ROWING TITLES

Evening Star, Issue 23190, 13 February 1939, Page 5

ROWING TITLES

CLIFTON RETAINS THE FOURS SMITH AGAIN WINS THE SINGLE SCULLS [Per United Press Association.] BLENHEIM, February 12. At one of the largest assemblages of oarsmen in tho history of rowing in New Zealand, three chibs successfully defended their titles at the national amateur rowing championships on the Picton Harbour. They were Clifton, which retained tho Champion Fours in convincing style; Auckland (R. B. Smith), Single Sculls for the fourth year in succession, making his fifth title; Union (Wanganui), the Eights for the third year in succession. New champions are —Pairs, Union (Christchurch), and Double Sculls, Petone.

Although the regatta was opened under ideal conditions yesterday morning, there were three protests out of 12 starters in the Champion Fours resulting in the race being postponed. This, and choppy conditions in the afternoon, caused a delay in tho programme, which was not completed by nightfall. Three events —the Champion Pairs, Doubles, and the Marlborough Plate—were rowed off this morning on excellent water.

In the champion fours, all the crews went away to a good start, and Clifton soon took the lead from Union and Aramoho. A quarter of a mile from home Clifton lengthened its lead, and it became a duel between this crew and Union, who fought all the way to be beaten by three-quarters of a length. Star, who lost two lengths by going inshore, had calm water over the last part of the race, and came up well to take third place, three lengths behind Union. Rowed, as the race was, against a head wind, it took a good crew to win, and all three placed crews rowed attractively. The field was the largest to contest the champion fours for many years, and possibly for all time. The standard of the rowing was excellent.

Smith (Auckland) won his fifth singles championship l in customary stylo. He went to the lead at the gun, but with Abbott (Petone) and Campbell( Aramoho) cracking on the pace, Smith contented himself with third position eight lengths back. With a third of a mile to go, Smith commenced to make up the leeway. Campbell and Abbott, by steering erratically, showed signs of tiring. Continuing in a perfectly straight line, Smith smothered the field at the finish. Hegglun rowed his best race to date for a creditable third. Abbott’s performance was impressive, and good steering when in the lead might have given him victory. Wanganui Union,' in the eights championship, had a convincing win from Tauranga by five lengths. After the first quarter-mile Union took the lead and from then did not look like being beaded. Tauranga rowed well enough to beat Picton by six lengths, but was not in the same class as the winning crew. , Union has won the eights each time since the race was instituted. The timing and combination were perfect. New champions were found when Harris and Cooper (Union, Christchurch) convincingly won the pairs. Avon (Thompson and Stiles) lost ground early when they nearly collided with Star. From the mile mark, the leaders were Star, Union (Christchurch), Blenheim, and Cliften. All four combinations rowed stylishly and there was additional merit in the performance of the Christchurch men, who a little over an hour previously had fought out a game finish in the double sculls. Star, second across the finishing line, was disqualified for crossing Blenheim.

Abbott and Boswell sculled very cleverly to win the champion doubles. The leaders early were Union (Christchurch) from Petone and Auckland (Smith and Morey). Union led until the last quarter of a mile, at which point both Auckland and Petone sprinted strongly, and the three crews crossed the line without a great deal between them.

A feature of the championships was the very high standard of the rowing and sculling throughout. In the Marlborough Plate, a big field went away to a good start. Awarua took the lead at halfway, and was challenged by Aramoho and Petone. All three made good use of the conditions which had developed since the previous race—a lively sea and following wind—and in a desperate finish Aramoho won from Petone, with Awarua tiring into third place.

CHAMPION FOURS Two miles.

Clifton (Fowler, Old, Olsson, Topliss) ... t Union (Wanganui) Star „

Also started: Wellington, Wanganui, Petone, Wairau, Picton, Aramoho, Blenheim, Napier, Awarua. Won by half a length, with three lengths between second and third. Time, llmin 57seo.

CHAMPION EIGHTS. Two. miles. Union, Wanganui (Delves, Healey, Gould, Benge, Tones, Halkett, Granville, Coxon, Stoddart) ... 1 Tauranga ... 2 Picton 3

Also started: Petone. Scratched: Auckland. Won by five lengths. Time, 12min 42 2-ssec.

CHAMPION SINGLES. One mile and a-half.

Auckland No. 1 (R. B. Smith) ... 1 Petone (P. Abbott) ••• - Wellington (T. Hegglun) 3

Also started: Auckland No. 2, Aramoho. Scratched: Poverty Bay. Won by a length, with a length and a-balf between second and third. Time, lOmin 15 2-osec.

CHAMPION PAIRS One mile and ja-half.

Union, Christchurch (Harris and

Cooper) 1 Clifton (Fowler and Old) 2 Blenheim (Hadfield and Patchett) 3 Also started; Star, Petone, Avon, Wairau, Union (Wanganui), Tauranga, Auckland, Aramoho. Star finished second, but was disqualified for crossing Blenheim. Won by three lengths, with one length between second and third. Time, 9min 15 2-ssec.

CHAMPION DOUBLE SCULLS. One mile and a-half. Petone (Abbott and K. Boswell) ... 1 Auckland (Smith and Morey) ... 2 Union. Christchurch (Cooper and Harris! 3 Also started: Aramoho, Avon, Wellington. Won by a length, with a length and a-quarter between second and third. Time, Bmm 41 4-ssec„

MARLBOROUGH PLATE. One mile and a-half. Aramoho (Stowers, Jones, Holmes, Stokes) 1 Petone ... 2 Awarua 3 Also started: Union (Christchurch), Wellington, Blenheim, Star, Tauranga, Wanganui, Picton, Avon, Wairau, Napier. Won by three-quarters of a length, with two lengths between second and third. Time, 9min 14 4-ssec. LIGHT-WEIGHT MAIDEN FOURS. One mile. Picton (Connolly, Kirwin, Smith, Dawkins, Sadd) 1 Union (Wanganui) 2 Star 3 Seven others started. Scratched, Auckland. Won by four lengths, with one and a-half lengths between second and third. Time, 6min 22sec. MAIDEN FOURS, OPEN. One mile. Wairau (Gale, Adams, Harris, Gill Boddington) 1 Canterbury 2 Kawatiri 3 Nine others started Won by four lengths each way. Time, smin 51sec. WELTER-WEIGHT JUNIOR FOURS. One mile. Star, (Bevan, Hawker, Hill, Dawson) ... ... 1 Blenheim No. 22 Union (Wanganui) 3 Four others started. Scratched, Wellington, Arapawa. Won by three-quarters of a length, with a length between second and third. Time, smin 57sec. JUNIOR FOURS, OPEN. One mile and a-half. Star (Hoskings, Lawson, Shirley, Broad) 1 Avon 2 Tauranga 3 Five others started. Won by a length each way. YOUTHS’ FOURS. Wairau No. 1 (Gale, Adams, Harris, Gill Boddington) 1 Blenheim No. 1 2 Union (Wanganui) 3 Six others started. Scratched: Wanganui. We.st End. Won by three-quarters of a length, with a length between second and third.