CENTENNIAL REGATTA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24226, 19 February 1940, Page 12

CENTENNIAL REGATTA

CHAMPIONSHIP EIGHTS WON BY NEW SOUTH WALES SINGLE SCULLS TO R. B. SMITH (Per United Pres** Association) WELLINGTON, Feb. 18. One of the finest exhibitions of rowing seen in the Dominion in recent years was provided by the visiting New South Wales crew, which won the New Zealand Champion Eights from Aramoho and Union (Wanganui) at the New Zealand Centennial regatta yesterday, The Australians, showing a very stylish form, had the race in hand from the mile. Their appearance marked the first occasion that an Australian eight has raced at a New Zealand regatta.

For the sixth time in succession the event was disorganised by bad weather, as a result of which the races had to be spread over two days. A northerly wind, blowing in strong gusts and' driving rain delayed the programme yesterday, Conditions were even worse this morning when the regatta was to have been continued at Pet One at 8 o’clock, and a postponement was made until after 11, when the sky cleared. The wind had thep dropped, but later it veered around to the south, and the final two races had to be transferred to Oriental Bay. The water was always choppy on the outside of the course, and with such big fields in the championship events it was not possible to row them under the smoothwater conditions prescribed by the rules.

New Zealand Champion Fours 2000 metres Clifton (Topliss str, Old, Ollson, Sampson) 1 Petone .. 2 Auckland 3 Thirteen crews competed. Won by two lengths, with half a length between second and third. Clifton staged a magnificent performance to come from the rear in the early stages to have the race won a quarter of a mile from home. The leading crews early were Auckland, Gisborne, Union (Wanganui). An exciting tussle ensued for the minor places, Petone finishing very strongly to take second berth from Auckland, who just shaded Union for third place. A feature of the race was the decisive manner in which Clifton retained the title in spite of the loss of their stroke, Fowler, who is in camp. It was only by a vast improvement during last week that the rearranged crew achieved the form it did.

New Zealand Champion Eights 2000 metres

New South Wales (Robinson str, Jay, Clubbe, Gordon-Glassford, Murray, Foote, Montgomery, Thorton) .. .. Aramoho Union (Wanganui)

Five crews competed. Won by threequarters of a length each way. The water was almost calm at the start when the Championship Eights began, but there were still gusts of the northerly wind. Aramoho jumped out at the start, but was soon passed by New South Wales and Union (Wanganui), who were level after the first quarter of a mile. Aramoho drew ahead again, and a stern battle ensued, with the three crews level over most of the next quarter. The Australians were rowing within themselves, but Aramoho, showing great form, was never far away. At the three-quarter mile post New South Wales put on a spurt, and was still rowing very evenly at the mile. . Union made a spurt, but New South Wales quickened and gradually drew away to increase its lead. Aramoho drew up to be within half a length, but it could not keep up the pressure, and New South Wales restored its lead to be three-quarters of a length ahead. About 100 yards from the post Aramoho cut the lead to half a length and succeeded in decreasing it still further, but New South Wales was still hard at it and crossed the line the same' distance ahead. The fact that Union finished behind Aramoho indicated that either Union had gone back somewhat or that Aramoho had shown marked improvement. New Zealand Championship Single Sculls 2000 metres

Auckland No. 1 (R. B. Smith) .. .. 1 Petone No. 1 (P. A. Abbott) .. .. 2 Wellington (T. Hegglun) 3 Eight crews competed. Won by a canvas, with three lengths between second and third.

Smith joined Hegglun in the lead at the half-mile, but the latter began to drop back at the three-quarters, where Abbott came up to take the lead. He held the advantage to within 200 yards from home, where Smith again drew level. These two increased the pace, with the Auckland man doing 36 to Abbott’s 34. Smith came with one of his characteristic bursts to win in the last three strokes. He set a new record with five consecutive wins in the Singles and equalled McGrath’s aggregate record of six wins. The Australians, Webb and Clubbe, finished well back sixth. New Zealand Champion Pairs 200 metres

Union, Christchurch (J. T. A. Harris str. C. A. Cooper) 1 Petone No. 1.. .. 2 Tauranga . • • 3 Five crews competed. Won by two lengths, the third crew being three feet beck.

Union showed a great improvement on its winning form of last year. Petone led after the first quarter, with Tauranga and Blenheim going well within themselves. Union, however, had forged ahead steadily to hold a comfortable lead 350 yards from the post. Petone seemed to miss a stroke Just when they were coming up fast, but recovered well to beat Tauranga in a desperate finish for second, with Blenheim also close up fourth. New Zealand Champion Double Sculls 200 metres Petone (Abbott str, K. Boswell) .. 1 Auckland .. .. 2 Tauranga 3 Union (Christchurch) also competed. Won by four lengths, with 10 lengths between second and third. Auckland might have provided keener opposition if it had not steered erratically in the early stages. Petone was leading when the crew began drawing closer in. but it apparently gained some advantage, because the wind was more directly behind it over the final quarter. Auckland had no chance of overtaking the winners. Light-weight Maiden Fours Union (Wanganui) ~ .. 1 Wanganui 2 Picton 3 Won by two lengths and a-half, with three-quarters of a length between second and third. Maiden Fours Union (Wanganui) .. .. 1 Avon 2 Wairau 3 Won by three lengths, the third boat being half a length back. Junior Fours Aramoho 1 Port Chalmers 2 Picton 3 Won easily. Junior Single Sculls Wellington No. 1 (T. Hegglun) .. 1 Aramoho (J. Fothergill) .. .'. .. 2 Union (J. Colway) 3 Won by ten lengths! with two lengths and a-half between second and third. Youths’ Fours Union .... 1 Avon .. .... .... 2 Blenheim 3

Won by a length and a-half. with half a length between second and third.

Welter-weight Junior Fours Wellington 1 Star 2 Union 3 Won by half a length, with a length between second and third. Maiden Pairs Wanganui 1 Wellington No. 1 2 Petone 3 Won by six lengths, with threequarters of a length between second and third. New Zealand Centennial Plate 2000 metres Aramoho 1 Petone ~ .. ’ 2 Wellington .. .. .. .. 3 Five crews competed. Won by a length and three-quarters, with three feet between second and third. Aramoho came hard over the final stages with a surprising burst and was getting further ahead with every stroke. ’