ROWING EVENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23272, 15 February 1939, Page 21

ROWING EVENTS

DOMINION TITLES HIGH STANDARD REVEALED A REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE ——i WAIRAU MAIDEN COMBINATION Although not a title event, one of the most spectacular races at the New Zealand rowing championships at Picton 011 Saturday was the open maiden fours, in which 12 crews participated. Following a perfectly straight course, Wairau led practically all the way and as the crew neared the post it was handed a remarkable reception. It is possibly one of the most remarkable maiden crews seen in action for some time in New Zealand, and tho Wairau Club, which uses the Wairau River, not very far from Blenheim, can expect big things in the future if the combination is kept together. It rowed the one mile in time only one second above the course record. Moreover, its stroke, G. Gale, must be very game, as he got out of a sick bed, seriously ill, to row. Later in the day, in a bitterly cold wind, the same crew registered another win iu the youths' fours. The winning of two events in the one day was not a new experience for this four. At a recent one-day interclub regatta at Picton the crew won the heavy maiden fours, youths' fours and junior fours, two of tho events in succession. On New Year's Day, at Picton, the four registered another double success by winning the heavy maiden and youths' events. An outstanding feature of the crew's rowing is its perfect blade work.

Conditions for rowing at Picton were most unfavourable, and with several changes in the wind the programme was considerably delayed. However, championship events that were not completed on Saturday were finalised ultimately in perfect conditions on Sunday. The titles were well distributed. The champion fours, eights and singles were retained respectively by Clifton, Wanganui Union and. R. B. Smith, of Auckland, while Wellington and Canterbury annexed titles by virtue of Petone's win in the double sculls and Christchurch Union's victory in the pair-oar race. Chief Auckland interest centred in R. B. Smith's efforts to retain his single sculls title. He sculled a very fine race and won the title for the fifth occasion. His most serious opposition came from Abbott, of Petone. Abbott subsequently, with K. Boswell, defeated Smith and A. Morey in the doubles,

Perhaps the most outstanding feature of tho regatta was the brilliant oarsmanship of Wanganui Union in the eights. If this can be taken as any reflection of the standard of New Zealand rowing, the sport is not so much on the down-grade as some judges would have it believed. A high standard was also revealed by the place-getters in the big race of the day, the championship fours, won by tlie doughty Clifton crew from Taranaki. This was Clifton's second championship victory and was further proof that its remarkable succession of» easy wins was the result of good rowing form.

INTER-CLUB RACES REGATTA NEXT SATURDAY PERSONNEL OF THE CREWS The annual inter-club events, under the control of the Auckland Rowing Association, will be rowed on the Tainaki Drive course next Saturday. The officials will be as follows: — Starter and umpire, Mr. S. H. Buchanan; judges, Messrs. C. G. Herdman. C, C. Cairns. It was decided to hold the regatta on this date as it is the opening of Physical Fitness Week. The crews and positions are as follows, No. 1 being nearest the shore:— Mason Cup, Open Maiden Fours, 2.30 p.m. —(1) l/niversity (J. J. Carroll, A. Godfrey, R. Ockelford, E. W. Henderson) ; (2) North Shore (C. J. Willetts, F. Stephenson, R. Briggs, B. Lister); (3) St. George's ((J. Hilliard, E. Monds, H. Tong. E. Piggin); (4) Auckland No. 1 (E. Goodwin, W. Cole, T. Seibert, M. Foster); (5) Auckland No. 2 (E. Field, R. Shearer, L. Wallace, 11. Moore): (6) Waitemata (W. McGechie, M. Hcrewini, C. Cooper, J. Delamore). Stuart Reid Cup, Open Eights, 3 p.m.—(l) West End (H. M. McDonald, W. Goodwin, E. F. Raper, J. H. Donovan, W. C. Parnell, J. G. Howe, G. S. Bigclow, T. Chester): (2) North Shore (W. Dean, E, Hotliam, F. Jalfon. F. Stephenson, R. Briggs, C. J. Willetts, E. Korn, B. Lister); (3) Waitemata (T. Conway, H. Spoor, T. A. Gallagher. F. A. Weaver, J. Sweeney, A. E. Hogg, C. H. Cairns, K. Vincent); (4) Auckland (R. B. Smith, C. Chamberlain, D. Simmonds, W. McGregor, H. Jellie, G. Oxspring, C\ Bcart, V. Walker); (5) St. George's (C. Hilliard, E. Piggin. R. Spcer, E. Monds. H. Tong, E. Dustin, W. L. Carr, P. McNab); (6) University (J, J. Carroll, A. Godfrey, F. R. Wright, P. F. Connery. K. Leo, D. Angus, R. Ockelford, E. W. Henderson). Caro Cup, Light Maiden Fours, 3.30 p.m.—(l) West End (N. V. Conway, L. Fisher, J. Rasmussen, J. Kelly); (2) St. George's (R. Anderson, H. McGregor-Hay, A. Constantine, C. Holmes); (3) Auckland (O. Cossey, G. Hewlett, C. Kidd, C. Brierley); (4) Waitemata (R. Mikkelson, W. Churches, C. B. Molloy, D. F. Dustin). West End Junior Cup/Junior Eights, 4 p.m.—(l) Auckland (J. B. Dickson, W. McGregor, H. Jellie. C. Beart, T. Murfitt, D. El wood, W. Baverstock, D. Moir); (2) West End (W. C. Parnell, B. S. Tupp, L. I. Skinner, W. Goodwin, J. G. Howe, M. H. D. Conway, H. M. McDonald. J. H. Barton); (3) Waitemata (J. Sweeney, A. E. Hogg, C. H. Cairns, K. Vincent, J. S. Jones, S. Billing, A. V. Carbines, W. J. Brown). , Brett Cup, Open Fours, in Clinker Boats, 4.30 p.m. —(1) Auckland No. 1 (R. B. Smith, C. Chamberlain, D. Simmonds, G, Oxspring); (2) West End (E. F. Raper. L. f. Skinner, H. M. McDonald, W. Goodwin); (3) Waitemata (T. C. Conway, H. Spoor, T. A. Gallagher, F. A. Weaver); (4) North Shore (W. Dean, E. Hotliam, E. Korn, F. Jalfon); (5) St. George's No. 2 (J. Coote, F. Dustin, R.. Speer, D. St. George); (6) Auckland No. 2 (O. Cossey. G. Hewlett, C. Kidd, C. Brierlev); (7) St. George's No. 1 (C. Hilliard. E. Monds, H. Tong, E. Piggin); C 8) TJniversitv (J. J. Carroll. A. Godfrey, F. R. Wright, P. F. Connery).