SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13979, 8 February 1909, Page 5

SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIP.

BID BY DURNAN. ANXIOUS TO MEET ARNST. By- Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright (Received February 7, 4.30 p.m.) Sydney, February 7. EDWARD Durnan" is anxious for a match with R. Arnat, the world's sculling champion, and has offered to pay £200 towards his expenses. Durnan communicated with Arn6t some time ago asking him to meet him at Toronto, and the champion replied stating his terms. Durnan, who is a well-known Canadian eculler, visited Australia some time ago in an unsuccessful endeavour to wrest' the world's championship from George Towns on the Nepean River. ARNST ON AUCKLAND HARBOUR. Accompanied by the Devonport Ferry Company's steamer Albatross and a small flotilla of motor launches and sailing boats, Richard Anist, with his championship honours thick upon him, on Saturday afternoon give evidence of the sculling skill which defeated Webb on the Wanganui River. The scene of the exhibition was that smooth stretch of water on the south side of Pine Island. Arnst, who travelled up by the Albatross, gave a convincing display. His handling of the sculls and •'feathering" wore a revelation of skill and grace. The sculls dipped and left the water without a splash, while the strong, iong strokes that sent the light racing skiff darting through, the water were the maximum of strength from scientifically applied effort. There wore several crews out to pace the champion, and one of them took him along for about a mile and a half. For the greater part of the journey Arnst kept alongside; then, to the groat delight of tho watching crowd on the steamer, he put on a superb racing sprint, and passed the four-oared boat easily. He was cheered again and again, and responded in a modest little speech, in which he assured the spectators that he had "done his best." He then turned, and sculled back to his skirting point at a rate that made some of the watchers on the Albatross open their eyes with surprise. Before the pacing spurt Anist «rave a very graceful display near the steamer, darting round and round her, increasing from slow to racing speed without any apparent effort, and then suddenly stopping dead. The water was a little bit choppy, but it did not seem to make any difference to the champion.