ROWING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23352, 18 November 1937, Page 4

ROWING

By Outrigger

OTAGO CLUB The Otago Club's first race of the season—the Trial Fours —was rowed last Saturday on rather rough water. The crews in this race comprised two experienced oarsmen and two new members, and the distance was approximately half a mile. Three crews started, being as follows: —R. E, Rawle (sir), L. Marshall (3), E. Brown (2), McEwen (bow): E. J. Tyson (str). P. Dolan (3). M. Brady (2). A. Wilson (bow); N. Mitchell (sir), C. Mann (3), Johnson (2), C. Hotton (bow). Rawle rowed a very steady and deliberate stroke throughout, and brought his crew in to a comfortable win The rougn water made the going somewhat difficult for the new members. but nearer the sheds they displayed quite a good knowledge of the requirements of rowing, considering their short period of training. Although the new members are not numerous, it must be said that they arc showing more promise than is usually the case. , On Saturday at 3 o’clock the Walters Fours will be rowed. The following crews have been selected (order of positions ss shown for first crew): C. E. G. Johnson (stroke). R. E. Rawle (3). N Williams (2), L. D. Bewley (bow); A. S Frame, W. Buxton. E. Harvey. McKewen; A. M. Lysaght • C Brown. R. Grant. C. Hotton: R. Marshall, L. Davidson, R. Laing, P A. Perano; W. N. Binnie, L. McQueen N Mitchell. R. Baird; J. R. Caradus. E. Tyson, W. Brown, A. Wilsin; W. L. Gaffer. T. Love. K. Moore. D. A. Spalding. Last year Marshall was stroke of the Youths’ Four which won at the Dunedin and'Queenstown regattas. He was also stroke of the Youths’ Pair and bow in the Youths’ Double Sculls which were succcessful at Queenstown. Davidson makes his entry into senior rowing. Last season he rowed No. 5 in the • iclorious Interclub Eight, and he was also No. 3 in the Junior Four and bow in the Junior Pair which won at the Dunedin regatta. Rawle also met with considerable success last year. He was bow in the Maiden Four which won at the Macandrew Bay and Dunedin regattas. Last Saturday he stroked the crew which won the club's Trial Fours. About 26 members will make (he trip to the Oamaru regatta on December 4, and the club will be represented in every race.

During the week-end the club was visited by Messrs H. G. Daniel, Patterson, and R. H. Whitaker, of the Oamaru Club. Members are always pleased to welcome visitors. QUEEN'S DRIVE CLUB The following crews from, the Queen's Drive Club have been selected to train for the Oamaru and Macandrew Bay regattas;— Youths’ Fours.—A. Craig (strJ, A. Cook, R. Matheson, and D. Collier; M. Sutherland (str.), E. Edmunston, J. Paris, and B. Percy. Maiden Fours. —D. Sutherland (sir.), R. Paris, A. Craig and A. Cook; No. II —J. Donaldson (str.), W. Fullerton, J. Clark and J. Neill. Youths’ Sculls. —A. Craig and Cook< R. Matheson and D. Collier. Junior Sculls. —D. Sutherland and K, Osborne. The crews for the Maiden Sculls will be selected during the week. PORT CHALMERS CLUB Reports from the Port Chalmers Club indicate that activity there has greatly incx’eased during the past two weeks. A number of novices have been put through their paces with credit to themselves. In fact, the standard shown generally has been high and it is expected that several good crews will be available to represent the club. The following crews have been selected: — Senior Four. —G. Mitchell (str.), L. Pithie (3), N. Rae (2), G. Thorn (bow). Senior Double Sculls. —G. Thorn (six-.), L. Pithie (bow). Junior Double Sculls. —A. Alcock (str.), N. Rae (bow). Over 20 members ax’e making the trip to Oamaru and the crews to take part will be selected this week-end. The John Mill Memorial Fours are set down for decision this week-end. The first race will be rowed at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Members were pleased to welcome Mr Tom Mackie to the club house during the week-end. Pleasui’e was expressed at the improvement in his health. DUNEDIN REGATTA CLUB At ’a committee meeting of the Dunedin Regatta Club on Monday evening, the date of the annual meeting was fixed for November 29. It is intended at that meeting to present the trophies won last season, and also to select the day for the annual regatta. it was reported at Monday’s meeting that many subscriptions were outstanding and it was mentioned that the existence of such a state of affairs was not helpful to the provision of good prizes, OAMARU BOATING CLUB Prenai'ations are now well in hand for the gala on Saturday, December 4. Keen racing should be witxxcssed, as it is expected that about 100 oarsmen will take part. The following Dunedin clubs will be repx'esenled:— Otago, North End. Port Chalmers, Queen’s Drive. Crews from the Timaru Club will also be present. Club secretaries are asked to fox-ward entries as soon as possible, the following being the tentative programme, a start to be made at 3.15 p.m.:—Youths Double Sculls. Maiden Fours, Junior Double Sculls, Youths’ Fours, Senior Single Sculls, Maiden Double Sculls. Junior Foux-s and Senior Fours or Double Sculls.

FOSTERING EIGHT-OAR ROWING The decision of the Otago Association to lend an eight-oar boat to the Southland Association for a short period during December will apparently be received with great pleasure by oarsmen in the south. The need for a second eight-oar boat was emphasised by the president of the Southland Association (Mr E, J. McLauchlan) at a meeting of delegates recently. All the delegates supported Mr McLauchlan, and endorsed his suggestion that club members and others interested in rowing should be approached for financial assistance. It was decided also as a matter of policy that when the second boat was obtained both boats-would be made available in rotation to the four clubs.

Mr McLauchlan said that most associations had two eight-oar' boats, but Southland had only one. With another boat they would be able to try out representative rowers more extensively. give young oarsmen experience with an eight from the start of their careers, and create more public interest. as eight-oar rowing was the most spectacular of all. Mr C. Hunter (Bluff) suggested that part of the funds should be raised by running an eight-oar regatta at Bluff; a craft from Otago could be borrowed for that purpose. A committee was appointed to go further into the question. ROWING SHORTS A commendable feature of the Otago Club's management is the effort made to cater for members from a social point of view. With its large, open balcony and spacious, well-equipped hall which are always cool, the clubh use provides an ideal spot for summer dances. Last Saturday night, when more than 60 couples were present, the club hold its most successful dance for some time. In order to ensure good control, the club reserves the right of admission.

All oarsmen, especially those associated with him at the Los Angeles Games in 1932, will regret the death of L. (“Jumbo”) Woodgate-Jackson of Picton. Only 31, Jackson had a quick rise to national fame. He became a member of the Pictop Club in 1928, and two years later he stroked his crew to success in the New Zealand Champion Fours. He was successful, also, in this event at Wellington in 1936. He was selected to represent the Dominion as a member of the eight-oar crew at Los Angeles, where ho rowed No. 4. Reports from Auckland state that R.

B. Smith, New Zealand single sculls champion and Empire Games nominee, has commenced training in earnest. Smith is the best amateur sculler New Zealand has had in years. He has won the national title three times, in 1932 1936, and 1937; he was first home at Picton in 1934, but was disqualified in a race which gave rise to considerable controversy. He went to the Melbourne Centenary Games in 1935, and finished a length behind the then Australian champion, H. Turner. Smith is a better sculler to-day, but in C. Pearce he will meet the best amateur oarsman produced in Australia since his cousin, R. Pearce, now professional champion of the world. Still, '.hose who know Smith best say he is a rare fighter, and New Zealand will have in him a very worthy representative. Although it has protested,to the New Zealand Association against the method adopted for financing the visits of New Zealand crews to the Empire Games, the Otago Association intends to make an effort to obtain the amount of the contribution expected from it. With this end in view a decision to make an appeal to the public for subscriptions was arrived at at the meeting on Monday night, and it is also intended to arrange a dance to take place in the Otago Rowing Club’s pavilion on December 11. For this function the four clubs on the harbour will be asked to give their combined assistance.