THE WATERWAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10092, 4 March 1911, Page 6

THE WATERWAY.

DN AND OFF THE EIVEE.

(By JASON.) COMING REGATTAS. March 31, 1011.— Napier Regatta. March 23, 1911.—Otago Regatta, at Port Chalmers. April 15, 1911.—Qncensiotvn Regatta.

Perhaps there are no places in the dominion that can provide such splendid courses for the holding of championship regattas as Wanganui and Picton. Picto'n is, unfortunately, affected by winds, and on several occasions postponements have been necessary owing to rough water. This was much in evidence last year. Wanganui lliver, on the other hand, is practically free from these disadvantages. Given a fine day, oarsmen would, if they had the,option, prefer a course like Picton in lieu of one set out on a river such as Wanganui. With a river course there are always advantages to be gained by choosing a side where a strong current is flowing, and at times a second-rate crew, with the aid of a current, can easily hold its own against more formidable opponents. The course set down for the 1911 championships was the same as that in. 1903, with one exception, in that a section of the course near the finish was buoyed off. Why the committee undertook the latter work I cannot say positively, but I understand that in 1903 the crack crew from the Kawatiri Club defeated Wanganui on their own water by a few inches, and since that time the Wanganui folk made up their minds to try_ to straighten the course near the finish. If the regatta officials' feel satisfied with the success of their task in buoying the river, I can assure them that the majority of the oarsmen, especially the. visitors, are by no means enthusiastic on the matter. I believe that all rowers would have gladly welcomed the Regatta Committee's efforts towards making the course fair for all, had it been carried out. in a systematic Way.. Viewing the buoyed boats from the Aramoho bridge, anyone with ordinary vision could see at a glance that the boats were not in a line, and as happened later two of them were not oven _ made secure enough to prevent the tide from turning them round. To buoy off nearly two-thirds of a fine river at a finish-ing-post is disastrous. If the committee thought, that the bend in the_ river at the finish was unfair, why did it not endeavour to straighten the bend a few hundred yards from the two-mile starting point, whore a straight course was of as much importance as at the finish. That a great error was made was" the opinion of a large number of competitors, as well as those interested on the banks. It was most unfair to compel competitors in . coxwainless boats to finish inside two flags when their scope was subjected to such limitation. One regrettable feature of the championship regatta was that no club south of Christcliurch was represented. What has become of the crews from the Dunedin and Invercargill clubs? Surely there exists enough of enthusiasm in these centres to raise the means and oarsmen so that they would be able to compete at a championship regatta. Our southern friends do not appear to be pushing rowing as one would expect. At the Otago regatta on Boxing Day two of the local clubs were well represented at tho Dunedin function, but the Christcliurch regatta a fortnight ago did not ■ draw support from Dunedin.

At the championship regatta the splendid form of the Canterbury Rowing Club's Maiden Four was frequently commented on. This crew has an almost unbeaten record for the past season, and not only did it win the Maiden Fours at the championship regatta, but in the Junior class later in the day it did better still. The Canterbury Rowing Club last year had another fine crew, stroked by Fitzer, which won practically the whole of the club's prize money during the season. It is worthy of note that the present combination has also been the means of winning the dollars in the Canterbury Rowing Club's coffers this season. I must compliment the crew on its splendid record.

Tho Union Rowing Club won £3O at Wanganui,' while Canterbury waa successful in winning £2O. I understand that the Hegglim brothers,, belonging to tho v Blenheim Champion Four, intend to retire from rowing after this season. They are taking up land near Taihape. Some of the preliminary heats of the Sumner , Rowing Club's Single Sculls for the W. J. Clay cup were got off on tho Mstuary dining the week. J. Tipping defeated A. Needham by eight lengths and H. Adkins defeated H. Taylor by ten lengths. There was a jobble on the water the night these two heats were decided. J. Maffey beat P. Olliver by four lengths and T. Keig beat C. Pree,ce by a length and a half.

Entries for the Hawked Bay Rowing Association's annual regatta at Napier will close on March 6.

The Queenstown regatta will be held on Lake "Wakatipu on Saturday, April 15 ;Easter Saturday). The following are details of the programme just issued:—Maiden Double Scul'g, Association clinkers, one mile, £3 and £1; Youths' Fours, Association clinkers, one mile, £4 and £1; Junior Double Sculls, Association clinkers, one mile, FA and £1; Maiden Fours, Association clinkers, one mile, £P> and £2; Senior Double Sculls, Association clinkers, one mile, £5 and £2; Junior Fours, Association clinkers, cue mile, i'V> and £2: Maiden -Pairs, Association clinkers, one mile) £3 and £1; Lake Wakatipu Senior Fours championship, one mile and a half, .2.l'J ancl £4; Junior Pairs, Association clinkers, one mile, £4 and £1: Senior Pairs, Association clinkers, one mile, £5 ancl £2. Entries will close on April' 3 with Mr A. J. Thompson, lion, secretary Regatta Committee, Quecnstown. Entries for the Union Rowing Club's " Louisson " Fours will close this evening.

The Union Rowing Club has been busy this week rowing off the trial double sculls. The racing commenced on Tuesday and was continued each evening, and the final is to be rowed off this afternoon. Seventeen crews had entered and twelve crews faced the starter. On the whole the heats were keenly contested and good finishes were witnessed. The> following are details of the heats:—First heat: Osborne and Meachen beat Durban and Duggan; second heat: Dallifion and Coupland beat Hunt and Cronin; third heat: Adams and Masson beat Davis and Tarrant; fourth heat: Burley and Mitchell beat Mills and Scott; fifth heat: Stewart' and Frankish beat Freeman and Mazey ; sixth heat: Booth and Picrson beat Marshall and Sutherland. Second' round.—First heat: Adams and Masson beat Osborne and Meachen; second boat: Stewart and Frankish beat Dallison and Coupland: third heat: Burley and Mitchell beat Booth and Pierson. Semi-finals: Adams and Masson beat Stewart and Frankish) Burley and Mitchell a bye. The final will be rowed off on Monday evening.

It is rumoured that tho honorary secretary and honorary treasurer of the Avon Rowing Club have handed in their resignations as officers of the club. At present I do not know the reason for this, but it is to be hoped that the report has no foundation, as this club can ill afford to lose the services of two such enthusiastic and capable officers.