ROWING SEASON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21731, 21 February 1934, Page 14

ROWING SEASON

UNIVERSITY EIGHT-OAR CREW WEST END CLUB'S JUBILEE INTF.RPROVINCIAL CONTEST Once again unfavourable water, coin ditions, due to a strong north-easterly breeze were experienced on the city side of the harbour on Saturday afternoon. The Waitemata and Auckland Clubs did not hold trials during the week-end. West End, however, raced for the Mrs. John Clark Shield, while during last week the Bigelow Farrell Cup for handicap single sculls was decided. St. George's provided great racing in contests for the Sir James Coates Cup and Caps, while, on Saturday afternoon, with good conditions favouring it, the North Shore Club held subscription trial fours. On Sunday morning members of the University .Rowing Club woro out for a spin in an oight. It was originally intended to boat two trial eights, but the full complement was not available. Sunday's crow was stroked by 0. J. 0. Mason, while other well-known oarsmen in tho boat were F. G. Bowling and J. H. Parsons, of West End. The crew rowed down to Orakei and received coaching by Messrs. J. K. Hunn and L. E. Brooker. It is expected that the crew to compete in the intercollege contest at Lvttelton at Easter will be announced this week-end. West End Jubilee The jubilee celebrations of the West End Rowing Club, of which the Anniversary Regatta hold at Pine Tsland, on New Year's Day was a part, will be continued 011 Saturday. The club was established in 1884 and is the third local club to attain 50 years of existence this season, the Waitemata Boating Club and the St. George's Rowing Club having already marked the occasion earlier in the season. On Saturday mombers, past and present, will sign their names and years of joining in a register. Later, a wreath will be placed on the Roll of Honour and a short silence observed in tribute to all former members who are now deceased. This will be immediately followed by tho unveiling of two plates of polished wood, placed in the club room in acknowledgement of the generosity of several donors of gift boats to the club. A procession of club craft will bo featured, and former members will be given an opportunity of having a spin in the boats, where practicable, with their former crews. ln» the evening a dinner will take place at Hotel Auckland. During the corning week-end the annual inter-club eight-oar contest for the Dr. Stuart Reid Cup will be held. On form the eight from the St. George's Club, comprised of the club's senior and junior crews, should be the strongest combination, especially after its great duel with Hamilton on Anniversary Day. Dominion Championships

The chief interest of oarsmen all over the Dominion was focussed upon the New Zealand championship regatta at Picton last Saturday. The weather overhead was perfect, but the water conditions revealed what seemed to be an all-pervading roughness. What impressed Aucklanders present at the rogatta was chiefly the finish of all the southern crews.

Tho Wairau Club, Marlborough, was the most successful, registering three wins and three seconds, to win £62 in donations. Other amounts were distributed as follows: Picton, £2B; Star, £ls; Avon, £l3; Waitemnta, £10; Wanganui Union, £10; Napier, £10; Blenheim, £2. It is interesting to note that the red coats went to four different centres, Wairau winning the senior fours, Waiteniata the double sculls, Napier the single sculls, and Avon the pair-oar event. The senior fours was most sensationally won by Wairau, which was not impressive to look at, the Auckland crew going a disappointing race. Jn the Marlborough Plate, which was a grand race, Auckland revealed better form, but finished only fourth, a Wairau junior crew creating a further sensation by winning against senior crews. 'Tho singles sculls, due to bad steering and a consequent chapter of mishaps, was a fiasco and although A. K. G. Jackson, of Union, who was fouled, appealed for a re-row, his protest was ruled out. W. Turner, the winner, registered his fourth victory in this event.

However, in the double sculls. Smith, together with T. A. Johnson, of Waiteinata, gave a great and powerful display and won well. In the light-weight maiden race West End was going along in great style at *l4 strokes to the minute, but, in attempting to increase its lead, one ol the crew contracted cramp. In spite of his disability, he kept time with the other three but the crew was overtaken after lialf-a-mile and finished third. Picton, the winner, however, deserved its victory, being an excellent crew. In the youths' race Wangauui Union boated a great crew which eventually won, after a groat race with Picton and West End. The West End crew created a good impression among the southerners.

The pair-oar event was rowed in the dark on Saturday ovening, but the inability of the judges to distinguish the crews caused its postponement. On the Sunday morning a further attempt was made to row it, but, on account of the crews swamping prior to the race, it was again called off, as it was also necessary to do again on Sunday afternoon. Eventually it was decided on Monday morning, by which time the Waitemata crew had departed for home. Avon, which incidentally had won in the dark on the Saturday night, was successful.