ROWING

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 23, 28 January 1928, Page 24

ROWING

■ v "BTBOKr" LOCAL RACING PENNANT EVENTS NOTES OF INTEREST COMING EVENTS. February 4 —Christchurch Regatta. February 25—Wellington Regatta. March 3 —Championship Regatta, WaiiKanut. March 24 —Interprovincial Championship Eights, Wellington. March 31—Interclub Eights, Wellington. The interest that centred round the pennant races last Saturday, and the stimulus they gave to local crews, vindicated the competition. Tho regatta was held for the express purpose of giving junior oarsmen an opportunity of rowing under championship conditions, and tin competition fulfilled its object. The one unexpected feature was the success of tho Star Club crows, who won three out of the four events. Star were favourites for the pairs and double sculls, but it was not anticipated that in addition to these two races tho club would annex the fours. Their success may be attributed to their good physical condition. This season there has been more than tho usual amount of southerly weather, and consequently the crews at the southern end of the harbour have had better opportunities for training than the Petono Club crews have had. Most of tho Star 'oarsmen arc of a young type, and the success of Saturday's crews speaks well for the club's future. To-day, the three local' clubs will meet again, this time in competition for the Mothes Shield. Star have never yet won this trophy, but this season their chances are bright, and if their crews produce form similar to that shown last week they should go very near to winning. Petone have won the trophy on more occasions than Wellington. In any event, the racing should be very close, and some fine finishes may be expected. If the weather is northerly, the Koro Koro course will bo used, and if southerly the races will be rowed on the Oriental Bay course, last Saturday the Koro Koro course proved very popular, and the opinion was expressed that it compares very favourably with any other course in New Zealand. In northerly weather it is well sheltered, though the outside crows sometimes- strike gusty patches, and there is every facility to enable the public to follow the races from the Hutt road. A Peculiar Position. ■"What is the position of a club if a team enters for a money prize under the name of that rowing club, but the members of the team are not members of that club?" This was the question put to the meeting of the Canterbury Bowing Association by Mr. J. H. Williams. Opinion was very much divided on the point, but tho general view was that the team becama professionals if they competed against professionals. When tho question was narrowed down to the position of the Timaru Rowing Club in relation to the tug-of-war team which had competed in the New Zealand championship, it was definitely stated that tho tug-of-war men were not members of the rowing club, and therefore, as they were not rowers, there was no seed to discuss their position. At the same time, it was thought that tho Timaru Rowing Club, as an affiliated club with a registered name; should not have allowed the use of that naino by a professional tug-of-war team. The Fours. A strong entry is expected for tho champion fours, to be rowed at Wanganui on 3rd March (says a Northern writer). The holders of tho title (Otago) are almost' certain to defend it, and there will be crews from two Auckland clubs, as well as from Hamil-. ton, and among the Southern clubs Union, Wanganui, Aramoho, Wanganui R.C., Petone, and perhaps Star (Wellington) will be represented. In this field tho outstanding crews, on paper, should be Waitemata, Union, and Otago, and on last year'p form the title should go to Union. Healey has young, powerful men behind him, and on his home course will be a solid proposition. Notes. W. Turner, the Tauranga sculler, intends to compete at tho New Zealand championship regatta in March, and may row in the senior sculls. A most promising sculler, and a pillar of the progressive Tauranga CluT Turner owns a boat that was formerly the property of P. Hannan. On 28th December he was distinctly unlucky not to win tho handicap sculls ai'ter he had made a wonderful recovery when in danger of tipping out through almost losing a scull. The experiment of including in tho programme a race for welterweight maidens in the lOst 71b class will be tried this season by the Wanganui Rowing Association, which will conduct the championship .regatta, and good entries aro already promised for this event. Before the war the junior welterweight was a "lass that was very popular in Auckland, but it has lately been dropped. The virtue in such gradings is that they make provision for tho light man who, after racing as a lightweight, puts on a little weight. Advice to Oarsmen. Some sound advice was given by Mr. E. V. Fairbairn, president of the Otago Bowing Association recently. Mr. Fairbairn stressed the necessity of all clubs having their members fit and well earlier in the season, than had been the case in the past. In some seasons members had gradually improved, but it had taken them until Easter to show what good oarsmen they really were. This particularly referred to the North End Club, and he felt sure the energetic club captain, G. Duncan, would take this to heart during the coming season. The only way to attain the end he referred to was by the clubs taking their races seriously, and allowing and insisting on members putting in a certain amount of training for all club events. It was only by the form displayed in club races that suitable material was found for regatta crews. Saturday afternoon events did not give tho selectors' an opportunity of estimating a man's true worth. In view of the fact that interprovincial eight-oared races would be rowed •at Wellington the Otago Association was particularly anxious to see keen competition for seats in the Otago eight, and clubs would have only themselves to blame if any promising member was overlooked by the selectors through not being in good form. It also behoved the clubs to immediately take into consideration the question of financing the Otago eight to compete at Wellington. This was a serious matter, and could not be left until the last minute. Looking round the various sheds, and judging by the interest being taken by old members, he felt certain that an early effort on the part of tho clubs "would result in the old supporters giving valuable assistance.