ROWING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22810, 20 February 1936, Page 4

ROWING

By OUTKIGGEE. FIXTURES February 22.—Burkes-St. Leonards Regatta. Championship Regatta (AVellington). March 7—Dunedin Club’s regatta, at Dunedin. OTAGO REPRESENTATIVE EIGHT General satisfaction has been expressed with the selection of the Otago representative eight to contest the Interprovincial Race on the vVanganui River on Easter Saturday. The selectors were faced with a hard task, and they are to be congratulated on their work. The combination is an experienced and wellbalanced one, with a good sprinkling of youth.

J. P. Vallis (stroke) started rowing with the North End Club, where he had fair success in the maiden dnd junior class. Since joining the Otago Club he has been very successful, and has some very fine performances to his credit. He stroked the Otago eight at Wellington in 1934 (and those who saw that race will have no fear regarding the Otago stroke this year), and was in No. 6 seat last year. Solomon (No. 7), whose provincial record is perhaps unique for the Dominion, was a member of every Otago eight to date —as No. 7 in the fipt five and last two, and No. 5 in the 1933 and 1934 crews. He was bow of the Olympic Eight five years ago. He is the son of Jim Solomon, who was bow of the Port Chalmers Club crew which won the Champion Fours at Dunedin in 1904. A. Hogan (No. 6) has been rowing for the North End Club for four years. He was successful in the maiden and junior class, and always rowed a fair oar, and has shown a noticeable improvement this season. He is the son of G. Hogan, who, with Jack M’Grath, won the New Zealand Championship Double Sculls at Dunedin in 1898. P. F. Verngreen (No. 5) has had a very successful career with the North End Club, winhing maiden, junior, and senior Fours, Pairs, and Sculls on many occasions. G. E. Mitchell (No. 4) is a good oar, and has many wins in nil classes of rowing, including youth, maiden, and junior Fours. Pairs, and Sculls, and also winning the Senior Fours at the Macandrew Bay regatta on Boxing Day. L. E. Pithie (No. 3) was in the same scat last year, and occupied No 6 seat the previous year. He has some very good wins to his credit in all classes of vowing, and for the last few years has been a worthy mate for G. Clarke in the Double Sculls. C. Neilson is taking the No. 2 seat for the fourth time. He is a fine man for that seat. He has been very successful in the Port Chalmers Club, winning Fours, Pairs, and Sculls in every class of the sport. G. R. Thorn (bow) is taking his place in the crew for the second time, having been bow in the 1934 crew. He started his rowing career with the Queen’s Drive Club, but since joining the Port Chalmers Club has had some good wins in senior Fours and Pairs. DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIPS All oarsmen throughout the Dominion will have thoughts turned on the New Zealand Championship regatta at AA’ellington on Saturday. Crews from all parts of the North island, and also from Marlborough, will compete, and the various races comprising an attractive programme should be keenly contested. The arrangements for the regatta offer the competing crews every inducement, and it should only require fine weather for the success of the fixture. The selected course is at Oriental Bay and there are rowing* enthusiasts who arc of the opinion that the course does not lend itself so readily (o satisfactory following of the races ns doea the AVanganui River and other courses. REMAINING REGATTAS There are three regatta's on the oarsmen’s calendar, so far as Otago and Southland are concerned, to be decided this season. These are the Burkes-St. Leonards fixture on Saturday afternoon, the Dunedin Club's fixture on Saturday, March 7, and lastly Queenstown on Easter Saturday. Activity among the local clubs has continued, and the majority of the oarsmen are in good form. The BurkesSt. Leonards fixture has been marred by unfavourable conditions on several occasions, but it is hoped that the weather will be calm on Saturday. The North End Club will not contest the Youths’ Sculls, and the Port Chalmers Club has changed its Maiden Four, as B. Anderson will not be available. He will be substituted by N. Smith. EIGHTS POPULAR That eight-oar rowing is the most popular with the public was evidenced last Thursday evening, when the race between the Upper and Lower Harbour crews was decided. AVhen one such race can attract a large crowd, one can imagine what a, drawing card a programme of eight-oar races would be. If associations want the support of the public, then every possible means should be taken to include such events in every regatta programme. The Otago Association is fully alive to the importance of eight-oar rowing, and is to be congratulated for its foresight in this direction. There is nothing more attractive than eight-oar rowing, and many people will go a long way to witness such events.

It is pleasing to note that the Wellington Rowing Association has now turned its attention to this branch of the sport after a long period of neglect. At a meeting of the Wellington Association last week the question of eight-oared rowing was discussed at some length, the general feeling of the association being that eights would replace pairs and double sculls on future New Zealand programmes. It was considered that the time was not distant when eight-oared events would appear on Wellington local programmes. Otago and Auckland already realised that public opinion had a leaning towards eights, as being more spectacular from a spectator’s point of view. The Wellington Association heartily supported Otago’s and Auckland’s viewpoint. It was recognised that the difficulty at the present time was? the expense of acquiring eight-oared boats, but members agreed that if attractive enough prize money wag offered entries would be forthcoming. ST. LEONARDS REGATTA The Burkes-St. Leonards regatta will be held on Saturday, afternoon, and should the conditions be favourable some excellent racing should be seen. Eight rowing events figure on the programme, the prize money amounting to £22, to be allocated as follows: —Senior Pours — first £3 12s 6d, second £1 2s 6d; Youths’ Fours —first £1 12s 6d, second 12s 6d; Maiden Fours—first £2 2s 6d, second 12s fid; Maiden Double Sculls —first £1 2s fid, second 12s fid; Junior Fours—first £2 12s fid, second 17s fid; Senior Double Sculls —• first £2 2s fid, second 17s fid; Junior Double Sculls—first £1 12s fid, second 12s fid; Youths’ Double Sculls—first £1 12s fid, second 12s fid.

The rowing entries for the regatta total 32, compared with 26 last year. The following crews (reading from stroke) have been selected:— Otago Rowing Club. —Senior Fours: W. N. Binnie, C. W. J. Brown, W. L. Zafl'er and J. B. Henry. Senior Sculls: F. Brough and Zaffer. Junior Fours: R. Grant. L. J. Davidson, P. T. Jack and K. Barclay. Junior Sculls: Brown and Grant. Maiden Fours: No. I—A.1 —A. M. Lysaght, I. W. Love, W. N. Williams and R. Whittaker; No. 2 —J. Irvine, H. C. Gray, S. White and D. Cruickshank. Alaiden Sculls: No. I—-Davidson and Lysaght; No. 2 —C. E. C. Johnson and Jack. Youths’ Fours; No. I—J.1 —J. Green, A. Millar. N. Le Sueur and C. APQuarrie; No. 2 —R. Marshall, J. M'Gregor, W. Brown and L. Bewley. Port Chalmers Rowing Club. —Senior Fours; G. Mitchell. J. D. Solomon, C. Neilson and G. R. Thorn. Senior Sculls; Solomon and Neilson. Junior Fours: N. Rae. W. Smith. R. Crawford and J .Abernethy. Junior Sculls to be selected. Maiden Fours: R. Hill, N. Smith. A. Docherty and L. Percy. Alaiden Sculls: R. Hill and N. Smith. Youths’ Fours: A. Alcock. S. Throp, E. Hill and J. Hoskins. Youths’ Sculls: Alcock and G. Hoskins_ North End Rowing Club.—Senior Fours: J. Hurrell. P. F. Verngrecn. A. Hogan and F. W. Epgers. Junior Fours; M. Butterfield. D. M'Callutn, F. Hogg and C. Butterfield. Junior Sculls: M'Callum and C. Butterfield. Maiden Fours; No. I—D.1 —D. Davidson. J. Robertson, D. Poynter and R, Cox; No. 2 and Youths’ Fours—L. Smith. M. Hogg. N. Mathowson and H. Stevens. Maiden Sculls: F. Hogg and A, Brown.

Queen’s Drive Boating Club.—Senior Fours; G. P. Hark, L. E. Pithie. M. Jackson and D, M. Malheson. Senior Sculls: Clark and Pithie. Maiden Fours:

D. Sutherland. G. Roberts. J. Donaldson and A. Docherty. Maiden Sculls; Sutherland and Roberts. Youths’ Fours - J. Densem, J. Treloar. A. Craig and A. Cook. Youths’ Sculls: No. ]—Densem and Craig; No. 2—Treloar and Cook.