SPORT OF ROWING

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1935, Page 12

SPORT OF ROWING

NEW PLYMOUTH ACTIVITY

PROSPECTS AT W4NGANUI

(By

“Oarsman.”)

The weather has not been very kind to rowers at New Plymouth so far this season, and consequently crews have had great difficulty in getting in good rowing work on rough water. A maiden crew to represent the club at the Wanganui regatta on Boxing Day has been chosen, however, and with M. Keenan stroke, S. Hill 3, S. Frewin 2 and S. Billing bow, is expected to give a good account of itself. •

Keenan, a wejl-set man of about 11 stone, can be relied upon to work well. The most powerful oarsman, however, is S. Hill; He has" Only to-improve his body, swing and get his hands faster- to be a very real asset. Frewin rows a good stick behind a lively stroke, but his swing could improve, and a little more concentration is needed on his timing. As bow in the crew S. Billing is ideal. His recovery is the best part of his rowing.

In the opinion of one of the leading members- of the club this is the best maiden crew the club has had on the water for some time and it is believed by him, that if the crew will train hard it is sure to have a win. 1 Hints To New Rowers.

Breathing is one of the most important things in rowing and yet very few coaches instruct new members when breathing should be done. The breath should be taken as ; ou are coming up your slide, not when you are going to grab the water; Breathe through the nose and out through the mouth. The more clean salt air you can pump into yoiir lungs the better you will (feel when ,you come out of a boat. ■ < , « * i? *

The Aramoho Boating' Club rowed ife first trophy race last Saturday for the Mitchell Shield. Nine crews took part. Clifton had its season declared open last Saturday by the Mayor, but there, was a very disappointing attendance./ It is hoped, however,, that intending members will give the club better support in the near future. \ • 1

The annual meeting of delegates to the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association at Wellington decided to hold the New Zealand championships at Wellington on 'February 22, arid the interprovincial eights at Wanganui omEaster Saturday, April 11. A remit from the Auckland Association that the eight-oar boats held by local associations should be retained'for the annual interprovincial eights race was carried. It was. resolved also that all eight-oar Rowing covering the maiden, junior and senior classes should be done in unrestricted best boats only. - A recommendation from the Auckland Rowing Association that the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association should consider the inclusion in championship programmes of «club eights or champion eights was also carried. Another remit from 'the Auckland Association, to the effect that a subsidy should be paid to any affiliated club ordering an eightoar boat, was defeated.

* ’ * , / * * A® speaker who made a deep impression on all who heard him at the annual dinner of a large Australian rowing club recently. was Mr. James Macfarlane, for .long regarded as leading authority on rowing in Victoria, and whose advice on the subject of a rowing style was availed of by New South Wales years ago,’says,, the Sydney Referee. Mr. Macfarlape took the opportunity to break a lance with those exponents of present-day rowing who are, wont to declafe that Fafrbairnism is the be-all and the end-all of effective rowing. Comparing the methods of the London Rowing Club crew that was at Melbourne last year with those of Victorian crews of 30 years ago—particularly those of Mercantile and Albert Park—Mr. Macfarlane said that in the main points of the rowing of those crews and of the Londoners there was no noticeable difference. Each had thoroughly mastered the essentials of good rowing, which were, of course, an instantaneous tion of Weight at th - catch-i through the blended use. of legs and bodies; a stroke driven through in one piece with all the weight on all the time, a hard finish and a smooth recovery, with the last part slower than the first, and giving the 'oarsmen a chance to poise themselves for the beginning of th° stroke. Any crew that could master those' essentials, said Mr. Macfarlane, must be a speedy crew. It was a fact, however, that present-day Victorian crews could not hold a candle to those of the' period of which he spoke, am. their failures had caused people to loox elsewhere and to experiment with styles which, really, were those that their forerunners had taught to men such as Steve Fairbairn, who had never forgotten their, effectiveness. Rowing a style that was featured by the capable use of jhe essential points he had mentioned, a crew from Australia had beaten England’s best in 1912, and, he was convinced, that could be done again.