AQUATIOS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 409, 26 May 1898, Page 6

AQUATIOS

[By

Muritai.]

Quite a number of yachts have been changing ownership lately in Auckland. Mr Dunning has sold his old flyer, Gloriana, and purchased Ladye Wilma, Mr Swinnertbn has sold Mabel, Mr Wilson his centre-boarder Mizpah, and Mr W. Wilson’s little half.rater has gone to the Islands. The committee appointed to fix up matters in connection with the acquatic sports at the forthcoming Exhibition has decided that the prize for the inter-colonial yacht race shall be £lOO, the boats to be 1-raters, and the race fob - sailed un ler Y.R.A. rules. Builders are to be given a free hand as to lightness and style of boat.

An English correspondent writes : —Various circumstances will cause the Oxford and Cambridge boat race of 1898 to be numbered among the most memorable of ,all on the long list of contests sine the institution of the race 69 years ago. Misfortune dogged the Cambridge men from almost the day when the selection of the crew first began to be considered; shortly after strict training commenced some dissension arose among the crew as then constituted, the outcome being that one of the men withdrew altogether, while another was absent for some considerable time ; mishaps and ailments caused the reluctant withdrawal of some of their best oarsmen, so that on the day only four of those who started practice were still left still in the boat, while on the day itself the weather was so vile and such a gale of wind blew that the race was voted practically a certainty for whichever crew won the toss, and Oxford won it. Betting in town, which for the previous few days had ruled at about 7 to 4 on Oxford, now rose to 5 to 1 on them, the light blue’s chance being looked on (with the toss lost) as hopeless. And so it proved, for so rough was the water at the start that their boat was nearly half filled whilst waiting for their opponents at the starting point The Cambridge stroke had evidently concluded that their sole chance of victory lay in the desperate essay to chop Oxford at the start and gain sufficient lead to allow them to cross the dark blues’ bow and gain the shelter of the Middlesex shore, for at. the nignal they da-hed off at a great pace, but their plucky < ffort merely resulted in their holding a quarter of a length’s lead for a few hundred yards. The race from that out scarcely needs describing, for Oxford soon drew level, and then went away at their leisure. The mile po t was parsed in 4min 55sec by the leaders, Hainan rsmith Bridge in 9min 15sec, Chiswick Steps in

13min 53sec, and the winning post in 15sec. In the meantime Cambridge had been having a deplorable experience ; and, in fact, - s nearing the end of the “contest” they simply had to cease rowing, and let their boat drift pastj; the judge’s position. Needless to say, they had \ the sympathy of everyone, but so uneven ii . struggle could not be expected tQ rouse much enthusiasm among spectators already chilled by the extraordinarily inclement weather. It was on all sides conceded that the race should have been postponed, as the sporti were on the previous .< day. It was a farce to row in such weather and, indeed, half an hour before the time set, it was confidently asserted that a postponement had been agreed upon. It is absurd to call it a race when the coxswain of the Cambridge boat was absolutely sitting in water after the first 200 yards. v -