ROWING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16234, 7 January 1927, Page 4

ROWING

NEW YEAR PROGRAMME

REGATTA IN MARCH

(Notes bv ''Slide.''}

Now that the Christmas holidays have been disposed of, the local rowing clubs are settling- down to the serious work of the season. The earlier wcek.< of every river season are devoted to trials ■ and the instruction of novices, and every stroke enters on successive events with, a good deal of uncertainty as to the merits of his crew. The first half of the season ended, however, the novices are developing some familiarity with the principles of the sport, and the bigger events of the year are tackled with a degree of confidence formerly lacking. That is not to say that every rowing novice is classified, for times out of number young oarsmen have only caught on to the knack of the game iu the later weeks, and suddenly improved out of all recognition. Nevertheless, the crews that contest the President's Fours and other important series reserved for the latter half of the season are generally well graded. The question which all oarsmen are now discussing affects the date of the annual regatta for the L.V.A Shield, which represents the premiership in four-oar rowing. This is the interclub trophy which Wairoa won last year from Gisborne, the previous holders, and for which Poverty Bay and Uawa clubs are also qualified to compete. This year it will be rowed on the Wairoa river, according to the rules of the competition, and Poverty Bay and Gisborne will each send crews to challenge for the trophy. Before Christmas there was some question as to agreement on the date, but this lias happily been disposed of, and all clubs concerned appear to agree that it will bo impossible to fix a date before the end of February. Club programmes cannot be subordinated entirely to the interests of the regatta, and both Gisborne and Poverty Bay have important club series to dispose of before they take their representative material out of ordinary competition. "Slide" hazards a guess that the regatta will not be rowed until the first* week in March. TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES

One feature of the season is the separation of the four-oar shield races from those for .the double and singlo sculling shields, which are also competed for annually. The two sculling trophies are held by the Poverty Bay Club, and will presumably bo competed for on that club's waters. It has been suggested that these trophies might be taken to Wairoa and disposed of there, at the same time as the L.Y.A. Shield, but though this suggestion appeals as one that would increase the popularity of the Wairoa regatta, it must bo remembered that transport of boats is the big question which the two local clubs have to face. They will have considerable expense to face for the transport of the fours, and the additional eost and trouble of conveying the doubles and singles would be great. Unless the boats can be transferred by direct shipment, the risk of injury cannot be ignored, and the inter-elub delegates are likely to agree that it is better to halve the risk by asking Wairoa to come to Gisborne. It is too early yet to discuss the possibilities of the regatta races, but it is known that Wairoa will be turning out strong crews in all four classes. Poverty Bay and Gisborne will have to strain every nerve to secure the return of the premier trophy to this end of the electorate, as well as to retain the two trophies now resting with Poverty Bay. One possibility around which most discussion has resolved concerns the old senior four of'the lasG mentioned club. If, as is stated, Menzies, Patty, Whaitiri and Sheen will not represent Poverty Bay this year, it will make the L.V.A. competition more open. For years it has been a foregone conclusion that Poverty Bay would take the senior ovent, and thus gain a big lead on its competitors. If the combination stroked by Menzies breaks up, it will be a loss to rowing, but will stimulate the competition in the senior division. The crew was too far above the standard of club rowing, and though beaten last season by a Wairoa four, had only lack of training to blame for that defeat.