ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1407, 6 April 1912, Page 12

ROWING.

[Bt "IIEnOUET."] ;. To-day—Hawko's Bay Kegafta. At Napier To-day. Sundry local crews will be engaged at Aapier to-day, l:oth town clubs being re-presented-tho W.R.C. in practically all events and the 8.8.C. in the Junior I airs, Doublo Sculls, nnd tho Maiden iours. Tho Petone Club, mainly owing to tlio exigencies of "tho iron heel of militarism has not been able to make an entry at all, as at least one man in each crew- will bo on camp duty during tlio holidays. This clash is a pity from the rowing viewpoint. «3 tho Petono junior crew is a formidable combination in its class, and must have had a big chance in the big race of the day. There are no senior races on the programme. Tho Question of Style.

\-v . IS n ? rnhfyln ° to note t nat the JV./.A.11.A. has in hand the setting up of a commission on the linos recently advocated, with the object of making an exhaustive inquiry into the all-important matter of style in present-day rowing. The data that should bo collected by such a commission nnd (ho wider technical knowledge that should accrue to our oarsmen as a result of its investigation would be of the orentest value, and would in every possible way repay the association for any labour that would bo involved in the carrying out of the project. The Struggle of the Blues. "The boat race,"-the designation quite distinctive enough to indicate the Oxford v " t 'liio'^i 50 at tl,is time of y™ T -ot 1912 will go down into historv as mute the most sensational since the series began in 1812. The swampin-? of both boats, the swimming ashore of the crews, the emptying out of the Oxford boat, and the finishing of tho race "011 their own" by the Dark Blues, and their final disqualification, owing to the outside aid rendered in.tho emptying and Tosliippins ot their craft—a. decision, by (ho way, that is reminiscent of the disqualification of JJornndo in the Marathon at the Inst Olympic Games, and which forms a most important prec-edent for future guidance —must have built up an afternoon of exciting incident that will live a long while «i tho memory of those present, and particularly so in that of tho members of the crews.

The decision referred to was an eminently satisfactory one. quite apart from its importance ns a lojral precedent for future ruling. It. would havo been most unsatisfactory for all parties had Oxford s rowing over tho course after the sinking; of the Cambridge boat constituted Hie result of the contest, and gone into hie records as a win for Oxford. To .none would it havo been moro unsatisfactory than to the winners—there would still, anil always remain, tho doubt as. to which was the better crew, the very'doubt which it is tho object of tho race to remove. This opens up another question—namely, as to whether in any case of a mishap to one or other of tho boats which puts it out of the running—a broken oar, for instance—it would not Iks more satisfactory, and indeed more "sportinsr" if tho other l»at vrore to stop too, and tho race bo rorowed. Of course, in championship contests this would be impossible under thn Rules of Boat Eaeing , , which ?ay explicitly "a boat must abide by its own accident's." Also, in races in which more than two bants are engaged it would not work fairly, as it is , more than possible that the "so'ttlinpr" of one boat might not affrct (he result of tho race. In tho University boat race, however, such an understanding would operate very well. The oyeut is essentially n "sporting" one —traditionally the mrfifc "sporting" of any athletic contest in Hie world—nnd it is an event in which one would think that everything possible would bo dono to obviate tho possibility of one crew beating another simply anil solely beeauso tho beaten crew had been placed hors do combat through some unforeseen nnd unpreventiblo mishnn. For this could happen eVisily enough. It is just as possible to break an oar or swamp a l»at when holding an otherwise unassailable lead, nnd so lose the rare, as it is for tha mishap to happen to the, at the time, losing boat.

Arnst and Barry. Last week "Mercury" commented on the fact that tho Australian papers were showing an altogether uncharacteristic lack of optimism regarding Arnst's chances against Barry. I'ho reasons for this caution are set out at length by "Eigger" in the "Sydney Daily Telegraph," who writes:— "The great bulk of the champion's followers, however, still maintain that Arnst will win from the word go, and win easily. Ask them how tho figure it out, and they will reply, 'Oh, the thing is obvious. Arnst beat Barry easily before, and surely he can do it again.' The argument, of course, is logical enough, fo far as a superficial view is concerned, but when ono looks below the surface, and observes the changed circumstances anil general conditions which have undergone divers forms of metamorphosis, it will bo clearly seen that, on paper, at all events, Arnst has not got nich an easy task on hand in emulating Ms previous perforninnee against tho Englishman. When Arnst met Barry on the Zambesi ho had been sculling practically without cassation from tho time he beat Webb on the first occasion. Just before he left Sydney for .Africa ho had put in several months' hard work on tho Pr.rramntta in preparation for the Parraiuntta Hundred, and was in such oxccHont condition that, ho put up the performance of his life in qunlifyinp for the finnl from ,i mnrk con-

sidored almost impossible. In fact, he was never Mulling befcfor than on that occasion, and went fresh from tin's to meet Barry. Now he has been out of tho boat for eight months, and even when he raced Pearce he was not as well as ho should have been, and did not row up to Ill's old standard. This larger pli-ise was testified to immediately after the raro by Harry 'Floyd, and if anyone should know Arns-t he should, considerini; Hint ho was with him in even- raca ho had rowed. 'No,' ho said, 'Diek wns not as well as he should have been, -ind did nnt row as well as he hns done. Tie lins poim off in his work considerably.' Now, had Anist continued at work, even fairlv consistently, since that Tace, Mr. Floyd's remarks would probnbly not carry 'any weight now; but, seoinr; that he has not been near his boat, with the ejeeption of the occasion when he rowed down from Mortlake. to George Towfk's shed, for eight months, one cannot help but brint; them undo'- consideration at tlio nrosont juncture. They nil r" lo show that .\rn=.f. is no belter n"w, if lie is as irood. as wlicn he met Barry before. Ocrhu-ih-he cannot be any better, bee.auso he Ins not done tin , woi'lc lo make him so. On Hip other hand. Barry is credited villi liaviiu; improved iiiininiiscly since (liev iiipl" before: hence tli» on+v mamier in which he disnosod of Forwill. His hodv sH'inir is said to be perfect now, and it was lhi« feature of his work which was cril.i'Mscd somewhat previously." After some more arcumpMt alinc ('><> same line?. "Rigner" nrnceeiU Ii deal wi'li Hip view advance! tliat a« V'ojwell led Barn- over a mile in tlmir race. wo-ild li'iiko a hack of hin- in llu- (h-,| half of the ioumey. The Sydney wriler tnkns on putirely nppneito vinw. nivl ("includes: "[VrcoiiMl.-. T think Ihn'. t|,. s rare wilh Fogwell ran hardly ho used ns a factor in cndeavoitrini to show how eniily Arnst v.-ill bent Dnrry, Tn my mind, it rather ompliasisw Out difficult

task the champion hi>a on hand, in retaining his title flgninst the Englishman." Richard's Boat. Of Arnst's boal the "Telegraph" writer says:—"He is taking (he boat in which he beat I'earce with him, and will use it until he receives another from Sydney some weeks before tho race. Tin; new boat is the one which the sculling fraternity of Sydney aro presenting to him. The order has been placed with George Towns, who says that if it is possible, tho boat will bo the best ever turned out of his shed?. It is to carry a silver ptate at the Ixiw, bearing tho name l'arramatta, and a stout inscription. Tho scalo of dimensions which will bo used is exactly tho samo as that on which his last boat was l>ll i 1 i>. This provides for extra facilities in rowing with a heavy tide behind it." Our Rowing Style, Last week "Mercury" referred to the setting up of a commission by tho N./.R.A., for the purpose of collecting all the data obtainable on the various rowing styles in vogue, and of bringing down a report upon thu whole matter, with the object of bringing our own rowing into line with tho most up-to-dato systems. During the week he has been informed that the Ken- South Wales Association set up a committee of experts on the same lines three years ago, with the reMilt that tho methods now used in the Mother State—evolved chiefly from the "Victorian" style—were adopted, with results that havo more than justified tho wisdom of the research.' This would make the work of our own commission all the easier, as the data collected by the Australian executive is still available, and wi'ty the addition of the experience of the last three years, and of this year's Olympic rowing, would bo all that would be reciuired to make a thoroughly up-to-date report. Apropos of the Australian system, an Australian paper lias the following timely paragraph :— "A Sydney oarsman in England, rowing with his college—one very competent to give an opinion—criticises the ovorsea style of rowing. He has no doiibt that it does not come up to tho Australian methods. Ho did venture one day to suggest i .something for the benefit of his crew, but quickly received the hint that his advice was'not needed. Still, he is only one of a few who havo returned with tho same opinion, and all are confident that the Australian.? will be seen at or near Ihc very front of tho crews in the Olympic race at Stockholm."