ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 12

ROWING.

(Br HnncuiiY.i FIXTURES. December IG.—Akaroa Regatta. '' December 26.—Webb-Pcarce Match (Wanganui). January l.—Picton Regatta. January I.—Lyttelton Regatta. Pcarce-Webb Training Notes. - A Wanganui correspondent states:— l'earco and Webb continue to do steady work on the river, and both . men are progressing in a satisfactory manner. Pearco covers about ten miles every day —five miles in the morning, auVl a similar distance in tho. afternoon. He usually sculls up stream in a leisurely manner, and rows homo at a solid pace, Fogwell taking the start, and setting a good pace, which is well maintained by tho Australian champion. The latter puts in occasional sprints, in which he shows great pace. ' Though h£ does not sit up so straight as Arnst, ho can put a lot of power into his strokes, and drives tho boat along in fine style. Ho fully expects to be in the pink of condition on Boxing Day, when he hopes to prove, that ho is just a bit superior to AVebb. He is only a few pounds over-weight, and is, in every way, well pleased with his condition and prospects. Webb is also covering about ten miles a day in his -boat, but his methods differ somewhat from his rival's as ho dees more slow work, with a number of sharp bursts. He rowed two miles at a solid pace on Monday, and finished up with another mile in fast time. He is rapidly getting into form, and there seems no reason to doubt that ho will be as good as ever on tho day. The N.Z.A.R.A. has, in response to an inquiry from the Wanganui R.A., decreed that tiie building of racing boats for sale is an act of professionalism, as is also tlio repairing of boats for a club for pecuniary gain. Oarsman Coming Here. The "Weekly Press" is responsible for the statement that Fitzer, the well-known Canterbury B.C. oarsman—whom the paper referred to,—terms "the best strokein tho club," is under transfer to Wellington. This is good news for Wellington rowing men, particularly .for those whoso club Fitzer decides to join, as the Cantabrian is not only a very efficient oar but also a very keen ono. City Shed Gossip. The Wellington R.C. has crews selected, and at work for its senior and junior fours events. The preliminary heats are to bo rowed in about a fortnight. Taken all round, the' week has been a good one for the town clubs, albeit there has been rather too much "southerly" for Petone. The writer has not seen a great deal of the Wellington club's crews, but whether it is that they are getting out at odd times, or whether they are not getting out a greht deal, he is unable to say. ■ It is. to'- be hoped it is not the latter alternative as - only keenness, and a steady attention to business is needed to turn the splendid material available in these' crews to great advantage. Star Club Crews. The Star selections have made the niost of the opportunities offering—most of tho crews turning-out morning and evening. The senior pair—Littlo and AVheeler— have been working so far in the clinker boat, and aro rowing her very steadily— so much so, in fact, that they might with safety change into the racing boat. There is- not a great deal of time now to Picton, and a spell of northerly might lose valuablo timo that could well have been spent in getting Ithe "feel" of the best-and-best. Little's trouble will bo getting ."fit" in time. Ho is still on the big, decidedly big, side, and will have to reduce his embonpoint considerably before ho will bo able to meet his old friends, tho Picton champion pair, on even terms. Junior Four. . Tho junior four is making satisfactory progress. This combination has undergone alteration sinco first selected, and is now Lawrence, (str.), Turner (3), Wallace (2), and Roy Brewer (bow).' The work in the boat is still on tho rough side, but tho men aro rowing a bright, crisp stroke, that should prove effective when they get really fit. At present it lias a tendency to get a bit "scratchy?' when they tire—a fault that could bo obviated by. smarter hand work and v moro attention to leg-drive. The former would give the bodies more-breathing time, and the latter would take the blades faster through the water. Lawrence and Turner .are shaping well. The stroke is overcoming his last year's tendency to bend his arms, and, but for an inclination to. row "shallow" is showing good form. Wallace, has been busy fitting his Canterbury swing to local conditions, nm] with a moderate degreo of success.' His blade work is hard, and, in smooth water, clean, but his body'work is.faulty. His chief fault is a drop of one shoulder and a swing-out from tho oar at tho finish. Brewer, in the bow, works hard, but requires to keep a careful eyo on' his slido work, and to reach out farther for his "beginning." Maidens and Youths Crews. The maidens are also- to bo reported up as satisfactory. It is a question only to bo decided by tho weather as to whether they can bo got to racing pitch in timo for Picton. They are big and keen, but want plenty of boat work. Their stroke, Alexander, is rightly not trying to hurry things too much, and is giving them plenty of drill work. The wholo quartette sit up well and slido nicely together, but they have made tho mistake of allowing the slow body work to slacken up their hands,. Tho axiom is "tho slower, tho bodies'tho faster the hands, and the harder tho leg drive." And, after all, this is only common sense. If time is lost in one department, it must be mado up in another, else the result is a general slowing up, and a sluggish stroke. Craig, No. 3, is improving daily. His worst faults now are, firstly, that he is apt to bring his body up to meet his oar, which naturally spoils his finish, and also that ho carrics his "feathor" too far, and consequently either gets in a trifle late, or "knifes"—doefe not get in square. ~ Tho above remarks anont slowness with the hands apply to even a greater extent to the youths' four. In fact, this combination is not showing anything like the snap and ginger it should. Ono can forgive a youths' crew a lack of knowledge of tho finer -points of the art, nor docs one expect an exhibition of power and -vast bodily strength, but one certainly does expect to see at least brightness and dash—those very attributes 'of youth. And it is just here that tho crew under review -fails. The work is not crisp enough nor bright enough nor snappy enough nor fast enough. The quartette is keen and willing, but is getting into slow ways uneonsciouslj', hence this attempt to galvanise them.