AQUATICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14928, 28 February 1912, Page 9

AQUATICS.

ROWING. PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REGATTA. NOTES AND COMMENTS. The annual ; 'provincial"championships_ regatta of the Auckland Rowing Association, to Iks held at Hellyer's Creek, on Saturday, should bo oven more interesting than usual, on account of the presence ot many keen country crews, bent on again showing the city clubs-what they really can do. Not many years ago rowing in the province, om'si'Je Auckland City, was a negligible quantity,, arid the • country crews had very, little chance in ; competition with' the city oarsmen. But in the last few years rowing in the country centres—notably at Whangarei, Mercer, Ngaruawahia, and '■:■;' Hamilton—has made great strides, and the oarsmen have greatly improved _ in their style , and their methods of training. Proof of this was afforded afc the recent Mercer regatta, where tho city clubs received a salutary lesson. Rut they have been slow to make use of tho lesson, and so it may bo driven home by another. The country crews are keen on repeating, at, Saturday's regatta, -their Mercer successes, and the indications are that they will succeed. Glancing through the , entries for the re-: gatta, one finds a feature which does not speak well for the activities of a cou,pl<&, of, the larger clubs in Auckland. Apart .from the single and maiden sculls, the West; Plod Club—the largest in tho city—haw entered for only the maiden - light-weight fours and the maiden heavy-weight four*. Thus, so far as tho fours are concerned, tho club is represented in only" one class. What has become of its seniors, juniors, and youths' fours? And where. are the Auckland Club's seniors? The city clubs best represented at' the regatta are the three smallest—Waitemata, St. George's, and North Shore. However, with the entries from the three clubs mentioned last, and the excellent entries of country crows, the. regatta is assured of keen and interesting competition. The course is a very fine one, -well sheltered, and more than wide enough to render any heats in the various events quite unnecessary. All boats for competing crews will bo loaded on a Largo at the , Hobson-streefc Wharf on Friday evening, and the barge will be towed to the course early on Saturday morning. A ferry steamer will leave Auckland for Hellyer'*. Creek at 1.45 p.m. on Saturday. 'Owing,'however, to tho number of events to be got off, pomethe maiden pairs, maiden sculls, and light-weight maiden fours —will be decided before ■ the 'steam « arrives, but her passengers will bo able to see the race for the sculling championshipCompetitors will leave for the course in launches, which will depart from tho Man-of-War steps at 1 p.m. . . The Mercer crews will arrive to-morrow, in order to get in soma practice on , the salt water. They will be quartered a« «he West End shed. The Whangarei men will arrive on Friday morning. The champion sculls should provide soms very good rowing. Much interest is being taken in the Whangarei competitor, F. Reynolds, who lias succeeded in winning the single sculls at Whangarei and Mercer this season. Reynolds is a very promising oarsman, and his meeting with C. E. Stone, the New Zealand champion, will", be watched with keen attention. * The Wha-; ngarei man has purchased a Iwst-and-cest -■ boat, which was built by Towns for L. Soose of Mercer. It is a fine boat, but as, Rooso' does not sit a, boat well it did not suit him. ,