OARSMEN’S CONFERENCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18235, 2 November 1933, Page 12

OARSMEN’S CONFERENCE

EIGHT FOR EAST COAST EARLY DELIVERY LIKELY NATIONAL REGATTA DATES “I think it is likely that we will secure the allocation of an eight-oared boat for district representative purposes, and that the craft will be to hand within a reasonably short time,” stated Mr. A. F. Alien, delegate of the East Coast Rowing Association to the national conference of the Amateur Rowing Association, when discussing with a pressman the major items of interest in connection with the conference, held this week at Wellington. Mr. Allen returned to Gisborne by the overnight, service, and expressed himself as well pleased with the manner in which topics of special interest to the East Coast association had been dealt with by the conference. Discussing further the matter of the eight-oared boat, Mr. Allen mentioned that with Mr. A. Ross, the resident delegate of the East Coast association at Wellington, he had interviewed a number of the prominent men of the council, and had received assurances of interest and support from them as- well as from delegates of district associations who were visiting Wellington for the conference. With Mr. Ross, he had put forward a definite proposal favoring the allocation of an eight to his district, and in the course of the discussion it was made dear that the proposal had the sympathy of the conference, the East Coast association being the only one of numerical strength of membership which is not yet supplied with the means of participating in the eight-oared championships. The main difficulty revealed is that the N.Z.A.R.A. council has only a small annual income, quite insufficient to cover the cost of an eight-oared boat, the funds in its possession being on fixed deposit. It was suggested that the council might break up the deposited fund in order to have a greater spending power, and finally jt was carried as a direction to the council that the views of the district associations should be secured by correspondence, and that the council act accordingly. From consultations which Messrs. Ross and Allen had with various district representatives, it was apparent that the response of the individual associations would be prompt and satisfactory, and that the East Coast association could rest assured that the eight-oared boat would be ordered in due course.

A number of other matters relating to the interests of smaller associations were discussed by the conference, but the major points of interest were the remits on the subject of the national championship and eight-oared provincial championship events. There was a preliminary move to have these fixtures definitely centralised in the middle of the Dominion, but this centralisation movement did not get very far, though on the merits of the individual applications the national championships were allocated to Picton and the .eight-oar championship to Wellington for the current season. Auckland’s application for the national regatta was invalid, owing to its being filed after the date fixed as the limit for such applications.

An opportunity was taken by Mr. Allen t 6 place before the conference the claims of the Wairoa River as a suitable venue for the championships at some future date. The delegates were much interested, and Mr.'Allen’s remarks were supported by other speakers who had some knowledge of the depth and general

characteristics of the ' river. It was,, agreed that for the meantime .transpoJpL.eulties would militate against the allocation of the championship fixture, to Wairoa, but that favorable consideration should be given to this course when transport improves. More than . one delegate spoke highly of the enterprise of the East Coast clubs in sending representative crews to the last national fixture at Wanganui, and the Marlborough and Wellington delegates were anxious to secure the attendance of representatives from this district at their respective regattas in February next. Passing through Napier, the Gisborne delegate was able to meet representatives of the Napier club, and to discuss the season’s fixtures for association regattas. The Napier club holds the L.V.A. Shield for four-oar rowing, and it will be necessary for this season’s regatta to be-held on Hawke’s Bay water m consequence. Apparently the southern dub is willing to arrange a date suitable to the arrangements of those clubs which propose, to send crews to the Wellington or Picton regatta, and other preparations for the L.V.A. Shield fixture are being) undertaken on a liberal scale. The Napier clubhouse has been removed to the banks of the Ngaruroro River at Clive, where a good sheltered course is available, and though this means additional travelling for members, the club is much stronger now than it was last season. Everything points to the fixture being held early in February, and interest in Hawke’s Bay is already increasing.