ROWING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22716, 31 October 1935, Page 4

ROWING

By Outrigger.

FIXTURES December 26—Macandrew Bay Regatta. February 22—Championship Regatta (Wellington). April 11—Intel-provincial Eights (Wanganui). OTAGO ROWING CLUB The following have been selected for the Trial Fours' race to be held on Saturday afternoon:— v Pritchett (str.), Bannatyne, Laing, Harper; Petrie (st.), Gardiner, Quilter, Cruickshank; Lowrie (st.), Gumpatzes. Walker, White; Caradus (st.), Whittaker Marshall. Spalding; Barclay (st.), Walmsley, Milburn, Jack; Slyfield (st.). Le Sueur. Miller, Henry; Williams (st.), Love, Coulter, Brown. Each crew is being coached by a senior oarsman from the Otago Club, and training is proceeding at every opportunity. BIG ROWING REGATTA The principal fixture on the oarsmen's calendar, the New Zealand Championship Regatta, will be held at Wellington on Saturday, February 22. The decision to hold the regatta at Wellington was made at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association on October 22. An application to hold the regatta at Picton was made by the Marlborough Rowing Association, but this met with little support. The Interprovincial Championship Eights, which have been the highlight of rowing in Wellington on several occasions in recent years, will be rowed at Wanganui on Easter Saturday (April 11). MAIDEN EIGHT-OAR CREWS Reference to the Championship Regatta held at Auckland last season was made in the report placed before the annual meetins of the New Zealand Rowing Association at Wellington on October 22. An innovation of the regatta was the introduction of a maiden eight-oar race, rowed in best-and-best boats. The Auckland Association was congratulated on its initiative in holding the race, which was held with the object of giving the public an oppor tunity of witnessing a representative eitrht-oar event (there were five starters), and of showing that maiden oarsmen were capable of rowing in a better class boat than the clinker boat defined in the rule book. LACK OF ENCOURAGEMENT Special attention is being paid by certain Wellington clubs to the novice oarsmen. A contrary position, however, exists in Auckland, where there is a lack of such encouragement (says the New Zealand Herald). More expert coaches among Auckland oarsmen would make for a vast imnrovement in local oarsmanship. This apathy on the part of Auckland oarsmen is regrettable. For the past two seasons club jubilees and national championships have occupied the stage, and tended to detract interest from the embrvo oarsmen. The season in prospect, therefore, should provide a wonderful opportunity of remedying the nosition and fostering the sport considerably. EIGHT-OAR RACING The future of eight-oar races was one of the principal subjects discussed recently, when important points that canvs before the annual meeting of delegates to the New Zealand Rowing Association were considered by the Wellington Rowing Association. It was agreed that eight-oar races would soon become the main interest, both of the rowing clubs and public. Delegates were instructed to support the proposed standardisation of eight-oar boats; only in the case of eight-oar interprovincial championships. It was stated that local associations, with the exception of Auckland, were agreeable to the adoption of a standard type of boat. Auckland, however, the major local association> had expressed itself definitely against standardisation. The need had now arisen to reconsider the definition, of a maiden eight, and to decide whether it would not be better to alter the decision to provide for a best-and-best instead of a clinkerbuilt boat. The council of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association, however, considered it advisable to continue rowing the interprovincial championship eights in the association boats. PROGRESS OF THE SPORT The report submitted to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association, held at Wellington on October 22, stated that, nothwithstand; ing a slight decrease in the number of registered oarsmen during the depression years, the sport of rowing had been maintained in a sound financial position. Steady improvement in the general standard of oarsmanship, together with the introduction of eight-oar racing, had resulted in greater public interest in the sport. Thig was manifest last season in the record attendances at many of tha regattas. Prospects for the coming season were consequently bright. Interest in the interprovincial eights was being well sustained, and the suggestion that an eight-oared club championship should be instituted was further evidence of the growing popularity of this class of rowing. In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet at the annual meeting, the chairman (Mr G. Lauchlan) said that the championship regatta at Auckland had been quite successful. The interprovincial eights had again occupied a prominent position amongst the association's fixtures. but, unfortunately, they had been the cause of quite a lot of controversy. Mr Lauchlan said it was not his intention to deal with that matter beyond saying that whatever the shortcomings might have been, he hoped that as a result of the exchange of views that had taken place the difficulties would not arise again. Mr Lauchlan referred to the visit of the New Zealand rowers to Australia, and said his only regret was that the association was not able to send more crews further afield. The finances of the association, con- ' tinued Mr Lauchlan, were very satisfactory indeed. During the year there had been a considerable expenditure of a nonrecurring nature. This included the expenditure on an eight-oar boat for the East Coast Association, and a contribution towards the expenses of the Wanganui crew which competed in Melbourne during the centenary celebrations. GENERAL NOTES A feature of the gatherings held in connection with the official openings of the Otago clubs was the freedom with which members fraternised. In such a fine sport as rowing there is no room for petty jealousy. Healthy club rivalry is all to the good of the sport, as it promotes keen competition without engendering a display of bias not in the interests of oarsmanship. In this direction the co-operation of all oarsmen made for the smooth running of each of the local opening functions. The 1935-36 rowing season in Wanganui has been successfully launched by the controlling asociation, and the prospect of last season's success being repeated appear bright. Speaking at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rowing Association at Wellington on October 22, Mr R. G. Duncan referred to the fact that the membership of the association was not increasing. He suggested that an endeavour should be made to increase the membership of clubs and the popularity of the sport with the public. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rowing Association on October 22, it was decided to support the Auckland Association's suggestion that club eightoar championship events be included on championship programmes. An alteration of the minimum weight permitted for coxswains to Bst for eight-oar events and 6st for other races was approved.