AQUATICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 37

AQUATICS.

QUEENSTOWN REGATTA. 1 UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS. (From Otto Own Correspondent.) \ QUEENSTOWN, March 26. Conditions this morning were jcaost unpromising. Gusts and squalls of wind covered the lake l with white water, and about 9 o'clock heavy rain set in. The wind then fell, and the lake calmed, and at 1.30 the first race was rowed over the official course in front of the town. The Maiden Fours was rowed over the same course, and then the sky cleared and the elun shone out. The wind sprang up again, so the venue of the regatta was changed to the Frankton Arm behind the Domain. The wind, however, freshened, and the regatta was gradually moved up the Frankton Arm, until' the last races were started right at the head. The last race was rowed at .6.15 p.m. The unpropitious weather spoilt the pleasure of the spectators, and the repeated removals of the starting and finishing points caused the greatest confusion to both the public and the officials. At one" time the judges (Messrs Gascoigne and M'Kenzie) were waiting half a mile below the actual finishing point, and did not see the finish, of the Senior Double Sculls and Junior Fours. The Otago Rowing Club's crews, stroked by M'Grath, won • the Senior Fours, the Senior Double Sculls, and the Senior Pairs. In -Hhe first-named race they were pushed to a hot finish by the Bluff Juniors, but the other two races were won easily. The other Otago clubs represented were never in the hunt. Apart' from j M'Grath's wins, all the firsts went to Southj land, as follows:—Railway, four firsts; j Bluff, two firsts; Invercargill Rowing Club, j one first. The prize money was distributed as follows: Otago. £23; Railwav. £22; Awaiiua (Bluff). £l7; Inyercarjrill, £6; Riverton, £l. The best races undoubtedly j were the Junior Fours and the Senior j Fours. In the Junior Fours, Bluff beat I Railway by half a canvas, and the Inver- ! cargill Maiden crew were third, half a j length behind Railway. The Bluff crew i started for the first time in a senior race, j and proved their qualitv by contesting the issue with M'Grath all the way. They lost | by only half a length, and beat Barry's i Railwav Seniors handsomely by a length and a-half. Mr A. J. Thompson, secreI'lary, made all arrangements satisfactorily, and the fact that they were not carried out was not due to any lack of forethought on his part. The Queenstown crews entered for the Maiden and Junior Fours did not compete, as they j were unable to obtain the use of a boat. ■ Results: — JUNIOR PAIRS. First prize £4, second £l. j Awarua (H. Bradshaw and T. West) ... 1 i Invercargill Railway (G. S. Wilson and ; A. G. Cookroft) 2 I Invercargill Railway (A. Grant and J. ,: Sutherland) 3 }• Also started: D.A.B.C. (Hey and Wil- | liams)* and Queen's Drive (Campbell and i Thomson).

MAIDEN FOURS, First prize £6, second £2. Invercargill (Gilmour stroke, Carswell, Rodie, and Eastwood) " "1 Railway (Ferns stroke, Clarke, Kevern, and Wesney) 2 Also started: Awarua (Rose, Johnston, Bradshaw, Whitaker) and North End (Dempster, Fog-arty, Hogg, Purvis). Won comfortably by eight lengths. North End pulled out early in the race, and Invercargill soon took charge. Bluff were considerably behind Railway at the- finish. The long, heavy swell made steering very difficulty and further races were adjourned to the Frankton course. JUNIOR DOUBLE SCULLS. First prize £4, second £l. Invercargill Railway (Barry and Walker) 3 Riverton (Petchell and Pope) ... _ s ... ... 2 Awarua (Johnston and Bradshaw) 3 These were the only entries. ■ Railway took charge of the race- from the start and won fairly comfortably by three lengths with something to spare. There was a good contest between Riverton and Awarua for second place, the former securing the position by only three feet. Riverton made a game effort at the finish, and, closely pressed by Awarua, who had picked up wonderfully, decreased the commandinglead previously -held "by Railway. MAIDEN PAIRS. First prize £3, second £l. Invercargill Railway (Ferns and Clarke) 1 Invercargill Railway (Hamlyn and M'Killop) ... ... .:.- ... ...*-■ 2 D.A.B.C. (Hey and Williams) ... ... 3 Also started: Awarua, Riverton, Queen's Drive, and North End. MAIDEN DOUBLE SCULLS. First prize £3, second £l. Railway (Wilson and M'Killop) ... ... 1 Otago (Stevens and Paton) ... 2 North End (Hogg and Purvis) ...... 3 Also started: Awarua (Bradshaw and West). This race was rowed in the upper part of the Frankton Arm in very rough water. Awarua was interfered with considerably bj. the wash of a motor-■ launchRailway came away with a great rush at the finish,, and won by a length from Otago, with North End third, Bluff having fallen away for the reason stated. The other races were rowed on a lower course, where perfectly calm water was obtained. SENIOR DOUBLE SCULLS. First prize £5,- second £2. Otago (M'Grath and Kerr) ... 1 Railway (Barry and Walker) 2 These were the only starters, and the race was not a difficult task for the veteran M'Grath, "who showed all his own form. Owing to a misunderstanding on the part of the governing officials the finishing post was not pointed Out to the judge, and the finish of the race was seen by only a few spectators on the beach and the occupants of a pleasure launch. JUNIOR FOURS. Fjrst prize* £6, second £2. Awarua (Bradshaw str, Johnston, West and Salmon) ..." ... ... , 1 Railway (Grant str, Cockroft, M'Killop, and Sutherland) 2 (Gilmour str, Carswell, j Rodie, and Eastwood) 3 i These were the only starters in a race at which the pace-set was a perfect cracker. There was not a length's difference between the boats at the finish. The same misunderstanding as applied in the previous race robbed the visitors of any chance of seeing this race, as they were grouped round the judge at a supposed finishing post higher up the arm. YOUTHS' FOURS. First prize £4, second £l. Invercargill Railway (Grant str, Suthei - - land, Kelly, and Glennie) ... -...' .".1 Arawua (J. Bradshaw str, F. Whitaker, M'Grath, and Marcussen) *?.._. 2 These were the only starters. Railway made a showing that was entirely worthy of their previous success at Port Chalmers, and won comfortably by f our lengths. LAKE WAKATIPU SENIOR FOURS. First prize £l2, second £4. Otago (M'Grath str. Kerr, Stevens, and Paton) ... 1 Awarua (H. Bradshaw str, Johnston, T. I West, and Salmon) 2 Railway (Barry str, Walker, Robison, and Haslemore) -*. 3 These were the only entries. Railway were a clear length behind Bluff, whose splendid performance must be considered to be one of the features of the day's racing. SENIOR PAIRS. First prize £5, second £2. Otago (M'Grath and Kerr) iis 1 Bluff (Bradshaw and West) .... 2 Railway , (Barry and Walker) 3 Railway No. 2 (Robison and Haslemore) also started. Otago won bv a length and a-hal-f, with Bluff leading Railway No. i by half a length. The other Railwav crew was three-quarters of a length behind. All the local events were postponed until faster Monday. OAMARU REGATTA. CFfioM Ous, Own Cohbespondent.) OAMARU, March 27. Conditio is were perfect for the regatta, the mild nor-wester blowing keeping the sea down, while it provided an ample breeze for the sailing craft. FIRST-CLASS YACHT RACE.—Revenge, 45min, 1; Theima, 30min, 2; loraigi, scr., 3. These were the only starters. CRUISERS RACE.—Myrtle, Smin, 1; Petrel, scr., 2; Peva, 3min, 3. MOTOR FISHING BOAT RACE.— Kate, scr., 1; William Arthur, 12min, 2; Mokihi. smin, 3. OTAGO YACHT CLUB MOTOR BOAT RACE.—Kelvin, scr., 1 ; Pacific, 2; Matai, 13min, 3. In the evening the visitors were entertained at a thoroughly enjoyable smoke concert, at which his Worship the Mayor presided, and expressed the hope that the club would so enjoy its outing as to encourage it to repeat it. The visiting yachtsmen appear to have had the very best of times, and the people of Oamaru have laid themselves out to add to their enjoyment. The conditions during the stay of the boats in Oamaru could not have been improved upon. The Vice-commodore expressed the club's gratitude to the 1 townspeople for their hospitality; to the local committee for the excellence of its organisation; to Captain Cashman, of the Lady Roberts, and to Captain 'Ramsay, harbourmaster.