AQUATICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 752, 4 August 1904, Page 13

AQUATICS.

(By

“ The Reefer. ’;

THE SCULLING CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD.

GEORGE TOWNS RETAINS THE TITLE.

The sculling match tor the world’s championship between George Towns, the holder of the title, and Richard Tresidder, took place on the Parramatta River on Saturday, the stakes being £5OO a-side. Great interest was taken in the race, the banks of the river at each of the best vantage spots being crowded with spectators, while the water was alive with steamers and pleasure craft. Tresidder, who scalled 12st 41b to Towns’ list, won the toss for positions, and selected the southern shore. The men got away well together. Towns striking 36 strokes to the minute, and Tresidder 35 strokes to the minute. Tresidder forged ahead, and before reaching Uhr’s Point was leading by a length. Towns then gradually reduced the gap, and at the mile had drawn up level with his op-

ponent. At Putney Towns had half-a-length’s lead, which he increased to a length and a-half by the time the gasworks was reached. Towns increased his advantage to six lengths at Gladesville,. and eventually paddled past Searle’s Monument fully ten lengths ahead of his rival, who was rowed to a standstill. Towns’ time of 21min 48 4-ssec is over a minute and a-quarter slower than in the last championship race, when he defeated Jake Gaudaur at Rat Portage, Canada, on September 6, 1901.

Messrs A. Alison, J. Alexander, F. Battley, W. C. Bruce, S. Hanna, and W. Somers have been appointed a committee to draft a programme for the next Anniversary Regatta.

Logan Bros, have the cruising yacht which they are constructing to the order of Mr Horton well advanced, and she could Be off very .'much ejarlier than the commencement of the season if this was required. The new boat should prove a fine powerful fast cruiser, and is altogether a very desirable type of boat.

The same firm have finished a very nice little oil launch for Picton. She is fitted with an English engine and has a reversible propeller.

Bailey and Lowe have a lot of work in hand just now. The firm is making, a name for the building of power launches.

The schooner Rebecca slipped quietly out of Port Jackson Heads a couple of months ago on an expedition which has many of the elements of romance. Captain Robinson, her commander, having acquired knowledge of a singularly rich deposit of pearlshell, unknown to any other pearler, came to Sydney, floated, a company, equipped the Rebecca, and has manned her, on wages and shares, to seek the treasure. Her clearances were the Gilbert Islands as her objective, but she merely goes there to ship ‘ boys ”to dive in the shallow water and generally assist the operations. Gilbert Islands are not the ultimate goal. That is a secret locked, in' the minds Ipf the promoters. On the Rebecca are a crew of eight all told. They include James S. Clarke, thediver who went down to the Ovalau, and two assistants. Clarke will do all the deep-water diving, and expects to work in ten fathoms of water over the rich pocket of shell. The shell, the deposit of which is said to be extraordinarily rich, is worth about £l5O per ton, and then there are the pearls, so that captain,, diver, crew, and all concerned are hopeful of drawing large cheques. For provisions they carry tinned meat and vegetables,, and expect to get abundance of turtles and fish. The little vessel met with heavy weather in the New Hebrides; Group and was rather badly knocked about. She was repaired, however, and has sailed for her unknown destination.