ROWING NOTES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 13, 16 January 1932, Page 4

ROWING NOTES

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Approaching regattas are as follow: January 16: Port Chalmers Regatta. January 23: Wanganui Regatta. January 29: Championship Regatta at Hamilton. February 6: Burges-St. Leonard’s Regatta. Regatta 13: Wellington Regatta. Easter Saturday (March 26): Queenstown Regatta. Easter Saturday: inter-Provincial c’ghtoar championship, at Picton. The annual boat race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge is to be rowed on Saturday, March 19, at 10.30 a.m. Berlin oarsmen have taken to “marathon” rowing. Ono Taoube recently won a prize for rowing 61 miles daily for 20 days. But what on earth —or water—is the good of this sort of business? The Marlborough Association has not yet met to consider Otago’s protest against the selection of Easter Saturday for the inter-provincial eights’ race on Picton Harbour, which will clash with the Queenstown regatta, states the Marlborough Express. However, a meeting will have to be held shortly in order to arrange the proposed local inter-club eight-oared race. The chances are that Easter Saturday will be adhered to as it is a date that will suit most of the visiting oarsmen. All rowing clubs in Auckland are to bo notified that, in view of the financial stringency, a volunteer eight is to be sent to Pieton for the interprovineial eights. A decision to this effect was reached by tho Auckland Rowing Association last week, when the question of Auckland’s representation was discussed. Clubs will be requested to nominate either a complete crow or individual oars. In the course of discussion it was emphasised that the selectors of the Olympic erew would be on hand at Picton to see what talent was offering. Although the view was taken that it would be better not to be represented than for a voluntary crew of indifferent quality to go, the above decision was arrived at as the Association has no funds available. The Council of the N.Z.A.R.A. has given tho Southland Association its special eight with the proviso that it is not to bo used in the inter-provin-cial contests until approval is given. This prohibition is causing something of a howl in tho south, but if the ban is not lifted no doubt the Marlborough Association would gladly lend. Southland a boat if it sent a crew to Picton. In any ease the special boat, according to those who have rowed in her, is not much faster than the local eights.

Continuing, the Marlborough Express states: After discussing tho financial aspect of the matter, the Wanganui Association decided that its club. 4 ) be asked to nominate men who would be eligible to train in Wanganui tor a specified period m the event of. their being selected to row in the inter-pro-vincial eight to compete at Picton. It was stated that such men, if selected, would be required to pay their own expenses. ,

It must be pointed out that this proviso oniv applies to the Clifton and New Plymouth Rowing Clubs in the event of any of their members being selected to row in the eipht. It lues not applv to the three Wanganui rowing clubs for the members are on the spot and do not need to pay for hotel expenses while training. It is believed, however, that there is little likelihood of any men from the northern clubs being able to train in Wanganui for a fortnight before tho big race. Every effort is being made by the local association to raise the necessary funds to send the crew away.

Wanganui Club. Training has been in progress throughout the past week and has been indulged in with a pleasing keenness. Entries for the regatta number 13, and though it is considered to be the “devil’s own number” some members are more inclined to think that if anything they will win a few races! No. 1 Lightweights, behind Stan Cass, arc going along nicely. Perhaps a quicker stroke should be used for it must be remembered that had the lightweight crew rowed faster at New Plymouth they might have been first past the post. Two must watch his habit of washing out. He is not pulling the oar right home to his body. No. 1 Youths are also going along nicely, though it is unfortunate that Maciver has been unavoidably prevented from rowing. Silk has been taking his place and shaping nicely. Three is inclined to row short and not reach out far enough. No. 2 Youths, behind Moffett, are improving steadily. Stroke appears to !be leaning over his work somewhat. Three is late at times and is sluggish at getting his hands away. Two is rushing his slide and waiting for the stroke at the catch. He is also having trouble when turning his oar and is not sitting up straight. Bow could reach out further and shoot his hands away faster.

No. 1 Heavyweights are getting more condition on and are also improving. Stroke must learn to keep his eyes in front of him instead of turning his head and looking out of the boat. He is helping to cause the roll in the boat and in addition his habit is disconcerting to his crew. He is also rather sluggish, with his hands and could punch them away harder. Three is rushing his slide work and is not getting his hands away as quickly as he might. However, he is coming on nicely. Two is not yet accustomed to rowing on the stroke side. He is very stiff with his arms and has a bad habit of leaning out of the boat at the fi'nish of hi.® stroke. Bow is swinging round in a half-circle. Heavyweights No. 2. Stroke must learn to keep his hands higher at the catch and not to drop them. He should reach out further yet. Three is apt to be erratic with his time and appears to be turning his oar before it is clear of the water at times. This has a tendency to make him catch a crab. Two is sitting up in the boat better. He should watch his blade work a little more. He is another novice who Is coming on nicely. Bow must learn to swing straight up and down the boat. He appears to wriggle his body somewhat, a habit all his own. He could sit up straighter. It is unfortunate that this man has been unavoidably absent for three days. One of the uses of the regatta will be a “pointer” for the head-of-the-river eight. As this race will be

rowed a fortnight after the regatta training will have to start to-morrow week, and all members will have to got to work and train hard. No doubt most of the scats will be filled before ►Saturday, but there will be one or two which may need consideration. ►Several names were mentioned in the notes last Wednesday, and 12 men were suggested as possible representatives of the club. At least two of these are doubtful at tho present moment for there is every possibility that they will be unable to train regularly. These members are Cass and Aitcheson. It must be obvious that if the crew is to work as one man it must have every member rowing every night. If one member cannot train every night and has to forego his row, bluntly speaking, it is no use to the crew. If these two men are available, though, they must be considered. Novices were also named as possible representatives. There is no doubt that the novices who have joined the club this year are the best the club has had for many years. But it must bo an obvious fallacy to anyone who has the least knowledge of racing that a two mile race in a head-of-tho-river competition for a man in his first year is out of the question. Everyone knows that the sport cannot be learnt in one season, or even four seasons. Of course if the selectors do not wish the club to be in the running but wish to supply their new men "with experience, then by all means they should be given a place in tho boat. But it is hoped that older oarsmen and. those with more experience will be relied

A crew which should row well is as follows: B. R. Diurie (str.), V. Claplujm (7), J. Crichton (6). A. AV. Mitchell (5), M. Clay (4). N. Foster (3), W Moffett (2), Turnbull (bow). There is every possibility that the last two men will be tho subject of some criticism, inasmuch as they are both youths. But they are both clean oars and hard workers. Tn the event of Cass and Aitcheson being able to train every night, however, this difficulty would be solved. L. Clapham and Campbell might possibly have more claim to the how position, or a bow position, then Turnbull. Pearce and Burrell are the two novices mentioned. They are both untried men in regatta racing. However, their form to-day week may possibly justify their inclusion in a twomile race. Union Club. Interest in the regatta has been quickened with the announcements of rhe positions in which the various Vrews will race. Members have been training steadily throughout the week. Following are a few criticisms which may prove helpful: Youths’ No. J crow: Stroke is inclined to row with a bent back. Tin would do well to sit up a little straighter. Throe is shooting his ?lide and is inclined to bo late getting into the water. He should learn to hold hrs slide until his body is an upright position before driving with the legs. The stroke man must always be watched carefully. Faulty time means a rolling boat. Two is rowing short. He should try to lean back further at tho finish of his stroke and to pull the oar right home to his body. Bow is very slow with his hands. He should shoot them out harder after the finish of the stroke. He is pulling away from his oar and is not keeping his eyes in the boat. Youths No. 2; Stroke is inclined to rush his slide coming forward for the catch. He could swing back further and punch his hands away quicker. Three is not reaching out far enough and is inclined to row with one shoulder dropped. Two is pulling out of the boat. He is chopping into the water and his timing is erratic. Bow is “skying” at tho catch by allowing his hands to drop too low. He is washing out through not pulling his oar right into his bodv and is swinging out of the boat. He should leai to row with a straight swing up and down the boat.

Heavyweights No. 1; Stroke is rowing short. He could reach out further by bringing his chest up to his knees at the catch. Three is inclined to rush up his slide for the next stroke. He could swing further back at the finish of the drive and could punch his hands away with more vim. Two has a tendency to wash out. He should pull his oar in higher to his body and make sure of a good long drive. Bow is also rushing his slide and not swinging as far back as he should.

Lightweights No. 2; Stroke is inclined to shoot his slide and to have his arms bent at the catch. Throe should try to reach out further and pull his oar in higher at the finish of the stroke. He could sit up more in the boat. Two should turn his oar over more otherwise h e will find that he will row deep. He should try to take more of the weight of the catch on his shouldefs and drive harder with his feet. His eyes are not always on the man in front of.him. Bow is shooting his slide badly. He must acquire the knack of holding his slide until his body is at right angles to the boat and then pulling tho oar homo with a good leg drive. He is watching his oar instead of the man in front of him and is inclined to be late at times.

Welterweight No. 1; Stroke is inclined to sky at the catch through not keeping his hands at the required height. Ho could sit up straighter in the boat and not crouch down to it. Three does not come right forward ou his slide. His swing is poor, he is skying at the catch and is pulling in too low. Two is shooting his slide and is swinging back too far thereby breaking the swing of tho boat. Bow is catching with bent arms and his hands have a habit of dropping at the catch. Racing for the clinker regatta boat will take place this afternoon when the various classes of rowers will compete at the following times: 4 p.m. Youths. 5 p.m. Lightweights. 5.30 p.m. Welterweights. 6 p.m. Heavyweights. The senior and the junior crews will also race down the river with the heavyweights. Aramoho Club. With the regatta ahead, plenty of hard work has been done by the Aramoho Club during the week, and all oarsmen are getting into something like rowing trim. The senior four (Holmes, Coxon, Edwards, Heath), will be a hard proposition in their race. Although they may appear to be somewhat unpolished there is plenty of pace in the boat and they get over the distance in good time. Two is inclined to be faulty with his blade work and bow is sluggish at punching them away at the finish of the stroke

The junior fours (Iloskyns, Jones, Stowers, Shaw) will be, in the estimation of their vlubmates, the winners of the lightweight junior fours. It is forecasted that they will also be hard to head in the clinker race. Bow should raise th© hands more at the catch and pull right home to the body. The heavyweight maidens (F. Haywood, Waugh, Dalziell, Burr), is an average crew and ./ill have to smarten up considerably to do anything next week. Stroke should be quicker on tho catch, and jump at it as if ho meant it. A harder finish, is also much needed and a good swing through. Three is rowing with a back like a half-moon. He should sit up straight and swing up and down the boat. Two is inclined to use his arms instead of his body and, consequently, the weight is not there. He could reach out much further. Bow is shooting his slide and skying his oar. The lightweight maidens (Aitken, Gurr, Anderson, Garner) should do well. There is plenty of pa»co in the boat. A harder catch and finish would help them a lot. Youths (J. Stokes, Cox. Ruegg, J. Halligan) is also going along nicely and with a good snap. Stroke is inclined to linger at the catch. Bow is rushing his slide too much. Maiden sculls (C. Harrison). This man is going along very nicely and the boat is running well between the strokes. In an average field he should be the first man past the post. Junior double sculls (Haywood and Percy). A new boat has arrived for those two men and if thev keep in solid training from now until next Saturday, they should go very well.