ROWING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20288, 22 December 1927, Page 4

ROWING.

By Outeiogeb.

December 26. —Macandrew Bay regatta. December 27. —Karitane regatta. January 2.—Broad Baj regatta; Abaroa regatta; Bluff regatta. February 25.—Championship regatta (Wauganui). Ravensbourne, Port Chalmers, and Otago Association regattas, date not fixed.

Three regattas will claim the attentiin of Otago and Southland oarsmen on Monday and Tuesday next. The entries received for the rowing events at the Macandrew Bay regatta oi Boxing Day are very satisfactory, while 33 entries have been received for the various events to be decided- at the Karitane regatta on Tuesday. All the Otago clubs, and also the Oamaru Club, will be represented at Karitane. The annual regatta to be held at Riverton on Tuesday will occupy the interest of Invercargill and Bluff crews. The Bluff regatta will follow, and all the Southland crews are training in a thorough manner. Several events on the Broad Bay regatta programme for January 2 will be contested by crews from the various local clubs. The Members of the rowing branch of the North-East Harbour Boating Club have overhauled and varnished the two four-oared skiffs which are kept in the boatshed. The boats were tried out last week-end.

The Otago Club has been prevented, owing to illness of members of the crews, to row off the final of the Thompson Fours. Many of the men are suffering from influenza, which, unfortunately, has prevented some of the regatta .members from completing their full training. Regatta crews of both sheds in the Upper Harbour are trying their paces over the course, and crews seem to be generally more fit all round than was the case in the early regattas last year. It is with regret that the Racing Committee of the Otago Club will probably withdraw the entry of the senior fours in the regattas, as Mr Werge’s hand is not yet able to take the strain of the strenuous work of No. 3 seat- If the Otago, four does not compete it will detract from the contests that interest which has been a feature of the rivalry between the Upper and Lower Harbours. At th Riverton regatta the Invercargill Railway Club will be represented with two crews in all races, with the exception of the senior classes. In these events the club will be represented by one crew in each.

Owing to illness and accidents to members, some alterations have been made in the Queens’ Drive Club’s regatta crews. The youths’ four for the three regattas will be G. Thorn (st.), T. Treloar, E. C. Brown, and G. R. Thomson. Owing to the men rowing with other crews, the selected crew has not been able to do much training together, but on the few occasions it has been out it has rowed fairly well, and should be amongst the leaders at the finish.

The Invercargill Chfb has been most fortunate this year in securing as No. 3 man in the senior fours R. N. Rushbatch, formerly of the Otago Club. Owing to a transfer away from Dunedin at a most, inopportune time, Rustibatch was most unfortunate while a member of the Otago Club in not touring with the champion Otago crew to Australia, as he was the original No. 3 man chosen for the tour. The Queen’s Drive Maiden Four crew is the same os first selected, namely, W. S. Jones (str), G. R. Thomson, W. Fustier, and J. W. Emerson, This crew has com© on well during the last week, being coached by H. Campbell. The crow should giv© a good account of itself. If Fastier is not available for January 2. his place will probably be taken by J. G. Brown. With the view of selecting the crew to represent the Queen’s Drive Club in the eight, 10 members have been asked to keep in training. The crew will probably be selected after the holidays. The Queen’s Drive Junior Four is: G. Thom (str), T. Treloar (3), D. Geddes (2), D. Matheson (bow). The crew has been doing a lot of training lately, and has been getting plenty of pace out of tho boat. D. Geddes is a first-year member, but bis form has earned him his seat in this crew

The Queen’s Drive Senior Four is now F. Wilson (str), N. Monson (3), T. Porter (2), G. Clark (bow). G. Clark, stroke of last year’s Junior Four, has taken H. Pritchard’s place at bow. This crew has been doing a fair amount of training, but has been handicapped by an accident to Monson’s ankle, received while building the now staging at the boathouse. The crow is finding some difficulty in “sitting" the racing boat, but should soon overcome this difficulty, and is looking forward to meeting the champion Otago four, P. R. Grahamc, a member of the North Shore Club (Auc tnd), has built himself a single-scull for rough water. The veteran has shortened the boat and boxed in under the slide, and at a recent trial practice ho demonstrated tfiat he can negotiate comfortably in bad conditions. As a sculler, despite bis years, Grahamo has lost little of his power and skill. , , . , As there will be no youths double sculls at the Karitanc regatta, the Queen’s Drive youths’ scullers—G. ihom (stroke), T. Treloar (bow)—will represent the club in this race, and should be close to the first boat over the line. Clark and Monson, of the Queen s Drive Club arc again rowing junior sculls, and should be able to account for this race at Karitanc. . ~ _ , This year at Kantane Queens Drive senior scullers will ba F. Wilson (stroke), T. Porter (bow). As this is a new combination, it is not known how it will shape at the regatta, but it can be depended upon to give a good account of itself.