ROWING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16211, 8 December 1926, Page 11

ROWING

LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS P.B. CLUB'S NEW BOAT (Notes by " Slide 1 .") When tho annual regatta for; the Licensed Victuallers' Association shield comes round, the Poverty Bay Club representatives will have nothing to complain of in regard to their craft, for by the generosity of a patron.whose name has not yet been made known outside the executive of the club, a new fouroar boat has been provided for thenuse. The skiff was landed i>« Monday, and experienced oarsmen who examined it are satisfied, the Poverty Bay crews will enjoy an initial advantage when they take the water against the Gisborne and Wairoa representatives. The gift is one that might well be envied by tho sister clubs, for the landed cost of such a boat is about £BO. Subscriptions do not leave much of a margin over running expenses in the most fortunate clubs, and the replacement of a rep. four-oar is a hurdle for any executive. Most clubs find it hard to live within the income derived from the few available sources, and would enthusiastically welcome a windfall such as that which eased the burden on the Poverty Bay Club. That institution's old rep. four was due for retirement, for in the course of years of service it had become so strained that it hardly gave the regatta- crews an even chance with their opponents. Now that tho new boat has arrived, however, tho Poverty Bay Club will be further ahead of its rivals, in the matter of craft, thaji it ever was behind. It is obtious thajotho o.ther clubs will have to renew.' their regatta boats in turn. The Wairoa four is said to be an excellent type, built by the same firm, and of a recent model* but the Gisborne boat is somo 14 years old, having been bought from Edward's in 1912, and though sound as a bell, must be a shade heavier than the others. LIFE OP RACING CRAFT. |

The life of a well-built boat is surprising, considering the amount of work required of it. When the length of the four-oar is taken into account, it will be realised that only the finest workmanship can provide the rigidity, combined with lightness, which is an essential facton in racing craft. The occasional bumps on snags and floating debris, the strain on the ribbing sustained through the rapping of oars on bridges, and even such an accident as the overturning of the boat, oars and all, which occurred to the Gisborne fouroar somo three years ago, might be expected 1 to limit the life of a boat to a very few years, but there are many skiffs hung oip in different clubhouses that have been pensioned not for any weakness, but simply because they became obsolete through the development of new models, of lighter weight. ~ Though subjected] to the hardest usage throughout 13 seasons, two practice boats owned by tho Gisborne Olub have been put aside for re-fitting, the hulls being as sound as possible, and tho frames as rigid as could be desired. The remarkable feature in connection with these boats_ is that they have had little expert attention, tho work dono on them having been amateur in the main. Many other cluba can boast the possession of boats as old and as sound, and the fact stands) as a tribute to tho workmanship put into the craft. The new boat delivered to the Poverty Bay Club was built by Norton, tho Wellington expert, whose craft have figured prominently in all maiden events in the Dominion for years. It is of the " schnapper" mould, broad of beam under tho bow seat, and tapering away to tho stern, and represents an interesting example of the newest model. BILL DTJGGAN HONORED.

NEW UNION CAPTAIN.

The Union Rowing Club of Christchurch has a new captain, in succession to Mr. F. .D. Kcstcven, who recently resigned the office after occupying it for 17 years. The new captain is Mr W. ("Bill") Duggan, one-time of Gisborne, and still an energetic oarsman, though well into the 'forties. W. Duggan was a member of the Gisborne Rowing Club ttrew that visited Auckland in 1899, and was then a man in the prime of his youth. He pulled a powerful oar, and was one of the most Tugged of all the oarsmen who represented Gisborne in those days. Ho rowed for many years with the Gisborne Club, but later wen,t to Christchurch, where he is in the paperhanging business with other members of his family. Last year ho represented the Union Club in tho senior division, still rowing his old position the No. 3 seat. If experience of the sport, allied to a ready good nature, can qualify an oarsman for the post of captain, ''Bill" Duggan's old friends in Gisborne will rest assured of his success in tho office. •