SCULLING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11128, 30 July 1907, Page 4

SCULLING.

THE WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP. I THE TOWNS-WEBB MATCH. j "Trident," m the Sydney Mail of the i 17th inst, says:— "Tlie great race be- j t\yeen Webb and Towns will be rowed on Saturday week, and it" is quite evident that both men will be ready for a hard race on that day. The weather, to say the least of it, lias been bracing, and on several days there has been a troublesome breeze of considerable strength blowing down stream. Webb, who is being looked after by men who know just what he requires m the way of • training, has been doing one row a day, and not attempting I anything sensational m the way of hard !or fast work. He is a man who carries very little flesh—indeed he is one of tlie spare, sinewy kind always down to racing ' weight. We liave liad such scullers here * before — men of our own, who needed but Jittle fast work imtil a few days before j the race. j Webb has brightened* up considerably, 'and although he does not row witli the vim which some others have done, he gets a very line rim on lus boat between strokes. Tliis is done chiefly by tlie way he pushes his swing home at the finish, and the writer has never seen a sculler : get a better combination of swing and drive. He does not get the water quite hard enough, but the boat elioots along with even pace, and as the recovery is so steady, there is nothing to take away the speed obtained. That he can stay any distance is beyond question, for he has proved his pluck and grit m home waters, although so far there have been no means . of judging his quality m this respect on . ; the Parramatta. Aa pointed out before, '■ his steering is really very clever, and it has been noticed that m his rows on the course he comes down stream as if he were learning the marks to direct his course when m the race. The knowledge , thus gained will be most valuable to hun m due time. . . . '. j Charles Towns celebrated his 27th birthday last Tuesday. _ He lias been racing for over seven years, and for the past • two years has been a first-class sculler. He is doing a great amount of work m tlie boat, and seems able to stand it very well. But although- he .feels well and is cheerful, he appears rather drawn m the face. Tliat may nofc mean much so far as Towns is concerned, but it would be better if he were clearer about the eyes, I and had more color m his face. His row- ! ing is very good, and the dash he puts into his work shows fhe strength and power he transfers to his sculls. Towns is a vigorous sculler, and a mere glance impresses one that he is rowing hard and effectively. Th c double scullers, G. Towns ond W. Fogwell, are rowing exceedingly well together, and C. Towns, therefore, has any amount of pace set him, wliich is of material benefit to any man. The cliampion is determined to get m the best possible condition, for Webb is an unknown man, and may be a hard one to keep pace with, especially over the j first mile. ' Towns has rowed m many J

handicaps, but the tactics of a handicap rower are quite different to that of a match rower. Two men starting together raco from, the dip of tho sculls, but m a handicap the scratch mall lias to keep something m reserve until he has caught up to the men who havo had long starts. The coaching Towns is getting now is for the purpose of imparting speed from the beginnbig of the race. When the cliampion rowed Thoroughgood, m November, on the Raymond Terrace course, the latter held his own for nearly a mile, but after that Towns drew away, . thus sliowing that he had the pace, but could not put it into the first half mile or so. It would not be wise to race Webb m the same way, as he will be harder to shake off than Thoroughgood was. __■—___■__■___