ROWING NOTES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5434, 22 January 1875, Page 3

ROWING NOTES.

Our Annual Regatta day is now rapidly approaching, and promises great things'should the weather prove favorable. A word or two at the preient time about the various; crews who are to compete, may not be out of place. To take the race*, \n order, I will begin with the All Comers, for which there it a prize of £50, together with .a «t,of|aluable medals, presented by Mr. R. Grftjtan, who deserves the thanks of the 1 rowing community for his liberality. This 'event is a certainty for one of the three Thames crews, they being the only competitors. What about Auckland, poor Auckland ? they are not even going to make an effort to regain their lost laurels— there is rarely something very rotten somewhere. How is it that the Thames, who have mud to praotise on, manage to get three crews in, and AuoHfind can't manage one ? What about Keaifis and Co., have they "butt up," or are they afraid of the youngsters who gave them suoha thrashing last year. There was some rumonr of their not being able to get an outrigger but surely they could get a gig, in whioh they would lie far more at home, and, it strikes me, they would make a better show too, and 1 don't think any of the Thames crews will be able to sit their boats. As the above is a sore point with a good many, per* haps the less said on this head the better. Every credit is due to the Thames men for the manner in which they come forward at these contests ; they have to sacrifice a great deal by coming up here, especially when thsre are so many of them ; they certainly deserve to win. I shall h»ve au opportunity of judging them next week, I hope, and say a word about each of them. For the amateur gig race the Thames* are Again to' the fore. Some of them, I see, have bsen going in for a raoe on their own account. On Saturday last two crews from the Thames Naval Brigade had. a Jtpin for a brace of miles in order to «hoose r wmch should be the crew for the 29th. It appears that Cook's lot, after winning the first heat easily in a light boat, changed gigs with their opponents, went over the same course again, and scored auother win. Bravo, Cook's crew, say I, you deiorve to be representatives, and bo you shall. By the way, there is another Thames crew going la for this race, but of whom composed I have not yet heard. Nob having seen either of these crews I cannot say niuoh about them, so must needs wait their arrival. The North Shore intend sending a four to carry off the trophy, for which purpose Mr. Bailey,, at their side, has built them a White pine gig to row in. This new boat is spoken very favourably of, and as the North Shore people seem to have great conGdence in their meu, it is just possible that they may win. Tlio difficulty is to get a sight of these boys. They seem to be early-late birds, going out before the sun rises, and again after that gentleman retires. "The eaily bird, Ac," but what about the late one ? Go in North Shore, as I said before, it is just possible you may win, bub at present 1 fanoy.it will not be this year. You have good staff in your club, but are too lat« in the field. Now for Auckland, who it seems, are going to enter two crews, a thing one would have thought quite impossible, seeing the small amount of interest the bone and muscle of Auckland take in rowing. But it is evea so, and such being the case I'll to the point. The crew, consisting of the two Hendersons and two Dacres, having, T am told, been hard at it for the last week, somewhere out of town, have done the moit work by a lonjc % chalk, and consequently are iu better condition to stay the distance I saw them out on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, being coached by Mr. Grey, who I trust will work an improvement 1 , for which thsre is lots of room. And now for a word or iwo about the men, whom I will take individually. 8troke, who has just returned from Victoria, where he has had a good deal of experience in racing, seems to me rather to overreach himself, and sets at times a faster stroke than *he rest of the crew have been accustomed to row, though I would urge tho ottier three to try and get iu to this, as they will have to look pretty lively on the day of tho race. No. 3 pulls his oar out too late at the finish of his stroke, brings his chest up to meet it, rows with a buck '•which rusembl'S the gentle waving of a field of m heat on a windy day • yat, he ge's a power of weight on, aud is in good oondition. No. 2, the runner, is a tough customer, but he does not get forward enough, and could well dispt-i ■ ) with that triok of giving his companion* a shower bath so frequently ; talk to him, coach. Bow goes too lar back, diops his left should.. r iu coming forward, and sorewB abiut a good d< al ; but I expect grod things of him, he looks a likely 'un. This crew being pointed rui to mo, 1 have wa'ched [.ratty closely, and think they stand a show if the} stick well together, they are a powerful lot. The No. 2 crow are not yet formed. 1 will speak of them when they come to a head. For the Amateur Pairoaied Race I have heard oitly of the Dacres nml Hendersons. If there ate n> other e\ iliies, this raie will bo dispensed with. The above couplo d-> not seem to go ig> for ninth paii- <ar practice. I think I havonbout exhausted myself, but hope to say something of t he Goldtiekl crow a and North Shoreitea bcfoie long, when I shall also present the tip of OBSKUVBR.

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