ROWING.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16780, 24 April 1926, Page 21 (Supplement)

ROWING.

A ROCKING FOOT BEST. SLIDING BALL-BEARING OAR LOCK (By "Outrigger.") Rowing enthusiasts in Hie Dominion will be greatly interested in discoveries aimed to reduce the drudgery of this most, punishing of all sports by removing the leg strain which have been made by Guy E. Long, coxswain of ihe. Cornell 'Varsity of 1902, and a noted coach. These discoveries include a sliding ball-bearing oar lock, a rocking fool rest, and pneumatic seat pads, for the sliding seat in racing shells.

Mr Long has been working on these devices for nearly twelve months and has succeeded in perfecting them and has secured patents on them. It is believed their application will prove a great boon lo rowing. When they are installed in racing shells the inventor and other rowing experts foresee a saving of energy which, translated into terms of speed, will result in a gain of at least twenty-five boat lengths in a two-mile stretch over the equipment, thai is now used. According to Mr Long, these inventions will not become the exclusive property of Cornell University. It is his intention to make them contribution lo Ihe entire rowing world. The underlying basis of the inventions of Mr Long is Ihe rocking foot rest, but neither it nor the lock itself is any more, mechanical than the sliding' seal used in all shells at the 'present time. Speaking of his discoveries, he says: Rowing Punishing Sport. "Rowing has long been acknowledged to be the most punishing of intercollegiate sports, also the mosL scientific, containing more mechanics than any other. The Long system is designed around the principle of a conservation of energy, a more advantageous application of it and the removal of some of the drudgery connected with the 'present system, especially when this system is incompetently taught. In Hie end, of course, conservation of energy means a gain in boat lengths during a race." As installed by Mr Long, the rocking foot rest permits the feel lo be placed near Hie front end of the slide runners and thus removes a great deal of the leg strain which is caused by the present system. It allows from ten to twelve inches more in the side, and this, in turn, enables Hie oarsman to keep the oar in the water for a longer time during the pull, at the same time driving the shell approximately three feet further at every stroke. This is accomplished with only a fraction of Hie ordinary leg strain and its accompanying drudgery. The tracks on which the seat runners glide, have been lengthened from 28 to nearly 37 inches, and the amount of slide that each oarsman can use is consequently increased from Jlii inches to 28 inches. This will make no material change in the angle at which the oar takes the water at present, but it enables the oarsmen to keep their blades in the water for a longer period. The oars used by the Long system are thirteen feel long, an increase of a foot over Ihe present length. This increases results in producing about 10 per cent more power. Off-Centre Pull Faulty. Concerning the sliding oar lock, Mr Long states that he has realised for some time the ill effects that come from the off-centre pull of the hands during the entire stroke and recovery. , There is, he claims, excessive body strain due to twisting, particularly on the catch, a tipping of the shell just before the calch, and a loss of leverage for Ihe reason that the line of pull is never at right angles Lo Ihe oar.

"In this connection," Mr Long writes, "it might be said that it is the English custom to scat each man as far from his row lock as possible in order to gel Ihe same result as I am getting. This, however, places four men on each side of the shell, instead of in line, in the centre as is the American practice."

Another evil effect of the off-centre pull, according to Mr Long, is the loss of energy also on the recovery, and it likewise retards Hie run of the shell. With the row lock which he lias designed the oar is bound in the. lock, which is set in Ihe slide running at right angles to the length of the shell. This offsets Ihe present unavoidable shifting and wavering as the oarsmen make both the pull and the recovery and at .the half stroke Ihe arms are at right angles to the oar. The hands, therefore, are pulled back in a direct line through the centre of the boat. . The'pneumatic scat pads installed by Mr Long remove lo a great extent the friction which results in chafing and in infections with arc Hie bugaboo of coaches.

GOODSELL AND SAUL. In connection with the coming race for the world's title, between Major Goodscll (holder) and Tom Saul (challenger) articles have, now been signed The race, is to be rowed over Ihe full Parranialta course, on Monday, May 3 for £2OO aside, and the title. Mr Wm. Reach is to acl as referee, Mr J W. Scott as judge, and Ihe "Referee" as stake-holder. The final deposits (£IOO on the side) are due to-day. In accordance pionship conditions, ihe "gale" is to be divided on a 50-50 basis.