AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 682, 2 April 1903, Page 7

AQUATICS

(By “ The Reefer.”)

The Waitemata Rowing Club has won the Pennant Flag presented by Mr Alarriner to the Rowing Association. Air J. H. Witheford, M.H.R., will make the presentation to-morrow evening. •'♦ W ■ » The famous Oxford and Cambridge boat race was to have taken place yesterday, but the results! had not come to hand at the time of going to press. The Cambridge crew were pronounced favourites for the event, but they had been experiencing trouble with their new boat, and had eventually decided to use the one in which they . were, successful last year. When the last mail left the crew had been selected as follows :—Oxford : C. A. Willis (Magdalen) (bow), D. Milburn (Lincoln) (two), A de L. Long (New) (three), F. S'. Kelly (Balliol) (four), H. W. Adams (University) (five), W. W. Field (Exeter) (six), A. K. Graham (Balliol) (seven), G, 0. Drinkwater (Wadham) (stroke), F. T. H. Eyre (Keble) (cox). Cambridge ; Sanger (bow), Warneford (two), Thomas (three), Fortescue (four), Carter (five), Grylls (six), Edwardes-Moss (seven),, and Nelson (stroke), Oxford has thirty-three wins to its credit, and Cambridge twentyfive, while one dead heat has been rowed. i The West End Rowing Club held its Trial Fours on Saturday, and the entire absence of any' wind left the water as smooth as glass, There was a capital attendance, lady friends of the club supplying afternoon tea. The racing proved Very interesting. In the first heat crews stroked by A. Littleproud, W. H. Con- . way, and F. Littleproud started, but a foul near the finish spoilt a capital race. F. Littleproud’s four proved the winners. In the second heat crews stroked by J. F. Thomson, G. 0. Stephenson, and A., Bailey competed, the verdict going to the first-named. The third heat was fought out between crews stroked by J. )( Carrigan, R.' Notton, and W. Conway, the latter’s four gaining the verdict. After a spell thd three victors went out to contest the final, the crews being : (1) F. t Littleproud (stroke), W. Littleproud, A. Wilson, N. F. Cato, and G. S. Clark (cox.) ; (2) J. F. Thomson (stroke), W. i. W. Wright, T. M. English, B. Wingfield, and F. Knight (cox.) ; (3) W. Conway (stroke) 4 J. Stephenson, A. H. Quin, H. J. Court, and P. Bell (cox.). This proved the best race of the day. From a fine start the three crews raced together till a short distance from home, when Littleproud’s four, with a fine spurt, won by half-a-length from Thomson's four, the third’ crew being less than half-a-length further away.

Owing to the entire absence of wind the yacht-handling competition, which was to have been held on Saturday afternoon by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, was by the sailing committee. This was a pity, as Commodore Murdoch and others had gone to a good deal of trouble in framing conditions, and it might have done much to inculcate smartness in the various crews. This was the last fixture on the Royal’s programme for the season. Most of the yachts which went away cruising on Saturday got no further than Drunken Bay. Quite a fleet started from the anchorage homeward-bound on Sunday morning, but were completely beclamed for hours. Yachtsmen had a slow time, for even the numerous sharks refused to be tempted on board. A light southerly brought the fleet home before dark. The Waitemata Boating Club held Trial Fours on Saturday for prizes given by the committee. The water was in splendid order for rowing. There were three heats, a semi-final and a final. The results were as follows : First heat D. Bell’s crewi beat E.JA. Smith’s crew by two lengths, No. 2 of the latter’s crew meeting with a mishap to his slide and spoiling what promised to be an exciting finish. The second heat was between

crews stroked by C. Waud and G. Huddleston, the former winning, about a length separating the boats at the finish. The third heat was a fine race, and was won by half-a-length bare, K. Blair’s crew beating W. F. Smith’s. The semi-final was between D. Bell’s and C. Watid’s crews, K. Blair’s crew drawing a bye. This was a splendidly contested race all the way, and was won by D. Bell’s crew by about 4ft. The final proved to be the race of the day, and was fought out over every inch of the course, D. Bell’s crew snatching victory right on the post, and winning from K. Blair’s crew by a foot. The following are the names of the winners :—D. Bell (stroke), J. Bond, K. J. Forgie, F. Grigg, W. Brewin (cox). 9*o • The Auckland-built thirty-footer Sunbeam came very near winning the final race of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron on Saturday week. She was giving away all sorts of starts to her class boats, but failed by 16seo, only to concede Rmin to the new Fife-designed thirtyfooter Scotia. She would have won fairly easily but for an error of judgment on the part o f her skipper when beating down to the pile light on the second round. It was a wonderfully good performance on the part of the Logan boat, as she finished nearly four minutes ahead of her nearest rival.

The Ponsonby Cruising Club held the annual club race on Saturday, but the very light wind robbed the fixture of a great deal of interest. The competitors were : Miro, Horo, Eulalie, Alofa, Cynisca, Merry Thought, Aorangi, Antipas, and Psyche. The fleet presented a very pretty sight at the start, which was a good one. Eulalie and Miro soon went to the front, but what little strength there had been in the wind gradually died out, and presently .the yachts found themselves unable to stem the tide. After lying becalmed foi - some time, the race was called off, as there was no possibility of it being finished in the time limit. The auxiliary schooner Greyhound acted as club steamer, and was well patronised by visitors. The race will be sailed off on some future date.