ROWING PROTEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6999, 23 April 1884, Page 6

ROWING PROTEST.

; A HEBTiNG of the Auckland.Rowing Asseoia-, tion is to be held this evening,. to ..consider the protest of the Ponsonby. crew in the Senior Whaleboatßace at the recent Ponsonby' Regatta, against the Waitemata orew obtaining the first prize, on the ground of a fool at the turning point (the hulk) near the Queen-street Wharf. It will that the umpire was unable to arriva at any deoiiion upon: the matter, and therefore ra»' ferred the subject to • the association to ad~ judioate upon. 7 The question at ißSue is a ;moßt simple one, and should'not need much reflection before deoiding upon. The protest is as follows:—The Waitemata Club's boat was leading, and had a little 'more than half turned roufid the mark boat, when the Ponsonby crew, in following round, endeavoured to obtain the inside berth from the Waitemata crew, and in trying to do so struck the latter iboat (breaking the blade of Mo. 4 oar) at right' angles. Upon the point under considers'tion there is one rale that is most clear. In effect if says that no boat shall attempt to take another boat's water until it hag a clear boat's length lead. How then cotaes it that the boat behind fouls a boat that is leading. If thereis 'hny that is itt' fault attd should be adjudged to paydamages, it should be tho' Poheonbyeraw for s6 completely ignoring all known riiles of boat raeittg. No attenipt' ia'made to say that the Waiteihtf a erew were steering wildly,' ond gave them- {the Ponsonbyiteß) encouragement thereby to cut off a ddrnerj and the fact of their fouling their .opponents shows only - tdb u plainly that the PoUsonby'cre# were wholly at faulfc, particularly When we remember that thoy were not the leading boat. That theWaitematacraw won the match cannot be denied,' and won it' fairly, notwithstanding the'protect of the Ponsonby'Club to the The-RoW-iiig Association to>night would do well if they would "■ throw ' out a recommendato' the effect,' that in our rowing, races we keep pace, with the times, and instead of the Regatta Olhbs trying to gut three or more boats to' go round onto niark boat, that for the future eftoh competitor. for' rowing raoes, where'a tura is deoided shall naye eaoh its own mark-boat or buoy to'go'fbund. HadsUbh beeh this <islse on [Easter Monday'last,' we should' hot have heard of any prbtest of the kind referred to Waitemata Club--*r youfig, bht : Vigorbtts one—would have long - ere' this hkvja obtained' possession'of the prize ' they then honestly and gamely Iron. /' '