ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 681, 4 December 1909, Page 12

ROWING.

(Br Mcßcunr.t

: ; ..; ;.'; : -; : .'fixtures/ ," ; ..;/ j-' In Session.—W.R.O. Senior and Junior Pairs. To-day.—S.B.O. Senior and Junior .Double ;,. Sculls. 1 ' "_- '•■ December 16— Akaroa Regatta. ■January 15.—Wellington Regatta. January ■; 22 or H.— Now Zealand Champion- '. ships'(Picton). .•'•'.. ■/•' . l February ,2C—Christchurch Regatta (Lake Forsyth); • .;' ~/,.' ■■'•■;..■.■:

'. Bytho'timo this appears, in print tho Foxton •Profcssipnal Handicap will bo a/thing of /the past. ■; Tho ovent is scheduled too lato in tho week for any.cbmriient on the racing at this juncture, so remarks thereon; are held over. A full description of the entrants appeared in Tuesday's issue. Tho discldsures; therein as ta tho/absoluto want pf experience,in singlo sculling racing;'•possessed', by tho lesser lights of tho .New/Zealand' contingent,, arid their rashness in making a maiden- appenranco in a contest of this class,'have fully: commented upon where boating men most do congi-egate. Indeed, "Mercury" heard some anxiety expressed as to thoir safety'should thero.bo lack of life-saving apparatus in. tho Manawatu. ' ', It .will be remembered that some few weeks ago George Whelch issued' a/'challenge/to, row Arnst for the championship of the'world and aside. at Akaroa. The champion's srime- | what cavalier/ attitude with regard to. the oliallenge _ was commented- upon in these notes at'tho time,-and apparently it has been brought home to him that, while the role of dictator may be a pleasant one, it does: net make,: fer, business. This may er. not not bo l the case,/but,. whatevor tho reason,/ negotiations /have :been 'reopened. ;Last week,' Mr; Ifartirivßaly, Whelchs backer,.'received; ward, that,-Arnst. was' prepared to make a match previded thestake'was increased to JE3OO, and that satisfactory arrangements could' be made regatdirig the steamer-,money.- Mr.-' Daly has accepteclthe terms, nnd'it is expected that'the race will be held in February or. Maroh, This seems'an ambitious: effort.'.for, Whelch,' but, on/ah open harbour,'with the possibility of j "jobbly". water, anything might happen,, and, in'6'uch. a case,' it.would' be far: more likely to-happen >to the/.li-stone man than .to tho : 10:stoiier. ■ ■'■>' Tho Blenheim R.C.' regatta crews'/ for ■; tho season 1 have been selected, .and aTe as follow:-r :! Senior- I'our.—,T. : ii/' Jackson; E. T. Heggliin, W.'J./ Girling, arid C. Hcggluni /•; ' > Senior/ Pairs.—Jackson /and ;E. T. Hegglun. /: : Junior/Four.—,T., Aitken, G. Martella, -Fi Mpgridge,/ and-W.'-,'Jackson. ~ ■{■■ Junior- Pairs.—Aitken. and Martella// ■',' .. l! Maiden /Fours.—G.:' Paul, G. Wills,;'' J. 'O'Rpurke, and/B. Bentley. .. ./;:.., -;,'- ,; '■ Maiden.Double Sculls.—B." Dunckley and' G; Griffiths'. -//: ;{; ;'>/;..- -.■ .■ -.'-; ;■:.- ./;.;/- -Youths''Fpurs.—F. Sputhgate,:/'■ S.'Paul./.'.0. Freeth,.'and H.,Hester. - //Tho-'Christchurch regatta-has -.been :fixed for February 26, the course being, as usual. Lake Fersyth.;./Entries close on Februaryl9. , Excellent' prize-mdney, ■as set out. in the. pro-: gramme below,' is ottered. The/list of events runs:—Senior Fours," two miles, r£3;Youths'. Double: Sculls,- one mile, £6, £2; /Maiden>Fours, one mile,. £2) Junior Doublo Sculls, one mile, ;22j: Senior Pairs, one riiile/anda half,' £B,:£2y. Youths' Four 6, ',£lO,-J22; Maiden Double .Sculls,/one mile, ■ £lj[ £2 j Junior Fours,/one: mile, £12,. £2 ; Senior Double Sculls, one mile, and/a; half, 'Last-week 1 the:writer/made a- mild criticism of the Wellington /B.C. : seiiior ? four. During the/week the.;weather has 'been such as to permit pf; regular work,' arid// morning and: evening,rows have been indulged in... The re-' /marks/made last" Saturday .'about the .want of 'smartness with the hands, the 'lack:of crisp,ness in /the' cateh/ and recovery,/ and the bend m the'haw's arms/still obtain, and anether peint that requires attention is No. 3's slide work. On: the credit -side is' gepd: time, /unanimity; and truene'ssin what ..little swing there, is, and'good combination generally. .'• ; I'';

' .The/Star /senior::representatives' have.-also taken -full advantage of. the gepd water,-. and • have done plenty/of rowing both, evening and mornirig.v'i'ho; crew has riot como on'as well as has been'expected, and'the want of a coach is badly folt. v Stroke is setting ,a, good length,, and is shaping well except for a, slight drop-j ..babk in the boat at tho, ond/bf his' slide-.work, :andoa'.'consequent' slackness.,'in/recovery; -/No, 3 reverses this fault/ iri dipping down into' the boat when' full, forward.- His left arm also •is'beri,t at likely iri consequencb .of •' the ■ aforementioned/ "dip/". No. 2; does -riot seem happy,' arid is not rowing as well ashe did- in tho club senior fours on' the other/side ''of boat. '-At preseritVhis ■'finish'.'-is very faulty, and the blemish;is/carried "on into his,swing;: .The.caus'o.'of:tho.troublo;lies.in his, habit, of. raising tho.shoulders,at 'the' finish, instead of dropping .them.' /This ' causes ! a falling-in ot • the chest, '■ and./' a■. "pigeon-winging"!'/ of ,;|he elbowß/.that makes. a clean -hard, finish,' and a '■'smart' dropping of'the/hands an impassibility,. It would not be/a: hard matter; to eradicate the-fault'/at/-this, stage, ;but it should, be.attended /to at/once,': before' it. becomes.. a- habit. Bow' i's'rdwingoleanly, but could 1 infuse more dash, into : his work. with, advantage by,, swinging put/a' little inore, and-getting more back/ irito/it: /Against 'these drawbaeksjhore.is no, 'doubt- that tho-crewlgets pace, /The. catch-is hard.-arid 'thetiriie as a rule ,is good, while ■the - swing -'is /straight -. along ..the - boat's 1 /keel arid, withthe.exc'eptio.ri of No. 2's' finish, fairly, regular.:':. '■-//: /,:;.'//i.."-' -:./:/•.,/■. ■-, 'The /Wellington' junior.' crew,,, as con-, stituted;' has been iout rinder Mr. :R. Crawford a tutelage./ Tho, new .stroke is /setting '.his ■; men' a'•■ longer,;and slpwor streke/than did his- prede'cessor, but ."Mercury" has, not yet seen' enough ofthe crew' to enable, him, to 'make' a detailed critioism. - Perryj' No;: 3, seems to be/shaping well; dud Klee.-.thenew No. .2,/ promises to fit in' well; As soon/as opportunity affords, more will'be. said' as/to this/combination. '/ In'the' meantime, it is -."dismissed, without a stain." ;. /.Star -juniors are a 'puzzling crew. They, have decided virtues/arid faults as equally decided.■ Among , tho virtues'are strength, dash,' a hard pull '/through /the/ iwater, and a certain amount of pace.:. The/other side/calls' for: a less, sum-; mary .disposition.. To start with many of the individual faults have/, their origin'.; in /one; and, if. this/one /is eliminated, a /general/ improvement throughout, would result./ The fault in-question lies.'uiil'ortuhately, with the stroke, and consists: of :'a most pronounced ."barig"'at the/catch./ "The, consequence •; of ■' this /is that the.men have to wait whilst forward, and this

wait is responsible for the dip.into the boat/of the, No; 3,' the bent arms at.tho/catch of .the No. 2, .arid- also 1 thb. drop- of the hands over the stretcher, and - the consequent : "cocking/' of .the,bow's/Par. Again,:/this;."hang": intensifies the :stroke's /tendency/-'..to shoot,away his ■ slides-arid considerably lowers the'.rate of .strik-irig-per rhinuto,'thus detracting-.froriv'the--;rac-. ing:' power 'of the' crew; /.This crew' is undoubtedly a gepd' one,; but is capable 'of: great improvement,- arid this improvement lies, along the lines suggested,'.: ,/',,. /',,/

/Space /does not.permit of further criticism jusc .now, but/each-Week'"Mercury" hopes, to Üb'ablo to give note's that''niay be of vaiue to each '/crow of, each .club. -. The ./maidoii. and

youths'/, combinations/will bo -dealt with iri their turn,/arid,'/.throughput, the writer, hopes that it '.will • bo understood ■ that 1 his '-remarks.Vvlieri .not exactly • nattering,.■■■are ; made'• in no tiarpiug. spirit, but/with a desire to further the sport to'/the best of. his ability. '.jLasc Saturday /.tho Petorio/ Club: finished .'its. saniov/ four: rixturp.' The second .heat produced- a splendid raqe between /Sharon's and liomior'B ■ creivs, i tho latter 'being' awarded the victory/by-two feet.'- Later on lipnner'saddled up ;again for the/final; against .White's com-, bmatiori, ,but was defeated by one and a half lengths; -Tho'- I .winners, were/White - (stroke), Byrnes,/:Bnrridge/ and Inglis. ,/././ ; : , ' A heat of the .junior, -fours 'was' also disposed of by tho suburban club, Gore (stroke), Stables, Newell, and J. Daly/ beating a crew stroked by Glennio by. a length. /'

The junior and senior .four club/events of the W.R.C. came; up tor; settlement . during the week, with results to. tipie .of; 'writing as follow':— :,/''■■ , - .-".'. .'.■■' '■'~- ;'. ■: /;

;"'fienioi-Tours.—First'heat: S. : Shilling (str/), Stewart,. Shaw, arid/ Furness, defeated- M Kinley's/cfeiv by a/length. Second heat: Standen' (str.), Perry, Ridding, arid Mathiesori, defeated Davey's combination also; by-'a" length,. ..' /: ."'/ ".■.'■'. '"■■' . ■.'■'■/■'.' Juiiior /l^ours.—H. .; Bardsley (str.), Hook, Nash, and/O'Donovan.', won from" a ;crew strokod-.by-Whincop. easily. -•-, /'■/ '; The preliminary heats of the 5.8.C./senior arid junior doublo sculls aro'to bo rowed te-day, weather• permitting. ; ' ■'■■■-.• The following regatta crews have been selected by;tho Potono:Rowing Club:—Youths'Fours— T. Dent (str.), D. S. M'Farlano (3),, P. /Arrowsmith (2), nud A. Parrant (how); Maiden Fours-C. Gallahor, (str.), D. Byrnes - (3), B. : Tremaiii':(2),'L. Drummond (bow); Junior Fours—J';.Bonner (str.), C. Drumniond (3), J.:Nowo.U'(2), and'H. Struthors (bow); Maiden Pairs—B. .Tromaitt (str,). and L. Drummond (bow);, Maiden Doublo Sculls—C. Gallalidr :(str,):and D.; Byrnes (bow).- ■ Mr,'.Hurry-Norton, oar nu'd scull-makor, has presented a-pair/df first-class-wagor boat sculls to,the;Pctono Rowing' Club for■ competition. Tho, race for the trophy is to be called the ..'■'NortonV.Scullirig Handicap, for seniors nnd ■ juniors."; The; officcrs'of (ho club desire, to tharik.' Mr. Norton 'for his generous : donation, arid: expect '"record -entries for.: the event,- '/'./■