ROWING

Evening Star, Issue 20979, 18 December 1931, Page 15

ROWING

[By Coxiwain.] OARSMEN’S OUTINGS. Boxing Day (December 26). M*ciMidrew Bay Regatta. December 26.—Riverton Regatta. December 26.—'Tauranga Regatta. New Year’s Day.—Akaroa Regatta; Bluff Regatta. January 16. —Port Chalmera Regatta. January 23.—Wanganui Regatta. January 29.— 1 Championship Regatta at Hamilton. February 13.—Wellington Regatta. Easter Saturday (March 26). Queenstown Regatta. Easter Saturday (tentative).—lnterprovincial eight-oar championship, at Picton; INCONSIDERATE DECISIONS. SURPRISES REGARDING EIGHTS. Numerous surprises are sprung on the rowing community in the course of a season, the biggest to date this year being the Marlborough Association’s decision to hold the interprovincial championship eights on_ Easter Saturday. Of all dates this is the very one that will not suit Otago, and if another time is not chosen “ Coxswain foresees a general uproar from the lower end of the South Island. Without the presence of Otago at the eights is it not just to put forward the supposition that practically all the interest in the contest will waver? Well, unless something is done to suit this Province it will not he represented at 'icton, of that it is felt sure, for the authorities must be in possession of the knowledge that at Easter time Otago' and Southland oarsmen clash at the Queenstown, regatta. Rowers of neither province would miss this fixture on any account. Southland will. doubtless _ support Otago in its protest against this rather thoughtless decision, on top of which it is hard to understand why the Marlborough people resolved to shorten the course. At no other race has the distance been cut down to two miles, as it it proposed to do this time. The four contests have been held over nurses 21 m, 2Jm, 3m 500yds, and 3m respectively, and the rule states that wherever practicable the course should bethree miles in length, whilst it must not he less than two miles. Picton boasts of her fine courses, so why is it not “ practicable ” to have the contestants row at least three miles? _ It tends to make the race more decisive, and the winner gains an honour which it is worth while trying to secure. The moment Marlborough’s decisions came to hand the secretary of the O.R.A, (Mr S. G. Styche) wrote explaining Otago’s extremely awkward position, and protesting against the idea of reducing the length of the course. He hoped Marlborough would reconsider both decisions. There is still , another matter that calls for some criticism. It has been decided to split the £25 to be given to the winning association, and make it £2O for first and £5 for second. Now, this cannot he done. There is also a rule covering this, and it definitely says that the local association holding the fixture will donate £25 to the winning association. It is not intended to be too harsh on Marlborough, but it is to be hoped it .will see its way clear to select a more convenient date for the eights. No province will be more disappointed than Otago if this cannot he done, as it will in all probability mean forfeiting the Hallyburton Johnstone Challenge Cup . without having any say in the matter! PORT CHARMERS CLUB. Members of the Port Club are all in strict training for the Macandrew Bay regatta, for which event the club has entered thirteen crews in the eight races. It will he represented in the various classes as follows;—Youths’ fours, two crews; youths’ sou's, two crew; maiden fours, two crews; maiden sculls, two crews; junior sculls, two crews; and one crew in each of the following—Junior fours, senior fours, and senior sculls. J. Neilson, the how of the senior crew, has left the district, and his place has been taken by H. Hill. The crew now reads:—E. C. Adams, J. Solomon, C. Neilson, and H. Hill. The club has taken delivery of a fine set of racing oars from Mr A. M. N. Miller, and they are a credit to the maker, and a decided acquisition to the club’s plant. NORTH END CLUB. North End’s maiden four for the Macandrew Bay Regatta will now be: — C. Butterfield, S. Hanton, C. Barton, and W. Hogg. No. 3 seat, formerly occupied by J. M'Millan, has been altered. A second youths’ four has also,been entered for this fixture. It comprises:—G. Whale, R. Orange, M. Butterfield, and G. Payton. OTAGO CLUB. Perhaps the best race ever witnessed in the Otago Club’s Wilson Fours was that rowed last week-end, the juniors .winning by a clear length from the seniors. All crews went away well, the juniors and maidens drawing ahead immediately. At the half-mile the latter were leading by about a length on the juniors, with the seniors having a further length’s deficiency. The youths had dropped back considerably. Over the next half-mile the juniors gained on the maidens and passed them just , at the mile peg. The seniors were two lengths back, and the youths were well out of it. Here the jobble from a southerly threw the younger crews out a bit, and the juniors increased their lead, the seniors coming up well. Just a little further on the juniors crossed over the seniors’ bow just far enough ahead to avoid a foul. Entering the basin the juniors led the seniors by a small margin. The juniors crossed with a length to spare, the seniors stroking into second place with the maidens three-quarters of a length further back. There were but one and a-quarter lengths separating the three placed crews. The youths unfortunately had ’to row with a substitute, and, though they completed the course several moments after the others, they rowed well, but with the full crew it was felt they would have mad© a' better showing. , JOTTINGS. Much enthusiasm is now being shown by Wellington in regard to the selection of a crew to attend the interprovincial eights at Picton this season. Past performances have proved that Wellington is blessed with some stout oarsmen, and the ‘Evening Post ’ expresses the hope that no time will he lost in the preparation of a crew for the big race. Spectators at the Royal. Canadian Henley recently witnessed a novel exhibition when four Canadian scullers, each a'winner of the Diamond Sculls at the Henley in England, sat together in a shell and rowed over the course

of the races (states the ‘ Sportsman ’). Those in the boat were’ Lou Scholes, the Diamond Sculls winner in 1904; Joe Wright, winner in 1928; Jack Guest, who triumphed last year; and Bobby Pearce (Australia and Canada), the victor this year. Guest was how, Scholes No. 2, Pearce No. 3, and Wright was stroke. Were donations of such _ value as those being offered for rowing at the Wellington Regatta on February 13 to be given for oarsmen down this way there would doubtless be some very keen racing. The donations are; — Maiden pairs, £5 and £2; youths’ fours, £8 and £2; junior pairs, £5 and '£2; maiden fours, £8 and £2; senior single sculls, £4 and £1; junior welter fours, £8 and £2; senior fours, £lO and £3; light-weight maiden fours, £7 and £2; maiden double sculls, *£s and £2; junior fours, £8 and £2; junior sculls, £3 and £1; senior pairs, £6 and £2.