Aquatics

Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 21, 24 July 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

Aquatics-

■ [By Neptune.] Wellington yachtsmen will be interested to learn that Mr. « Ted ' Mills, who has been in England for many months, steered to victory a one-rater at a big regatta at Harwich, in Essex, a few weeks ago. In another race at the same place the boat was only beaten by a few seconds. Mr. Mills is still a member of the Port Nicholson Yacht Club, and is at present engaged on a certain matter at Home whioh shows that he continues to have the best interests of the olub at heart. 'Ex-Otagan' writes:— 'l think it is to be regretted that "Ex-Member," in your notes of 10th inst., has attempted to detract from the undoubted value ot the services Yeoman has rendered the Queen's Drive Club in particular, and rowing in the Southern province in general. If " ExMember " had attended any Championship Regattas during the last three years, and taken an intelligent interest in the proceedings, he would have seen the effect of Yeoman's tuition on the Drive men, and heard from prominent rowing men gathered from all parts of the colony expressions of admiration at the excellence of the style of coaching pursued by the ex - Victorian champion. The Queen's Drive Olub was,

no doubt, fairly succesef ul at local regattas before Yeoman became its coach, but who was mainly responsible in gaining for it not only a colonial, but also an intercolonial reputation? Yeoman, of course. The peculiar but effective style adopted by the Drive champion ciew, was the outcome of Yeoman's Victorian experience, and has repeatedly been proved to be the fastest style in New Zealand. Bishop— an old club-mate of Yeoman — coached the Wellington Rowing Club's junior crew in the same style a couple of seasons ago, and turned out a particularly fast combination. I grant "Ex-Member " that Yeoman had excellent mettle to work on in the Drive Club, but the other cluhp, who could not get within half-a-dozen boat-lengths of the Drive crews, had equally as good mettle to pick their crew* from ; but the absence of a good coach, as much as anything, caused their non-success. It wants something more than excellent mettle to form a champion four nowadays.' In the course of a chat with the officials of the Otago Rowing Club, Southerwood, the newly-engaged coach, advocated regular land training for rowing preparation, including walking, running, and gymnastics, the lattter to be varied by skipping exercise. He considered heavy fixed-seat pair-oared boats the best for novices ; that straps for the feet were an advantage ; that he proposed to commence with pupils by placing them in clinker outriggers ; that from a week or a fortnight was long enough to keep a man in one boat . and that in bis opinion outriggers should have fixed poppets in place of swivels, while the oars should be packed to suit the style of rowing. From what he had seen of rowing in Dunedin Harbour, it was a common fault to lie too far back and bury the boat, and the hands were not dropped quick enough. Signs are not wanting of a revival in rowing circles in Victoria during the coming season. Last season the bicycling craze seriously reduced the membership of the various clubs in that colony, but the aquatic pastime is now distinctly reasserting itself, and cycling is becoming merely an adjunct to rowing. The improvements which are being effected to the river Yarra will, it is stated, make that course second to none in Australia, and Victorian oarsmen are looking forward to a very successful season. If arrangements are made to send an Australian eight -oared crew to England next year to compete at Henley and other great aquatic gatherings, it is well known (says an Australian writer) that only oarsmen, of the gentler occupations will ba qualified for the crews. Manual labourers, t;orpedo men, • cash ' amateurs in other branches of sport, et hoc genus omne, are evidently not regarded as worthy representatives of Australia on the water, although they may be, as far as rowing is concerned, as much entitled to 'the term ' lily-white' amateur as the members of the English University crews. The Australasian ■ states that it has come to the knowledge of the Victorian Rowing Association committee that rumours have been presistently circulated in New Zealand to its detriment. The burden of the false statement is that in Victoria competitors for cash and others who would be ineligible to row as amateurs in other colonies are freely admitted to compete in the association's races. To counteract the effect of these misrepresentations a copy of the association's rules have been sent to the New Zealand association, which, it is hoped, will then controvert the misstatements where they are likely to be harmful. Particular exception is taken to a statement made by Mr. G. B. Richardson (who had charge of the New Zealand representative crew which visited Sydney last year) at the last meeting of the New Zealand association at Picton. The luxury of being idle is not, apparently, much appreciated by the New Zealand ex-champion sculler Tom Sullivan. It is only about a month ago that he relinquished the post of mine host of the Rutland Hotel at Hammersmith, and next week he enters into possession of the Union Arms, a well-known house of call in the Battersea Bridge-road. Redently, by the way, Tom's family circle was enlarged by the advent of a little daughter, and, up to date, mother and child have both done well. Sullivan appears to have abandoned sculling so far as racing for stakes and titles is concerned, but he continues to coach ambitious amateurs, and is now training Mr. Everett, a well-known member of the London Rowing Club, who has an eye upon Henley and the Diamond Sculls. — London correspondent of Dunedin Star.