EXCITING ROWING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22351, 24 February 1936, Page 13

EXCITING ROWING

CHAMPION SCULLS RACE VICTORY TO AUCKLANDER COMPETITOR STRIKES ROCK [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] WELLINGTON, Saturday Incidents without parallel in New Zealand rowing marked the finish this afternoon of the champion single sculls contest on the Korokoro course, when the holder, A. K. G. Jackson, of the Wanganui Union Bowing Club, lost the title to R. B. Smith, Waitemata Boating Club, by a ffew feet. At the mile post of the mile and alialf race, Jackson had secured a comfortable lead from Smith, Abbott, of Petone, being in third position. With about 100 yards to go, Jackson had a good two lengths advantage of Smith. Jackson was rowing well out from the Hutt Railway embankment, Smith being much closer in. When it seemed that nothing could deprive Jackson of the title, Smith quickened his stroke and began to close the gap. A few feet out from the bank and 20 yards from the finishing lyie, a rock was breaking the surface of the rising tide, and between 12ft. and loft, further out from there was another and a very much larger one standing high out of the water. Smith's course took him straight for these rocks, and it apj>eared to the spectators that he must hit one or other. He was rowing furiously in a last-minute effort to beat Jackson, and disaster seemed inevitable, but just as Smith finished one stroke of his sculls, thereby bringing them close alongside his skiff, it entered the channel formed by the rocks and passed cleanly between them just as he was swinging back for the next o stroke. In a moment he had swept over the line, defeating Jackson by half a canvas. Meanwhile, Abbott was coming up fast on approximately the course Smith had followed, but slightly moro inshore. It was seen that he was headed straight for a submerged object that Smith had just avoided before his astonishing entry into the channel between the other rocks. The spectators shouted a warning, but evidently mistaking the clamour for encouragement, Abbott went on and crashed his boat hard on to the rock, which pulled him up short. Luke, of Wellington, coming up behind him, crossed the line into third place. Abbott's boat had the bottom split for several feet and sank in a few seconds. TITLES CHANGE HANDS MANY CREWS COMPETE BOATS SWAMPED IN FOURS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Sunday Three out of four national titles changed hands at Wellington yesterday, when the New Zealand rowing championships were decided on the Korokoro course, near Petone. Aramoho lost the fours to Picton Star, the pairs to Hamilton, and A. K. G. Jackson, of the Union Boating Club, Wanganui, was defeated in the single sculls by R. B. Smith, of the Waitemata Boating Club, Auckland. The only title retained was the double sculls, defended by P. Abbott and C. Gimblett, of the Petone Rowing Club. Except during the middle afternoon, when a jobble necessitated the postponement until later in the day of the champion single sculls and the champion double sculls, the water was almost ideal for rowing. More than 50 crews visited Wellington for the contests, which were held under the control of the Wellington Regatta Club. The big race of the day, the New Zealand champion fours, brought out nine crews, but actually only three finished, the rest giving up through their boats becotning sAvamped. Nevertheless, the very large crowd lining the course on the Hutt Road, or following the race in motor-cars, enjoyed a thrill near the finish, when Picton took the title from Arainoho in a close race for the line. A sensation marked the finish of the single sculls, Jackson being robbed of the title by Smith, who swept over the line half a canvas ahead of the Wanganui man after negotiating a narrow channel between two rocks. Results are as follows: —

New Zealand Champion Fours, two miles. —Picton Club (L. Jackson, G. Charters, E. Smith, A.* Cornish), 1; Aramoho Club (P. Stowers, F. Jones, T. Ditchfield, C. Harrison), 2; Blenheim Club (R. Tapp, S. W. Cox, W. Humphrey, H. Mackey), 3. Light-weight Maiden Fours, one mile. —Wanganui Club (W. Butzback, W. Christian, M. G. Henui, B. Stroud), 1; Napier Club, 2; Star Club, 3. Wellington Plate, one mile.—Wanganui Club (R. Edwards, H. Robertson, M. Clay, A. R. Byres), 1; Petone Club, 2; Hamilton Club, 3. Youths' Fours, one mile. —Union Club (H. O'Donnell, J. Lumsden, S. Butcher, 1. Langman), 1; Canterbury Club, 2; Petone Club, 3. Junior Pairs, one mile.—Petone Club (K. Boswell, B. Rigby), Is Star Club, 2; Wellington Club, 3. Junior Single Sculls, one mile. —Wellington Cub, No. 1 (H. Spoor), 1; Union Club, 2; Wellington Club, No. 2, 3. Champion Single Sculls, one mile and a-half. —Waitemata Club (R. B. Smith), 1; Union Club (A. K. G. Jackson), 2; Wellington Club (H. J. Luke), 3. Champion Double Sculls, one mile and a-half.—Petone Club (P. Abbott, C. Gimblett), 1; Wellington Club (H. J. Luke, E. Woolcott), 2; Union Club (A. K. G. Jackson, A. Tonks), 3. Champion Pairs, one mile and a-half. —Hamilton Club (B. Sandos, J. Flynn), 1; Star Club (G. C. Cooke, F. H. Mullins), 2; Union Club, No. 2 (A. Tonks, W. B. Kruse), 3. Maiden Fours, one mile.—Canterbury Club (L. Robertson, W. M. Graham, J. E. Stewart, H. S. Read), 1; Aramoho Club, 2; Wairau Club, 3. Junior Fours.—Petone, 1; Star, 2; Picton, 3. Welter-weight Junior Fours, one mile. —Wellington (R. Paterson, W. McTvor, R. McNair, F. Meredith), 1; New Plymouth, 2; Aramoho, 3.