AQUATICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 964, 27 August 1908, Page 9

AQUATICS.

VICTORIA'S CRACK SWIMMER. The young Victorian swimmer, F. E. Beaurepaire, has evidently struck his best form. Last week he won the mile championship of the North Sea in 23min 47sec, and also a 2 00 metres international scratch race, both at Ostend.' The 1000 metres (1101 yards) championship of Belgium, on a straightaway course, at Antwerp, was won in 15m. 95., and the mile open sea championship was also won by Beaurepaire at Blankenberghe, Belgium. As in each of these races H. Battersby, the English swimmer, was second, it would seen that Beaurepaire was not at his best at the Olympic Games, for his subsequent form has clearly shown he should have carried all before him. * * * * Welch’s backer has telegraphed to “ Victor,” the “ Herald’s ” aquatic contributor, that the Akaroa sculler has reconsidered his decision, and intends accepting Ben. Thoroughgood’s challenge to row for the championship of Australia and £2OO a-side on the Hunter River. Mr C. Bailey will, at high water on Saturday morning, launch a steamer which he has built for the Northern Wairoa. She is an exceptionally handsome vessel, very well finished throughout and is intended for passenger and cargo traffic on the Northern rivers. The engines are of 150 h.p., which should drive the boat at a good rate of speed. The boat was to have been named the Welcome, but this has been disallowed by the Customs authorities. 4; $ $ * The new Cunarder Lusitania has crossed from Liverpool to New York in the record time of 4 days 18 minutes. On one day’s run she steamed 650 knots. « * * * The great pulling race between the champion crews from the Louisiana and Illinois, attracted a lot of attention in Sydney. The race was rowed from Manly to Clarke Island, Port Jackson, a 3% miles course, and was for 14,000 dollars a-side. The Illinois crew led at the start, but the Louisiana soon went to the front and won by twenty lengths. When the battleships were in Auckland, the Illinois crew used to practise every day off Cheltenham beach. The men rowed well together, but did not appear to put enough weight into their strokes, and the boat travelled badly.

Vice-Commodore J. W. Frater was in the chair at the Devonport Yacht Club’s annual prize night on Friday, and there was a large attendance, most of the other sailing and rowing clubs being represented. During the evening the members of the club presented the chairman with a handsome silver cheese dish as a wedding present. Songs were contributed by Messrs Graham, Fort, W. Smith, Pritchard, and Holton.

Now that spring is fast drawing on owners and crews of yachts are hard at it scraping, painting, and doing other preliminary work on their boats. As a consequence the beaches where the yachts are hauled up are beginning to look quite lively every evening.