Lyttelton Rowing Revival

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31083, 11 June 1966, Page 15

Lyttelton Rowing Revival

QPTIMISM is the keynote of Lyttelton’s newlyrevived rowing club. Lyttelton has had no rowing club for 34 years and when a

meeting was called last year, there were many who held out little hope of a rowing resurgence in the port. Through the drive and enthusiasm of Mr W. A. Wheldale, a noted rower from Auckland, a new club is thriving and rapidly attracting new members. The current membership is 20, which augurs well for the future. One of New Zealand's former great rowers, Mr W. F. Sergison of Lyttelton is an inspiration. This 73-year-old grandfather bears witness to the benefits of rowing. He is younger and fitter than many Lytteltonians half his age. At the original meeting, Mr Wheldale said that he felt that Lyttelton needed only the right leadership and incentive to revive rowing. Apparently he was right, and no small part of the credit must go to this Aucklander who set the ball rolling. Mr Wheldale said that a number of people had been of grand assistance in helping the club find its feet. The Lyttelton Harbourmaster (Captain A. R. Champion) had given enthusiastic support and had provided boat accommodation, Mr Wheldale said. Easy access to the water had been provided by Mr K. P. Sinclair, managing director of Sinclair Melbourne’s shipyard. Two rowing clubs had provided boats. The Union Rowing Club had provided a clin-ker-built four and the Avon Rowing Club had provided two clinker-built double sculls, Mr Wheldale said. In the last Lyttelton regatta, the first in many years, the new Lyttelton Rowing Club played a small part, although the regatta was largely dominated by power craft. According to Mr Wheldale the Lyttelton Rowing Club

will compete in the New Zealand championship regatta at Lake Waihola next March. But in order to compete on an even footing, it will be necessary for the local oarsmen to take the water in a capital “Best and Best” rowing four. According to Mr Wheldale, a craft,of this type will cost approximately £417 with oars. Members of the club are now busy raising finance with working bees and raffles. Members are active in other ways too. Each Friday evening, they do physical training, calisthenics and roadwork. On Sundays they do practical boatwork and repairs. Above all, the Lyttelton rowers intend to continue training right through the winter. They have the will to succeed.

The new club has already received a challenge from the cadets of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s cadet training ship Rakaia for a whaler contest when she next visits Lyttelton. For this purpose a whaler would be required, even temporarily, Mr Wheldale said.

In the meantime, the club would make the best of the facilities offering, Mr Wheldale said. Ultimately it was hoped to build a clubhouse. With new facilities, young women could be attracted to rowing at port. There was no reason why it should be limited to males, he concluded. He also hoped that other bodies would take an interest in Lyttelton’s new club and give it moral and material support. The club intends its first boat, which would be up to world class racing standards, to be built locally.