ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 16 March 1912, Page 12

ROWING.

(JJj "Mercury.")

Napier Regatta. There is but little local news to chronicle in tho rowing world this week. Tho Napier regatta on Easter Saturday is engaging tho attention of club selection committees, but it has been found that it will not be possible for so many local crews to malco tho trip as was hoped. Two of the junior crews, tho I'ctou'o and Star, bavo been debarred from attending by various causca. ■ la the ease of the I'etone men, tho Territorial camp is tho contributing cause to the defection—in fact, it is feared that this samo factor will be tho means of cancelling the I'etone entry altogether. Every crew is affected to the extent of at least "one man, fio it is probable that uonu of tho crews will go. The No. aof the Star Juniors is not available, and the stroke is doubtful, so tins crew is a likely non-starter also. The maiden four is certain to make the hip, as is also a junior pair-oar and double-sculling combination, consisting of Abercrombie and Tnrnbull. Tho Wellington Club is more fortunate, and will be represented in both the Jlaidcn and Junior Four events. All the races, by tho way, are in clinker bents, and nono of them aro eenior events. Richard the Great. Dick Arnst left Sydney for England during the week to keep his engagement with Ernest Barry on tho Thames. Before leaving, "Kichard the Great" was presented with a new "shell" by his admirers, the new boat being a Towns built craft, specially designed to carry the champion's weight down a following current, such as always runs with tho compotitors or the Thames course. According to Sydney papers, Arnst was very much overweight when lie left, but ho anticipates no difficulty in getting down to his racing poundage by the date of the race, which is one of tho details yet to ho settled. Tow-bucket as Welflht-Reducer, Apropos of weight-reducing, tho following paragraph on a strenuous endeavour in this direction, written by a well-known English rowing scribe, may be of interest, although any of our aspirants to aquatic I'aiue who are desirous of ridding themselves of a superabundance of that "too, too solid flesh" nro hereby solemnly warned against adopting such heroic methods. The "par" runs: — Have you ever pulled a bucket tlirough , the water open end first? If you have you will realise what a task it is to tow one behind a sculler for nine miles. This was the task set me by "Sid" and Frank Edwards when I said that I had undertaken to demonstrate that it was possible ,lxi lose 71b. of weight between 1 o'clock and 7 o'clock, rowing out and back from l'rinco's Bridge to Twickenham Ferry, u distance altogether of nine miles. There were very few people indeed who would believe such loss of weight was possible, even among men wlio had epent many years rowing, and as there was no authentic case on record, I undertook what is generally considered a severe undertaking for oven a young man. The row was certainly hard, for it took three-quarters of an hour to accomplish the Henley mile, but, thanks to a good grounding in how to apply weight even when sadly out of condition, I was able to reach Twickenham a littlo tired, but no appreciable increase in pulse. After a twenty minutes' spell I turned my boat and bucket toward* home, and a favourable current enabled Ino to reach Prince's Bridge again, exactly fivo hours after I had set out. The problem was solved. I had lost 'Jjlb. in five hours over a nine-, mile course, which' works out at about lib. per milo or 21b. per hour. At tho samo time.'l have put up a record which only a glutton for hard work will want to beat. I can recommend nn occasional mile of bucket (owing to a man who wants to get quickly into racing condition, ■but.l.-am.iafrnid/it- will make him slow in the catch. Olympic Notes. The New South Wales Olympic crew is reported ms showing excellent working capabilities in the present early stages of their preparation. Tho coach, Mr. W. J. Middlotin, has great hopes of haviiiff the combination well forward by April 7, the date upon which the men sail for England. They will havo three weeks' training in the Old Country, and then will leave for Stockholm nnd have a further four weeks on the course, so Hint there is no Tcason why they should not go to tho pos£ fit and thoroughly acclimatised. The conditions governing , the boat races at the Games aro brief and businesslike. ,As usual, the Laws of Boat-racing will be adhered to for the general, guidance of the events, tho special features laid down being: •V boat's course is that which, at the start and finish, as well as during tho race; w parallel with the centre of the course. Deviations from the course will rendor tho boat liable to disqualification. A course of at least 12 metres (Sblt.) wlue will bo-allowed for each boat. Tho.races will bo divided into heata of two: until onlv two crews remain for the finals. Tho amateur definition under which tno contest is rowed is as follows:(1 Only amateurs, according to the folltwing definition, aro qualified to comAn amateur is ono whoiias never (a) Received payment as a trainer. , (d) Competed or given a display againat a professional. , , (e) Drawn any pecuniary gain from athletic exercises, by selling, exchanging, pawning, or hiring-out any prize won in a competition.

Fogwell v. Felton.

"Billy" Fogwell and Alf. Felton have signed articles for a match for the "championship of tho Northern Rivers' and JCIOO aside on Easter .Saturday. The race will be rowod at lllmarra, on tho Clarence Hirer, nnd ljolh men are now in hard training, ITogwoll being attended to by b. Matterson, and Felton being looked after by Sid. Keriw.