ROWING

Evening Star, Issue 20635, 7 November 1930, Page 5

ROWING

O.R.A. CRITICISED. Intimation that the Otago Rowing Association did not think it worth while to have sent a New Zealand rowing crew to the British Empire Games ni jj, Canada to compete in an event in which the distance was one mile 500.yds, was given by Mr S. G. Stycho at the annual meeting in Wellington of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association. “We would like to see a race to prove the stamina of a crew, not a sprint,” ho said. , The President (Mr J. A. Maclaine, Marlborough): I am sorry to see your association is not keen. Mr Styche; We are one of the keenest associations there is. Mr Maclaine: It does not seem tike Mr E. S. Innea (Auckland) said every association had the right to criticise, but it would have been better had the Otago Association first writ- , ten to the parent body on the subject , before giving it out to the general y public. It is rather amusing to read the sarcastic remarks of the president and Mr Innes. The O.R.A. has been referred to time and again as one of the livest bodies that has ever had anything to dp with rowing matters, and the writer maintaiua that event to-day, it is the most wide-awake rowing association in the i dominion. The activities of other associations are seldom heard in Otago. Yet exchanges often have a paragraph or two of what the O.R.A. has said or done. Otago is not afraid to speak ■ up, for it has been despised too long. ‘‘Maiden,” in the ‘Southland Times/ criticises the Southland Rowing Assocaition on the way the business of the annual meeting proceeded. The writer says: “ There seemed a sad lack , , of common sense and initiative about delegates. Perhaps it was so long since a meeting had been held that members were sadly out of touch with affairs. . At any rate, the annual meeting proceeded in a desultory, aimless manner. No annual report was presented. The minutes were questioned. Correspondence dating back a twelvemonth was read before the officer-bearers were elected. The redeeming feature of the meeting was the fact that the balancesheet disclosed a credit. It is certainly to be hoped that this season those elected to the executive of the association will prove more active than in . the past. Gratification by rowers generally will be expressed at the decision - of the, newly-appointed executive to " hold monthly meetings during the season. This arrangement is the first step towards aggressiveness in the sport.” 1 QUEEN’S DRIVE POURS. -r The Lady Mills Fours Club race will be cpmmenced on . Monday the 17th inst,, and will be continued throughout the week. Entries close on Satur- ; day. November IG. The new members are taking a keen interest in the club, and are improving with every row. With the material available this sea- ; son, the, club .should'be able to secure two good youths’ crews, a maiden, a junior, and a. senior fours. OTAGO CLUB, i - -On account of the choppy northeasterly winds experienced since last . Saturday the, Otago ■ Club has been so far unable to commence its dub • races—Mathieson Fours and Walter Fours. As soon as there is some calm water these races will be rowed off. “ The number of novices has now reached twenty. ; ’ , MACANDREW BAY CLUB. ■ During the past week members of the Macandrew Bay Club have spent their evenings in varnishing and overhauling ■' the club's boats, and everything is now in readiness for the opening to-morrow afternoon, JOTTINGS. Owing to the difficulties in haying racing craft built in the dominion ‘in recent years, many rowing clubs have ,• .. placed their orders with Australian firnis. In Otago and Southland boats which have given every satisfaction . have been obtained from a local builder,‘Mr J. BlacPhcrson. The Gisborne Rowing Club has now ordered two new practice fours, and is said to be awaiting with interest the delivery of the shells. The Gisborne Club need - have’,no fear that the new boats will not prove everything expected of them, , for local oarsmen who have rowed in . the Dunedin-built practice fours have « freely stated that they are even better . . .than Australian racing boats. Referring to the death of Mr S. S. - ■Myers, of Dunedin, which was reported recently, a correspondent to a nortb- - ern writer states; “It may bo of in'terest to rowing readers to learn that he was partly instrumental in bringing ' s about ■ the i first contest in eights hold ■in--the dominion. The captain of the Dunedin Amateur Boating Club (Mr -‘ J.-James),-while in Australia, secured ‘one eight for his- club, and obtained •an option over a iecoml boat- The ‘option''was exercised by Mr Myers, 'and the boat presented to the North End Club, of which ho was president. 1 ‘Later both boats were used by the ‘ Dunedin Club in staging a race, the first of -its kind in Now Zealand—iii >IB9B I think it was. The same '' boats 1 were used in connection .with a race- between the North and South -, ' Islands, won by the latter.” There have been recent signs that rowing in Wellington is progressing (states the ‘ Evening Post’). It is necessary only to look back'a few seasons and see the record of Wellington clubs at intcrclnb regattas to ren- , Tise that the standard of rowing in .Wellington is quite equal to that in 'any other part of the country. • Rowing men in Auckland hro in much the same predicament as those of Otago through the rough weather upsetting tho clubs’ programmes. The report submitted to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association last week stated that Messrs H. Paton and A. D. # Bayfield had represented tho association 'on the British Empire Games Committee (New Zealand), and also cm the Now Zealand Olympic Association dur- ! ing tho year, and it was felt that tho relations between the different sports governing bodies, as associated on these two. executives, was most cordial. It'is now some weeks since tho official opening of the rowing season in Wellington, but other than tho putting of a number of new members through their paces, since then there has been little ' doing-irt the three Wellington clubs ■(states' an : exchange). Between the time when the regatta crews are announced and the New. Year all avail able time will bo devoted to strenuous training. The London club that won the Grand Challenge, at tho recent Royal Henley regatta won' tho eigbt-onred championship at the Empire Games from New Zealand, Canada being third. The winning crew, it is stated, is a verv strong combination, having carried all before it at Home during the past season. Tt is understood that it is a pomplete Thames Rowing Chib crew, and the critics spoke very highly of its performances ■■ before it went across to ' Canada.