AQUATICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 915, 13 September 1889, Page 13

AQUATICS.

By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. THE SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIP. SEARLE VICTORIOUS. (PER press association.) London, September 9. The Championship Sculling Race to-day resulted as follows : Searle ... ... ... ... 1 O’Connor ... ... ... ... 2 Won by 10 lengths. One hundred thousand people were present to witness the race between O’Conuor and Searle for £SOO a-side,the ScullingOhampionship of tho World, and the Sportsman Challenge Cup, valued at 200 guineas. Beautiful weather was experienced, and the water was also favourable. Ihe betting was 5 to 4 on Searle. The Australian won the toss and chose the Surrey side of the river. At 1.25 p.m. the word “Go " was given. O’Conuor was the first away, aud rowiug a fast stroke soon had an advantage of half-a-length. On parsing the Crabtree Searle had drawh up level, and at the Soapworks was half a length to the good. He continued to increase his lead, and it was at once apparent that be had the race well in hand. At Hammersmith Bridge Searle was a length to the good, and this was doubled on passing Chiswick. O’Connor made a feeble spurt here, but it was of no avail, as Searle was increasing his lead every stroke. At Barnes O Connor was showing unmistakable sigus of distress, and from thence to the finish the race was simply a procession, Searle sculling in an easy winner by ten lengths. Time, 22 mm 42s ec.

Searle met with an enthusiastic reception on stepping out of hia boat. The winner rowed trie first mile in 4miu 53sec, passed Hammersmith in Bsnia 38sec, and Baraeß in 19min 3-ec.

Searle stripped at ILst 101 b; O'Connor was lib lighter. Off Alexander’s boathouse the latter caught a bud crab, and allowed the Australian to obtain the load, Searle being fresh, while O’Connor was quite exhausted. ' The champiouls victory is highly popular. !

Sydney, September 10. News of Searle’s 1 victory was received with great enthusiasm both here and in Melbourne. £IO,QOQ was sent from New South liyales to back the champion. O’Connor was momentarily the favourite at the start, but the 'confidence of his supporters soon collapsed. The news' of his defeat was like a thunder, clap at Toronto. The Canadians are said to have lost £BO,OOO. Searle purposely allowed his opponent to get half a length’s start. (SPECIAL TO PRESS ASSOCIATION.) London, September 9. On being intprviowod at the fjuish of the race, Searle appeared quite fresh. He states that for the first two miles it' was a hard race, but affor that only a paddle," anci he could have increased his advantage to 40 lengths had ‘he'wished. The time for the first mile apd to Hammersmith' fridge has not been eqqallrid in any soulling champjopship. O’CoooQr’s time for the ratio was 23min gsee.

London, September 10. The press is unanimous in conceding the superiority of Searle to his opponent. The ohampion will probably make a match with an Amerioan sculler.

- The Australian contingent assert that they won £3O,QDO by their countryman’s victory. O’Connor statfed to an iuterviewer that he was over-trained, but admits Searle’s superiority

[Henry E. Searle, now the well-proved champion sculler of the world, is a native of Grafton, New South Wales, where he was born on the 14th of July, 1866. Up till January of last year he was quite an unknown man. having then only taken partin skiff races, in which his opponents had been men very far from championship or first-rafce form. In the month named,. however, he won the big handicap at the Clarence River Centennial Kegatta, receiving , three lengths rnd a half from Nelson, and tiyo and,a half from W. Hearn. A little later on he cler feated jTulipis Waif and Stansbury, fiwp yeyy promising' secopri-class men, ’* making the oest time on 'record (lOiriin 5S£-s’ec) in his race with Stansbury. His next qpgagement was with Neilsen, for which he was trained by] Neil Matterson, - the scalier who was in England with Beach three or four years ago. Neilsen was under Beach's wing, aDd Kemp also assisted • in his training ; and as Kemp hrid Matterson wbre' “out,” it good fueling wris B'rioWn oVer the affair, \Vhich came off rib;the'l4th 6! September last. Neilsen' was iiever iri the Hunt, "and dearie Won very hazily. ' The latter was then matched against Kemp, who had r'ecently proved his title to fhe’charripidnship ’by'beating'Maiulan. Meanwhile offers we!re r ‘rnadetri back' Seaflo against Hanlari, but the Canadian refused j;o row on tbegrognd that f‘he could not row a secondrate tp an - !? The se.cand-rate man ” met Kemp, Hanlan's conqueror, on the 27th October last, and beat him by 20 lengths in 22 minutes seconds. Thus Searle, beginning as a fourth or fifthrate skiff-racer in the early part of the year, ended it as champion sculler of the world. It h a circumstance worthy of note that Teemer, the American, gave exactly the same reason for refusing to row O’Connor as Hanlangave when he would not meet Searle. When they did meet [O’Conuor won b, ten

lengths. For some time after his victory over Kemp, Searle made no engagements until he was, a few mouths ago, matched against William O’Connor, of Toronto, a “towny” of Hanlan’s. O’Connor is now 25 years of age, and first came into rowing celebrity by winning the Canadian amateu? championship in ISBS. He was then matched against G. Petersen,' Chatopioii sculler of the Coast, and alsb a young hand at the business. Indeed, the age of young scullers had then fairly set in, for O’Connor in America, Searle in Australia, and Carr in England, were considered quite at the top of the tree. (Passingly it may be remarked that Carr was beaten by the tricky Bubear, and lapsed into comparative obscurity.) O’Connor beat the Pacific Coast man, and then challenged Teemer (then champion of America by virtue of his defeat of Haclan), whom he beat easily on the Potomac in November last. Early this year he met and defeated Gaudaur, aDd then offered to give the “ Black Brunswicker " odds and a start in a three-mile race. Hanlan having manifestly seen his day, arid Wallace Ross, Hosmer, and Lee being out-classed, O’Connor was left at the top of the tree so far as America was concerned. From something Hanlan said to Teemer after the latter had beaten him, to tho effect that “he had a boy who could beat him ” (Teemer) it was expected that O'Connor was a protege of his; and when Hanlan forfeited 500dTl to Searle on account of Teemer, ho mentioned O’Connor as likely to make a match with the Australian. 'J he ex-champion himself, however, had his doubts about it, aud said of Searle The man that beats him is certainly entitled to the championship of the world. . I know of no one who can beat him except it is O’Connor. O’Connor has speed enough to ' keep even with Searle ; I am aertajn of that, but it remains to be seen whether he can go the distance. If he lias improved in the last year, as I hear he has, he can win the championship, and I hope he will. lam going to help him all I know how (sic). There has never been a boat race on which more money will be bet.” The Canadian’s backers being willing, a march was soon arranged, with the result given above—a r?sult whicli is exceedingly gratifying to colonials.]

(per press association.) London, September 11. Gaudaur intends to challenge Searle to row him for 5000 dollars a-side in America, j Matterson has accepted Bubear’s challenge to row on the Thames within a month for £2OO a-side. (SPECIAL TO PRESS ASSOCIATION.) London, September 11. O’Connor has challenged Searle to tow him in America for £SOO a-side. ' (fER press association.) ' Auckland, September 9. Tho program me for the Auckland Regatta in January next is novy rendy. The Committee met to-night apd drafted the programme, whicli is of special interest on this occasion, because of tho Jubjlee festivities. There are to be 17 regatta events o-> the first day, £640 being distributed in prises. The principal prizes will be for the Champion Whaleboat Race as follows ; First, £IOO ; second, £35; third, £ls. In the race for ■ first-class yachts the first prize will be £SO and the second -£2O. O.n the second day Maqri war pEjrioe rapes and other sports, ip* qlqding Maofi war clance.s, are to W held. Tlie Auckland Rowing Association’? Regatta will take place on the third day,: and the fourth day js to be devoted to land sports for men of the squadron, who will probafrly in 'Auckland af thaj; time. " ;

Wellington Rowing Glub —The com; mittee of the Wellington Rowing Club have decided to open the season with the President’s Fours, the entries for which will close on October 7th. Mr G. Norton has been appointed custodian of the Club, and Messrs J. R. Brown aud W. Hearn have been re appointed as coaches to the Club for thi coming season.