ROWING

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 87, 11 January 1928, Page 7

ROWING

(By

“Sculls.”)

COMING EVENTS. Pennant Races.—January 21. Mothes Shield.—January 28. Christchurch Regalia.—February 4. Wellington Regatta.—February 25. N.Z. Championships (Wanganui).—Mar. 3. Inter-Provincial Eights (Wellington).— March 24. A southern paper states that a member of the executive of the Riverton Re-l gatta Committee has put forward a suggestion which could with benefit be taken up by the controlling body in New Zealand. The suggestion is that some controlling body, such as the N.Z.A R.A., should take all orders for boats from the clubs and have them imported from the manufacturers. This would dispense with the various clubs requiring new boats having to write individually to the manufacturers, and would relieve them of an unwelcome amount of responsibility. Auckland has taken delivery el Hie couching pair oar presented by Mr. Mephan. The new craft should be useful. Fitted with outriggers and sliding seats, the boat has room for a. coach at Sow-and stern.

The Collett Cup (Petone). The racing was very interesting and some good finishes were witnessed. Tlie spllrf- Snafs are licing continued during tiiis week. A particularly good exlnbiI ion was put up on Saturday by Cameron's crew. They won their first nenL very comfortably against 1. Slinn. The results are as follow: — S. Burns, R. Cameron, J. McLauchlin, L. Wainscott, beat T. Slinn, R. Moss, G. Nicholls, and J. Morrison by two A. White, A. Smith. G. Medhirst, J. Bodda beat K. Waiyi, E. Barry, O. Clarke, and R. G. Duncan, by one and a half lengths. G. Villars, J. Elder. A. Jones, and J. Hamilton beat L. Home, J. Barry, G. Bodda. and K. Rodger by one length. A. Warden, G. Gorden, G. , and W. Morrison beat A. Hickson, L. Bowater, , and S. Duncan by two lengths. Picton Regatta. The Picton Regatta officials are to be congratulated on the manner they got off the different events on New Year s Day, w’hen the sea abated enough tor them to be held. The senior races, of course, would have been very interesting races had they been held, in fact, thege was more interest in these events this year than has been the case for some years past. It is a matter for regret, in the circumstances, that the umpire, when appealed to by the Pctone crew, did not force the gace to be rowed from -Mabel Island over a course of about one mile and a quarter, when the crews were there in the morning. Instead, he asked the crews if thev were agreeable to row from there and Wairau objected. Tho action of allowing the crews to go out in the mot;ning when it was obvious that, the water was not rowjible does not show that the officials had much consideration for the crews or thleir boats, as the swamping of a Best and Best boat is sure to damage it, if not permanently, at least temporarily. Romance of Rowing. A well-known English rowing enthusiast, writing about the sport and its history, say's: “We may safely assume that rowing bad its origin in some dim prehistoric age. With the birth of letters it was already a practised art.

. . . From Virgil to the ’Varsity boat race is a far cry, but the progress of rowing during the intervening period was slow, aud its chronicles are meagre. It was a matter of surprise that medieval Loudon failed to produce amateur rowing contests, but if Hie stout apprentices of the middle ages did.’disport themselves on the river, tlie tale of their prowess remains untold. In any case, it is not till we come to quite modern times, that we hear of rowing—the character of a sport, and even then practical ulterior benefits are kept mainly in view. In 1715 Mr. Doggett, a comedian, initiated an annual race, the ostensible object of which was the encouragement of good rowing amongst Thames watermen. Whether this race produced tlie desired effect or not, .this was the pioneer of the many, rowing contests that take place in. England today. “For many years after this.no ether aquatic event of interest is recorded, and it is not till 1775 that we such a thing as a regatta. In this year the first regatta of which we have any evidence was held in front of RaneJngh Gardens. It was presumably confined to professional oarsmen,’ for up mention is made of amateur competitors. ...

"After this ,we learn nothing of regattas or of rowing as a recreation until the end of tlie century is reached. About this period tradition tells us that there were three amateur clubs in existence on - the Thames at - Loudon -the Star, tlie Arrow, and ths Shark. Of the achievements of these somewhat mythical institutions nothing is related, butracing, as we understand it now, had certainly as yet no existence. Here, however, wa= a change from previously existing conditions, for a boat, instead of being merely -a vehicle for ths carriage of passengers and goods, had come to be regarded as a means of amusement and of exercise.”

Slide Control. One of the greatest difficulties experienced bv strokes is in developing slide control (states a writer in the "Poverty Bav Herald”). Almost every • oarsman, in tho early stages of his tuition, shows an inclination .to rush his slide forward, and this in turn hurries the catch. Tho style of rowing generally practised . m New Zealand calls for a steady, slow, recoverv, end the return of the slide regiilates'lhe time of the stroke more than, any other detail. It is the principal aim of everv coach to steady down the slidework of the novices, for unless the return is steady, the body is rushed into the "catch” position, and the next stroke must follow quickly or the boat will fall into a roll. Every novice should endeavour to keep his mind on the slidework during the recovery, for he will find immense benefit to his rowing if he can conquer the inclination to rush the recovery. When the coach or stroke issues the-reminder, “Steady forward on the slide,” each man in the boat should follow the instruction closely and quickly Almost anv practice row in the early stages of the season can offer an illus-' (ration -of the benefits of slide control, and every stroke or coach should take an opportunity now and again to illustrate what is meant by the term “shde control." Give close attention to the . details mentioned above, the novice will. find that .he can quicken or steady down the rate of striking without developing a roll or a lurch in the boat. Rolling is one of the faults that detract from' the run of the boat between strokes, and bad slidework is one the errors that result in rolling.