SCULLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14579, 19 July 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

SCULLING.

THE WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP. VICTORY FOR ARNST. WANGANUI, June 22. Once moro lias Wanganui boon thrown into a fever of excitement at the prospect of regaining trio wcrld's sculling- championship, and once more lias its hops boon shattered. Webb, in the pink of condition, with bis closest friends Baying- that 1m is at the topmost pinnacb of bis rowing form, bus been beaten Conclusively by Richard Arnst, of Tai Tapu, who achieved so signal ,i victory over iYangamii's chainl>ion in December last. It was anticipated that it would be a groat raco. Even the backers and trainers of Arnst conceded as much, for -without any question the champion did not £0 to the post as fit as on December 15. This, taken into consideration with the glowing uccourils of Webb's form, adjusted Iho balance between the nr.n to a nicety. Webb was beaten by live lengths, but Arnst had to put up a world's record, to do it, the champion of the world cutting out t.lio three miles and a-iiiiarier in lUmin 15s;o. This was doubtless achieved by the aid lent by a decided run in the river, caussd by the rain tha'. fell during (he previous night ..-ind the nice brcezo that favoured the tculler.i Though Arnst won, Webb rowed a game race—in the opinion of experts the finest raw be bas ever made over the course. The result proves that beyond all question Arnst is the first oarsman in Xuw Zealand, and the man who beats him will have to be a phenomenon. BEFORE THE RACE. In the early daylight hours of yesterday the weather looked anything but promising. Atler four hours of gentle rain tbo sky hung in a load-coloured shroud above the little town, damping the ardour of these intending to make a day of it on the banks of (no river that flank the niag-I'-inccm straight of the championship ccitr;.?. About 0 o'clock, however, the sun managed lo show through and an hour later the pretty plate was bathed in gold, and everybody's spirits went up with a bound. At midday the weather Ucamo cloudy aijain, and a& ths people hustled for pit.- on the follow-the-race boats rain fell in preciwly Die .".un» wanner as on tbo day cf the last race. IV Waione, on board which steamer were Mr W. Tuck awl other Wobb backers, ami Messrs J. i'arker, Loa-rio, James Buchanan, and Ur 1 backer (the .'.'hristchurch backers 0 f Arnst), and tbo .press boat Waimario nil led out into the stream, tin vain still falling unecmforlablv. The rivr was nliv» with craft of all sorts. On tbo way up a Unadimi canoe, in which were two lads capsized in the wash of the Waimario, but. the boys were picked up by a following boat v.-ituout having suf;;ained anvtliiii" I ■ml a (lucking. The old redoubt above ! , bpo.ikongt.ni-* big I,!,,!! that overlook* !, the straight-was fairly well peopled with I spectators, but the crowd there and on' ■•He lown sid.> of the river was not ivarlv : «o Joree as during last ycar'e race. About, a mile from the start the steamers pasted ! the-launch fclorus .lack, in which Webb ' was seated. He looked the happiest of mor- : tats, and was cheered until the silent hills ' rang again mil, the echo of Waji.ganui's , : enthusiasm. The boat in which he was t) ' row was lashed on the ton of the awning • ot the launch. A few minutes later Arnst was .espied under a treo on the bank undergoing maewao treatment at the hands of his brother (Jack Anwt). As soon as tho beats arrived Fosfwell (paeeri and "loyd (trainer) carried Arnst's shell to the - water and a few minutes later the Pcloros Jack butted into the bank to deposit Webb and Jus boar. Mr Tnr-k won the tees, and Webb took tbo inside position-the. left-hand hide, facing downstream THE RACE. Without any unnecessary manoeuvring or waking a beautiful start was effected, tho two.men moving off abreast like clockwork. Arnst did not settle bis opponent so spectacularly at the start as in the last race. Ho rowed with it long, swinging stroke, getting in 34 to the minute, whilst Wobb, towing move cleanly, sprang away 37 to the minute. Arnst's boat seemed to be rolling slightly. The first quarter of a mile the scullers kept abreast amidst, great excitement. At tho half-mile Arnst was half a length to tho good. Wobb was rowing gracefully ami with a deal more dash than the writer had observed lxth in the Treesidor and the first Arnst ra;e. As tho flagman at tho mile post dropped the black flag, indicating that Arnst was leading, it was judged that Wobb was a full lcngtJli behind. Little wonder, tor Arrat had cut out the mile in smin 15sec. The second mile was marked by a gradual widening of the (rap between the two boats. Towards tho end of this distance shouts of "Keep out, Billy! Look out for the willows!" warned Webb that he was getting too close. With a milo and a-half covered Webb was fully two lengths and a-half behind, and tho Titan of Taitapu was going right ahead under a full head of steam. His efforts added another half-length to tbo gap before tho completion of the two miles,"which wero covered in lOmiu 51isec. At tho big bend leading into tho straight Wobb, turning round to look for his opponent, looked like fading away, but Arnst still plugged away liko a locomotive in midstream. A milo from the finish Arnst liad established a good four lengths' load, and it appeared as if it was all over, when Webb brisked up considerably. "Now Billy's coming at him!" shouted Webb's friends; and it certainly did look like it for two or tlirco minutes. The effort only freshonod up the big man ahead, who plugged steadily at about 25 to the minute to the finishing lino, which ho crossed five lengths ahead of Webb. The official time for tho race was 18mln 15sec—a record for tbo river and a world's record over three miles and a-quarter coin-so.