HATS IN RIVER! ROWING EXCITEMENT AT TOLAGA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22597, 29 March 1948, Page 3

HATS IN RIVER! ROWING EXCITEMENT AT TOLAGA

ran.so high among spectators at the Easter Saturday regatta held at Tolaga Bay that during one race some Maori onlookers from the Uawa River bridge were carried away to the extent of throwing their hats in the river as a gesture of encouragement to a veteran Uawa crew.

The crew had made an impromptu entry into one of the scheduled fouroar races, picking up the field a furlong above the bridge and pacing the race home. The veterans performed to such a good standard that they kept a short lead past the winning-post against welltrained active oarsmen. The fixture was promoted by the East Coast Rowing Association In conjunction with a Tolaga Bay committee, with the object of giving a good start to the re-organisation of the sport in the Uawa County. Three Clubs’ Goodwill Visit Public interest was demonstrated by a notable gathering which lined the riverbank near the finishing post and crowded the Uawa River bridge to a degree which held up traffic during the running of the five races. Poverty Bay, Gisborne and Wairoa club oarsmen journeyed to Tolaga Bay at their own expense to stage the regatta. and they were agreeably impressed with the conditions for rowing provided by the broad and sufficiently deep Uawa course They rowed for a trophy known as the Friendly Shield, previously contested at Gisborne and Wairoa on opening days and on other informal occasions. Crews were picked on the spot from those available, and an effort was made to give every oarsman present an outing on the river Wairoa was weak in numbers but strong in spirit, and raced in all events by filling gaps in the crews from the memberships of Gisborne and Poverty Bay. The lastnamed club carried off the honours with four wins in the five faces, Gisborne winning the fifth. Results:— Welcome Stakes. —Poverty Bay (J. Barrett, C. Rofe. C. Pritchard. J. Watt), 1; Gisborne (J. Francis, T. Sheppard, J. Oxenham, K. Cassin). 2; Wairoa (W. Karauria, T. Allen, G. Habgood, J. Shaw), 3. Recovery Free-for-All. —Poverty Bay (C. McLeod, C.’ Smythe, F. Priday, C. Waldock), 1; Wairoa (B. Hankey, J. Parminter, J. Stuart, W. Baker), 2; Gisborne (J. Hankey, R. Leeming, D. Robinsoij, B. Lee), 3. Uawa Oaks.—Gisborne (P. Stowers, D Hankey. T. Kane. D. McGlashen), 1; Poverty Bay (G. Hobcroft. W. Comber, R. Phelps, J. Hawkins), 2; Wairoa (Karauria, Habgood, Allen, Shaw), 3. Champion Fours.—Poverty Bay (T. Charles, T. Herivel, J. Atkins, E. McLeod). 1: Wairoa (Karauria, Allen, Habgood, Shaw), 2; Gisborne (R. Ogilvie, B. Terry. N. Mills, E. Scott), 3. Farewell Stakes. —Poverty Bay (J. Barrett. H. McLeod. R Herivel, C. McLeod), 1: Wairoa (B. Hankey, G. Hab-

good Allen, Karauria), 2; Gisborne (N. Mills K Mclntosh, P. Pollard, R. Sinton), 3. All the events, which were rowed over the sprint course, were won by narrow margins. Past Champions Demonstrate Style Veteran Uawa crews seen on the river during the afternoon comprised past champions in B. Lincoln, G. S. Wilson, M. Lockwood and J. Lockward, in one crew, and G. S. Wilson, T. Dobbs. R Shelton and P. Murphy in the other. Though they experienced the difficulty invariably affecting veterans in the full use of the slide and. stretcher, they gave excellent exihibitions of oarsmanship, and set an exampe to the younger men of the Uawa community. Adding to the gala character of the occasion were a series of swimming races for juvenile swimmers, conducted between the rowing events, and an exhibition of dive-bombing by Mr. L. Bell, a former fighter pilot of the R.N.Z.A.F., who flew a Tiger Moth owned by Messrs. James Bros. Tolaga Bay. The exhibition of flying was exceedingly exhilarating both to the spectators and to a group of four young men in a dinghy who ventured out on to the Uawa broads to provide a target for the fiourbag bombs hurled from the plane. A number of the missiles plunged down within a few feet of the boat, and at least one skipped right into the craft. Laier the pilot gave a finished display of aerobatics, further impressing and delighting the spectators.

Uawa Residents’ Appreciation At the conclusion of the day’s programme Mr. O. G. James, chairman n f the provisional committee formed t promote the resuscitation of the Uawa Rowing Club, expressed the warmest appreciation of the visitors’ help in promoting interest. He felt sure, he said, that the display would enthuse not only the younger men who would have opportunities to follow the sport on their own river and on other courses, but also those older residents whose support would be essential to the successful re-establishment of the sport. Mr. A Kirk, president of the East Coast Rowing Association, assured the Tolaga Bay people that the resumption of rowing on the Uawa River was keenly sought by his executive, and that the existing clubs would do all in their power to assist. Messrs. D. Jones (Napier Boating Cub), J. Stuart (Wairoa Rowing Club), J. Hankey (Gisborne Rowing Club), and C. McLeod (Poverty Bay Rowing Club), supported Mr. Kirk’s remarks. They would never need a better incentive to go to arty course than the possibility of helping a sisterclub, said Mr. Hankey.