IN BOATS AND OUT

NZ Truth, Issue 1200, 29 November 1928, Page 14

IN BOATS AND OUT

Eight-oared Championship May Show Failing Off In Entrants 1 JACKSON'S SCULLING CHANCES (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Rowing Correspondent.) In point of entrants this year's inter-provincial eight-oared race may not be a great success. Nevertheless, the quality will be there. There were five entrants last year, but this year there will be only three, with a possibility of four.

•THE meeting will be held at Corsair 1 Bay, Lyttelton. It is not definitely known whether Auckland will enter a crew. Present indications point to northern representation being doubtful. . . : It is safe to say thiit Wanganui will not send an eight-oared crew south, but" no doubt Wellington, Otago and Canterbury wiil be represented. The whole trouble is that it is being found next to an impossibility for some of the districts to finance a trip and take boats as well. From Wanganui comes word that W. Webb is to lie seen afloat eyery evening with A. K. Jackson, the amateur champion. The young sculler will benefit greatly as a result of having , such a finished sculler as Wabb to pa'ce-and- coach him. Already the critics reckon that Jackson is showing improvement, especially m getting his hands away. His blade work is clean, and he gets a crisp, solid hold of the water with the weight on right through the sweeping stroke. • This, with a powerful leg-drive ' and the weight applied to full advantage, makes his boat run well ■between the strokes. < :It is good to know that there is a probability of Webb going over to Sydney with, Jackson, as the exchampion of the world knows the Parramatta course thoroughly, and his

\ advice will be of great assistance to the young sculler. It was on the Parramatta that Webb defeated ' Charlie Towns and won the world's championship m 1907. Webb made hosts, of friends on that visit to Sydney, and they will be delighted to see "Billy" again. : . H. R. Pearce, the Olympic champion, is the idol of Australians, and : they .won't hear of his defeat. If j he... is as good, a sculjer as they be- ■ lieve him to be, Pearce should beat i Jackson, who cannot be mads a I perfect sculler m. the short time at ; W^ebb's disposal. •' : Still, the Dominion champion, though riot yet a' finished sculler, has all the natural advantages to make a champion. -He is as big a. -man" us Potirce, Is strong and if) as keen as mustard. '■ There is not the keen interest m rowing m Picton that one would like bo see displayed by the youth of that district. • ■ . j Triere is a splendid' course, and every opportunity is afforded the young men to take up rowing, but the Picton Club appears to be fading away. In the years gone by the doings of such fine oarsmen as Chris. Fredericks, A. Perano, R. Andrews and Frank Burns placed Picton well on the map. The material is still there to be moulded into championship form, and old members are willing, nay anxious, to assist m reviving the sport of rowing.