ROWING

Evening Star, Issue 22896, 2 March 1938, Page 4

ROWING

THE POSSIBLES’PROBABLES O.H.A.'S DECISION HOT BEFORE TIME [By Coxswain.] ■ Harbour dubs will be meeting one another on Saturday afternoon, when the annual interclub eight-oar event ■wiH be decided. No doubt the Otago selectors will be watching the performances with, a view to selecting provincial representatives,, although more attention will be paid to that aspect ot . Otago rowing next Wednesday evening when the possibles-probables event will Harbour annual has long been a sore point with .Dunedin oarsmen, and it is satisfactory to note that the O.R.A. has at last taken the necessary steps. To Mr P. y*H ls ’ Otago delegate, must go the credit tor bringing the matter forward, but his complaint received ample support, and a motion was carried with practically no dissenting voice. . . ~ , Naturally, Port oarsmen might feel a trifle annoyed, but the change over to a possibles-probables event is for tho benefit of the sport. As was pointed out at the .association meeting on February 14, the wealth of talent in the Upper -Harbour was frequently passed by, for as only eight men can compose a crew the ninth or tenth possible, who might display better form than their metre fortunate companions selected, would be “ left on the bank.” In the Lower Harbour crew, however, mediocre oarsmen mignt find a # seat. Although they might be promising, their lack of experience contributes to tho lowering of the standard of other members of the eight. One can find little fault with selection in years gone by. and, it wilt be generally conceded that should the 1 oit or’TJrive Clubs produce good oarsmen, a balanced selection will be made.. As it is however, the selection tins season will be of additional interest in observing the proportion of men chosen '• from the Upper and Lower Harbour.

Blindness No Handicap. In view of the participation of blind barixnen in the Mercer regatta, many people may wonder what pleasure anti benefit the blind can derive from this sport, and ■ what degree of efficiency they can attain (says an Auckland writer). An insight into the routine ot a blind rowing club may be of interest. The . Jubilee Rowing Club was •founded in 1936. Previously, blind rowers had been members of various •' Auckland clubs, but as time went on it was felt that a blind club would very effectively meet the special needs ot its members, owing to the fact that certain . alterations in equipment were necessary to meet their special circumstances. 7 The Jubilee Rowing Club’s boathouse is situated on the St. George’s Bay reclamation, alongside the St. George Rowing Club. There are. 23 members , of the club, and great rivalry has already developed between the crews. On joining the club, the new member is given his lessons in a dry boat. Hours of patient perseverance are required on the part of coach and pupil in order to perfect every detail of the rowing movements. Many inquiries have been made as to how a blind person can tell the position of his oar in the water. This obvious difficulty is overcome by -‘inserting a tiny tack in the handle of - •' the oar. Thus' the rower can instantly recognise the correct position for the appropriate movement. Each boat has always a sighted coach or cox, who is ■ responsible for keeping the course, ; counting the time, and for the safety ■'-.of'his crew.

Annual Wellington Regatta. ‘A record number of entries has been received for the annual Wellington regatta, which is to be held on March 5 under the auspices of tho .Wellington Regatta Club. In all, 84 crews will be competing, more than have competed in years in which the New Zealand championships have been held in Wellington. Among the crews will be several members of the eight which represented New Zealand at the - Empire Games, including the stroke, R. Gould, who will stroke the Wanganui Union crew. The Petone four, which represented New Zealand at the Empire Games, will be competing also. Clubhouse Chatter. A request by the Auckland Rowing Association for the use of one of the Wanganui Association’s boats for the eights on Easter Monday has been granted. The Drive entry in the interclub eights is: D. Sutherland (str), A. Cook, L. Olsen, W Fullerton, J. Donaldson, G. Roberts, A. Craig, R. Paris (bow), ■with W. Edminston as cox. Australia’s most popular regatta, the Sydney Head of the River, will be the next event to disturb (he placid waters of the Nepean. It will take place on April 23. Most of the preparation for this event is carried out on the Parramatta River, where there is already considerable activity. Club selectors should make a note in their reminder books of the Queenstown regatta at Eatser. Queen’s Drive is busy overhauling and repairing the plant m readiness for Queenstown-. Quite a few members intend making the trip, and it is hoped that they will begin training as soon as the crews are announced.