AQUATICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1205, 5 April 1895, Page 25

AQUATICS.

TOM SULLIVAN’S DOWNFALL. From Our Special Correspondent. London, February 23. The) tdul'lfn'g match between Tom Sullivan, of NovV Zealand/ and little “ Wag ” Harding, of Chelsea, tfiok place last Saturday afternoon over the TyriW champiorisHip' course, and, a,s you have already learnt by cable, resulted in a win for the Mtiffii' wonder.” I can fairly say that the result did not in the least surprise me. Though I did riot cam to predict defeat for the Nett' Zealand sculler, my remarks in iHriviOtrs letters must have prepared colonists'’ foW that which happened. Harding thoroughly deserved his victory, and gaiiied it by sheer pIHcK and ability. livan rowed with lamentable Want of judgment/ but' lie did his best, arid will probably trim tlh'e, tables ufiieri the pair 1 meet again. Fit arid weld be will beat the new champion when they riveet again on the Thames, that is if lie has taken to heart the lessons of Saturday’s race. The first of these is “ beat your man at the finish, ’ and the second “ steer by your pilot.” Suliiyan tried to beat Harding in the first mile' oil Saturday, and his exertions in getting aWay .from his doughty little opponent robbed him of the strength which should Halv'd been thrown into his work at the critical pdfioVt of the' rac'd.- And, as in his race with Bubeafi rit Putney,- tlid New Zealander paid but littlb attention i tho signals of his pilot, cirfd his lack Hf .obedience led him iritO errors which; f Hunk, cost him the race. Only the frantic yeiis d? those assembled 1 to see the race prevented his running full | tilt into the buttress of Eedheugh j and later, when still leading Harding, lie 1 took a. foolish course, which not only cost i jiirri His lerid; but took him into the thick ;of sori.ie f-oating idri',- and destroyed all ' chance of fitiatf: Mad he attended to i 14is pilot tlirise thiiigfi tif&tvd net have 1 happened; arid niay be Ttriri r/orild dtill.b'e champion of Englafid; sonally, 1 tii'M He Mill regain the hpriorif before the year is gone. O'rf Saturday lie was fairly “fit,” but not neatly “wOrind up.” To do oneself justice in a champion' ship race over the trying Tyne course it is necessary to be thoroughly trained. On the score of condition Harding had a considerable! advantage over his rival last

Satrifday, ris was riyidefit from his ready answer ttf Sullivan’s last deVphi'sihs Sgittfc. One good result is to bri ahticipate'd ifdtii the little Englishman’s victory—namely,• the popularising of professional sCriflirig ih the Old Country. The continual defeats our men have suffered at the hands of importations since the days of Renforth have reduced English professional sculling to a very low ebb. There is no money in it; but Harding’s victory will assuredly bring about a revival of popular interest in the sport. So here’s to the “ little J un ” ! THE CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA. The Queen’s Drive Boating Club's champion four left Dunedin on Tuesday afternoon by the Flora, en route for Picton, where they will put in a week’s training prior to the regatta on Easter Monday. The crew, which has a lot of supporters in the South, consists of T. Wright, stroke,list 61b; F. Keenan, No. 3, 10'st 101 b; J. Yeomrin, No; 2, list 61b; H. Pritchard, bow, lOst 12lb ; H. Ward cox., sst 101 b. A r eoman is an ex-Victorian oarsman of some note, having represented the YarraYarra Club, Melbourne, in many a hard fought race. The crew had a trial spin a few days ago, and in a light, lumpy sea covered ibhe champion distance, two miles, in 13min. A crew that can record this time in broken is quite good enough to be well up in the front division ■on Easter Monday. Should the Queen’s Drive men win the big event it will give a great impetus to outrigger rowing in Otago, and for this reason all true lovers of the sport in the North Island should hail their victory with enthusiasm. Outrigger rowing in Otago sadly wants some such fillip> as this. A private letter received on Tuesday from a prominent Christchurch rowing - man states that the Canterbury Rowing Club’s champion four has broken up, anci the Club will not be represented in the bigevent at Picton. The other Christchurch club, the Union, is in a similar position, and will not send a crew for the four-oared championship. The fact that Christchurch will be unrepresented in this event will rob the race of a good deal of the interest attaching to it throughout the Colony. Daly, the sculler, will be the only Canterbury Club representative at the regatta. Crosbie and Samuels will again carry the Union colours in tlie Champion Pairs and Double Sculls, and Crosbie will start in the Sculls if he can get a boat, With the Christchurch CLubs out of the Fours, the duty of representing Canterbury province will devolve upon the Wairewa /rt-H-lp TMvp.rl Boating Club’s crew, which, from all account*, will row well forward, and the Lyttelton crew, last year’s champions. Chapman, of the Wairewa Club, is a certain starter for the Sculls..

Lyttelton. March 30

The Lyttelton Rowing Club Committee have resolved to write to the Picton Regatta Committee protesting against the action of the Auckland Rowing Club in obtaining the services of a member of another club to fill a vacancy in its Championship Fours crew. A copy of the letter will be sent to the Rowing Association, asking - that body to exercise its authority in preventing such a glaring breach of the spirit of the laws governing* the contests for amateur rowing championships. A similar protest is being made by the Union Club of Christchurch.

The second heat of the 110yds Race, Wellington Amateur Swimming Club, swum again last week on account of a protest having been entered, resulted as follows: —E. j . Fleming, 1; 11. Wilson, 2, and R. C. Renner, 3. Time, 1 min oOsec,

The final of the 110yds swimming race, Wellington Amateur Swimming Club, was decided in Te Aro Baths on Friday, tli® ■Vfate>' being: very smooth. Mr W. Boss got the hvenf away to a good start, and a fine race ensued, all the' competitors being close up, until a few yards from home, when H. Drummond spurted and* won by about two feet ; W. Horne being second,■ and E. J. Fleming third. Time, lmiu 38see. This concludes the Club’s races for the season.

The’ second heat of the Arawa Sailing Club’s half raters for Mr E. C. Batkin’s trophy Was sailed on Saturday. The Miru, which was sailed by Mr It, T. Turnbull, again finished first, beating the Dauntless, which came in second, by 2-niin lOsec. The Vixen’s performance was rather disappointing, as she ivas expected to run the Miru very close in a breeze like Saturday’s. She may, however, do better in a really still’ blow. Mr Martin Chapman’s Buru, the sister boat to the Miru, arrived from Auckland last week, and followed the others during a part of the race. She will take part in the handicap races for the Commodore’s Cup, the first of which comes of? next Saturday. London, March 30.

The annual University boat race between Oxford and Cambridge was rowed to-day. At the start Oxford jumped away with the lead, and maintained it throughout, winning easily by a length and a half. The time was 20min bOsec. This makes Oxford’s sixth consecutive win. London, March 31. For the University boat race, the water was bumpy in consequence of the stiff head wind blowing, Oxford, winning' the toss, chose the Surrey shore. Immense crowds lined the tesX* of tire river to witness the race. CamijiTdge was first to get away, but Oxford led by a length at Craven’s, and increased the g r tip hf another quarter of a length at the end or Ihv first mile. Hammersmith Bridge was shot in 7min BSsec. The Cambridge boat, which had shipped some water at Chiswick, made rept'hts'l spurts, but without avail, and at SboneyC/iwUs the Oxford crew led by two ; lengths.- After that the race was merely a pkobesfSion.; The defeated crew, which was wholly composed of DeW' Lands, was much distressed at the finish, The - Ox-ford crew contained six old Blues. :