ROWING.

Southland Times, Issue 20044, 4 December 1926, Page 19 (Supplement)

ROWING.

(By ‘‘Bow.”) The Railway Club completed their series of contests for the President’s Fours last week, a very satisfactory standard of rowing being exhibited In the final Jensen's crew beat Pay and his men, after a hardfought race by the narrow margin of half a canvas. The Railway Regatta crews have been selected and have been in training for a week or so. Some difficulty was experienced in getting a senior crew, but eventually a strong crew was selected and has been training enthusiastically. The A and B crews picked are to row off before December 14 to decide the crews to represent the club at the forthcoming Bluff and Riverton Regattas. The following are the crews: - —Fours—Youths A: F. McLaughlin (st.), J. Lyons (3), P. Hennesey (2), J. Wills (bow) ; Youths B: H. Pay (st.), H. Cooper (3), F. Burnett (2), H. McLeod (bow) ; Maidens A: E. Greig (st), F. Davis (3), Lister (2), T. Carter (bow) ; Maidens B: x-andrett (st.), W. O’Neill (3), D. Brown N. Sutherland (bow) ; Junior: D. Pay •i.), M. Sheehan (3), H. Long (2), F. McLaughlin (bow) ; Senior: W. Wilson (st), J. Buckingham (3), E. Cummings (2), G. G. Webb (bow). Pairs—Youths A: P. Hennesey (st.i, J. Lyons; Youths B: H. Pay (st.). J. Wills; Maidens A: E. Greig (st.), F. Davies; Maidens B: A. Lister (st), T. Carter; Junior: D. Pay, M. Sheehan; Senior: W. Wilson, J. Buckingham. Sculls—Youths A: F. McLaughlin (st.), J. Wills; Youths B: P. Hennesey (st.), J. Lyons; Maidens A: G. Scandrett (st.), T. Carter; Maidens B: E. Greig (st.), F. Davies; Junior: D. Pay (st.l, M. Sheehan. Oarsmen and those interested in the sport of rowing will be interested to learn that the New Zealand Rowing Association has increased its order of rowing eights to thirteen, says a northern exchange. Some two months ago the New Zealand Council cabled to England for nine eights, but since then Canterbury and Auckland’s application has been increased by two each, and consequently the council has increased its order. Information has been received to the effect that at the middle of last month five of the eights had been completed, and the builders then hoped to have the boats delivered by the end of December, but owing to the extra four being ordered it is unlikely that all the boats will be to hand in New Zealand much before the middle or the end of February next. It was the council’s intention not to ask for the eights to be shipped till the order was finished, and by then it was hoped to have them here in time for use this season. The question has now arisen, however, whether or not some of the boats might be sent out in order that they may be used at the championship regatta which is to be held about February 12th at Picton. On the previous programme, it was confidently anticipated that the championship regatta would include an eight race, as the crews would have had an opportunty of becoming acquainted w’ith their new plant, but owing to alteration in the order, the arrival of the boats will in all probability be too late for the inclusion of an interprovincial race at the championship regatta. There is no doubt that it would be desirable to have a representative eight-oared race at the championship regatta. There is just a chance that there may be one. The fact that the New Zealand Rowing Association recently made a substantial profit out of an art union, says the Evening Post, has prompted clubs to ask the council for financial assistance, and during the last few weeks the council has had many requests. It is no uncommon thing for a rowing club to be in financial difficulty—what club is not ?—but the council is wisely, though sympathetically, turning the appeals down. It is correct that the Rowing Association has a very large credit, the biggest credit it has ever had, but it must not be forgotten that the money was raised for a specific purpose. First of all, it was raised for the purpose of eight-oared boats, and the thirteen of these which have been ordered will, by the time they have been landed in New Zealand, cost well near £2OOO. If the scheme is a success, and eight-oared rowing becomes popular, more boats may have to be ordered, and they are costly plant. After paying for these boats, the co’ cil has decided that the balance of the monp'- raised by the art union is to be invested, and the interest used as a nucleus for overseas visits. There has been, comparatively speaking, little inter-colonial rowing in the past, but of recent seasons the oarsmen of the Dominion have been demonstrating their prowess in no uncertain way. In the future, with the acquisition of the eights, overseas visits will be more frequent, but even with the addition of the levy made by the council it wnll be some little time before the funds of the council will be substantial enough to bear the burden of a visit from overseas, or a contribution to a New Zealand crew’s trip across the water. Rowing, it must be remembered, is different from other sports. In most places there is no hope of obtaining a “gate,” and whenever the question of a tour arises there is the invariable scraping up of the funds. The council hopes to obviate tnis, and its policy is being shaped accordingly. There are men who row for years without experiencing the thrill of winning a race in the last quarter of a mile (says an exchange). Their victories are scored at the expense of weaker crews, and are usually given to them early in their races. They get the credit of their victories, but they miss the real satisfaction of the game which comes from really worthy success. There

is a general inclination to accept the theory that the crew in front has an almost insurmountable advantage in a boat race. Certainly the leaders can watch their opponents, and respond as a rule to any aggressive movement on their part; but holding the lead most of the way is not what counts. It is the amount of extra punch a crew can muster for a killing finish, depending on the way the race has been rowed, that tells the tale at the end of the course. It is a bad notion to instil into an oarsman that once tailed off he has no chance of recovering, and, though in the majority of cases the crew that gets the early lead does win, it is frequently the case that only hotheadedness ruins the losers’ chances.

T. D. A. Collett, of Pembroke College, Cambridge, is probably the greatest amateur sculler that England has produced, certainly the greatest of recent years. He is not officially recognised as amateur champion of England, however, as the title is held by Beresford, who won from Collett on a foul when they met for the Wingfield Sculls, w r hich carries with it the amateur championship. The umpire for that race was subjected to a deal of criticism for his decision, but the contestants settled the matter by agreeing to row a private match over the same course. Collett won, and he followed this up by winning the championship of the Seine from Rieder, a Swiss, who was one of the crew that won the European championship double sculls this year. Beresford won the single sculls at the last Olympic Games, and last year defeated Hoover, the American champion, in a race for the Philadelphia Gold Cup, which is generally regarded as being emblematic, of the world's amateur championship.