ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 12

ROWING.

(Bi "MekCUBT.") J; REGATTA AND CLUB GOSSIP. Doc. IS—Alt-iron Regatta. Dcc. 28—Westport ljegatta. .Inn. I—Picton Xlegatta. l*'ob. 7—-Championship Regatta, at Lake Waihola. Feb. 17—Wellington l!egatta. Will Our Crows Be Ready? With only a fortnight's more training Wove them for tho Picton Regatta oil Nov,' Year's Day, the town clubs' representative crews are trying hard, under very adverse circumstances, to fit themselves for their various engagements, 'l'lieir efforts are not, however, meeting with thn success they deserve—not from any fault of tlio men, but because of the impossibility of getting proper rowing] conditions on account of tlio weather. At the present juncturo the crews should be well past tlio rougher part of the boatwork— thoy should liavo had sufficient rowing to havo acquired combination and to havo been coached out of at least their more outstanding faults, and generally be out of the crysalis stage. They should be doing last work to work up their pace, and in fact should bo sufliciently advanced to lie able to devote tho timo left them to putting on the polish-1 ing touches to their preparation. This is as things should be—but the actuality is far removed from this picture of the "might have been." In the state tho crews are at present, five or six weeks would bo none too many in which to befit themselves for regatta racing. That the men havo retained their enthusiasm in the degree tiiey havo is to their credit, and is in fact the one pleasing feature of tin; training operations to date. The pitiful part of it all is that in both clubs there is excellent material if conditions would permit of its being moulded into shape. Hut conditions have not permitted, hence every Wellington crcvr will go to the post in Picton in an even more backward condition than usual— which is indeed saying something. The Elect of Picton. From Picton comes glowing reports of the form of the local crews, and if rumour on this occasion belies her ovil reputation, there is a harvest for them awaiting the_ reaping on January 1, 11)12. The, Senior Pour, this season's candidates for New Zealand championship honours, looks extremely well on paper. The stroke is Andrews, who, as a inomber of tho Blenheim Club last season, led tlic^

Black and White quartet to victory in tho Champion Fours at Wanganui. Behind him is Konny, the stalwart No. 3 of tho winning Ladies' l'lato crew of tiro seasons back; Carrick, au ex-champion pair-oar Pictonite; and Burns, who stroked tho Ladies' l'lato winners above-montioned and stroke of tlie senior four of last season. The lower grndo crows are said to be well up to standard, and aro training hard and well, so I'icton'a reputation as a rowing centre is not likely to suffer this season. Wellington's Representation. Despite their unreadiness, th« trro city clubs aro making a good entry. Tho W.lt.C. has no senior crews in acting, but will bo represented in tho junior and maiden events. Tho four-oared crews havo already been published, since when tlie following have been added to tho list Maiden Double Sculls.—S. Shilling (str.), E. Cairns (bow). Maiden Pairs.—K. I [after (str.), • Fogarty (bow). The latter duo are not yet Becure in their position, winch has lx«n assailed by a challengo party in the persons of B. Shaw (str.) and C. J. Sywonds (bow). The Star Club will be represented in all tho races. The senior and junior crews are as already published, but various defections have "caused alterations in the personnel of tho other combinations: .Senior Pairs.—F. Alexander (str.), S. W. Wheeler (bow). Junior fairs.—ll. Bird (str.), C. E. Holmes (bow). Junior Double Sculls.—ll. Brewer (str.), W. il. Brewer (bow). Maiden Four.®.—l!. Newbold (str.), 11. Dean. (II), C. Carr (2), H. Lawson (how). Maiden Pairs.—Newbold (str.), Dean (bow). Maiden -Donblo Sculls,—J. Bennett (str.), JT. lawson (bow). Tho seniors, for reasons mentioned alxn-e, hare not j-et been in the racing boat, and are at present engaged in slowwork in t.he clinker, under the watchful eye of Mr. A. S. Biss. The "drill" is having a good effect on the form of tho men, but ,it gives tiiem no chanco of working rip a racing stroke.. Still tho ultimate result will be bencficial, as in [ any case the crew was not ready for fast best and liest boat work. The worst ieature of the rowing at present is tho slow hand work, especially on the part of the No. 2 and bow, and unless this is speed ily remedied it will mean a serious rusl ing of the slides when fast work is tacl led. As a result of the. slowness in "ge ting the hands awav," both the No. and bow are coming forward with bei aniH, a bud fault in any crew, and a especially serious oils in a senior eon bination. The juniors, stroked by Bird, arc doin filler work and are rowing a gocd live] stroke, with a fair amount of drivi Here agAin the hands are somewhat J fault, and Sho consequent rush torwar is already in evidence. With this fan! remedied. and a harder leg drive, thi crew will be a good one in its class. .Since the alteration in tho Maide Fours—the substitution of Dean fc Smytho and the changing of Carr fror the }io. Hto the Xo. 2 sent—the crew ha not had a rhance of settling down to th new conditions. It is ohysically a c-tion combination, but has a*hit of rough edge to be rounded off before obtaining tru regatta form. At i>ro.-er>i it can best b described as "promising." Tim pair-oared and double scullin work, so far, has had to be neglected fo the more important "four" training, bu as the combinations are, with one exeef tion, working together in the fours, th necessary combination should not be hari to attain. Tho exception is Bennett am Lawson in the Maiden Double Sculls This pair won tho senior club event las year, and should make a good maidei crew. The Polono Club will not bo represent <d in any of the events at Pieton. A Dcscent on Duncdin. There is a possibility that the Sta Club will bo represented at tho For Chalmers regatla on Boxing Bay. Twi of its members, F. S. Cre.igaiv.l H. Tom linson, will bo in Duncdin on holiday oi that date, and if a boat can be oblainci from on? of (lie local clubs, tbe.y intent to start in the Maidon Double .Sculls They have teen practising together oi the ofi-ehauce, and are showing von fair form, and should havo a reasonnbl'i chance of scoring a win as a reward foi their enterprise. At the time of writing, tho Star Clul h;;s succeeded in disposing of one heat onlj of (.he Fitzgerald Fours, Dean's crew, em: sisting of Tomlinsou (No. 3), Kulherfc (No !!). and M'Kay (lx>w). defeating Itobinsor fste.), ltobortsoii, Stewart, and Mncli rather eas!,ly. The other heats aro beins rowed a? opportunity offers, and meanvirile entries arc being invited for the Senior and Donblo Sculls. Petone Pars. ".Mercury's" I'otonc correspondent writes as under, and incidentally also lodges complaint against Jupiter Plu(ious: "Although weather conditions arc still unfavourable, ono or two of our 2rews havo been able to get in a row or Iwo during the week. The services of Mr. ii. Crawford, tho well-known exdinnipion oar, have again Inwn secured lor coaching, and last week-end was an exceedingly busy time for the veteran uid has charges, the Youths and Maidens, fiia former crew was to havo rowed its irst race on Thursday against a challenges party, consisting of P. Arrowsmith, :j. Bland, I'. Brunetti, and J. Wilson, tVrrowsinith has fvp.vi service as a roiitli, having stroked the crew in this •Iks for the last two seasons, with Bland is how, while Brunetti and Wilson won lie club Junior Pairs last season. The ?rew lias been training us steadily as :as been possible, and should have no roublo in beating its less experienced ipponents, if it has not already dona so iv tlm I imo these remarks appear in jnnt. To-day's programme will he the racing in of the rsovice Pairs for Mr. Edmond's 'rophy. For various reasons, the startup list is a disappointingly small one, Mil. lour crews will go to the post, and nil lie raced off in two heats—firstly, A. jladmg (str.), L. Northcote (bow), versus . Jlicke.y (str.), and F. P. Adamson (bow) ,ml|.in. the mcoikl heat, J. Kirk (str.), R. -ollins (bow), will meet J. Ingram (str.) nd 0. Haddock (bow). I Mew Blade. An Australian papor reprints the folding interesting article from an Bngish exchange Tho famous Old Blno, tho ftev. Sidney ltann, wuo on September - 12 created a ocord by sculling the English Channel t tho age of fifty, has introduced a new rpe of blade at Cambridge, and trials cro carried out yesterday afternoon n tho lower reaches of the Cam by the iimty Hall coxswainless four (say's the oml.on "Sportsman" of October 2G). The is made by Ayling and Sons, nnd cars the name, "Sidney Swanu Blade." t first sigiiMt resembles a baker's peel, t is quite different from anything scon II the. Cam, the nearest shape hein" the ir which was brought out by" Dr i arre, the Provost of Eton. in about ami known as tho shouldor-of-mut->n blade. On that occasion it was' ■ied at Oxford, Cambridge, and Eton i an interview the Ucv, S. Swani in>rmed our representative that the car as four inches shorter in length than le present oar. The distance from the ntton to tho centre of resistance in the lade was the same;, the blade was eight (Clies shorter than the orthodox blade, nt thero was practically tho same surice measurement, about 150 square idles. Tho blade is seven inches wide ;om the top until reaching the centre ' resistance, and gradually lessons until reaches four and a half close to the lank, while the orthodox blado mcai.rementfl are six and n half at tho top, iporing off to two and a half inches ?ar tho shank. There is no difference i the weight of the oar. Tho blade is it on an angle, and tho ridgo that runs oni tho loom points crosswise. The lade is flat, and has no curve as the istomary oar. Tho licv. Swann said mt in the olden days the oarsman u=ed I catch hold of tho water woll behind ip rigger, and the blndo in use was nite the proper thing, but os tho ork is now generally applied opposite, id after the rigger ho thinks that his •pe of blade is the correct ono. Purler, the blade being shorter, there is ss turning in the water. .When the irsnuan places the new blado in tho ater the advantage is that it drops innre, while with the present-day libido is only gradually immersed. ' Tri.-ils ere made with, both types of blade oni the little bridge to liltle ditch, but :cording to the times there was no disnci advance to be recorded. The ltoll mil- comprises .T. AylilV (bow). S. K. •vann. It. S. Adams, i\. B. Whitfield troke). The oarsmen stated that tlie.v iiiUl not tell the difference between tho ados, except that tho blade on tho now ncs eamo out of the water cosier at :o finish oi th<> stroke