ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 12

ROWING.

,7 ; . t ... ; • r . , • . - (By MsnctmY.i -

riSTURES. October 16.—Openins Petone R.C. January 2D. —Wellington Eegatta.

•": ; Th© annual general 1 meeting'' .of the N.Z.A.R.A. on' Saturday night last-.was, not produotivo of any startling legislation.. About the. most important. business completed was .fixing upon Victon as the locale of the next Now Zealand- "championships."' This'is only as was generally expected, and goes 'to, shove, that opinion is gradually swinging, round in the direction of settling "upoa the PictoU course as the permanent scene of the-championships. "Mercury", understands that Pictonpeople aro anxious to have the big meeting at Easter time on. account of the greater ease with which the : affair, can be financed at. 1 that- time, but, as. wa's pointed ;out, this would not fit in with tho proposed visit of a Kew Zealand crew : to Hobart ill February. It :is obvious that the championships should, be held then, so that thb foTm of,the crews can be. ganged. No doubt tho Picton folk'will make their arrangements accordingly/ ( • Among the delegates to the N.Z.A.R.A. meeting was '-Mr. Kesteven, the veteran captain of the : ,-Union.Club : in —Christchurch. . .Mr. Kesteven informed ."Mercury" that his club was -keeping;- up to' the standard which ••• it reached last season, and that it was fortunate 'in : being able to keep the. personnel of the crews that were:so successful at the local" regatta.last.year'almost intact. Fry. and O'Brien, the pair-oar. , # and double-sculling cracks, were together,,'.again,. as .. is also the senior four, while; the ; anticipated junior and youths' orews .-will be: both: powerful - combinations. *- ; From Blenheim comes the'news that Jack-sonV.ex-phampjon crew have mustered for the fray, again, while the' present champion Waitemata. four is also on deck .to a man. 'So, already, there is' [every -prospect of agreat for. the honour of the Dominion in Tasnianian waters.;' - •; Details of the professional sculling handicap, to.be held .on thejfanawatu River at Pox ton .°n-. .Thursday and Friday, December" 2 and 3, are now ; The prize money, offered is very ; liberal, .the. winnqr^receiving- JSISO and a cupmluedUt; the-second , man and thevthird -230.,; As no charge ; is mado for entrance,;, ana: tho only, payment necessary is «£! 'for.acceptance, tho event 'is:sure, to attract a large number of competitors. Tho enterprise of,the, promoters .certainly deserves a'good re--sP?nse \from i;6cullers, iand;. given. .success.' on th! s- occasion, of v:liich ihcro is everyindica— •^..ti^hope^^^tho.even^S closo on Thursday, October! 21, handjwps.jvill be, declared about '.November vember 1™ P Ce? " ar6 ' B°n n *sday» 'No-:' •Jeferring.to the professional eloinont in row. ••IS*' ,; tv-ns to :,se' e /.(.hat nt tho New Zeainnd .A.E.A;: mcotint it' was le,cided,' on. the: motion' of. Mr- W. %ridsori tha i -a' legal opinion -be .obtained on the' question Sf ' «r ?'T ro^lonal . 9 0uId W'ft'member' M nffihatea(Towing.,club. This 6urely.is unno r thiDK in tho rules of- the iN./i.A.it.A. to present a professional bcin? a club member. _ pf course: he -'may hot race,' cr rather, the, other 'club: members may not 1 race ' tw'™ n? '-the' jurisdiction >n£ . >N.ZiA..B.A..has.in the matter. ■ n gs! {! u r championship botiveon tho holder, Harry Pcarco, and Ocoivi) P. a f, , a PP oa 's to have been a Homeric "go," l ull SiA'ftod illumined;with■ a .raoshdramatio fina e. r Says the "Referee," in describiM vthe ; battle:iii';its early, stagesi^.i'-it :.a ! flood tide,., and' the - watgr was'' Verv ; lumpy.. vPearco.made a false staTt,' but tho i wo aasas ssaittimis Sn^ ea y ia-slight 'adi vantage,.and afte-40 seconds rowiugihau abit'il thtoe-qiiarteri, of; a length; ho gradually forged : 'TW ;Un fi' l Point., after lrain. ; 4<sec. s rowing, Bi; i fl M afaidat.-i- ories . of iJav' Uhr s Point, .tho ■scullers got-tho full forco of tho very fresh ; to B1»k----./M?.-iW®^;,pnamp.ipn,.displayed'.sterling wutnr-' i r^^ oUp u u • " M . swept over l (ho soullersf but;Day.;shone out surprisingly.well. ISi ,r ° IW-JSWd ,worlc kept with the champion until after, three minutes' roivi-tg ;S .'. OT «rJ#Pglngi.> Pearce ; w tuSI 0 n i n L'«Pe.nenced 7, waterman, - Llit •SVPWvfd that he was npt as.unpolished as lio S? 1 n lth; ■"<>«; hero. ,on .'tb.'Blisland 6 j the challenger:, rowed.'desperately.'. aiid his. opponent.! vPearce, . f ")1 Itl • I f-' • le ?« :0f; three-(ju4rter's. v of a length ■ amidst roars, .of. Day-, wins!'" At':.the m>lo Pearce was'leadihgibj.: three',lengths,' which be •t rncreased ~to :iiearlj>.'fiye .at the ,two-mile' pest hard, and 01. though ..the j chami)io i ufti!spbnded ) ; he could' iwi S ,was' grbat"JS jtol l'earce drew away- again in the fleit Llf-mile. "-'Day how. came a^iiiri ■ i ut could .not get up,v and,' with. Bftv yards .to gp,-it .seemed'all over, with Pearce ii ; wir.ner.by'two' lengths. ' Here an unpr/cedontes .^ e all but cap. to '. eieitenieiltcan; be,': .imagined. •Pearce 'fIT° S i ? ne li r i' ; » aS '~' )res3 ' har:li • was- trying to St . j scuil -.back,:;into: the ;: swivil. I , l 'he toats! and on the bank wero t^ s - w, fce«it«niMt;/and the calS ?Ja otnp-D<!iarso t np - D<! i ars to h ", v o I»en Pearce. With coolness.-and; skill he managed to got .Jusxepull ' back - into,■ position, and, when was almost-level; .'he got going again and struggledTacross the lino. &lf l len K t?i to tho (26 „ mi14 - lsec -) for 'tb»- distance (three miles 330 yards) wiis slow, but is account and'tW wi" ; s,,6t r nngo i miisti' have been a wonderful • exhibition o£ boatman'shln ana., coolneßs':' orii-iEcarce's.' part; - and it ■ ii n ■ he •, kept ; in his : boat' when Ilia scull, jumped. from ; -tlie./swivels, Both men came, in for :,ereat. praise from; the' Austrai', a » : P* ss -\ a P.d K'are, appended i "p O Pf l i> s . ° present. J}* Rcfereo" Bavs-.-"Had tho champion's scull-not come out, he;would:hive,won by two ;?"/ ths - ,:: ''?' ' 1 .3 -surprising, that-,he ; was fortu-' uate enough: to, get his scull in : place again, especially after) such a hard race. ; Not one man in ten would have ;had: the . coolness and ■cleverness to> do it.' As p'redictedi Peafce won :a very . line ..rowed l with < rare iudKment. and deserves all possible credit; ■ On the other h'and, .one; cannot; Ispcak too highly, of George Day s very!: fine .performance. No 6ho cxpeoteu him .to .put up'such /a 'magnificent r,lcfiin such,vreather. .When it .is boruo in first.big match it. 'hiraself admir"RtusUingl chase, and y, gt y j e Kim! if> Iv ;correctod, he pro'veti teS:S^?SstSgsSf': B »'i>. ; »■' <• -Pearce would have won by two lengths had his scull not come,out .vEVemho'iwas-.axeited; l was a r^l.good race, he:tetd's..?roMi'o! the best I've u- Tel> !t ot A 1? K0; aU th o..way. Day pro\cd himself Al. -In my opinion it is only d(irfnlk- r p a t, w, ! s ?. ho improve wenWc ii v arC S b f at m rough water.: ,i)ay s pluck and stamina were oxcelleu'' He l «:° "despfa'a spurts 'at Uhr's Point .and .JV :haKtm>le. mau, wno has the. makings of ,a champion in him His supportersvshould'/havo nothing to complnm..about.'' ■' Says,tieorgo ,'Towns"lt• was.. a:, verr good race.. It . was a great .'performance; "if -tho weather.had • been- fine:>l /think ho: could have beiten 'Pearce./: :It is one. qf. the. roughest dava ir, , £ S c , n 1"'-ra<&. rowed. in, recently, it Uhr s Point :.B(iy was; going .real .well. ; I was surprised he shaped so well in tho rough water; Harry-is;noted as a great waterman. Day proved himself'» great stayer,.and piit up a very uno race. . ..; . ... , Also Peter weather beat, Pay. ,Un a calm day George-is snrc to win. Dav rowed a jolly good;race; he looked like a win. ?,?Ji ' Be *S al '.. V' I f nrry ' ba(l and good ' u °k. _,Day has;.plenty'of pluck."; , HefTor,:; who,rowed No,' 3 inVtho No. 2 Blenheim senior ■ crew ■ (Jordan's) last season, naj joined tho Star Club. . E °lV n ?>: Club ' ?P' ens '«t» • soasoii' _.witk, tho, .usual series of races for . the men folk, and afternoon tea in the boathousß for the gentler' sex. '• Owing to tho well-remombered .'manner; in which they havo been welcomed ;by their suburban friends in past years, largo, parties' from ;the two town ,-P.SS? "Pffssed their Intention of "going out. .•■ they will, no: doubt.rreceivo tho usual eenerous\entcrtainment, -and-'thcir usual drub:«ing in the rowing events. ; ; i'