AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 446, 9 February 1899, Page 8

AQUATICS

Muritai.

LBy

The Auckland Regatti people are a long way behind with their funds, and the prize-money will have to be cut down considerably. Of course the rowing championships took a lot of D e cash, as they had to be paid in full, but there is no getting away from the fact that a radical change will have to be made in the management of this fixture. How wou d a regatta club, with a fixed annual subscription, do ? The owner of Heartsease asks for the prize in the big yacht race, apd the flag for first boat in ; he also asks for credit for his win. He can have the two former, but I de:idedly object to giving a yacht credit for winning a race in which the other competitors went about a seven mile longer course. Heartsease sailed well, but a sorry hope she would have had if the boats had all gone the same distance. It has been said that the owners of Volunteer and Thelma should have purchased an official programme, and the mistake was their own. Perhaps this is so, but competitors are supposed to be supplied with printed or written instructions. Then again, official programmes are not always correct. Take, for instance, the one under discussion. There were two races put down for “yachts 36ft l.w 1. and under” and “ 30ft 1.w.1. and under.” Of course yachting men knew this meant 36ft and 30ft linear measurement. The old 5 raters, Aorere and Yvonne, are about 30ft on the water-line, but I fancy they would be barred in a 30-footer race

The rowing races on the Regatta programme that were postponed to Saturday last, had to be again held over, and I think they will now be dropped altogether

Owing to the very poor entry, the race for the Thelma Cup, which was to have taken place on Saturday, had to be postponed for a month. Ttiere has been too much racing lately, but I hope that when the event does come off there will be a good muste ; it is a splendid trophy. The articles of agreement drawn between G. Towns and W. Barry are most peculiarly worded. For manv years such articles were full of evidence of defiance and sport, very much to the point, and not overdone with legal phrases. The TownsBarry articles set out that a number of persons, not named, have agreed to deposit the sum of £4OO, for which the scullers named will be allowed to row. When the race is over the stakeholder is to hand to the winner £2OO, and to cause to cause to be returned to the winner’s “subscribers” a like sum of £2OO. If one side should forfeit, then the money in hand is to be divided equally between tne non-forfeiting competitor and his subscribers. The reason for this all legal and no sport document is that the money deposited cannot be drawn by the wrong man, nor can the loser of the race, or his backers, step in and prevent the stakes irom being paid over. So far as the Sportsman Cup and Championship of England is in question, the articles cannot alter the conditions for that. They are staked on the race for May 1, and will go to the man who is given the umpire’s cert ideate that he has won. Commenting on the secind heat of the 1-rater championship, the Sydney Referee says : —“ At the time of starting the second race there was a flat calm. The tide was running out very strongly, and after the five-minutes gun pretty well every yacht in the sailing rules by holding on to marks other than their anchors, viz., the flagship, boats, buoys, etc. The race, except at the finis-h, was little more than a drift, and was no test whatever as to the boats’ respective speed.

. . . It was a great pity that the race was started in such paltry weather, some of the sailing committee being strongly opposed to it.” Mr Mark Foy, whose Sydney boat, Irex, was so easily beaten by Maid of Kent in the international race, run in England, has decided to have another try for champ : onsbip honors. He has sent an order to Sydney for a boat, which is

to be designed on the same lines as the English boat, and to be readv for June next. Judging from the lines of Maid of Kent, the Sydney people should have no difficulty in beating her, but I also think Linton Hope can improve a lot on his previous production.

THE AUCKLAND SWIMMING CLUB.

The Auckland Swimming Club held a successful series of races, on Wednesday night last, at the Albert Street Baths. A large number of spectators, including many ladies, were present. The principal object of the meeting was the selection of one or two men to represent Auckland at the Swimming Championships, which will be held at Wanganui on the 16th instant. The 72yds Invitation Handicap fell to W J. Tyler, a brother of the champion ; Tyler also swam second in the 108yds Handicap, won by Churton. Both Tyler and Ci.urton displayed very promising form Dervan, who won the 72yds Boy’s Handicap, is swimming in good style, and ought to develop into a very fair performer. Bell and Connelly won the heats in the 220yds Test Race, and the final should see a good race between the pair. Jack Russell won the Plunge Test, going the fine distance of 64ft 3in ; this is a record for New Zealand, and turus into the shade Wilson’s plunge at the Championship Meeting last year. If Russell keeps in his present form he ought to account for the plunge at the Championship Meeting at Wanganui easily. Throughout the evening the races were very interesting, and the fairly close finishes occasioned some little enthusiasm. The following were the results : — 72yds Invitation Handicap : First heat —W. J. Tyler, 1; W. Sinton, 2 ; E. Message, 3 Second heat —T. V. Frost, 1; J. Davidson, 2; A. H. Burke, 3. Third heat —A. Foster, 1; P. 0. Bailey, 2; S. Cook, 3. Fourth heat —A. Johnston, 1; E. Moore, 2 ; E. 0. O’Hare, 3. Fifth heat—Rainger, 1; Scott, 2; Chevis, 3. Final heat—W. J. Tyler, B£sec, 1 ; b ainger, 9|sec, 2 ; A. Johnston, 5-2-sec, 3. Time, 50sec. Corfu Dive: S. L. Dickey, 1; A. Wilson, 2. Only two competitors took part in this event.

72yds Schoolboys’ Handicap: G. Burke, 1; R Campbell, 1. g22oyds Test (scratch) : First heat —J. C, Connelly, I■, R. Bell, 2 Time, 3min 6 2-ssec. Second heat—J. T. Fraser, 1. Time, 3min 14 sec. P. O. Stone also finished, but was disqualified. • u’ ■ 108yds (three lengths) Inter club Handicap ; First heat —T. V. Frost, 1; J. C. Connelly, 2. Time, Imin 29 2-ssec. Second heat —W. J. Tyler, 1; J. W. Cook, 2. Time, Imin 27 l-ssec. Third heat —Bell, 1; P. G. Bailey, 2. Time, Imin 28sec. Fourth heat—R. Churton, 1 ; M. Scott, 2. Time, Imin 27 l-ssec. Final heat— R. Churton, 13sec, 1; W. J. Tyler, 13sec, 2. Time, Imin 24 2-ssec. Neat Header : T. Frost, 5 points in two tries, 1 ; A. Wilson, 4 points in three tries, 2. 72yds Handicap (boys under 16) -. W. E. I ervan, l|sec, 1; V. Coleman, Bsec, 2.

SWIMMING IN NAPIER.

The second fixture of the Napier Swimming Club was held on Wednesday evening at the White Swan baths, and though the weather was all against the club, there was a big attendance. The abilities of the various pe; formers met with hearty recognition at the bauds of the spectators, and the gathering was, as usual, well officered and managed throughout. Messrs S. S. Cooper (timekeeper.), Sims (starter), and A. E. Eagleton (judge) acquitted themselves well in their respective offices. Hamilton put up a record for the 100yds championship. His time for the race, 66 2-ssec, was 3 2-ssec better than the time occupied by Edmunds, of Christchurch, but through the length of the baths being 3yds shorter than the regulation length, 25yds, his time cannot be accepted as a record. During the interval an exhibition of fancy swimming was given, Messrs W. Grace aud F. Potter being especially conspicuous by their neat performances. The results are as follows :• — Maiden Race, 66yds : W. Nicholson, 1; J. Hamilton, 2. E. Millier, B. Hill, A Jones, N. Heath, and J. Gormley also swam. Time, 53 2-ssec. Hawke’s Bay Championship (two distances), 100yds : J. Hamilton,

1; T. Roulston, 2. Won by 2yds. Time, Imin 6 2-ssec. 66yds Boys’ Race, under 17 : F. McDougall (3sec), 1; P. Amner (2eec), 2. Thompson, D. Seymour, and A. Faulkner also competed. Won by a few inches only Time, 55 4-ssec. President’s Handicap, 88yds: J. Knowles (6sec), 1; J. Hamilton (scr). 2; F. McVay (12§ec),' ! 3. T. Roulston, E. Mellier, R. Whittem, H.' J. Simpson, S. F. Brandon, S. Roulston, and W. W. Scott also competed. Knowles won after a good race. Time, 70 4-ssec. Neat Header : P. Robinson, 1 ; F. Thompson, 2, B. Brandon, 3. A' McDougall, Hamilton, and Scott also dived. Summer Handicap, 44yds: F. McDougall (Bsec), 1 ; W. Scott (2sec), 2 ; H. J. Simpson (4sec), 3. P. Amner, S. Robinson, and J. Hamilton also swam. Won easily in 34sec. Turning competition : S. Roulston, 1; T. Roulston, 2 ; J. Hamilton, 3. Won comfortably in 27sec. Vicepresidents’ Handicap, 50yds : J. Knowles (4seo), 1; A. Faulkner (Bsec), 2; W. Nicholson (Bsec), 3. G. McVay, McCarthy, J. Wilkes, J. Gormley, A. Jones, H. J. Simpson, P. Emerson, S. F. Brandon, W. Scott, J. Hamilton, also swam. Won rather easily. Time, 38 4-ssee. Consolation Handicap, 22yds: R. Whittem, 1; W. Scott, 2 ; H. J. Simpson, 3. Won by about 3ft. Time, 13 4-ssec. Polo : A polo match between teams chosen by presidents and vice-presidents was won by the latter team by one goal to nil.