of a foul a sculler'"may claim same by holding up his hand, and, if necessary, state his claim by word of month immediately after the race. (10) The referee may warn a competitor ol any, impending danger in his course.