ROWING

Evening Star, Issue 22517, 9 December 1936, Page 4

ROWING

NOTES AND NEWS REGATTA CLUB ACTIVITIES [By Coxswain.] EIGHT OARED RACE ADDED The Dunedin Regatta Club was very unfortunate last year in so far as the weather was concerned. Very g°oa entries from Oamaru and Southland, as well as from the five local clubs, were received, and it was expected that a first-class regatta would be rowed. However, though the morning was perfect for rowing, a storm broke just before the first race was timed to start, and, as the weather for the week-end continued with wind and rain, the fixture had to be abandoned 1 . This year’s regatta is to be rowed on January 23—two months earlier in the year than has been usual—and it is hoped to enjoy more settled and much . better, rowing weather. Coming shortlv after , the Southland) Christmas and New Year regattas, it is expected that some o.f the crews from the south will visit Dunedin either to ' add to their laurels or to try themselves against the Otago crews. With a championship regatta at Akaroa in February, many of the clubs will be only too pleased to have the opportunity of. trying _ out some of their crews before sending them So the Dunedin Regatta Club should have large fields in most of, its races. The committee has decided on the same programme as was intended for the last regatta,', with the addition of an eight-oared race. The first race is timed to start at 1.45 and the last at 5 o’clock. The senior single sculls for the W. L. Hooper Challenge Cup will be something new : to most of the spectators, and it is hoped that the Otago Rowing Association, having given its consent to an eight-oared race being rowed for the Edmond Shield, the Southland Rowing Association will follow ■ suit, and the public will again have the good fortune to see this keenly-contested race rowed, but this time as an eight-oared event. ■ Novices in rowing often find that their first season is spent at hard work in practice and in the * ranks of the spectators at a regatta. In order_ that the novice may gain a little preliminary experience in _ regatta rowing and perhaps prOye his ability, the committee has added a novice fours (for non-re-gatta men) to the programme. At some of the regattas there is considerable disparity between the value of first and second trophies, and the members of the executive are of -the opinion that as a chasing crew undoubtedly finds harder going than the leading crew and gives as good' showing, some consideration and encouragement should be given to those crews which row into second place. With this end in view the second prize , money has been increased, so that in each ’ race it is half the value of the first trophy. A total money value of £57 is offered for nine' races. This regatta’ depends for finance on the subscriptions of thp members .of the club, and the greater the amount received in this the better -the value of the prize mony. With a view to larger trophies and a bigger regatta, the committee is seeking the assistance of all active and past oarsmen in furthering this most beneficial of amateur athletic sports. In fact, all interested would be welcomed as members of the Dunedin Regatta Club. CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA ' It is being freely remarked in rowing circles that the , Otago Club, for the first time for many years, will have a particularly good representation at the New Zealand championship regatta at Akaroa. While it is stated l that Brough and Zaffer are certain starters in the championship double sculls, it is believed that other members also have the trip in contemplation. NOTES “If Australia wants to produce a towing crew to win Olympic honours it will have to forget qualms about amateurism and professionalism, which few other people seem to worry about,” said G. C. Elias, member of the Australian Olympic crew, recently. “ Australia will also have to spend more money on coaching,” he added. For the fourth successive year the West End Club won the R. F. Bennett Memorial Shield (says the Auckland ‘Herald’). The regatta on Saturday, the fifth annual contest for the coveted shield, provided interesting competition. It.was unfortunate that the event was not favoured with good weather conditions, but nevertheless the enthusiasm' of the oarsmen and the large crowd of spectators on the Devonport wharf assisted in the success of the regatta. All the clubs are now down to solid training for the Mncandrew Bay regatta on Boxing Day, and .crews have been selected in many cases for this fixture, which invariably gives the season a first-class opening. Eight rowing races will ho held, and good entries are anticipated. There are four four-oared races and four double sculling races, N. Mathewson, who was a member of the North End Club’s youth crew which met with considerable success a few years ago, has joined the Wellington Rowing Club. _ The Otago Rowing Club is very active at the present time, but it is questionable whether the Selection Committee has acted wisely in its manner of choosing some of the crews. Looking at the names without going very deeply into their past performances, it would appear to one that instead of picking a No. 1 and No. 2 crew for some of the classes there has been :.n inclination to try to make two crews of about equal strength. This is not in the best interests either of the club or of the individual oarsmen, as it is certainly in the interests of all concerned to have the winning crew if possib.e and another crew rowing third, rather than to have two crews rowing second and third respectively or perhaps second and unplaced.