Among the Oarsmen.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7979, 9 December 1911, Page 16

Among the Oarsmen.

BY “OUT!

Coming Events. Akaroa Regatta, December 18. Westport Regatta, December 28. Pioton Regatta, January 1. Championship Regatta, at Lake Waihola, February 7. Wellington Regatta, February 17. ❖❖❖

Star Boating Club. Weather permitting the Star Boating Club will row the first heats of the Fitzgerald Fours this afternoon. About seven crews will probably start, and all the first heats should be decided, leaving the semi-final and final to be rowed during next week. There is room for more work and coaching being done by the regatta crews now in training for the Ficton regatta on New Year's Day. The time is now rapidly drawing near and no opportunities that present themselves for rowing should be missed if the crews wish to be successful. Entries are now being received for tbe senior and junior sculls to bo rowed on-January 13th. ❖❖❖ Wellington R.C. The following additional crews have been selected to represent the club at the Ficton regatta on New Year’s Day: Maiden Double 1 Boulls—S. Shilling (stroke), E. Cairns (bow). Maiden Pairs—E. Itafter (stroke). Fogarty (bow). . Already B. Shaw (stroke) and C. J. Symonda (bow) have lodged a challenge against the selected maiden pair, and the trial race will eventuate in a couple of weeks’ time. Alex. Galbraith and “Bob” Devonport, two of the old members who have done yeoman service for the club in bygone days have generously given their services as coaches to the club. Mr Galbraith is giving special attention to coaching the maiden regatta crew. Improvement is being shown already under their able direction. ; , The second junior double sculler- of the two ordered from Norton’s has arrived. The other came to hand some two weeks ago- .... The crews for-the senior and junior club fours are now in training and the first heats will be decided in about a week’s time. The ladder sculls contest 4 is advanced one more stage since last writing, E. McGill beat Symonds by one and’ a halt lengths after, a good^race.

At Petone. ~ _ . The semi-final and final for the Fetone Club's trial fours were rowed on the 30th ultimo., aud .resulted inH. Tarrant securing another win, this being his thud win in succession this season. ’ Semi-final —IX. Farrant (stroke), W . Clapson (3), F. Adamson (2), M ■ St™® (bow) defeated W. Snarou (stroke), O. Haddock (3), J. Ingham (2), J. Wilson (Dow) by a couple oaf lengtiis. i.ne "winners obtained a lead early iu tlio race, and rowing with a strong stroke gradually drew away and won fairly comf°Ftoa\—ll. Farrant (stroke), W. Clapson (3), I’. Adamson (2), W. Hume (bow) met and defeated C. Drummond (stroke), J • Daly (3), K. Uommitti (2), 1- Williams (now) by about a leugtn. This proved a good race but the winners were again too strong for their opponents who. however, though lacknlg somewhat iu condition nevertheless put Up a. good_a°htThe executive of tho Fetone E-C. decided at its last meeting, to “Ladder” ! system, inaugurated this season for the first time by the Wellington Bowing Club. The vice-captain. Mi L. Drummond, has generously donated. » trophy and it is anticipated that as a result keener interest will now be taken m Crews i v.uU probably be picked for the “Novice Fairs” race tor a trophy Tvrpseuted bv Mr Edmonds, Ihe first neats are set down for decision next SatULast‘Saturday afternoon/fitness ww-a! ei»hth annual cutter race for the Horse Whisky Trophy between crews representing tbe Wellington cx-Navals and the Fetoue tx-N avals. It provided a hard struggle 'with an exciting finish the Fetoue men winning bj aoont halt a length. The winning crew comprised I • fcox) L Farrant (stroke), W. H. H.lvhitley J. Byau, W Farrant, A Farrant, G. Fraser, C. Vrllars, w. M The a fi“toYnnuarcutter race for a silver ‘cup presented by Sir lloth.es : tor competition between crews from the Wei Sa and Fetone Navals also provided a U keen "ontest. but this time victory went to the Wellington men by the nai-row-est of margins. E, (.cog, j Calnan (stroke) W. McKay^F.^l. HoufhtroV j. A Staples,. Woods. F. Baiker, Taylor yre/be winning crew. £ && may better est to state the full programme for the day- l lt is as follows: . 10.45 a.m.—Senior Fours (best and best), t "11.35 1 fum.-Maiden Fours (clinkers), one m i2 e s p.m.—Junior Fours (best and best). ° n il.«lm.-Maiden e Fairo (clinkers), one m 2 le p.m.—Junior Fairs (clinkers), one p.m.—Youths’ Fours (clinker), one p.m. —Senior Pairs (best and best), ° n 3 e 4s all Vm h -Matoon' Double Sculls (^^•p^^io^^Doutie 5 - Sculls (clinker), one mile.^^

Arnst. , E Arnst has returned to Sydney after an enjoyable, time in Melbourne. Al-

RIGGER.”

’ though he has uo matches in view ha will go into training immediately as it is his intention to row in the Anniversary llegatta to be held on Friday, January 2Gth. There he will meet among others H. Pearce .and W. Fogwell in the All Comers Handicap. Tho rowing season in Canada extends' from May to the first week in September and Arnst is hopeful that during that season Durnan may come to terms for a championship match at Toronto. Barry, he considers, should make some further move at an early date if he is really eager for a match. POINTS IN OARSMANSHIP' Faults and How to Eradicate Them The folio-wing article culled from an Australian paper contains many variable points widen may be of interest to loc. 1 oarsmen. Although written in particular for eight-oar rowing yet the same faults in the main apply to four-oared rowing. What are the faults which every displays to a greater or smaller degree when it first sets out? Of course, tbs' boat is unsteady, there is a good deal of splashing and feathering under watery the oars keep bad time, and there is a complete absence of rhythm. These faults, however, are mainly tho results of other faults, to which the coach must address himself. It is useless for him to say, for instance, “Keep the boat steady," or "Don’t splash,” without endeavouring to remove the shortcomings by which these misfortunes are produced. If ho watches his crew, he will,-T am fairly certain, uotice—(l) That . their movements are dull and slow; where they, ought to be quick, and quick where they ought to be slow. Their hands will b® slow oil the chest, their bodies will hang, on the ’recovery, their wrists will turn without any spring, and their beginnings will be taken indolently. On the other hand, their bodies will rush forward with the speed of an engine, and their slides will rush even faster than their bodies till they rattle against the front etojps. (2) The swing aud the reach will be very short, and the slightest unsteadiness in the boat will make them even shorter, (3) The hands will be "heavy of the stretcher,’’ that is to say. their weight will continue to bear • upon tho hauules of the oars, aud the blaues will be lifted sky-bigh. Consequently, (JKi'he blades will not strike the water even at the short limit of extension permitted by the defective swing and reach, the beginning will, therefore, be missed, and, as a necessary consequence the finish will be cut off. The propulsive power of such strokes, especially when the eight men are talcing them at different times, will, necessarily be small. The coach, having watched this kind of thing for a few hundred yards, must stop the crew,: in and lecture tho men collectively and individually. Tney will be ready enough to listen to him. ■, They must desire, even more than he does, to get rid of their discomforts, and each, one of them has probably realised iu his own mind how they are produced, and how they ought to be corrected. The collective lecture, then, will recall the crew to the first principles in some such form as this: ', “You: are all bucketing : badly. Sharp away, with tho hands and remember, to straighten, the -arms immediately. Then take your swing slowly and steadily, and keep the slide slower than the swing.. Hands must bo light oyer the stretcher, and the bodies must not tumble on the last part of the swing. , Beginnings sharp aud bard. Keep the feet on the stretchers, and use your legs to drive the stroke home! If the boat rolls, help to redress her by the balance of your hands, and always rally on the finish and recovery. Listen for the click of the oars iu the rowlocks, and lock your stroke up there.” “Stroke, your slide is slipping away, mark your beginning well -with your body.” - “Seven, your hands were heavy. Get the beginning exactly with stroke, and watch him all the time. “Six, don’t ride forward on-.your Fide. Begin your swing forward with the knees down, and lea tne owing then carry slide with it.” “Five, your finish is very short. Swing further, reach as you swing, and try tu get the beginning well behind the rigger. This will enable you to keep the huish long. Do your work with straight arms.” VFour, don’t pull yourself up to your, oar at the finish. . Keep your body back, and stay on to the finish.” “Three, you are lying too far back at the finish. Sit up to your work on your bones, and row your shoulders back. Bring . the oar well home to the chest with the outside hand.” . i “Two, you’re swinging out of the boat at the finish. Use your legs evenly. Swing inward at the beginning, lean against your oar at the fiuisn." “Bow, you're feathering badly under water. E-aise your inside wrist more ia holding the oar. and keep swing. and pressure to the end of the stroke.’’ X offer the above, by no means as an exhaustive list, but as a eamxile’of some of the chief individual faults which will call for a coach’s correction, in additioa to the collective faults which I have enumerated. When, the coach has thus instructed his men, he can set them going again for another effort. ' While they are actually at work his corrections should be short and precise, and limited in the case of each man to one fault, at a time. Nor should he disdain to encourage as well as to correct. If he sees that a man is really trying his best, and is in a fair way to get rid of his fault, he must b» told that he is doing better. Nothing wears our spirits out more than constant torrent of rebuke, unmingled with any hint at improvement. Equally important is not to nag at one-man for a long period. Let him be’ told his fault, instructed how to correct it, and then let him alone for a little. If it should be necessary, as it sometimes is, to take a longer turn at him, the coach can. always secure his co-operation beforehand by saying, “Three, you mustn’t mind if I say a good deal to you during the next row. I want to get rid of that fault, and I think it can be managed. Three will certainly acquiesce, and not mind at all, but this method must not be overdone. A CHEMICAL RHAPSODY O come where the cyanides silently flow. Where the carbonates droop o'er the oxides below, ... Where the rays of potassium lie white on the hill ■ And the song of the silicate never is still. Come, O come, turn titti turn. Peroxide of soda .and uranium. While alcohol's liquid at thirty degrees Aud no chemical change can affect manganese. While alkalis flourish and acids are free Jly heart shall be constant, sweet Science, to thee. Yes, to thee, fiddle-de-dee. Sulphate of iron and H O plus C.