ROWING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 6

ROWING

Inter-club Eights On Saturday PETONE SHOULD WIN Redding Shield Crews In Training

(By

STBPRE.)

No serious fault can be found with the decision of the Wellington Rowing Association to hold the heats and final of the inter-club eights next Saturday, but the time is short for the Wellington, Star and University crews to get into trim if they are to prevent Petqne winning by a substantial margin. Crews at the southern end of the harbour have been hampered in their training by an unprecedented spell of northerlies, and Petone will be benefited by the boat-work they have bgen able to have. The association confirmed its previous decision that Petone is to represent the province in the interprovincial eights at Wanganui on Easter Monday. At a recent meeting, the Wanganui association decided that an inspection of the championship course be carried out and any improvements that could be effected are to be undertaken immediately. Crews Not Announced.

The inter-club eighth are only two days away and the Redding Shield regatta little more than a Week, but so rar no Star crews have been announced tor these events. A junior crew has been in training, however, for the past two weeks. The work of the senior four has been affected by the illness of the bow man George Cooke, but the othre men have kept up their training. With such . a short time left the match committee is asking a good deal to expect crews to do well at the Redding Shield regatta, let alone the iiiter-club eights a week earlier The failure of the Star crews at the Wellington regatta has no doqbt been the cause of the delay, but crews could have been selected at least a fortnight ago. Lossibly the committee contemplates starting only a few crews, but this would be a. mistake, as the erews want as much practice as possible and one race is worth anv number of practice sprints. Despite the absence ot regatta crews the new rave committee has been by no means idle and is to be congratulated on bringing 'up to date the club’s face progrfimme. Williams Memorial Fours.

On Saturday the Star elub rowed its Williams Memorial Fours under rough conditions. Stroud’s crew won through in the final by a length. Behind him were J. Gilbertson (3), P. Saunders (2 , and A. Lowe (bow). Their win was well deserved as they have shown commendable keenness throughout the season, particularly Lowe, who, with J. Houston, is undaunted by the fiercest northerlies. The senior and junior singles are to be rowed as weather permits. There are likely to be about nine starters in each event. University Eight.

The University eight, which was selected this Week, took the water for the first time on Tuesday. They have plenty of Weight, and, with the necessary work together, should mould into a strong crew. Mi - . Spurdie has set about the task of coaching the crew with his usual thoroughness. The club is handicapped by the lack of a stroke, but G. C. Broad should do creditably in that position Any weaknesses on his part should be more, than compensated for by the strength ot the seven man, It. Hansen, All meinbers of the crew are fit and they will need to be. Three miles is a long way even fur a fit crew, aiid in a hard race there is no room for a passenger. Wellington Club Crew.

The Wellington club is entering a fairly strong crew for the inter-dub eights on ■Saturday, but it is doubtful whether it will be able fully to extend the Petone

eight, which is showing good form at present. ... , , , The various crews are training hard for the Redding Shield regatta and the New Zealand championships at Wanganui on Easter Saturday. The fact of the championships being held so late this year has made the season long and strenuous, and by Easter most oarsmen will be glad that the regatta season is almost over. At Petone.

Old members’ day at Petone on Saturday saw a large gathering of supporters of the club who, thougu no longer on the active list, have still the interest of the sport at heart. In their races the old members demonstrated in no uncertain fashion that they still know how to handle an oar. .... Next Saturday, if the wind is from the north the club hopes to hold a club race between the heats of the inter-club eights. The junior-novice fours are to row off and the final of the senior-novice race is also to be decided. . All the Petone crews have settled, down to steady training in preparation for the Redding Shield regatta on Saturday week. The welterweight crew, R. Lowe (str.), H. Te Puni (3), D. McDonald (2) and M. Wells (bow), is reported to be showing good form and appears to be easily the best welter crew boated by the club this season. , , , The maiden four appears to be going very smoothly and should do well. I. Carter and G. Leopard are training steadily in the best-and-best pair and are getting plenty of pace, out of their boat. K Boswell and B. Rigby are busy renovating an old pair they have borrowed from the Star club, and an interesting raee between these erews should be seen in the near future. The Petone eight has not been doing much this week, as the men back from Australia have had a hard season and their coach, Mr. A. E. White, considers a spell will do the crew no harm. Their hand work is imbroving with every outing and the crew is likely to be a hot favourite for the inter-club eights. Remarkable Balance.

A remarkable exhibition of balance and watermanship was given recently by Mt. R. J. Crawford, the veteran oarsman of the Wellington Rowing Club. Fully clothed, he rowed off from the skids in a best-and-best racing scuiler. Then, standing up in the boat, which he balanced with his feet, he took off all his clothes. He then put them on again over his rowing togs and rowed back to the skids. Unfortunately a strut on •which he was standing gave way and he fell into the sea. Nevertheless this does not detract from his almost incredible feat;

Some years ago Mr. Crawford gave another example of hi# extraordinary sense of balance by rowing a pair-oared boat single-handed and with ouly one oar. He maintains that perfect balance is the essence of rowing and this must account largely for his great record in championship ’and . senior rowing. His favourite expression when coaching is: “You can’t all be champions but you can at least be watermen.’’