TIMARU BOATING CLUB.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3758, 18 October 1886, Page 4

TIMARU BOATING CLUB.

■ » . ... The boating season m Titnaru, the opening Of which had unavoidably to be postponed on Thursday, owing to the inclement state of the weather, was formally opened on Saturdaj by a procession of boats. The day was beautifully fine, all that could have been desired, from a boating man's point of view, o fresh breeze from the north-east just tending to make the water a little lively. Great interest was taken m the proceedings, and the members of the Club rolled up m great nnnv bers to take part m what was to them the great event of the season. There was aleo a very large attendance of the pnblio, chiefly ol the fair sex, and both the railway wharf and Moody jetty were lined with spectators, As had been arranged, the boats of th» Club — fouriu number— were manned punctually at half-put four o'cock, and being led off by tho captain m one of the fouroared " inrigged boats, the procession left the club's ways The boats were rowed round the harbonr, and drawn up abreast off the end of the Moody jetty, and oars were peaked. The captain (Mr Robert Mackay) then rose, and m a neat speech declared the boating season opened. After cheers had been given m honour of the occasion, the boats were rowed back to the ways. The boats were then re-manned for the four-oared scratch races, all of which were well contested, _ The course waß from the end of the Moody jetty, round the wreck buoy and the outor mooring buoys, and back to the end of the jetty. Mi J. E. 8. Jackson kindly acted as starter and judge, and fulfilled his duties both faithfully and well. The results of the scratch races are at follows : PIBBT BBAT. Otipua— H. Tate (bow), D. MeLean (2), R. Goooh (3), Withers (stroke) ... 1 Otiao— Chisholtn (bow), H. J. McLean (2), J. Lawrenson (3), G. Shirtcliffo (stroke) ... 2 Withers' crew were the first to catch the ■Water and immediately »hot off with the lead and though Shirtcliff's crew tried manfully to keep pace with them, they forged ahead and won by s couple of lengths. SECO7TD HBAT. Otipua— J.G. Hughes (bow), A. Stubbs, (2), T. Birrell (3) , R. Mackay (stroke) 1 Otaio— J. Howe (bow), J. Scott (2), Goodall (3), G. Wood (stroke) ... 2 Mackay's crew, which was a very eTen one, proved themselves too much for their opponentß. Mackay led from the start and won as he liked. JINAL HBAT. Otipua— A. Stubbs (bow), T. Birrell (2) J. G. Hughes (3), B. Mackay (stroke) ... 1 Otaio — H. late (bow), D. McLean (2), R. Gooch (3), Withers (stroke) 2 The winning crews of the two boata were now pitted toaother for the final tussle, and it was thought by many that Withers' men would row round their opponents. Such, however, proved not to be the case. Mackay again dashed off with the lead, and the race np to the wreck buoy was a pretty tough one, though by that time Mackay had a lead of a length. In turning the buoy a foul oocurred, through Withers' coxswain trying to cut m between the leading boat and the buoy This caused Withers to lose a lot of ground, and virtually put his crew out of the race. Mackay won easily.