ROWING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10731, 20 February 1897, Page 7

ROWING NOTES.

Bt Arawa,

The regatta which is to be held to-day promises to be successful in every respect. Secretary Hayward has gofc his arrangement very complete, and the wearisome "waits" between the events will on this occasion be absent. The vantage poiufc selected for the public is the Victoria wharf, whence an uninterrupted view of the various events maybe gained. The first race starts afc 2 p.m. sharp. The double sculling events should prove a feature of the day's proceedings, for they will be very keenly contested. Double-sculling racing is very popular in Canterbury, .and bulks largely in all the regattas there. The boats of the Port clubs arrived in town last night, and the crews all appear to be in the pink of condition. Training has been going on with persistence morning and night, both at the Queen's Drive and Port Chalmers sheds, and tbat some of the laurels will be carried off by them is a foregone conclusion.

The " Dabs," it is anticipated, will carry off the Maiden Fours and the Junior Pairs, but the Port representatives, Keenan and M'Donald, should give M'Grath and Hogan a good "go" for the Senior Pairs. '7

The O.K.C. youths have from all accounts not been shaping so well of late, and I am inclined to think that the honours of this event1 will go to the North End shed.

The Seniar Fours promises to be the greatest struggle of the day. The issue will lay between the Port crew (who won oh Boxing Day) and the Drive men. Some appear to anticipate that the Drive crew will about win, but in order to do so they must have increased their pace by some 14 or 15 lengths since Boxing Day. The only other crew entered is the Otago four, but I am inclined to agree with the opinion expressed by a rower I was speaking to the other day—viz, thafc they haven't gofc " Buckley's." However, the positive man has had to "climb down " before now, but events will show.

The Queen's Drive, I fancy, will win the Junior Fours, but I expect a big struggle for second place between the Dabs and the North End men.

The Port Chalmers won tho Juuior Pairs at Port, and will probably do so again. Ifc is difficult to "pick" the senior pairs, but I thiDk that when the "numbers are up" ifc will be fouDd thafc the Port Club will have added another to their list of wine.

Through unavoidable circumstances fche North End Club will not be represented in the Senior Fours, which the members exceedingly regret, »s they consider it tbe duty of every club to be represented in each event if at all possible. Owingto the difficulty of getting suitable water in the vicinity of ; the shed, the North End eightoared crew have not been able to put in much practice in the boat. I had, however, the good fortune to see the crew out early in the week and judging by th« way they were all pulliug together it is evident the training for this event has not been neglected. The D.A.B.C. will have to put in a very good, crew indeed to win. During the week too following heats in the North EBd Club's Pair-oar Kace bare begn got off :—

Simmers (stroke) and D. Finncgan beat Jay (stroke) and Grimes.

Dickison (stroke) and Will beat M'Pherson (stroke) and N. Wright.—A good race to the club s shed, when Dickison spurted and won with a length to spare.

• sbarp (stroke) and Galbraith beat Miller (stroke) ?. l\-£i B,\ Wright.—MUler took the le»d and kept it till halt the distance had been covered, when bharp quickened his stroke and got ou even terms, winning by half a length.

The trophy given to the Regatta Committee by Lady Brassey is to be raced for on Saturday 27th February. Entries close with Mr Myers, Mr Bannister, Mr Sligo, or Mr Hayward on Thursday next. The conditions ou which the trophy is to be won will be found in the programme in connection with to-day's regatta Mr Norton, of Wellington, has jußt built to the order of the Wellington R.C. a racing fouroared outrigger, which is quite a new departure ahe N.Z. Times says : "The boat, h*s remarkably fine ends with a comparatively large midship section, which make her very buoyant. There is a large amount of camber in the keel which rises the bow well out of the water' making her a fine sea boat. The dimensions of the boat are as follow;— Length 42ft breadth amidships 20iin, depth amidships', 12iin, the baat iB 7in deep at the bow, 6io deep at tho stern. The materials employed in the construction are • Keel and gunwale "American clear pine, the outside skin, which ia drexoed to the thickness of 1-lOfch of au inch, is of speci"Hy osk-ctsd Australian cedar, aad the timber*

throughout are of willow, cut out of natural crooks. , The inside fittinss. arc roostiy of wilww A leading feature jn this boat is that she 18. ?'" de<l mfco fi^e watertight compartments, which render her practicably unsinkable. E«ch man sits on. a watertight compartment under his Best, and the roller slides are lifted on top of each compartment: The usual footboards _ or stretchers- are done away with iv. this boat, and- light willow -'■■ clogs are_ substituted, which affords a ..great saving in weight. The slides are of a new pattern, being fitted, with vulcanite, runners and rollers of the same material, special provision: being made for lubricating the.same. The boat hss been builb under the supervision of Mr P. urahame, who has expressed himself highly pleased with ths manner the order has been executed. This boat is the lightest boat of her ?!s*?mi_ the colonie9>' her weight being Only J-07ilb. Mr Norton says that he will build a racing four to carry a 12st crew* and to weigh under 1001b.if required. This latest addition to the Wellington Rowing Club's plant has proved herself remarkably fast, having twice, beaten fche Star Club's, new. Clasper four. Mr Norton has just completed an order from the Otago Rowing Association for four racing boats, the lasfc of which went away by the Flota last luesday. The southern club 3 speak in high terms of Norton as a builder of racing boats, i. he same builder has a four-oar maiden boat ready for shipment, built to the order of. the Gisborne Rowing Club. Tbis: makes the sixth prder completed by this builder for the Gisborbe Rowing Club. In fche Union Rowing Club's t»cID?. Pair-oar, built by .Norton, tjie. club has won £86 already this season."'

toRT Notes by Tainoi,

After all the active training (walking, running, and rowing) going on here for the past six weeks to-Axy will tell for certain and settle tbe much-asked and vexed question, "Who's going to win the Senior Fours ? " Those who witnessed this'rice on Boxing Hay were quite satisfied me beat crew won—no fluke aboufc it— and wondered how it was that the redoubtable tour from the Drive shed were so easily put down. Many reasons were assigned for their defeat Probably the oue nearest tho mark was; thai they had held the premier rowing position in Ofcago and elsewhere for so long they got careless, of thwr laurels, and held tbeir opponents'rowing abilities too cheaply, a faulfc and mistake that one or two defeats will very often rectify. To-day's contest ih this event should furnish a most excitittg and' interesting finish. 1 don't think lam far wrong ih saying that as regards first place this.race.is one between the Drive and Port crews, and, as a final tip, I fancy the blue and white colours of mv ■r d wiU once more score a victory The Junior Fours from the Drive shed are reckoned a pretty safe thing, for this race. They are all in the pink of condition, if anything better now than when they won at the Port on •coxing Day. The result of the Senior Four Race; will decide whether the Port Chalmers Club will be represented at the Champion! Race at Picton h, -i, „D™ c^' the P°Pular 'ate secretary. oE the Porb Chalmers Club, is now purse/ on board the s.s. Taviuni trading to the islands. Charley, .was universally liked,' and is much missed.by tne members oE the club