TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 25 January 1911, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Although the oar has played almost as important a part Boat Racing/ in as the sword in Evolution. the moulding of

the history of the world, it is only within the last two hundred years that boat racing, as we know it, has become established a® a standard aquatic sport. G_ reece an( l Rome, it is true, had their 'boat race, but the racing boat as such, was unknown in ancient times, the contests re'sciLving themselves injbo trials of speed between vessels whose primary use was for wa.r. It is a far ciy from the galley of Venice and the longs-hip of the North, to the delicately-constructed four or eight-oar which, built like a violin and balanced like a sword, goes speeding along, undej* the propulsion of all the force which the arms, aind legs and. .hacks of its crew can impart to it. All that the ages have in common is the spirit of emulation, which, will endure when boat racing is forgotten, and challenges are- issued for aerial contests with flying machines. But for the present there is no keener excitement than th<at bred of a fight to a. finish between two eager crews, centuries distant though they may be "from those who— The laurels Caesar wore, I The 'brilliance' of the viking frays,

• The .boast of British lore— Who paved the widest waterways, And battled'with the oar-" The first recorded boat'race in England which approached to, modern conditions was that for the Doggett Coat and Badge, instituted in 1715, The first regatta, so cabled, was introduced from Venice in 1775, and brought with it the English rendering of the Italian name, "regatta," which has ever since denominated a water .carnival. The public schools of England] took no part in boat racing until 1816, Westminster being the pioneer. The inter-uiuvffrsity boat Mice's --were not inaugurated on a systematic basis until 1829, and iiottot'il 1856 did not Oxford and Gambiadge; contest become an annual fixture.''The. modern racing' boai. • differs \Vrdely from; the eanlier models. Its width : has been: de'creased •, so as to offer as little: : fe-; sistanoe to the water as possible, -and every, effort hae been made to'secure lightness and stability. -In weight the racing boat has reached, what is practically the irreducible''_mi.nitauin, and ' it is surprising how; light?' .these, beautiful craft are. The racing fouroar weighs 1181b., the pair.oar 9511b., and a .sculling boat of the latest .racing type is no more than 2211b5. in weight. It can easily be seen from these remarka that strength is not all that is needed in racing. Nelsoniane have seldom, had opportunity of witnessing boat racmg 'aisit is held at regtattas between the picked men from various l clubs with tne best boats at their command, and so itis felt'that the; forthconung regatta to he held here on Anniversary Day will <be of more than ordinary interest.