ROWING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 98, 20 January 1938, Page 16

ROWING

All Eyes On Empire Games Crews MOTHES SHIELD Christchurch Regatta Form Reviewed

(By

Stroke.)

Followers of rowing will have their thoughts firmly fixed on the chances of the British Empire Games crews who are to make their bid for Empire titles on the Nepean River, Sydney, ou the afternoon of Wednesday, February 9. The rowing events will have a particular interest for Wellingtonians because of the selection of the Pctone senior four, O. N. Clayton (str.), A. Hope (3), K. Boswell (2), B. Rigby (bow), who were successful at the New Zealand championships at Akarou last year. . Mr. A. E. White, Petone, coach of the champion four, is very pleased with their progress and considers they will strip a very fit crew on the day. It is a matter for regret that, for business reasons Mr. White is unable to accompany the crew, but it is understood that Mr. F. 11. Ayres, Christchurch, in whose charge the rowers will be in Australia, does uot intend to interfere with the training schedule mapped out for the four by Mr. White. The eight is reported (to have come on well in recent rows, and northern reporta state that It B. Smith, the Auckland sculler, has never been in better form There is much conjecture whether Smith will carry off the Empire single sculls title. 11. Turner, Australia’s representative, beat Smith at the Melbourne centenary in 1934 by only' a length. Other starters are doubtful. South Africa is not competing and it is unlikely that one of England's foremost scullers. Jackson, who is in the eight, will contest both events. Canada' is without a sculler. ' The crews which leave by the Wanganell.i to-morrow night will have the beet wishes of the people of the Dominion for their success in Australia,*and if they.do not succeed in bringing back an Empire title they will uot be very far behind at the 'finish.

Straight Talk. There has been much discussion tn rowing circles recently regarding the Wellington Rowing Club’s junior four. When first selected and taking each man s record it must be admitted tlpt it would have taken a very good crew to beat it, but subsequent regattas have proved that it is not rowing so well as it should. The boat does not seem to be making pace between strokes, and there is no result for the effort entailed. Club officials cannot deny that the best performance to date was at Norton Cup regatta when Tregurtha (st.), McLean, Woolcott and Marchant gave a good exhibition of clean rowing. They still think that this crew with the inclusion of Wares in place of Woolcott is the best Wellington can boast. Why is it that Marchant, who was selected as bow for the senior four is not good enough for the' junior four? What is the matter with Luke and Spoor as double scullers, anyhow?

The Canadian Four. A crew of apparently effortless strength and precision and capable of performing with credit in an Empire championship is the Canadian rowing four which arrived in Auckland on January 10 bv the Aorangi on its way to Sydney for the Empire Gaines. A sculler, Charles Campbel), who is a former Canadian and United States champion, was to havet accompanied the team, but complications at the last minute prevented his doing so. ' Champions of the Pacific Coast tor the past two years, and unbeaten for three years on the North Pacific Coast, the four, which represents the James Bay Athletic Association, Victoria, is as follows:—J. McDonald (.stroke), D. Davis (3), M. Winkler (2), J. Temple (bow), K. Jaggard (cox). The coach is Mr. D. Moses. Opportunity was taken by the crew to use one of the Auckland Rowing Clubs skiffs. It was too much to expect the Canadians to be at their best after their long sea trip, but the few who saw them in action were much impressed. A factor which worried the crew in the Auckland boat was the port stroking. In Canada the stroke rows on the starboard side. A new shell built throughout of Canadian cedar was made specially for the Empire Games. The new boat was constructed similarly to the one used at the last Olympic Games, Pocock designed on the University of Washington style, and it was cross-braced as well as braced to the keel.

Crews for . Mothes Sliield. The Mothes Shield regatta on February 5 should prove keenly contested, as all three clubs, Star, Petone and Wellington, will be well represented. The. Petone selectors, Messrs. I. T. Watson, A. E. Jones and. W. Sharon, have chosen the following crews to represent the club at the remitta, .Junior four: K. Williams (str.l, H. Barraclough (3), W. McGowan (2), T. Crook (bow). Maiden four: A. Liuncy (str.). J. le Puni (3), C. Barraclough (2), W. Watson (bow). Youths’ four: J. Killalea (str.). J. Tegg (3), J. Boswell (2), M. Clark (bow). Welterweight four: H. Hobbs (str.), F. Barry (3), M. Wells (2), R. Lowe (bow). >, Lightweight four: G. Calvert (str.), A. Moore (3), G. Earney (2), D. Heeney (bow). . , Maiden pairs: No, I—A.-.Liimey (str ), W. Watson (bow). No. 2—F. Cassidy (str.), H. Parsonage (bow). Junior pairs: No. I—W.1 —W. McGowan (str.), L. Benge (bow). No. 2—K. TVilliams (str.);, H. Barraclough (bow). Maiden single sculls: R. Sharon. It is hoped to send some of the above crews to the Napier regatta on February 12. It is a pity the selectors dropped H. Parsonage from the three seat in the, maiden four. Though the crew did uot do well at Pictou, in view of their showing at the Norton Cup and their good combination the change seemed hardly warranted. The crew's showing at the Mothes Shield will be watched with interest.

Star Contenders. The Star club will be represented at. the Mothes Shield regatta by the following .crews: — Maiden fours: No. I—M. Willis (str.).

R. Hansen (3); S. Sidford (2), P. Hughes (bow).- No. 2 —J. Watson (str.), J. Rose (3), M. Toms (2), H. Hall (bow). Junior fours: P. Shirley (str.), R. Pearse (3), G. Gibbons (2). J. Peters (bow). ■ ' Maiden pair; J. Watson (str.), R. Hansen (bow). ■ Senior pair; A. Sheppard (str.), G. Broad (bow). Maiden single sculls; T. Alexander. Welterweight fours: .No. I—K.1 —K. May (str.), S. Kidd (3), R. Frazer (2), R. Burge (bow). No. 2—H. Bevan (str.), F. J. Eggers (3). F. McWhinney (2), W. Hawker (bow). Lightweight four; O. Pert (str.). E. Webb (3), E. Macpherson (2), E. Dawsou (how). Youths’ four: L. Stroud (str.), J. Bullock (3), P. Donnelly (2), J. Gilbertson (bow). Junior pair: P. Shirley (str. 1 ), R. Pearse (bow). The Wellington crews for the Mothes Shield will not be announced till the week-end.

Petoiie’s Success. The Pctone club has every reason to be proud of its splendid showing at the Christchurch Regatta on Saturday. Three starts for three wins is good going, mid P. Abbott, (str.) and C. Gimblett (bow) in tlie senior double sculls, and J. Killalea (str.) and M. Clark (bow) in the youths and maiden double sculls, are to be congratulated for their fine performances. Considering the little time they have been at the game, Killalea and Clark have shown remarkable improvement and they are bound to make their presence felt at future regattas. P. Abbott has put in a lot of time coaching these boys’ and lie deserves a share of the credit for their success. Disappointing Showing.

The Star club’s excursion to Christchurch was not a successful one. the only place being gained by the maiden four with a second. They were benten by a solid crew from Christchurch Union after a bad race into the wind and’current. Steps are now being taken to purchase two new practice foprs. These will not be ready for this season, but they will fill a very presiding need. The crews have been changed since Christchurch, in particular the junior four—Peters goes back to bow mid Gibbons into the two seat. The erew has plenty of power mid with more practice should combine well. Shirley, the stroke, only needs a little more confidence to be n fine stroke. His three should see that he quickens at the end of a race. Alexander is taking on the sculling. Ho is <’i powerful sculler, but. since being in Wellington, he has not had a race. With concentration, he will die a hard man to beat. ' Plenty of training is indicated as he was not nearly fit enough at Christchurch. Wellington Jottings.

The Wellington club's crews found stiff opposition at Christchurch regatta, but performed very consistently to gain four second places. The lightweight crew were unfortunate in that the stroke seat became detached when the boat was well in the lead. They fixed the seat, but the handicap was too great, and they finished in second place. The junior four did not perforin so well as expected. The boat was not travelling as fast as in practice rows. The youths' four rowed into second place, but they also did not show the same form as at Pieton. Luke and Marchant in the senior doubles sculled well to get so close to Petone. The lightweight double sculls crew managed to secure a second place. On the whole the. standard of rowing in Christchurch was high, and all races were evenly contested.

Brilliant English Eight. Visitors and enthusiasts iu Sydney for the Empire Games will have the op-

portunity of seeing the 'brilliant English eight, which is to race on the Parramatta River on February 9 with crews from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and South Africa as its competitors. It had been previously decided not to send an eight from Great Britain on account of financial difficulties, but ardent followers guaranteed the whole necessary for the trip. '

The crew, which includes a number of well-known oarsmen, is as follows: —M. S. Beasley (London), stroke; R. Hainbridge ('London), 7; J. D. Sturroek (Leander), 6; P. 11. Jackson (London), 5; J. Turnbull (Cambridge), 4; D. C. Kingsford (Leander), 3; R. C. Harmon (Thames), 2; J. F. 'Burrough (Thames), bow; T. Reeve (London), cox. Emergencies: S. Offer, R. F. Offer (Kingston). The coach is Mr. J. Beresford. *

J. D, Sturroek rowed six in the successful Oxford eight which broke its long list of 13 defeats by Cambridge last season. .An Olympic oarsman, he stroked the winning four in the 'Steward’s Cup at the Henley regatta. D. C. Kingston, who was in the Olympic eight, was a member of the Cambridge University eight in 1935 and 1936. An Australian, J. Turnbull, rowed six in the winning Ladies’ Challenge Plate at. Henley . He was in the four seat of last year’s Cambridge crew. One of England’s foremost scullers is P. IL Jackson, while the Offer brothers are notable for their success in pair-oar events. The four-bar contender will be chosen from the eight.

Perhaps nobody, is better known in the rowing world than the coach. Mr. J. H. Beresford. He has competed in five Olympiads. His successes include the single sculls at Paris in 192-1, the coxwainless fours nt. Los Angeles in 193-, and the double sculls at Berlin in 1930. The eight is really not representative, as none of the best university men was available. The average weight is l~st. 121 b. The crew moves easily, and displays splendid watermanship, the boat running as steady as a rock.'

The eight, will row under the flag of St. George, and the oarsmen will wear on their singlets the red rose which appears on England.’s Rugby jerseys.. The oarblades are to be painted white, with a red rib and a narrow red collar round the loom, and red at the back.