ROWING

Evening Star, Issue 22233, 10 January 1936, Page 5

ROWING

TRAINING FOR LISTED FIXTURES SELECTING IHTERPROVIHCIAL EIGHT [By Coxswain.] Now that the excitement of the holi- . day regattas is over, dubs will again bo settling down to training for the , Dunedin .Regatta Club’s fixture on February 1 and the Port Chalmers, Waihola, and Burkes-St. Leonards regattas to follow. Doubtless, after Macandrew Bay there will be an adjustment of crews from some of the clubs, and keener competition for seats in the various 'boats. From .the displays on Boxing Day some adjustments appear very necessary, with a more severe course of training. Gordon Clark hopes to again stroke the Drive senior crew, and this will make for better competition. , The Otago Club’s strong contingent - for the Bluff regatta was unfortunate in not being able to participate in the full programme. On several occasions visitors have been disappointed by the vagaries of the weather, but have , always experienced pleasure in meeting . fellow-oarsmen of the Southland pro- ..' vince. Vallis and Jack won their maiden sculls in good style,, and their next meeting with Lysaght and Davidson should be interesting. The Otago senior four did not perform up to expectations. More serious work is necessary for the longer races than'the mile at Macandrew Bay. Zaffer and Binnie again put up a * good performance by rowing second in the senior sculls. After leading for some time, the peculiarities of. the Bluff course Caught 'them to their disadvantage. • Unfortunately Vallis and Styles - could not compete‘in the senior pairs. Their appearance would have given a good line on prospects for events ahead. With the fine set of junior oarsmen in the North End shed , wins should go to the Red-and-Blacks before long. The senior crew will also improve, though it seems a rather decided change the way Eggers and Hurrell have been: placed. Verngreen and M’Callum lack nothing in enthusiasm, and with judicious coaching have the makings of an excellent pair of scullers. One wonders, however, whether M’Callum would not be better to row through hi* junior class,first. It is to be hoped the Port crew will be retained as it is at present. Mitchell showed fine stroking ability at the Bay, and, with a man of Soloman’s experience behind him, should soon be heard of in higher circles. The Port Club must be feeling the loss of the several prominent juniors : who were such an asset to the club last year. „ _ . The Otago selectors will soon he starting to consider men for the next interprovincial eight, arid from the material available will doubtless pick a crew that will worthily represent the province, in the past sound judgment has been .shown in their selections, and there is no reason to , doubt that the long experience of each member will be used to the benefit of the sport. BLIND OARSMEN’S CLUB,' The official opening of the newlyformed Jubilee Club (which is one of the activities of the Auckland Social Club for the blind) was unique in the annals of . New Zealand rowing;-‘and the big attendance of oarsmen and supporters of the sport showed the great ‘ interest manifested in the new club. The club has a membership of about--20, and is now housed in one of the most comfortable boathouses on the harbour foreshore (states the Auckland ‘Star’). The desire of the trustees ot the Blind Institute to foster and encourage the members in this sport is to be commended, and they must have felt how well their ambitions had been realised after watching the two crews that were afloat during the afternoon. The -water conditions were rough, yet the two crews gave a fine display, clearly showing how they .have mastered the art of handling the oar and the sliding seat. The club’s plant at present consists of two four-oared outriggers, but when the call comes for boats for the pairoar events there is no doubt the response will be readily forthcoming, not only in Auckland but throughput the Dominion. Now that the various other clubs are centring activities so much on eight-oar rowing there may be some pair oars that would be valuable additions to the Jubilee Rowing Club. The members are all very keen on the sport, and it was surprising during the course of conversations the knowledge they have of it. In Mr D. M‘Phee, the president, the club has a most enthusiastic supporter. , He is the bolder of several trophies won in competition when at St. Dunstan’s after the war. The splendid start given should lay the foundation of a most luccessful institution. FEATHERING THE BLADE. The following hints- in regard to feathering the blade will probably be beneficial to the novices who have Joined the various local clubs this season ; Rowing with a square blade in rpngh water is fatal to good watermanship, land, apart from the wind resistance, the striking of. the water when coming forward stops the run of .the boat. Too touch attention cannot be paid to a " peat and clean feather. The oar should come off the water edgeways, and the hands should be dropped before they ' are turned. This is essential, as if the hands are turned before being dropped the oar is turned in the water, and

consequently pushed up flatways. The resistance thus causes a strain upon the sill of the rowlock, which tends to drag the boat down on that side. In sculling feathering is just as important as in rowing—a first-class sculler carries his blade right through on the feather until just when it is about to enter the water. A new oarsman is told that he has to swing the body in time with the stroke, and too often he assumes that he is swinging the body when he is merely sliding up and down on his seat. The body-swing is a definite movement in which the shoulders start well forward of the hips and finish well back of them. The longer the are described by the shoulders the more effective the oarsman will be in general, although this is subject to the qualification that tho swing back should not go so far as to make the recovery difficult. It is on the reach forward that inches can be added to tlie effective swing, and it is here that many oarsmen—and not onlynovices—are prone to err. Too often one sees the shoulders dropped forward in the effort to increase the reach, which should come only from the further bending at the hips. Just as the body-swing is one of the primary features of oarsmanship, so is the straight back the essential point of the bodyswing." A homely and often-iised illustration of the value of a straight back is provided by the normaj action in lifting a heavy weight off the ground. The avei-age man, in taking the weight, naturally straightens his back as a preliminary to the heave. If his shoulders are sagged forward he simply must lift them before he can make his strength effective.