ROWING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1929, Page 20

ROWING

•» "»T«O«'" REGATTA TIME

CREWS PREPARING

BUSY MONTH AHEAD

COMING EVENTS. February 2—Mothes Shield, Wellington. February 9—lnter-club Eights, Wellington. February. 16— Wellington Kegatta. February 23—Championship Eegatta, Picton.

The next month will be a'busy one for oarsmen, not only locally but-prac-tically all over the Dominion. As far as Wellington is concerned, there is not a great deal to engage the attention of clubs till after the New Year, the first regatta of the season being the Picton Regatta on Queen Charlotte Sound. After that fixture though, the crews get right into solid training, and prepare for the chain of regattas which extend from January till March. Today the Christchurch Regatta is being held, and,- as has been the case in the past, Wellington oarsmen are represented there. - The next fixture to interest the local clubs is the Mothea Shield Kegatta, which this season has been fixed for 2nd February. The Mothes Shield ia a club fixture only, the entrants being restricted to crews from the local clubs —Petone, Star, and Wellington. The shield competition is always interesting, and invariably the racing is close. All the clubs have held the shield at least once, but it is doubtful whether Star, the present holders, will be able to retain the trophy. Both Wellington and Petone are making every endeay. our to capture it, and whichever way the competition goes the contest should bo accompanied by plenty of interest. The Mothes Shield is the only big club competition held in Wellington, apart from the inter-club eights race, which was only recently inaugurated. Previously the shield was decided at two regattas, ono held before and the other after Christmas, but the Rowing Association decided to adhere to tho one regatta, being influenced mainly by. tho fact that little or no weather suitable for training is experienced by crews on the southern side of the harbour before Christmas, which gave the club On the northern shore an advantage.

Last' season there was another competition in tho form of pennant races, in which the crews which were found to bo superior from each shed were awarded pennants. It is not proposed to hold these races this season. They aro regarded as being entirely unnecessary, as it would invariably happen that tho winning crews at the Mothes Shield Eegatta would be the pennant winners, thus making the holding of pennant races more or less of a formality only. Wellington is not as fortunately situated, as far as weathef is concerned, as some of the clubs in the more northern districts. Oarsmen here are to a great, extent handicapped by .the weather in -the first part of the rowing season, and there are, as a consequence, few rowing fixtures of importance among the clubs. With the advancement of the season, however, the ■weather usually improves considerably and the clubs become much more active. Interclub Eights. After the Mothes Shield, the next fixture of interest is tho International Eights, which are to be held on 9th February. This is.not the date fixed originally. The Interprovincial Championship Eights were previously fixed for 30th March, but it was then found that that date, would clash with the date of the Queoustown Regatta, which is usually attended by Otago clubs, who are also to.be represented at the eights. The championship eights were then altered to 16th March. In view of that, the Wellington Rowing Association came to the conclusion that their date, 9th March, for the inter-club eights, would leave too little time in which a Wellington crew could train for the inter-provincial : fixture, and consequently altered the date of the iuterelub eights to 9th February. The alteration was necessary, and the amended date should now give a Wellington crew time in which to prepare for the big racej and should enable them to make a fitting. display. Other Fixtures. '.-... A week .after .the iliter-club eights, tho Wellington Regatta is to be held. The following programme has been drawn up::—12.30 p.m., Senior Pairs, £6 and £2; 12.55 p.m., Maiden Pairs, £5 and £2; 1.20 p.m., Junior Pairs, £6 and £2; 1.45 p.m.. Youths' Fours, £9 and £3; 2.10 p.m.', Senior Double Sculls, £6 and £2; 2.35 p.m., Maiden Fours, £9 and £3; 3 p.m., Sonior Fours, £15 and £4; 3.25 p.m., Junior Fours, £10 and £3; 3.50 p.m., Junior Double Sculls, £'G-and £2; 4.15 p.m., Senior Single Sculls, £5 and £2; 4.30 p.m., Lightweight Maiden Fours, £9 and £3; 5.5 p.m., Maiden Double Sculls, £5 and £2; 5.30 p.m., Junior Single Sculls. £3 and £1. A total of £125 is awarded in donations. Tho following week the Championship Regatta is to be. rowed at Picton, and in all probability there will be strong Wellington representation. Picton is of - central situation, and pre. "sents no great difficulty from a traveling point of view to crews from either the North Island or the South Islaud. Its course is as good as any other championship course, and this season there are indications that in some of the classes the competition should be keen. In tho Senior Fours, for instance, it is anticipated that crews will be competing from Duuediu, Canterbury, Marlborough, Wanganui, and Hamilton. In such a large and representative field the title of champion four should bo ono that would be well worth gaining. Two crows, it is stated, will be competing from Marlborough, and that number should bring the number of entrants up to. six at least.. . ■ Tho Interproyincial Championship Bights are set down for 16th March, and will be held at Lyttelton. Tho Wellington Association has already taken steps to secure adequate representation, and has appointed Mr. A. White, captain of the. Potonc Club, to net as coach and selector for tho provincial crew. Last season, through an accident, Wellington wa,s debarred from participating in the race. Pearce's Status. Statements to the effect that Bobbie Pearce, world's amateur sculling champion, had backed out of his raco with Alf Burns for the Australian title, were answered by the Olympian recently (states a Sydney paper). "1 am in a quandary," said Pearce. "I have been ever since I came back. There is no possibility of my turning professional until I sco what they will do in Stauden's case. If that turns out satisfactorily, il will then go over. I am still waiting for a reply from Philadelphia. I am keen on going to America, as thorc scorns endless possibilities there."