THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1938, Page 24

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• §: WANGANUI PROGRAMME |j LOCAL REGATTA -■** » *" <?■ (By "Feather.") 3 > The programme for the 'New 'Zea'-j Stand championship regratta to be held! Sat Wanganui on Easter Saturday, April i j»*j6, has been approved. It is as fol-j 'Stows:— ■ ...,....:. .. I »i» < 53-! 10.40 a.m.—Maiden Fours (1 mile). <* ■' 11 ■ a.m.—Champion Singles (1J * miles). *£ ; 11.20 a.m.—Maiden Fours (open), 1 *-$rile). % '. 11.40 a.m.—Maiden Singles (1 mile). 2 ' 12 noon.—Champion Fours (2 miles). *■] 1.30 p.m.—Champion Doubles (1| ■p miles). ;* ", 1.50 p.m.—Junior Fours (welter). «> 2.10 p.m.—Maiden Doubles ,(1 mile). ,*>; 2.30 p.m—Junior Fours (open) (1J Smiles) ; : S • 2.50 p.m.—Champion Pairs - (li „* miles). ' "- , V • ,* ,' 3.10 p.m.—Youths Fours (1. mile). SI! 3.40 p.m.—Maiden Pairs (1 mile). £ ; 4 p.m.—Champion Eights (2 miles). i ; 1.45 p.m.—Wanganui Plate. fj; The regatta will be conducted under -* jne usual rules. Mr. L. Sheppard. will «* ye judge, Mr. E. Crotty starter, Messrs. Si- Evans. W. Coombes, and F. Wilson 5 • -npires. and Mr. W. Blair clerk of y. '■ ! ' es i

X ' ■■, <>r Fours. . * • Wellington's junior four are training .3 ' . ily at present for the regatta, and ■'$'. ir balance seems to have, im--s»' ved considerably with Mclvor in «'. -.- bow seat. With improved com- * : aotion it is noted that there is more v.' cc between' the strokes. The club . ;* Till probably enter them for the plate Jj Jace at, the championships at WangaJ'iui." •j • T Alexander has replaced S. Kidd % ki the stroke seat of Star's junior four, ,'> md the combination is practically the -isame as the maiden four of last year. ils the exception is J. Peters, who is 3 Rowing in two seat. They should have "2 a good chance of winning if their condition will stand a 1J mile race. "There is still a tendency for three to -*i*ush up the slide, and he should en"deavour to get better control. £» Eight-Oar Prospects. ;"■; The eight-oar crew on which Star £t>ave based their hopes for the Wel--s#ngton regatta is settling down much '«more quickly than was anticipated, 2 and patches of their rowing are very «• good indeed. There is a tendency for '•■the crew to be short,'and every'mem~fcer should endeavour to get that extra «nine inches reach forward with his -felade. It is the length of the. stroke £&at counts'most in an eight and any -.- tendency to shorten when the pressure Sfe on will result in the boat going » dead, * ' The stroke is a fraction slow to" the 3 water at the catch, the rest of stroke JTslde beating him to the water, but he t.i'fc setting a brisk stroke, and as the *;cxew settles down he should become confident. ■ .., ._ , +» > Shepherd, in seven seat, is rowing powerful blade, and appears to be i'well suited for the position. Once «again Gibbons, in three seat, has a Siendency to rush his slide forward, and this may be the result of flying back too long at the finish, S'fhereby bringing his slide forward S ahead of his body. The crew as a *'•whole shoiild concentrate on being % faster with their work at the finish "'of the stroke, and should overcome £34 tendency to sit back at that part •"Of the stroke. The blade work is in-i to be a little dirty, but thisj clean up as they get more row*iing. If the weather is kind enough "two or three rows of 10 to 14 miles £ would knock this crew into really •■fine- shape. "" The eight from the Wellington shed has not yet 'been selected to represent " the club at the regatta, as well as at future engagements. It would be to the club's advantage to boat' a crew as soon as possible, as there is good material in the shed, and several important eight-oared events are in • ' i

Sh6uld be Better. . After their showing at the Napier -regatta Wellington's lightweight crew will have to find better form if they Wish to win at next week's regatta on Port Nicholson. Perhaps the fault is that they are not receiving sufficient One'of the greatest difficul--'.__■_"'with all crews this season has ,':'B'een the fact that there are insufficient 'JriSa'ches to go round. Most of the ex-;'-.pi*frienced oarsmen in the clubs are '-ti-jernselves rowing in regatta crews, -'arid are unable to give up their time '< to"training the more junior oarsmen.

;. Changes. changes that have been made Xln Star's maiden lour appear to have .'''been lor the better, although M. Willis, ',-.._ 'bow seat, to be far from :'-comfortable. He is very slow in get- ■ ting his hands away, and is also inclined to swing out of the boat coming • forward. He should endeavour to sit ,up straight, and be brighter in his _.ac_ions. ■-rcSid-ord, in stroke seat of the same : "crew, is setting an attractive, clean • stroke, and the crew has the founda- • tion of a really fast combination. The Wellington maiden crew nave t___p been putting in some solid ■ train- : QTg. They have" not had the best of this year in previous regattas, -;*and a good exhibition is expected «-from them at next .week's regatta ■>__Ley 'are a solid ..combination ' with plenty of reserve power, but up to the Resent they have' had very bad ;;l|4ftk, their boat giving trouble on ;'_geveral occasions. jSJSodey Back Again. S"__fock' Thodey is once more doing _22gme rowing, his knee 'apparently paying mended satisfactorily. He has Sheen substituting in various positions <JrX'the Star eight during the last week, .v'and it is to be hoped that he will bo r ii. the regattas at Easter. T. Alexander, another Star, man, *3_a_ finished the overtime work whi.*> •JBrevented him from rowing up to fair«lT*'l'ate in this season. He should put of enthusiasm into.the junior TfiJur, and provided he has lost none _os : his qualities as. a fighter the crew *3_jbuld be a tough proposition in their class. in Training-. ZZP- J - Luke. Wellington's captain, is 2|ping steady training for the single »«tills events, and seems to be getting " w good pace out of his boat. ApparSifitly it has not yet been decided' to Suiter Luke and Spoor for the senior "Uibles at the coming championships, rttliough it is probably the club's intention to do so. A Veteran's Return. 7,Mr. C. E. Dixon, a former captain of. the Wellington Club, has been seen around the sheds quite a bit lately. He has just returned after a year or two at Home, during whicn time he took a very keen interest in rowing overseas. His experience and guidance should be invaluable to the dub.