ROWING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2978, 12 April 1911, Page 58

ROWING.

FOGWELL m. WHELCH. CHRISTCHURCH, April 7. William Fogwell, of Sydney, who is matched to row Georgo Wbelch. of Akaro'i. for the professional sculling championship of Nev,' Zealand at Akaroa on Easter Man-

day, arrived from Australia by tho Mo©raki this morning. The challenger, although showing signs of solid training", is looking exceptionally well. In the course of :> chat with a reporter FogweM stated that ne had expected to put up a much better fight than when he rowed the Aikar.v-d man previously. " Although T have not been in a. boat since I rowed in the Parramatta Hundred a fortnight ;igo, he said, '' 1 hope to get fit by the tune Easter Monday comes round. I am at present fooling tip-top, but, of course, 1 have to contend with change of climate and many other drawbacks that crop up when you come away from home. You can, at. anyrate, depend on a ding-dong go as far as I >»ro concerned. My friend here, Jack Arnst, is to take me in hand, and with about nine days' systematic training, both on water and land,, 1 anticipate getting into racing fettle." On being questioned in regard to the .prize money, the Australian staled that the .race was for a stake of £2OO a-side, and in order to make the match he had to allow Whelch to take the whole of the ''gate'' money, win or lose. " You will readily understand," said Fogwell, "that thu.t is hardly fair to me, for if I win I only get W'helch's £2OO, but no share of .the 'gate.' Should I lose, they allow me £SO for expenses. This is a most unusual agreement, but it was the best I could get." During his stay in Lyttelton Fogwell, with the assistance of Jack Arnst, transhipped his racing boat to the Cygnet. Jack Arnst, in conversation, mentioned that his brother Dick was now recovering from his recent indisposition. " When my brother rowed in Sydney a few weeks ago," added Jack, 'he was far from being fit. He should have taken the advice of his supporters and not started. There, are many people on the other side only too ready to belittle' a man, because he does not always win. Had some of them felt as Dick did on the day of the Parramatta Hundred- they would have preferred to row the race in their bunks." AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. AUCKLAND, April 7. Auckland amateur oarsmen ate much disappointed to learn by cable that O. E. Stone, of the St. George's Rowing Club, and for three years past amateur sculling champion of New Zealand, will not bo able to take wart in the forthcoming Australasian championship meeting on the Parramatta River. It. was Stone's intention to have left for Sydney on Monday next, and his friends were very confident of his being able to put up a fine performance against 'the best of the Commonwealth oarsmen. The cable in question, however, announces that under the Australian Rowing Association rules Stone is not eligible to' take part because of the fact that on one occasion he competed at the Auckland gaslight sports. Stone was reinstated, as an amateur by the New Zealand Rowing Association, but the Australian Association considers that the rules will not permit of his nomination being accepted. The visit of the New Zealand amateur champion to Sydney has therefore to be abandoned.