ROWING

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21412, 2 March 1935, Page 11

ROWING

PORT CHALMERS REGATTA SUCCESS OF AKAROA [By STROKE 1 Events will be hold on the river Avon to-day for crews that have not rowed at regattas. Many of the oarsmen will, of course, be new members; nevertheless, some keen racing is anticipated. The rowing regatta at Port Chalmers last Saturday was a very colourful spectacle. All the trading vessels in the harbour were "dressed" and the yachts were out in force. More than 12,000 people attended; they thronged the wharves, the flagship, th~ Imperial Star, and all other vantage points.

About 150 . oarsmen from Otago, Southland, and Canterbury took part. Akaroa surprised the southern oarsmen by winning the senior fours by a length and a half. Eight crews started, probably the largest number at any regatta in the south, and it was a gruelling race in a fairly heavy sea. It was a fast race, too, although the water was rough. The southerners thought the Akaroa men were anything but stylists, and attributed their win to rugged strength rather than to clean watermanship. Railway gained a lead of about three lengths at the start, and after 200 yards was still ahead of Port, Drive, and Akaroa. It was not long before Akaroa was improving its position, and with half a mile gone had reduced Railway's, lead considerably, Queen's Drive keeping level with it. The Otago No. 2 boat was swamped and the crew was rescued by a launch. The other boats were riding the choppy water well. Port moved into second place behind Railway, with Drive, Akaroa, and Invercargill next and Otago No. 1 last. The Drive men were rowing well, and Akaroa kept a steady solid stroke. It caught Railway and led for the last half mile. Akaroa won by a length and a half, the time being 9min ssec. The course was a mile and a-half. By winning that event, Akaroa won £2O and the Teachers' Cup and the gold medals presented by Mr Isaac Stevenson. It will hold the cup for a year. The Junior Fours Akaroa also won the youths' fours, which takes with it the Aulsebrook Cup. This was a good race. From a fine start, Port Chalmers No. 1 broke away and was followed by Awarua. After the first 100 yards Port No. 1 was still in the lead with Akaroa and North End about level, and Otago, Oamaru, Port Chalmers No. 2, and Queen's Drive following. At halfway, Akaroa was half a length ahead of Awarua, and there was another length to Port, Then came North End, Otago, Oamaru. Queen's Drive, and Port Chalmers No. 2. Entering the basin, Akaroa was a length in front of Awarua, which was two lengths ahead of Port Chalmers No. 1. At the line Akaroa had improved its lead by a quarter of a length. The time was 7min 12sec, the course being a mile.

The Timaru crew won the Maiden Double Sculls. The Cure Boating Club sent a crew to contest the senior pairs, but it did not start. Oarsmen in Canterbury have been a little puzzled as to why this regatta was called a South Island championship regatta. So far as the officials here are aware, the Port Chalmers people have no right to use the title. The name makes little difference to rowing men, but it might convey a wrong impression to those not intimately connected with the sport. A Note on Body-Swing A new oarsman is told that he has to swing the body in time with the stroke, and too often he assumes that he is swinging the body when he is merely sliding up and down on his seat. The body-swing is a definite movement in which the shoulders start well forward of the hips, and finish well back of them.

The longer the arc described by the shoulders, the more effective the oarsman will be, in general, though this is subject to the qualification that the swing-back should not go so far as to make the recovery difficult. It is on the reach forward that inches can be added to the effective swing, and it is here that many oarsmen—and not only novices—are prone to err. Too often one sees the shoulders dropped forward in the effort to increase the reach, which should come only from the further bending at the hips. Just as the body-swing is one of the primary features of oarsmanship, so is the straight back the very essence of the body-swing. A homely and often-used illustration of the value of a straight back is provided by the normal action in lifting a heavy weight off the ground. The average man, in taking the weight, naturally straightens his back as a preliminary to the heave. If his shoulders are. sagged forward he simply must lift them before he can make his strength effective. Making: the Most of Weight So, before an oarsman can make his bodily strength effective, he should have his shoulders square and his back straight. There is this difference between lifting a weight and taking a stroke with an oar, that there is no time for a preliminary squaring of the shoulders in taking the stroke. To make the most of his weight, as should be his object, the oarsman must be ready, at the moment when he reaches his full forward reach, to start the stroke; if he is not ready, the most earnest effort on his part will not enable him to get his weight on the oar in the proper way. Therefore, the back must be straight and the shoulders set sciuare as the body swings forward. The bending is done from the hips and not in a series of tiny angles along the spine. Those in charge

of crews should do their utmost to impress on them the importance of thij feature. PHELPS WANTS RACE WITH PEARCE (UNITED MBSS ASSOCIATION—HI' ELECTRtO TELEGKAI'K— COPYHIGHT.) LONDON, February 28. Eric Phelps writes to the "Daily Express" from Switzerland, urging that he be allowed to race Bobby Pearce for the world's championship without delay. There is the customary financial obstacle in that Phelps requires £4OO to bring Pearce to England and another £SOO stake money.