ROWING TITLES OF DOMINION

Southland Times, Issue 23741, 13 February 1939, Page 3

ROWING TITLES OF DOMINION

R. B. SMITH’S FIFTH SINGLE SCULLS CHAMPION FOURS WON BY CLIFTON (United Press Association) BLENHEIM, February 12. At one of the largest assemblages of oarsmen in the history of rowing in New Zealand three clubs successfully defended their titles at the national amateur rowing, championships at Picton harbour. They were Clifton, which retained the champion fours in convincing style, Auckland (R. B. Smith) the single sculls for the fourth year in succession, making Smith’s fifth title, and Union (Wanganui) the eights for the third year in succession. The new champions are: Pairs, Union (Christchurch); double sculls, Petone. Although the regatta was opened under ideal conditions on Saturday morning three protests out of 12 starters in the champion fours resulted in the race being postponed. This and the choppy conditions in the afternoon caused a delay in the programme which was not completed by nightfall. Three events, the champion pairs, the doubles and the Marlborough Plate were rowed off this morning on excellent water. Results: CHAMPION FOURS (Two Miles) Clifton (Fowler, Old, Olsson, Topliss) 1 Union (Wanganui) 2 Star 3 Also competed: Wellington, Wanganui, Petone, Wairau, Picton, Aramoho, Blenheim, Napier and Awarua. Won by half a length. Time, 11.57. CHAMPION EIGHTS (Two Miles) Union (Wanganui) (Delves, Healey, Gould, Benge, Tones, Halkett, Granville, Stodart, coxswain) 1 Tauranga 2 Picton 3 Also competed: Petone. Won by five lengths. Time. 12.45 2-5. CHAMPION SINGLES (One mile and a-half) Auckland No. 1 (R. B. Smith) 1 Petone (P. Abbott) 2 Wellington (T. Hegglun) 3 Also competed: Auckland No. 2, Aramoho. Won by a length. Time, 10.15 2-5. CHAMPION PAIRS (One mile and a-half) Union (Christchurch) (Harris and Cooper) 1 Clifton (Fowler and Old) 2 Blenheim (Hadfield and Patchett) 3 Also competed: Star, Petone, Avon, Wairau, Union (Wanganui), Tauranga, Auckland and Aramoho. Star finished second but was disqualified for crossing Blenheim. Won by three lengths. Time, 9.15 2-5. CHAMPION DOUBLE SCULLS (One Mile and a-half) Petone (Abbott and K. Boswell) 1 Auckland (Smith and Morey) 2 Union, Christchurch (Cooper and Harris) 3 Also competed: Aramoho, Avon, Wellington. Won by a length. Time 8.41 4-5.

MARLBOROUGH BLATE (One mile and a-half) Aramoho (Stowers, Jones, Holmes, Stokes) 1 Petone 2 Awarua 3 Also competed: Union (Christchurch), Wellington, Blenheim, Star, Tauranga, Wanganui, Picton, Avon, Wairau, Napier. Won by three-quarters of a length. Time, 9.14 4-5. LIGHTWEIGHT MAIDEN FOURS (One Mile) Picton (Connolly, Kirwin, Smith, Dawkins, Sadd coxswain) 1 Union (Wanganui) 2 Star 3 Won by four lengths. Time, 6.22. MAIDEN FOURS (Open) One Mile Wairau (Gale, Adams, Harris, Gill and Boddington coxswain) 1 Canterbury 2 Kawatiri 3 Won bv four lengths. Time, 5.51. WELTERWEIGHT JUNIOR FOURS (One Mile) Star (Bevan, Hawker, Hill Dawson) 1 Blenheim No. 1 2 Union (Wanganui) 3 Won by three-quarters of a length. Time, 5.57. JUNIOR FOURS (Open) One Mile and a-half Star (Hoskings, Lawson, Shirley, Broad) 1 Avon 2 Tauranga 3 Won by a length., YOUTHS FOURS Wairau No. 1 (Gale, Adams, Harris, Gill and Boddington coxswain) 1 Blenheim No. 1 2 Union (Wanganui) 3 Won by three-quarters of a length. DIFFICULT WATER CONDITIONS AWARUA FADES OUT IN FOURS (Special to The Times). BLENHEIM, February 12. When the 12 starters had reached the mile in the champion fours, the principal event at Picton on Saturday, it seemed that the Awarua crew would be up with the winners at the finish. At this stage the Southlanders were lying fourth in a handy position. They were striking 36 to the minute and seemed to have something in hand. At this stage a wild squall swept down on the harbour and the crews were practically obliterated from sight. From .then, on Awarua never had a chance and finished well back.

All that was required to make the 1939 New Zealand championship regatta an outstanding success was good weather. The entries were a record and so was the prize-money, but the weather did not do its part. The water conditions were bad all day on Saturday and it was possible to hold only three of the five championship races, the others being postponed until Sunday.

The highlight of the regatta was undoubtedly R. B. Smith’s fourth consecutive win in the champion single sculls. After his defeat by Abbott at Wellington a week before Smith’s chances were thought to be dubious but he produced his best form for the championship and won with something ?r reserve. It was the most interesting race of the day. There were five starters, including Smith’s old rival Abbott, and

a sculler from Aramoho, C. Campbell, of whom great things wei;e expected. The race which was started in choppy water was remarkable for the ’’Peat judgment shown by the winner. The Aucklander jumped out from the start followed by T. Hegglun, of Wellington. Smith took the lead and kept it for a quarter of a mile. Being then satisfied that he could afford to drop back a little he looked for better water closer inshore. The result was that at the mile he was in fourth position behind Hegglun, Abbott, of Petone, and Campbell. It is not usual to see a champion sculling, in fourth place with about half the race gone but once in good water Smith quickened to 30 strokes to the minute and started to move up fast. Hegglun was left behind and so was Campbell. x With half a mile to go the race had become a duel between Smith and Abbott, with Smith having the better of it. Abbott in the outside position was unable to cross over as Smith had done an' 4 had to make the best of the water conditions. The result was obvious half a mile from the flags and it is greatly to Abbott’s credit that he finished within a length of the winner. The third position was filled by Hegglun who sculled a fine race. Hegglun is young and his showing led many experts to believe that he is a coming champion. CLIFTCN’S MAGN TCENT WIN The champion fours were a triumph for Clifton, last year’s winners. It was one of those rare races where a crew jumps into the lead at the start and immediately impresses as the obvious winners. Other crews, including Star, Union and Awarua, chased the champions but never looked like getting on terms with them. It was just a question of who would fill second place. At first it seemed that the placed crews must be Clifton, Union (Wanganui) and Aramoho. Awarua had shot its bolt a mile from the finish. Star, however, close inshore, put in a great finish to cut Aramoho out of third place. The race was rowed 'in blinding rain and against a stiff breze and Clifton proved themselves a crew of definitely championship class to cover the twomile journey in llmin 57sec. Probably the champion fours have never before been rowed under such terrible conditions. The water was still bad although better than when the race was called off in the morning. Picton disappeared under a blinding rain squall and the crews bored into the grey murk. These circumstances make the champions’ win all the more outstanding as they are a river crew unused to heavy water. The champion eights, as expected, were a gift for Union (Wanganui). Owing to a misunderstanding Petone did not arrive out in time for the start and only three crews jumped out at the gun. The race was soon a procession. Tauranga stuck to Union for a few hundred yards but could not keep it up and it was not long before Union established a clear lead which they held for the rest of the journey, increasing it to five lengths before crossing the line. Picton were even further behind Tauranga. This is only the third time the champion eights have been rowed and Union have won each time. They entered a sound crew which gave the other two starters a lesson in stylish rowing. With the veteran, C. A. Healey, in No. 7 seat the crew went magnificently. Their combination was ideal and when they and Tauranga were both striking 32 to the minute the winners were getting more out of their boat and drawing away every stroke. The two other championships were rowed on Sunday morning when the weather was perfect. The double sculls was a fine race, Abbott and Boswell (Petone) beating Smith and Morey (Auckland) with Cooper and Harris (Christchurch Union) next. The Union crew led for more than a mile but could

not resist Abbott’s powerful finishing burst and faded away. The same Union crew, making its first appearance at a championship regatta, went out in the pair-oar which was the next race and romped home easy winners. They defeated such experienced crews as Avon who fouled twice in the first quarter of a mile and dropped out and Star (Cooke and Mullins) who finished second but were disqualified. Clifton (Fowler and Old) rowed a good race to finish behind Star, but the greatest credit must go to Cooper and Harris who rowed a perfect race for a splendid victory.