REGATTA ABANDONED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22825, 9 March 1936, Page 5

REGATTA ABANDONED

ROUGH WEATHER INTERVENES Rough weather on Saturday prevented the Dunodin Regatta Club holding its annual fixture on the Upper Harbour. After considering the position the committee finally decided to abandon the regatta for this year. The weather was, perfect on Saturday morning, and the regatta officials anticipated an excellent clay's racing and a successful fixture, but after 1 p.m. the conditions became very boisterous, a squally wind blowing from the southwest, accompanied by heavy rain. The water was soon lashed into white-topped seas, and it was realised that the rowing skiffs would be swamped if launched. The committee considered the state of the weather from hour to hour, and finally, just before 4 p.m., when the conditions showed no improvement, it was decided to postpone the regatta until yesterday morning. In coming to this decision the committee gave consideration to the fact that crews were present from the Awarua and Oamaru Clubs, and was anxious to decide the events yesterday to enable these crews to return to their homes: Arrangements were also made to bring crews from the Lower Harbour by special bus yesterday morning.

The committee met in the Otago Rowing Club's boathouse shortly after S o'clock yesterday morning and again discussed the possibility of holding the regatta. The wcatlier was even worse than on the previous day, rain falling in torrents, accompanied by a squally south-west wind. The committee realised that it would not be possible to hold races under such conditions, although the water was not so rough as was the case on Saturday, and it was decided to abandon the fixture for the year.

The committee agreed to refund all entrance money to the various clubs, and also to make a grant to the Awarua, Oamaru, Port Chalmers and Queen's Drive Clubs towards the expense involved in railing boats to Dunedin.