ROWING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 450, 16 December 1930, Page 4

ROWING

UNION BOAT CLUB FOSTER FOURS CONTEST RL.SULTS OF FIRST HEAT Racing i<,r tl.<: I o-tcr Fours wal commcrict-tj bv the Umon Boat Club last cv< ning ur.'l' r favourable conditions except. that a. ntror.g tob: was running in, slowing th* rac* - up ami consequently rnakir.g it a. harder battle for the THhe fir-.t heat f -ulted in an easy win for A. Ton/.-, uno defeated A. Smith's crew by two lengths after rather unintcres’/ng rac . Fr<»ni a good start. Tonk-. gradua.iy <ir* w away to lead by a length at. Dublin Street Bridge. I rom this stage on, Smith'! crew gradually <lroppe-l ImcK, being mud lighter than their opponents and not. having the driving power so nccC'St sary when racing agarnst the ti<l«. Cotterill, Ditchfield and Luxford lined up for the second heat, from the start of which Dit*-hfiel<l gained half a length, being followed by Luxford, who had very little on Cotterill. At ih*? Dublin Street Bridge, Ditchfirld had increased his lead to a length, with Luxford ami Cotterill on even terms- Approaching the Groyne, Cott terill ami Luxford both made forward moves, but were unable to maintain th® ground gained. The race was dclevop* ing into a gruelling struggle ami at Williams’ Corner, Cotterill, amid shout! of encouragement from the bank, commenced to draw away from Luxford and pick up on Ditchfield, whose crew appeared to be tiring. Cotterill made desperate efforts to bridge the gap and closed up to within a bare length at the baths, but Ditcnficld kept his crc< hard at it and staved off the challenge Io cross the line threequarters of a length to the good. Luxford finishing one length behind Cotterill after one of the most strenuously contested races witnessed for a long time-