MERCER REGATTA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 433, 16 February 1909, Page 8

MERCER REGATTA.

: TIIE COURSE AND THE, ARRANGE- >";.;.■■•■■■■■;;;.■ ■■•■■MisJSTS,'. , . , :-- . (Br TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL COBEESPONDENT.) - ' '.:.■ H--y. -■ ■ .: : J~- -': • Auckland,' February ' Among ■, the' .visitors .at the/ Championship Regatta; iit:Merc'ojv.pn : . Saturday, was. Mr. \V: Coifey,'!; a momljer'of the'.Council of. tlio ■N.eW:' Zealand 'Amateur Rowing .Association, ■■whoi' came-from , headquart'ers:v;tq/'represent' the. Council; in an o{ficiaTicap"acity./;vSpeak-; ing/co.'a "Star"..,reporter, : jlri.-.-Cpffey. said Association could; 1 ivell in/the conduct' of; the thing, appeared', to" have': .gone'off '.with; pre r cision,' 'and a.' very 'gratifying- f eature'o'f : the proceedings was the .'strict punctuality:;pbservfed in starting tho. several event's,'■"■'ln. Mr. .'Maxwell'.tho .Auckland Associationvhiid. enlisted iJiti [' services pf a' sta,rter.,wh'O; knew his, ,dutij.'s, and, it,was,, questionable, .whether his'superior.in this respect could, be ;found ■ in:-New.Ze'filand.''.-,v^. , !'.'..','.;.;-'■;.•. j'-' ? ':'. ■ Asked his opinion.(of :: .the. .Mercer;, course ,'for.':.rowin'g'. o .cha'mpionships, ',Mr.';Cpffey. said that, it appeared to;meet all requirements. . He: had,-.0f.: course; only seen .the '.Waikatp' River' When..on. its :bestb>havipur,:;:but',.that fact' notwithstandingj there , was. somo\iusti-' ftcation" for '.the .'proud' boast... of< the"i.uckland managing .officials that, ; for rowing purposes, ' it .was .unexcelled in 'New , Zealand: "I ani , not prepared,.to. sayV .continued Mr: Colfey, "that the Mercer.; course is preferable to either '-AVanganuror Pictpn. , ' I; leavo others with riper: experience; to. -decide-.that point, but. the Auckland .people. can' natter themselves- that.; the : --Mercer..course/'takes ; a : lot , 'of."beatjiig.". ,, ."; , •'.''.■•'•■:■ : / ; ';"<'i> /.-:■■ ■;. .Mr.; v Coffoy lalso , stated that.he. had'heard complaints majJo.. on the. part .of ; s6me_'visitr: ing oarsmen./'as , to the'.want 'of; hospitality on the.' part'i.of■'"th'e i ':- , 16ea1-V-.offleiais ) :; -',and~: in-S-housirig..,. accommodation ' during their stay'in .Mercer)' .Tho explanationgiven to' him by.'the; oilicials was,, in his opinion, a reasonable one. -In'a small town; like Mer 7 cer; ; it was■ alnfost...-.impossible' to .suit tho wishes-of. everybody.-' The .Auckland/Association ','oUicials claimed that they : had; done' their jbest-'torprovide for coutirigoncies, and it ; : was'hardly, fair';to blame .them if 'a screw went loose somewhere. .■■':]■. ■■■■'' ;. ■■'•'..• '-. -

.:': ,I'ho day's rowing had >been . (interesting. The-iiWaitemata;• orew. deserved., every ;credit for,.)annexing .tke'.MuOisfibandiVof ■■■Ddniinipn', .Towing,- • and,, its ; ? Victory''■ -would ■■.doubtless "serve' to. 'stimulate , :'interest'-'; iii the'.sport; in l tho;,-^upkiand;..distrio , tV : shown ' excellent ' form/, though everyone would not be prepared to .class : them,- in., point' of . merit,; with: Southern. cpmbihatious". which had scbred'the honours in past years. Stone's, victory, in.-the Sculls had been a surprise,, as Marshall's forrri in Wellington justified* one .'in' pinning- his :"■ fancy'to. the Southerner., The young Auc'klander. had- ( 'the! makings of a good sculler.- One was i'or the Christohuroh Union's dual .victory after. their ; form in previous : contests. Mr. Coffey,: in. conciusipn, : said :that' his council' would be 'gratified ..at - the . success attending Saturday's : proceedings.•';' On the■ next occasion it was:;tp be hoped that. Southern oarsmen, .particularly from the. ■ other. Island,,'wbuld ,bo more strongly represented than , they were;on 'this, occasion. ~' ■