ROWING NOTES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 75, 21 December 1935, Page 18

ROWING NOTES

Boxing Day Regatta at Wanganui EVENT FOR WOMEN (By Stroke.) Keen interest centres on the Wanganui Regatta on Boxing Day at which crews from all over the country, and quite a number from Wellington, are to participate. Tlie local representatives, who were mostly just striking form at the time of the Norton Cup, have now had every opportunity to perfect their styles and digest the lessonis learnt at that contest, and it is expected that they will do well at Wanganui. Rowing for Women. Among the events on the Wanganui programme not the least important is the ladies’ four-oar championship. Rowing is a fine sport for women, and there are women's rowing clubs at the great English universities of'Oxford and Cambridge, where rowing is considered almost more than a sport, a positive fetish. There, however, they concentrate on style rather than speed, unlike some of the London clubs, whose women’s teams can put up u, very fine performanc. CL'here is a tliriving women’s club in the north, the Auckland Ladies' Rowing Club, which has entered two teams for the ladies’ race at the Mercer regatta, and is only refraining from competing at Wanganui because of the distance, and the difficulty of getting away at Christmas. The Kaiwarra, Shed. The Wellington Club’s shed at Kaiwarra is proving a boon to members, for it is found that at practically any time when conditions do not permit of rowing in Wellington, a good stretch can be obtained at Kaiwarra. Club members have not been slow to take advantage of the facilities and the £9O the shed cost can be considered very well spent. The next question, and a very important one, is that of supplying water to the shed, not only for the washing down of boats, but because the oarsmen themselves need a shower, or at least a wash, when they come ashore. The problem is proving a little difficult, however, the cost, eome £l5, being one problem. Light would also be a valuable asset, but on the score of cost this will have to wait. It will come, undoubtedly, and then the Wellington Club will be able to claim a model branch. Blind Oarsmen’s Club. A unique occasion was the opening last week of the newly-formed Jubilee Rowing Club at Auckland, a club for blind oarsmen. formed as an outcome of activities of 'the Auckland Social Club for the Blind. Both fours and pairs row, and great satisfaction is expressed by members of the club at having established themselves as a regular club. Rowing is one of the few outdoor sports in which the blind can participate, and can even compete on something like an equal basis with other people. The club, which hae a membership ot about 20, originated from the desire of. the board of trustees to further the interests of the blind people in sport, and it received the enthusiastic support ot Mr. D. McPhee, who is the holder of several trophies won while rowing at St. Dunstan’s during and after the Great War. He has been elected president of the Jubilee Rowing Club, and the other officers are:—Chairman, Mr. W. Wilson; captain, Mr. F. Robinson; vice-captain, Mr. R. Gherardi; secretary, Mr. G. Ashdown. Crews of To-morrow. The inter-college rowing is of particular importance to the sport, as from the schoolboy oarsmen of to-day will bn chosen the crews of to-morrow. The annual race between crews representing Wanganui College and Christ’s College was rowed on the Avon River during this week. Christ’s College won by an easy margin, more than five lengths, thus improving on their previous performance when they beat Wanganui Technical College. The time, smin. 45sec., was considered unusually good for a secondary school crew. It was stated, however, that the winners did not at any stage appear hurried. The Wanganui crew averaged 111 stone, and the Christ's College crew 11 stone 10 pounds. Wanganui rowed a stroke of about 36 to the minute over the first part of the course, but later tired. The winners set a much more easy stroke.