AQUATIC NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10662, 24 May 1895, Page 6

AQUATIC NOTES.

FbY JASON IN “CANTERBURY TIMES.”] The circular issued by Mr A. S, Biss, presumably on behalf of the Rowing Association, but in reality on his own responsibility, with reference to the introduction of eight-oared rowing into this colony, will doubtless receive attention from the associated clubs in duo course. Although, at the outset, Mr Bias states that he had “discussed the details with members of clubs from all parts of New Zealand, and fiads a general wish exists to introduce ‘eights ’ to this colony,” I venture to say that the great majority of clubs never heard of the matter until the circular was received. But let that pass—-iu is a superfluity that has no importance beside the subject matter of tha circular. Mr Biss has propounded a scheme which ia practically unworkable at the present time, whatever may be the case in future years. In speaking recently of the proposal to form a four-car crew to send to Australia, I pointed out the many drawback! to such a scheme, chief amongst them being the time required for practice and leave of absence. In this matter of eights the same difficulty crops up. How many men, I wonder, could find time to train and compete for the Champion Fours at Christmas, and then go on with eightoared work till Easter ? How many clubs would care about a share in an expensive boat? How many clubs could afford the necessary subscription (public subscription sounds well and might be feasible in Wellington, bub I question its stability elsewhere), and how are eights to be raised season after season when even now many clubs cannot rely upon fours ? Centres are practically asked to relinquish their annual regattas for two Championship Meetings, one as" held at present, the other an interprovincial affair consisting of one event —sn eight oar. ' The scheme is wild and improbable, and if adopted in its present form would do no good at all, and might be a decided netback to rowing. It must nob ba imagined for one moment that the introduction of eights at the present time is going to increase interest in or advance rowing. Until New Zealand oarsmen know a great deal more about rowing than they do at present, the number of racing men are increased, and the liabilities of club) greatly reduced it is ridiculous to talk about instituting eight-oar races. There is not known to me a single club in the colony that'can say it is in a position to afford the outlay asked, not even the Star Club, because while there are doubtless many possessing tha sum they would be called upon to subscribe, I take it liabilities should bo reduced before luxuries are indulged in, and eight-cared boats are 'decided luxuries, seeing that only a handful of clubs throughout the colony has a complete outfit of the racing boats at present in use. Doubtless eight-oared racing will come in time, but tho lime decidedly is not now, and even when it does come the partnership proposal will nob commend itself to clubs. Let each club desirous of having an eight purchase its own boat. Mr Biss is surely very much out of touch with rowing matters if he fancies aa interprovincial contest is more to the liking of rowers than the present system of interclub competition. Rowing ia not to be compared with cricket and football, any more than cycling is. Club competition in a colony like this, with clubs scattered all over the place, is not like club competition where clubs are confined to a small radius, and the present championships are sufficiently near to interprovincial competition to need no alteration, even if eights become as plentiful as fours. If Mr Biss will exercise hia imagination in devising some method of increasing the number of racing men in the colony, and create a plan that will enable clubs to reduce their burden of debt, instead of propounding a delusive scheme, he will confer an everlasting favour on New Zealand oarsmen. Tho Association has left undone many things it should have done, and if the secretary had given tho time, he has spout upon his scheme to attending to matters in connection with the lata championship regatta it would have been better spent and tha labour more appreciated.

One of the smartest looking crowa engaged at Picton, and a crew that rowed with great dash without losing their form, was the Wellington juniors, who owed their success to careful coaching and to the conscientious manner iu which they prepared for the race. Mr Bishop, known to the “boys” aa “ Dad,” was the coach, and gained his experience at Home and, by sticking to tho snort while in Melbourne perfected himself to n degree that baa made him a splendid man to taka charge of crews. The seniors who rowed for the club in the championship, if together nest season, could well ba entrusted to Mr Bishop’s care, for in them ho would have a grand groundwork on which to work, the men having been well coached up to a certain point by Captain Paulkener. Mr H. F. Nicoll, who has been associated with the Canterbury Club for a number tf years, occupying tho position of captain during tha last two soasons, has been transferred to Ashburton, and his departure will rob the club o£ the services of one of its moat valuable members. Mr Nicoll baa a good record as a racing man. Ho commenced bia career by winning tho Maiden Pairs at Lyttelton Regatta oa Jan. 2,1838, and three weeks later rowed No. 3 in tho crew which won tha Senior Pours at Lake Forsyth Regatta, the other members of the crew being E. M. Boulton (bow), F. W. Dunnage (2), A. L. Smith (stroke). This crew, on March 14 of tha same year, won the first Champion Pours held by the Rowing Association, the raca being decided on tho Wanganui River, but three days later could get no nearer than fourth in the Senior Pours at Wellington. Early in tho following season the Canterbury Club decided no send a crew to Sydney to compete in tha intercolonial four-oared race, set down for decision on the Parramatta ou Dec. 1, 1888. Tho crew, which consisted of Smith, Nicoll, P. A. Styche and Boulton—Dunnage being unable to aecuro tho necessary leave of absence—rowed a good second to Victoria, New South Wales being third and Tasmania fourth. Since then Nicoll has rowed regularly in senior four and plate races with a large amount

of success, and severs his connection with the club the possessor of a first-class record as an outrigger rower. A. Chamiey, who was selected stroke of tho Victorian Intercolonial eight, but was subsequently compelled to resign hio seat, is a native of Longford, Tasmania, where he first rowed. It wes not, however, until he took up hia residence in Victoria that he made a name for himself. He rowed five years before he scored his first win at Colac ia ISS3 as a member of the Albert Park Club. Prom that out he had a long run of victories, and when ho left the club in 1890 his record showed thirty firsts, including ono 'champion eight, the last seventeen being unbroken by a single defeat. Ho then joiued tho Yarra.Yarra club, and his success continued. Ha rowed No. 7in the famous champion eight of that club, and No. 3 in its champion four, to Ainlay’s stroke in each instance. Up to data, Chamley’s wins total fifty-eight, of which seven are champion races and five intercolonial contests. Ho is a splendidlybuilt man, combining form and strength, end rows at a weight varying froml2at to 12st 51b.

“Wag” Harding and W. A. Barry announce through the London Sportsman that they are prepared to doubla-soull acy two 1 men in the world over the Thames Championship course for. any stake. The Cornell (United States) University crew will sail for London on May 20 for the purpose of compsting in the Grand Challenge Eights at Htnley, an event that attracts the flower of English amateurs. This will be tho first American eight-oared crew to visit England, although several four-oared ’Varsity and amateur crews of the United States have in years past competed in Fmgland with varying success. The Cornell University crews have a splendid record. They have won thirtythree successive victories, and have not suffered a single defeat in-thirteen years. The German amateur is no longer required to produce a certificate of his status from the English consul before he can compete at Henley; it is quite sufficient if the president of the German Association guarantees that he is an amateur. Formerly it wasnecessary to send foreign entries for Henley three months in advance, now they are received four weeks before the regatta. All this has been brought about by the rapid manner in which rowing has advanced on the continent during the last three or four years, and with the. progress the sport has been purified to a degree that has elevated the continental; amateur to the English standard. France enjoys the same privileges as Germany.' The Emperor William is an ardent lover of the sport and invariably attends the’ principal regattas. Tho other day he presented to the Frankfurter Ruder Gesellachaft Germania (the club which rowed in 1876 against the London Rowing Club, ia 1880 for the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley and sent Achilles Wild in 1882 and 1883 to compete for tha Diamond Sculls) a gift to celebrate the twenty-fifth year of its existence. It ia a Nautilus cup borne by a silver Imperial eagle, with a golden crown of laurel in its mouth. ‘ The whole stands on a natural amber rock, with the dedication: “Emperor William to tho Frankfurter Ruder Qasellacbafb Germania.” The Emperor has also founded a challenge cup for the scholars of the Berlin public schools. In the current Strand Magazine (writaa the Canterbury Times’ London correspondent) Tom Sullivan may find some little consolation for his defeat in the sculling championship race recently, for in its pages he ia depicted at four different periods of his life, and is dubbed a “ celebrity.” Tom, at the tender age of one, waa a bonny little fellow, giving promise of the manly beauty which now distinguishes him from his aquatic rivals. At seventeen he bad developed into a long and lathy creature, with an impudent face; but at two-and-twenty ail trace of guilo disappears, and the “present-day” photo ia an excellent likeness of Mine Host of tha Rutland Arms “dressed all in his best.” Sullivan, by tha way, is not personally pressing Harding to give him his revenge at an early .date, knowing full well that the little champion has one or two training engagements on the continent, which mean bread and butter to “Wag.” But some of Sullivan’s “friends” are roasting the champion for not at once fixing up a second match, and certain Press writers have aided them in their unkindly and unsportsmanlike action, The Sportsman Cup rules as to the action of tho holder in event of a challenge ara very plain. The holder cannot be forced to defend hia trophy more than twice in the same year —from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31—but must accept a legitimate challenge within a fortnight of its issue, if resident in the United Kingdom. He cannot be compelled to row a race inside two calendar months of hia acceptance of a challenge if resident in the United Kingdom, nor within three if resident abroad. Sullivan, of course, issued a challenge to Harding before the latter’s victory waa a week old, but it is questionable whether Harding can be compelled to notice any challenge issued till he is actually in possession of the cup, which is not yet. Even if he were, Sullivan could not fairly presafor an immediatematch, seeing that ha kept “Wag’’wailing sis months on tha plea of “ business,” and was fairly “sparred” into signing articles at last. When Harding has fulfilled hia immediate training contracts on the Continent, the New Zealander may fairly call upon him to defend the championship, and in the event of any disinclination on the champion’s part to do so he will ba justified in forcing matters to an issue, in accordance with the rules governing the “ challenge cup.” But to do so at the present time would ba a most unsportsmanlike action. .