ROWING

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 102, 26 October 1929, Page 22

ROWING

Si- "Stkoke" REDDING SHIELD

PETONE'S FINE WIN

CONTROL OF THE SPORT

Although the weather was anything but ideal on Saturday, tho contest for the Redding Shield was proceeded with. The rowing was to have taken place on opening day, but bad weather necessitated postponing the event. When the crews took tho water a fresh wind was blowing, and the boats on the inside course had an advantage. The wind practically maintained its strength all the afternoon, though it dropped towards" the finish of the rowing. The Redding Shield contest is not ono of the main events of the season, though, at. the same time, it arouses keen competition among the clubs. It was presented for competition on opening day, and it was agreed that the races should be sprints, the distance being about a quarter of a mile. Natur-, ally, being an early season contest, very little training is done.by crews for the events, and so it would be.hardly fair to estimate-crews' worth on the showing they made at last week's regatta.. Generally, the racing was very closely contested. There was one dead-heat, and in each of the remaining events a distance of not more than one length separated the first and second boats. The Open Double Sculls, the first race of the day, resulted-in Star and Petone each taking 3J points. Star (Hinklcy and Cudby) set off at a great pace on the outside, and soon established a substantial lead. The Petone crew (Kennedy and Gimblett) put in a strong finish, and just managed to draw level with their opponents as the line was crossed. In the Youths' Fours there was another very fine finish, Petone winning by a bare three,feet. 'Wellington, who were second, were only two feet away. The Open Fours were won by Petone, who crossed tho line three-quarters' of a length ahead of Star. Wellington secured their only win in the Maiden Pairs, finishing a length ahead of Star. In the Open Pairs, Hickson and Warden, the Petone crew, defeated Cooke and Mullins (Star) by half a length. The final race of the day; the Maiden Fours, was won by Petone, with Star second. Tho following stablo shows how the points were secured:— / Petone. Star. Wgtn. Open Double Sculls 3i 3* — Youth's Fours .... o" '— 2 Open Fours 5 2 Maiden Pairs .-...'. 2 5 Open Pairs 5 o Maiden Fours .... a 2 Total ... 23. Hi 7 Regatta Club. The Wellington Regatta Club had a successful year, though it was not quite as successful as tho one previously. The report ; presouted to tho annual meetin-*----showed that the gross receipts from the joy night" on tho day of the regatta amounted to £116. After paying expenses, £36 lis was added to the general fund. It is interesting to note how tho trophy money was won by tho various clubs participating in the regatta events. Following are the amounts won by. the individual clubs (the amounts won at tho rogatta twelve months previously appearing in parentheses):—Hamilton Rowing Club ( ) f29; Star Boating Club (£37), £27-' ;™Non> Kowi -'S Cl"b and Bridson Cup (~J), £19; Canterbury Rowing Club (£lO, £13; Wairau Rowing Club (£ls), £13; Aramoho Rowing Club (£1) £9Union (Wanganui) Boating Club '(£3)' -Co, also Pearce Cup; Blenheim Rowin" /i-ll' (i,3)\ £3- We-lin-ton Rowing Club (i-i), *,_; Wanganui Rowing Club ( —) £1; total, £121. v '' A Southland Eight? Through tho laxity of the association tho interprovincial fours, between Otaco and Southland, for the Edmond Shield has not taken place for several years now (says tho "Southland Times") It seems a great pity that this interesting event should not be held annually as in former years. Tho interprovincial raco used to bo the main event' at the Invercargill Regatta. Rowers are keener than ever this year, and it is up to the S.R.A. to sit up and tako a little interest m rowing affairs. Tho various Southland clubs aro alive to the necessity of a live association, and in appointing their delegates to the annual mooting selected energetic men who, it is hoped, will pull together and form a strong, active body. The association is sound financially, for the simple reason that it has dono nothing for rowine for several years now, but has kept col looting annual subscriptions from the various clubs under its control It semes hardly fair to ask clubs to keen on paying in and receive nothing in ro turn. The funds of tho association could be well spent in securing an eight-oar boat, and some of the clubs have instructed their representatives to move in this direction. With an eight in -outnland, young rowers would have an Sr,,'-."™ for- A footballer looks to the time when he will get his lr V!' I Cl al C- ap- T**° same opportunity should bo given rowers. Altogether it would stimulate interest in rowine, and we ook forward to the day when Southland will bo competing in the New Zealand Championship Eights.' Now Members. . Naturally at this time of the year there is the usual number of now niembers, but, so far, it does not appear that any record will be broken by the number of novices who are anxious to tako up tho sport. Satisfactory figures have been reported by all three clubs, but the numbers could well be increased. As regards novieos, it is realised that tho steps taken in tho initial stages as far- as their training is concerned have an important bearing in their ■ development as oarsmen, and clubs usually look after them well from the point of view of coaching. If they do not they owe it to themselves to do so. E. D. Blundell, the Cambridge University Blue, who will be back in Wellington early in the New Year, took 53 wickets at an average of 23.67 in this year's first-class cricket in England. He was fifth among the amateurs who took over 50 wickets. Eighty batsmen succeeded in passing the 1000 mark in this year's firstclass cricket in England, but there were only twenty-eight bowlers who took 100 or more wickets. It is reported from Auckland that Clevcrlcy, formerly of Wellington, is bowling faster than ever this season. Messrs. E. C. Beale, N. C. Sneddon, and W. J. Smeeton have been reappointed to act as Auckland's cricket selectors this season.