ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 12

ROWING.

■;>- \ ;•■;-• 'IBtjAfisrcdrt.l :,; ''.•".'..".■ ''•'*'■■"■. ■'■'":: ',/ sHxrups^V^^'/'r^'--/-December 16.—Akaroa-iKogatta. • ' .■ '■■-■■'' •'•' January.' 15.-Wellington •■iiegatta. ■■■•■' January 22 or 24.-NOIV, Zealand Champion. ■_ ships (Pioton).... •■.:; .• . . .26.-Christchurch-' Eegatta (Lake ..- Forsyth). .:y. ; ,,..:.' : ,:,■,;- ■;' '■■:'.'-.•.• .-.■■

Shoals of regattas arc in view just now. 1 Two, the notifications of, whiclMiavercoiiie'to hand during'the week, are oi.special interest to.the local clubs, viz., that'nt I'ictou on fcew,Year's Day, and that at -.Nftpje* on • March.2o. The Pioton fixture.is a.popular;one with f our clubs, and it is with pleasure that it/is noted that it.is.'not.to.bb extinguished by the championship meeting, lateiYiiiv.tho mouth. ana apropos'of .'the .championships, .it is high tiineV ; from'- the rowing man's .point of .view, that the. powers that be in. Wellington-.'settled upon the date upon ..which Anniversary Day is to be. celebrated, so;that the. date of the big gathering could:, be'■'.' determined., ; - Monday, January 21 would Undoubtedly "suit '■ regatta purposes best;;;, 'Then'crews could leave on Saturday, rest' Sunday, compote on' Monday, and return that night, and thus get through the trip without extra" leave. 'However, : to return to,the Now'.Year regatta, tho : programme consists of ' the following events-.—Maiden Fours, ono mile, i£o. and £Z\. Senior Fours' (Ecst and Best), 2 miles, .£l2 and ' £t j Maiden Double Sculls, 1 mile,' <t's and £2) Junior Fours (Best and Best), 1$ miles, £S and £i; .Youths': Fours, 1 mile,,. £S and £3\ Senior Pairs (Best and -Best),' 1 mile,: £7 and £2 ; Junior Pairs (clinker), 1, mile, £5 and '£3. :'■■.. ;.'-The Hawke's'Bay Assooiation'is offering .£IOO in prtees for its events, all the races for which are to be rbwedin clinker, boats.' Maidens are well catered for, there being five events for this' class oh the programme. A full programme will be published later. ' •'■ /Training operations have been rather'at a standstill since last week on-account of our normal ante-Chi'istmas "northerly." Up to the time of writing'' the water has been tod "jobbly" for anything more than rough practice,'and, truth, to tell, after the constant toil of the past fortnight, during which some.of the crews were putting" in two hard rows per diom, some, of the men were not sorry for.a spell. The Wellington Club crows were not able to take full advantago of the run of calm .water. senior crow has been minus tho services of Davey.'No; 3, whoihas sustained a mishap to one.of his'hands, 1 and the youths' crew, which has been disbanded, has.yet to bo rcchosen. • •>-:., :-, v : ::. ,;, ■".-.,,.■"■- ,-,.. The writer, as not seen much of the W.Jt.C," .maiden : crew.: 'Whether it is ■ that this' crew docs its preparation at unconventional hours, or whether it is that it is "slacking" its work "Mercury" cannot say, bnt, it is to be hoped that the latter is not the case. The crew consists of excellent material, with plenty of row; ing and care in the .attainment of a' good style,'is capable of. going far in -its class'. So it would be 'a pity- if its. prospects were'.spoilt through want of keenness! On: the last occasion., that ■'Mercury"' Saw: it at work; the men wore fairly, well together; and the time and swing were fair, but the stroke was losing his; slide: badly, and cramping his finish by rowing .his hnnds into his lap instead of up to his chest- No. 2 was sitting Up.well, and doing nice work-with his hands, and 'generally show, ins the'best, form, in the boat.,,"■:■ '■■"■ V ~; ' The Star maidens are showing improvement, but. do not seem- to bo most of their opportunities.:lt-is at this stave:of the

training that long, steady rows of five" miles 01 so aro most beneficial in knitting a crew together, and the other regatta combinations liavo shown.-their' appreciation of this fact by indulgin'g, in them whenever possible, whereas the maidens seem content to row down to the Soint now and then, and consider the work well one, Mr, D. K. Menzies has been out with the crew,_ and has much improved its /slidework. What is wanted now .is a goheral brightening up of tlie hands, and' a smarter cntch and recovery right through the boat, ao as to compensate for the extra slowness forward, No. 3 and No. 2 aro fairly smart with Ihc hands, whereas stroke and bow are .on the slow sido in this respect.. Stroke seems to sit too solidly on' his seat, and does not flatten' his back sufficiently; when forward, thus, sacrificing reach-and spring. He is hard through tho water, and fairly, sound on the slido, and keeps a regular length.: No. 3 is shaping well, and, though still on the r,ough side, is getting good work with stiff arms.and,a straight back. His- slide work is apt to be doubtful at times, and his swing requires' attention, as it'doeii not always lie straight along the boat. No, 2 is greatly improved. His finish is still his worst feature, though better than it was. Ho appears to sit too low in tho boat, and sinks his body down even more so at the end' of the swing,' instead of sitting up and holding his side of the.boat up. His arm work is good, and he seems to. get a good'push from tho stretcher, but is apparently shorter on his slide than his colleagues-as.if he were not using the whole of it. Bow is not getting enough back into his work, and his swing forward is cramped.. Daily practice on the "machine," or even on a box without an oar, would be of service in getting him into a freer stylo of swinging from the. hips, instead of reaching out from i the shoulders...... ; • Bayfeild's senior challenge crow, which has now been officially sanctioned as such by-.the Star, Club s-Selection Committee, has'been 'suffenng in.its preparation-from-.the effects of tho recent wool sale. What workit has done,how; ever, has .been done thoroughly and. well. There is.not "let'lip" about Bayfield, and ,on every opportunity the veteran goes "on tour" round port Nicholson, and gets in anything from fireflies and upwards without a stop. The result of.this system is showing in the com. binatioii already' attained by this crew, and rts restfuk, easy swing forward on the slide, bayfeild himself is rowing nearer to his. championship form than he has since that momentous occasion, but is still: capable of, and wanting in, reduction in the waist line. The other members of the crew are doing well, and thero can be no doubt that provided the condition can be acquired, as well as theforth, this crew will make the official representatives hurry considerably, in the challenge, race. '■ "'■.'■■■ •■ .-' ■All three clubs have been club racing of Into. Tluj W.K.C. senior fours have been adv vanced into tho final stages. Results to date aroj-S.; Shilling- (stroke),- Stewart, Shaw, and I'ltrness defeated M'lCinloy's:- crewj ' Standen (stroke), Perry; Bidding, and Mathieson beat Davey s team; and Gaudin- (stroke), Green; Gray, and Matheson beat Shilling's crew.' In the, junior division: Bardslev's and Bodiey's crows havo beaten. Whincop's and Meek's, : - respectively, > ... ••■,■; -,-.• 'The I'etono' Club has conclndcd its junior four contest, Drunimond's crew defeating Newell's in- the final. .'The.:Staf.Club:has been engaged in ; its.son-' lor and junior double sculls, • Results of-heat' racing to time of writing are:—Senior: (V E.Bridge andß; Lambert won from F. Hume and Harrington after a good race.'The junior heat wjnnors are:—First, heat:. Stansell and, Htickworth. -Second' heat: Robieson and Beaumont. Third heat: R. Armit, and M'Kay. I'ourth heat: ICain. and Haughtori.' .The cabled news that certain South African sportsmen have offered a purse of .£IOOO for a match' between Arnst and Barry on the Zam: besi opens up ground' for'■:considerable argu-, ment, The point' at issue is as to whether or not tho world's championship can be'involved, in a match of this nature where the prize is put up by promoters,'and is not a stake. The conditions governing the holding of tho title and .contests therefor explicitly, provide for a formal challenge, for certain:stako moneys.according to whom the race is between, mid whore rowed, and for certain deposits-to bo paid-as-forfeits at certain periods. ■■■■ A.niatch such as is proposed does not conform to ; any of these conditions, and though : the. may bo. considered to bo only technical, and to, be got'over- by,a'- little- finessing, as things stand at present it'appears that-Arnst can accept the offer, 'and- race' without endangering his possession':of the'.title in any! wry.'-" • ...