ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1198, 5 August 1911, Page 12

ROWING.

• (By "Mercury")

THE DISADVANTAGE OP BEING ,'AENST. • • Why it is a Disadvantage. "Dick" Arnst gavo vent to his usual pleasantry after his great win last; Saturday. "It was the raco of his lite! \\ell, perhaps—perhaps not. Still it does not matter much—if at all. The fact is that Arnst is more firmly established lit Jus position as ohampion than ever. ■ .More firmly established in fact that seems good for bis pocket. For, barring Ernest Barry—England's , "hopo"—there .is no prospective opponent' for him in sight. His whole prospects now seem to depend upon his erstwhile pacemaker, Smiling Billy" • Fogwell. Should the latter, by any chance, beat Barry (not a T ery big chanco bv the way), then Arnst can 'hang up his fiddle and his hoc, heigho, and look for another job, for by all appearances he will have rowed bis last race. t His fervent hope now must Ire, despite any kindly feeling lie may have for l'ogwell—and, more is the pity-that Barry beats hiin, and beats him well. For, unless this occurs, there will be no chanco of the Englishman raising his stake, and "Dick's" expenses. And no stake, no race, and again no race—well, 110 living for Kichard Arnst. It reallv looks as though he will have to return to his old love, the bicycle, and, with the revival of cycling that is at present evidencing itself in Australia, the time appears to be opportune. It is cither this or "work" for tho champion, as he appears to h:ivo_ very abandoned tho idea of taking up pugilism as a career, oven if ho ever really seriously considered doing so. Was the Race Really Gruelling? ■ Now, as to the actual race:_ The reports so far are curiously contradictory. Wo are told that it was a "gruelling" encounter, and yet it appears that Arnst not only wiped off bis length's deficit at the mile and u half post, after stopping twice to avoid fouling, but actually thereafter established a lead of ten lengths. That is-to say that, in the second milo and a half, ho gained at least -eleven lengths, say 90 yards, and then, in the last quarter mile, allowed Pearcc to gain six lengths on him, as he won by four lengths.. , il' That does not look like a "gruelling" 1 race from this distance. The "gruelling" part of it may have come from his own endeavours to make a thorough job of his victory and to put up a fast timeit certainly does not appear to have been tli© result of any punishing tactics on 4>earce's part. One thing is certainly proved by this Tiice, as by hi; others. That is that, after all, 1 William Webb, of Wanganui, was at least as good as any other of Arnst's opponents, and that, though ' not good enough for the present phenomenon, he was of the stuff of which champions are made. Which is only what this deponent has contended on every opportunity. In one respect the cabled account was wrong. It stated that .-' tho time iof the race, 19min. 46sec., wns 'a record. This is not so.. The second race with Webb at Wanganui, over a course at least as long as the Parramatta. one, 3 miles 330 yards, ■was timed at 18min. 15sec.—a considerable ' reduction. What was meant was evidently ■that it was a, record for the full Parramatta course, which it is. The financial Side of It. , Some question has been raised as to the pecuniary benefit attached to Arnst's victory. The position .is that each man's backers put up ,£SOO. Tho "steamer money" was to be divided between tho sc|lll6rp: after i/pajing expenses, and 1 the; momj'pictures'iproflts -were to bo divide ed by arrangement. Thus Arnst would re-" coive ,£IOOO. .£SOO of-which he would hand ti his backers and .£3OO of which he would keep: 'We are told that the "gate" realised i£Boo, so that each would receivo £-100 of : that, with the "picture" royalties to come. In all, Arnst's "cut" would be nearly .£IOOO, less his expenses, say .£IOO, which seems a lot until one contrasts it with the probablo emolument that would have accrucd to the winner had it been a glove fight of the same importance. In th-j latter case, the winning end would have been at least twenty times as much, what with purse, gate money, picture receipts-, and theatrical engagements. Thero seems to be a moral in this somewhere if one could get at it.

The Figures of Arnst and Pearce. • We know How what tho difference between the men is over tho championship coursepabout four boat lengths. It may be interesting to contrast thorn in other s.ways, hence tho appended tables:— /• Arnst. • Pearce.' Age 27 8/12 32 • 'Height (in socks) 6ft. Jin. sft. lljin. Weight 13st. 31b. 12st. 101b. Neck 17in. . -lfiin.. Chest (normal) ... 431n. 4Uin. Chest (expanded) 49in. 441 in. Biceps (normal) ... llin. ■ lljin. Forearm '.... Win. ' llMn. Wrist BJin. 7}i"n. Thigh 27in. 21.\in. Calves ' 17-} in. lljin. So much for tho men. Now for their beats— Arnst's. Fearce's. Weight 281b. 2GIb Length 25ft. 25ft. Beam 12Jiu. " 12in. Depth (centre) ..... Bin. Gin. Depth (bow) 4Jiu. 4Hn, Depth (aft) 4in. ' Rigger spread 4ft. 9'in. 4ft. 9Jin. .:61ido 2Sin." 2Sin.