SKIFFS AMONG THE ROCKS

Evening Star, Issue 22271, 24 February 1936, Page 11

SKIFFS AMONG THE ROCKS

SENSATIONAL SINGLE SCULLS ONE BOAT SHATTERED [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, February 23. Incidents without parallel in New Zealand rowing marked the finish on Saturday afternoon of the champion single sculls contest on the Korokoro course, when the holder, A. K. G. Jackson (Wanganui Union Rowing Club) lost the title to R. B. Smith (Waitemata Boating Club) by a few feet when it appeared that a victory for Jackson was certain. Six competitors started in the race. They were: H. J. Luke (Wellington Rowing Club), T. Hegglun (Wairau Rowing Club), P. Abbott (Petone Rowing Club), A. K. G. Jackson (Union), R. B. Smith (Waitemata), and N. Foster (Wanganui Rowing Club). At the mile post of the mile and a half race Jackson had secured a comfortable lead from Smith, Abbott being in third position and the rest tailing off. With about 100yds to go Jackson had a good two lengths’ advantage of Smith. Jackson was rowing well out from the Hutt railway embankment, Smith being much closer in. When it seemed that nothing could deprive Jackson of the title Smith quickened his stroke and began to close the gap. A few feet out from the bank and 20yds from the finishing line a rock was breaking the surface of the rising tide, and between 13 and 15 feet farther out there was another and a very much larger rock standing high out of the water. Smith’s course took him straight for these rocks, and it appeared to the spectators that ho must hit one or the other. He was rowing furiously in a last-minute effort to beat Jackson.

Disaster seemed inevitable, but just as Smith finished one stroke of his sculls, thereby bringing them close alongside his boat, the skiff entered the channel formed by the rocks and passed cleanly between them just as he was swinging back for the next stroke. In a moment he bad swept over the line, defeating Jackson by half a canvas.

Meanwhile, Abbott was coming up fast on approximately the course that Smith had followed, but slightly more inshore. It was seen that he was headed straight for a submerged object that Smith had just avoided before his astonishing entry into the channel between the other rocki The spectators shouted a warning, but evidently mistaking the clamour for encouragement Abbott went on and crashed his boat hard on to the rock, which was awash and which jarringly pulled him up short. Luke, coming up behind him, crossed the line into third place. Abbott's boat had the bottom split for several feet and sank in a few seconds.