ROWING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 58

ROWING.

BY STItOEE. Oarsmen havo not vet settled down to any regular practice, and very little rowing has been indulged in since the regalia on Boxing Day. The D.A.B.C. has picked its crews, however, for the Christmas Fours, and they will start practising right The Port Club ha s also selected crews for the President's Cup, which also carrier with it four gold medals; and the crews are very evenly matched, it being impossible to pick the winners on paper. This club has lost its captain (G. Lightbourne), who has taken up seafaring duties once more, and left last week for tho Islands, where he expects to be for some six months !or so. His services as skipper will be missed, as his experience and judgment were of great assist-ai it-3 to the club. But I it will ba in the boat where he will be ] sadly missed, aa his sear will be very hard to fill. Mr A. Macdonald has been elected captain of the club in hia stead, and Mr ' J. Glengarry vice-captain. This is the third skipper this year, Mr George Smith, who was elected at the annual meeting, having to resign on account of ill-health. This cluS | sent crews to the Bluff regatta at New Year time, but did not succeed in obtaining any firsts, but were second in one or two races. The next regatta, of any importance to j local oarsmen will bo their own regatta, ! which is usually held on March 23. Last ! vaar it was devoided to hold the regatta at Port Chalmers instead of Waihola, and oaramen will await with interest the decision of the association as to which of these places it will be held this year. Theie are many reasons, of course, in favour of each course, and it might perhaps be said that the Port oour.se appeals to the association more, on account of financial results; whilst the Oarsmen. I think, prefer the lake, on account of the absence of tide. The men— especially the Dunedin mencomplain a lot about the tide at the Port, and cannot get used to the water there. Even on a calm day, they say, there is a nasty jobble and movement in the water, which throws them out of their stroke and swing. It is also true that this tide is too muoh for best-boai racing, and at the lake there hag never been any difficulty in rowing the lighter craft. The association, , however, is sure to go into the matter care- ' fully, and rowing m<sn can be certain that : it will do ite best for all concerned. The cliampionship regatta is to be held afc Auckland on the 14th of next month.

] So far there is no mention of any crews j j making- the trip from here. The distance j is the great obstacle, of course; but I j should like to see one of our clubs send- | ing -a crew to represent the province, j |It is early yet to talk of the cham- , pionship events, but it looks as if the Blenheim crew has every chance . of again annexing the big raoe — the ChamI pion Fours ; —but w ith Whelch out of the ' sculling events it should leave both Double and Single Sculls and the Pairs very open events. | The Invercargill regatta also takes place ! next month, and no doubt several crews ! will travel south from Dunedin. The I Oamaru Juniors are talking of making the i trip, and they should take a bit of beating j in the Fours and Pairs, which ra.ces they I pulled off in good style on Boxing Day.