AQUATICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1285, 15 October 1896, Page 26

AQUATICS.

STANBURY’S RETURN. WHY-HE-LOST THE CHAMPIONSHIP;’ HE' KEPT' THT] OCCIDENT A SECRET. Albany, October 11. Stanbury, the ex - champion sculler) arrived by the Oruba. In the course of an interview he - said'he was in' gobd l form until within three dia.ys of the race' wit lit Gaudaur, but that lie then' strained life l back. He kept the fact of the accident to 1 himself, and to that mishap he attributed his defeat by the Toronto man.

STAR BOATING CLUB

Favoured by a light southerly wind the Star Boating Club was enabled to commence the season’s racing on Saturday with the Senior and Junior Pours. There was a large attendance of members, and the races were well contested. The following are the results:— SeniorF ours. First heat—Bendall (stroke), Fache (3), J. Widdop (2), Mitchell (bow) v. Crawford (stroke), Morrison (3), Blundell (2), and Horne (bow). Bendall took the lead shortly/ after the start, rowing a fine long stroke, _ and, although Crawford stuck pluckily to,--him, he won, all out, by three lengths. Seoond heat—Duncan (stroke), R. Po,w> - nail (3), Stafford (2), W. Tripe (bow.V. v. . Newton (stroke), S. Hume (3), F. Widdop . (2), F. Harcourt (bow). From the, start, Duncan gained a slight lead, but off-' the , Destructor Newton spurted andi gained t slightly. Also, about 200 yards from i home, he again “ lifted,” but Duncan won a bard race by one length. Junior Fours. First heat—Richardson (stroke), Fair--cliild (3), Gray (2), S. Kirker (bow)/ v. Andrews (stroke), Broome (3), Men—zies (2), Lewis (bow) and Webb*Bowen (stroke), Thompson (3), Wbeelhir (2) Lawson (bow). Webb-Bowen led fromi the start, but off the baths was passedl by Richardson. Nearing the finish-,, Andrews came with a good spurt, andi passed Webb-Bowen, but could not get up to Richardson, who won by three lengths. Second heat Cox (stroke)* McNeill (3) RoUe&ton (2), Devenish (bow) v. Moeller (stroke), Rose (&), Gowing (2), Harris (bow), and Dix (stroke), Hannah (3.), Hartmann (2). Newall (bow). This was another good race. After going about 100 yards Cox and Moeller had a slight foul which enabled Dix to establish a lead of about four lengths, which was not of much use to him, as directly the other boats got clear'they soou collared Dix, and a slashing race ended in favour of Cox by threequarters of a length. A protest was entered by Moeller, but disallowed. Messrs Bethune (captain) and Pearce . (dopufcy - captain) acted as judge and starter respectively. The final heat of seniors and semi-final ’■ of juniors will be rowed this evening.

Entries are now being received forSenior and Junior Pairs, which close oni 19bh, first heats to be rowed on 31st MODEL YACHTS. A challenge race of the Port Nicholson Model Yacht Club for the Second-class Challenge Cup was sailed on Saturday afternoon between Mr E. Wightman’s Moth and Mr F. W. Petheriek’s Tui (holder of oup), and resulted in an easy win by the Moth for first place by 2min 4seo. Mr Geo. Norton acted as timekeeper and judge.

The Dunedin season was opened on Saturday, but was interfered with by a strong wind, and the procession was, therefore, much reduced in size. Only one of the eight-oar boats went out.

When the annual meeting of the Union Rowing Club, Christchurch, was held some three weeks ago, great surprise was expressed' in aquatic circles in Wellington at the absence from the new executive of Messrs F.. D. Kesteven and W. G. Atack, the past sea-, son’s captain and deputy-captain re3pec-. tively. The reason has now been made - public. A special general meeting of the. Club was held on Friday evening last, when . Mr Atack explained that he had convened; the meeting, and gave his reasons for so. doing. He and Mr Kesteven had been re--turned at the bottom of tbe poll taken for the; election of the committee with 17 votes each, but further enquiries were made, with the result that 34 members of the Club signed a declaration before a Justice of the Peace that they had vote 1 for Mr Kesteven. Declarations were read by the scrutineers, who explained the method which had beer adopted in counting the votos, and stab J( | that so far as each one was oonoerned he ’ ua ,j conducted the ballot in a proper manner _ long discussion took place, and it was finally resolved to adjourn the meeting, a T if that tho charges against one of the scrub' .leers be formulated and sent to him forfchvy'.iffi. lhe scrutineer referred to is well known in athletic circles throughout tUa Colony, and the incident has caused quite a flutter of excitement in Christchurch.