ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1295, 25 November 1911, Page 12

ROWING.

1 THE SPARRING WITH DURNAN.

(Bγ "Meecubx.")

Jan. I-Marlborough Regalia, Piclon. Feb. 17—Wellington Hegatta. Feb. 01— N.Z. Championship?, Lako Wai* hola, Otngo. Can Durnan ; and Arnst Meet? The deadlock with regard to further world's championship matches appears lo bo easing somewhat, Strangely enough, tho improvement has been entirely duo to an outside influence—Hint of Eddio Durnan. the Canadian sculler. Tho present position is set forth us under by: "Rigger" iu tho Sydney "Doily graph":There is still a great deal of controversy going oil among sculling men as to the future movement of Arnst and tho likelihood of his making the trip to Canada, where, it Is proposed, ho will row Diirnun, the Caiiiidiiin champion. Questions are being continually asked if Arnst will go over to tho diau, and when, and what he will do then, if h« is still champion. The first of these questions, however, is one which only Durnan can answer, lie mado his offer.to Arnst as to expenses, and received tho reply that tnev were uot enotig|i. Durunn , then cabled askiug how much tho champion wanted, and the answer wns Milt that £?M was the amount required by Arnst to make the trip to Lako Toronto. Whether this sum will bo allowed by Durnan is uot yet known, and so_ until further news is received from Canada no one can say whether the chamniou will go or\ not. Personally, I think .Anist should make the trip, even if ho cannot get quite so much for expenses as ho is asking, because there isvcrv little doubt in my mind as to his being ablo to beat Durnan. In fact, 'if tho Canadian has not improved since ho mot George Towns on the Nopcan Itivcr, I think a race between two such men as Arnst and Durnau would bo a more procession. However, if Durnan thinks ho has a chance ngainsftho cx-cycliEt, let him have a try by all means. Assuming that Arnst did make the tnp tx> Canada, and also assuming that ho heat Durnan, ho would snrely be in a position then to accept tho .CSOO expenses offered by the English people for him to go to the Thames and mod Barry. I think it may bo taken as fairly certain now that Barry will not come to tho l'arratnatta, no matter what inducement is held out to him. Consequently if Arnst. did go ' to Canada ho should certainly go on , -., to England if ho was.' successful. ' There are not many scullers about for i him to race now, Barry aud Durnan being tho only two'whom I tan see, so I think it would ho better for him to get these two men while ho bos tho opportunity.

It will no doubt bo asked wliy Arust is willing to accept £M to go to Canada when he will not inako tho English trip to row Barry under £1000. Tho answer ia to bo found in tho fact that on the Thames thoro is no gale money to be obtained—tho whole of tho proceeds of a match have to bo paid off tho defeated man's backers. On Lako Toronto, on Iho other hand, the river steamers make a big "gate" easy to collect as is tho caso on the Parramatta, and in tho present caso the business is simplified from the competitor's viewpoint by tho fact that the steamer service on the Toronto cours-o is controlled by tho Durnan faction. This means a monopoly and as the usual rulo of halving the "gate" woulß bo adhored to, the advantage to Master Dick becomes apparent at once. However, tho champion's physical condition may como and go there is no doubt to keep his business capacity in hard and constant training.

"And Not Before It is Time," Thero is a probability that the Chrietchurch regatta this season will undergo a change of venue and visiting oarsmen to Christcburch; , "with the recollection of miserable days at Lako Forsyth to darken their rowing memories, will devoutly exclaim, "and not before it is time." It ig proposed to lav out a new course at Corsair Bay at Port Lyttelton, where a straight two miles is obtainable, provided the water is dependable enough, a matter which is now being put to the test by surprise visits by members of tho local Uegatta Committee. Several inspections have been made and another was to havo been made to-day, after which it is expected that a, final decision will be arrived at. A Sorry Seng (o Sing, Locally, matters aro extremely unsatisfactory. Thero has never been such a spring for rowing "within tho memory of (ho oldest inhabitant," and it is to bo dovoutly hoped thero will never be another. It is no exaggeration to say that crews havo not averaged one row per week since tho 6cason opened and tho constant disappointment is already having its effect in damping tho enthusiasm of the oarsmen. Particularly is this so with tho newlyjoined members who havo not tho meriiories of pleasant days and good rowing during tho later months of tho 6<ason to assist in tiding them over tho present winter of their discontent. It certainly is discouraging to find the keen enthusiasm of the new convert to tho sport expending its force in futile, but excusable, rovilement of the weal her and its ways day after day, and then gradually dulling until it is replaced by tho apathy that leads to tho slackness in training that is tho bane of local rowing. In tho regatta crews also it is a sad business and tho keener the men are the sadder it is. Tho Picton regatta is not far off now. and yet our crews, through, no fanlt of their own, aro as raw us when first chosen, for which reason Din criticism on their form that was promised laH; week is held over. The Star senior'four lms struck trouble already. This club seems fated never to bo able to keep a crew together for more than ono consecutive year, and this present cape i* no exception. It will l>e remombore,] that this combination won tho IJf-jt and Best Junior Fours at (ho championship reratta Inst ponson. and ended nn by winning the Senior Fours nt Napier, "=0 tlint it started tho present, fcen»nn with reasonable prospects of success, winch will not bo at .ill improved by its latest experience. It has lost two of its company, M. A. Turner, the No. !), having to spell for :i while on account of vi owr.ilion to oim of liis linmfc, nnd IT. Wallace, tlio Ihiw, having bren transferred lo (liristcliiirch bv In's bank. _ Tlio paps will probiiblv lx* filled by the inclusion of two of the follow-in?'lrio, T!. C. Little, W. H. Biower, and S. Wheeler.

The Star Club's Events. 13y dint of carting tho l»ats to its Tlioriulon bhwl and rowing thi> races r.lons tho Kftiwnira foreihorc, Hie. Slnr Club managed to oil' Iho \vlmlo of it "T.iidios' Four" lixt'ure on Sulurday nl'loruoon. Everyone of twelve crews entered wcut to the st«rtii>f-post, aud, as only two Ixjots wiM'o nsi'il, ninft heats wpio necessary lo dispose of the_affair, mid Iho Borics wiw rowed through, iu three hours— fin ait work. The miuioture repatta was very enjoyable, Iho hieing ill Iho ,u\niu btiiig keen, mid tho rowing, considering the number of novices engaced, was very orodilnbh , , Tho ultimate winner turned up iu Cullen I.ittlo's (|tiarlet. who licit T. Bedford's eombiniiHou in the lina! on their third nppcaraiiec during tho afternoon. Little hinifolf shqirrd that he is Mil; capable of roprodtieins Iho form I hat won him liis championship coat, and it is to he, 'ucped that his sumofs will revive his intevesl in repatla rne.ing, and iudilco him lo ge.l into fit condition to take (.he placf ho should be occupying in t!i« clu')V .ser.ior f:»ur. He was ably assisted, on Sal nrday liy 0. O. C.-irr, No. .1, M'Master, No. 2, iiml M'lCay, lioir, The oilier finalist, T. Dedfnrd, put up u striking performance (hiring the afternoon. His No. .'1 was K. Johnston, who has done no oclivo rowiiiß (hiyseapon, and for his No. 2 and bow, ho drew two novices, who had never rowed in a four More tho first heat. Bwlford rawed this crew through heat and seini-llnal. and a.fler lnsilinu a hot crew sliokcd by 11. Dean, in (ho latler afier a hard rar« all the way, had lo (urn out ns«inst Little in the final wilh only fifteen miiiukV spell. Certainly his two novice?, Stewart nnd Mitchell, vowed exceplinnally well for now menStewart especially—and Johnston, somehow or other, found a lot of his ono-limo dash and vigonr, t-till Bwlfonl's perl'onnance in Rotting sw far must stand as a sterling one.