ROWING

Southland Times, Issue 22508, 16 February 1935, Page 14

ROWING

(By

“Skiff.”)

Of the 79 crews which will compete at the South Island championship regatta at Port Chalmers next Saturday, there are 18 Southland entries; the Invercargill Railway Club has entered 10 crews, while there are four from each of the Invercargill and Awarua clubs. Undoubtedly competition will be both strong and keen, and the Southland crews will not have things all their own way. The crews with apparently the best prospects are the Railway maidens and the Awarua youths, particularly the former, who have not looked like being beaten so far this season. Railway’s junior crew is reported to be showing what is for such a lightweight crew very pleasing form, and may be successful. The Southland eight is still taking its training comparatively easily, and will settle down to more serious work when the Port fixture is over.. In the meantime the crew is showing signs of developing into a sound combination. Entries For Port Regatta. It must be most gratifying to the officials of the Otago Regatta Committee to receive such excellent entries as has been the case for the South Island Championship Regatta to be held next Saturday (says the Otago Daily Times). It will, perhaps, be unique to see in four-oared races as many as 12 crews competing, whilst in the Senior Pairs 13 crews have entered. Rowing men say that the Port Chalmers regatta must easily hold the record as far as entries are concerned. A perusal of programmes for other regattas held in various parts of the Dominion indicates that more entries have been received for the nine events on the Port Chalmers programme than for any other regatta in both the North and South Islands. The inclusion of the Akaroa Club, particularly in the Senior Fours, must create unusual interest. It is .many years since this club competed in re-

gattas on Otago Harbour, and its appearance will be welcomed among local and other visiting oarsmen. Akaroa crews have met with outstanding success in the regattas which have been held in Canterbury this year. The expense of bringing boats such a distance is a heavy item, and it "is to be hoped that the club will be successful in some of the events. The fact that this club has seen fit to enter for the Port Chalmers fixture should influence local clubs to compete at northern regattas and for Otago, if necessary, to support the Akaroa people in their claims to the championship regatta to be held there next year. Although entered in only one race, Cure Rowing Club will, no doubt, be a hard proposition, and this club will also be paying its first visit to a Port Chalmers regatta. The entries of Timaru, Oamaru, Awarua, Invercargill, and Invercargill Railway Rowing Clubs are considerably in excess of previous years, and the appearance of these crews at the regatta will create increased interest.

The local clubs will be well represented in the various events. It is a pity that North End has not a senior crew available and Queen’s Drive a junior four, as the non-appearance of these clubs in those two races will be missed by their supporters. Details of the entries received are as follows:— Youths’ Double Sculls.—North End, Queen’s Drive, Otago, Oamaru, Timaru, Port (2). Senior Double Sculls.—lnvercargill Railway (2), Queen’s Drive, Otago, Port.

Maiden Double Sculls.—Oamaru (2), Otago, North End (2), Port (2), Invercargill Railway (2), Timaru (1), Drive (1). Junior Fours.—North End, Awarua, Port (2), Invercargill, Invercargill Railway, Otago. Youths’ Fours.—Akaroa, Awarua, Oamaru, Queen’s Drive, North End, Port (2> Otago. Senior Fours.—Port, Otago (2), Drive, Awarua, Invercargill, Invercargill Railway, Akaroa. Junior Double Sculls.—North End, Port (2), Otago (2), Timaru (1), Invercargill Railway (2). Maiden Fours.—North End (2), Port, Invercargill, Otago (2), Akaroa, Oamaru, Timaru, Awarau, Invercargill Railway, Drive. Senior Pairs.—Awarua, Invercargill, North End. Port (2), Otago (3), Invercargill Railway (2), Drive (2), Cure. The total entries received number 79, which is a large increase on last year’s entries, which were considered to be a record for regattas on Otago Harbour. The rowing races will commence with the Youths’ Double Sculls at 2 p.m., Junior Fours at 2.15 p.m., Senior Double Sculls at 2.40 p.m.. Youths’ Fours at 3 p.m., Maiden Double Sculls at 3.20 p.m., Senior Fours at 3.35 p.m., Junior Double Sculls at 4.10 p.m., Maiden Fours at 4.25 p.m., and Senior Pairs at 5 p.m. Eight-Oar Race at Port Chalmers?

Many of the ex-champion oarsmen of other days are expected to be present at the Port Chalmers regatta on February 23. They, no doubt, will be among the most interested of the spectators, (says the Otago Daily Times). The question of arranging an eightoar race, to be rowed at the regatta, is still engaging the attention of the committee. It is understood that one provincial district is particularly anxious that some provision be made on the programme for a race of this description. Many difficulties, however, arise in arranging such an event, particularly as most of the oarsmen will be participating in several other races at the regatta. An eight-oar race would, however, be a decided attraction at such an important regatta, and with the efficient committee which will control the fixture, the organizing of an eightoared event would not cause any concern in regard to management. Such an event, if of an interprovincial nature, would require the authority of the rowing association concerned. Later advice is to the effect that it is practically certain that no eight-oar contest will take place, the chief objection being that senior oarsmen have already three contests to row. REVIVAL IN N.S.W. PROSPECTS OF ANNIVERSARY REGATTA. The remarkable revival of rowing and sculling in New South Wales during the past few years makes it probable that by the time the Centenary Anniversary Regatta arrives in 1936 the sport will once again have taken its place amongst the top flight. According to the president of the N.S.W.R.A. (Mr H. G. Alderson), the revival during the past few years has been marked. The increase in the entries in both the amateur and professional events, is one of the most satisfactory features. Professional sculling in Gladstone skiffs and heavy boats is gaining such popularity that on a recent Saturday 19 heats, semi-finals, and finals, were necessary to decide the five events at Pittwater.

The Anniversary Regatta of 1935 will see a big increase in the entries for the four-oar boat events, and although Mr Alderson admits that it is too late now to make any additions to the races for 1935, as the entries are already being received, he sees no reason why the programme should not be greatly augmented for the Centenary event of 1936.

This extension in both amateur and professional events should make the rowing programme one of the most spectacular seen for many years.

There have been several alterations in the 1935 programme, and the main one will be the fact that all the rowing and sculling will be decided in the morning. It has been found in the past that the water on the harbour becomes too rough for ordinary four-oar boats and outriggers.

A change of venue has been suggested, but this idea has been scouted, as it would get away from the tradition of anniversary regatta which has been held for so many years on the harbour. In the old days the flag ship was moored off Circular Quay, and the rowing course was from the flagship round Goat Island, back round Fort Denison and return to the flagship. Rowers nowadays have only a quarter of the distance to cover, and they do not use the old heavy type of fixed seat boats which our grandfathers though were the last thing in style. Quite a number of the old hands are satisfied that rowing on fixed seats would be very beneficial, to the younger generation, and that it would give them a groundwork in watermanship before they were allowed to go into the moving seat boats. Another suggestion regarding the regatta rowing course is that it should be either on the north or south shores of the harbour, according to the weather conditions.

Thus the committee could take advantage of the smoothest water available on the day of the races, and not have to take a course mapped out weeks ahead.

Mr Alderson is quite satisfied with the entries which are being received for the various events under his control, but he sees every opportunity at the present of greatly enlarging the number of events set down for the next Anniversary Regatta, to make the Centenary event one of the best in history.

“There is a suggestion that there will be interstate or overseas visitors here in 1936,” said Mr Alderson, “and this, of course, would be a great impetus to the sport,” he added. ,