ROWING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17175, 27 October 1926, Page 4

ROWING.

WAIROA'S PROBLEM. A FINANCIAL STRAIN. (Notes by "Slide.") The Wairoa Boating Club, which now holds the L.V T .A. shield for four-oar rowing, is faced with a problem that has already given rise to much discussion, (./ne party in the club desires to see iixed-oeat rowing instituted for the novices, on the same lines as the (Jis borne Uhili lias followed for many years. The rest of the officials, in fact the majority, hold that tile club cannot maintain a big enough plant to permit of boats being reserved for fixed-seat practice, and that, therefore, the innovation cannot be considered. The club's plant has lately been added to by the purchase of two new fouroars and a couple of representative craft, a. double and single sculler respectively. The old fours are sound as to hull, and with a little refitting will give years of service. A suggestion has been made that this pair should be sold, and the proceeds earmarked for the partial liquidation of the debt shouldered by tile club in obtaining the new boats. The fixed-seat party want to retain the old fours and convert them for ttoe in the training of novices. The club is in deep water financially, though there is no .suggestion that it will not swim out readily enough: preparations are already- afoot, indeed, for a drive which it is hoped will liquidate the debt on the plant. In the circumstances, however, most of tlie members feel that every few pounds nicked off the overdraft means so many more pounds in tlie bank when the result of the drive be-iomes known. "flide" has "always been in favor of fixed-seat instruction for novices, for there are too many thingo to think of at once when a new member takes his first row in the sliding seats, ANOTHER. VIEWPOINT. Still there is the fact that practically the whole strength of Wairoa is represented in the club, and that the annual reinforcements in the way of members can hardly justify a considerable outlay in capital to provide special beats for their training. Again, the club has turned out some fine oarsmen who had their initiation in the slides; and will probably go on doing so. The benefits' of the fixed-seat rowing apply more In tin' individual than (o the club; it i:-. easier for the novice to pick up the groundwork if he has not too much (o think of, but in_ihc long run a rowing member reaches the grade to which his physique and brains entitle him. Some fellows dike to rowing as a duck to the water, others try for years before they really make good, and of course there is a small percentage which never becomes really proficient. Fixed-seat, rowing

enables the novice to get move fun out of liis «porl in the early singes, and in tlie experience of clubs which insist, upon it, tin's .style of vowing in (lie first race.-, of (lie season does a lot of good even to the old hands. In the ease of Wairoa, it seems that the question is one of finance. If the club can hung on to the boats without injury to its financial position, il will find tin.' fixed - seais worth tackling. NEW ZEALAND'S WIN. OTAG'O CREW AT HENLEY. Once again the Xew Zealand representative four has proved too .strong for the opposition at an Australian carnival, and though it is likely that the opposition was weakened by the fire which destroyed boats and gear belonging to some of'the Yarra-side clubs, the victory was so clear-cut that the Dominion crew must have compared well with anything that Victoria could produce. The standard of rowing in the Dominion has been vindicated by several fine victories in the past, and it has been made clear that the talent is not confined 'o one locality. It is, time that the less prominent provinces made a showing at the. New Zealand vegatttrs, and "(Slide" will not he satisfied until a crew from the East Ooast has made an assault on the better-known centres. The materia.] i s to hand. All that is wanted is a suitable boat and the ambition on the part of the oarsmen.