ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1593, 9 November 1912, Page 12

ROWING.

A IBt "Meboubi."3

THE REGATTA PROGRAMME, Scullers and a Challenge, So Dick has not given the game up, after all! He has challenged Felton, Kaguey, and others to race lor a purse of .filui), and will give each of his opponents lUsoe. start. This cnullengo would no doubt'cause a little Btir among the sculling fraternity in New South Wales, particularly as there seems to be a difference Of opinion as to. whether Pearce should not do made ._ to ■■ del'ond his title as Australian chainpiou before ha goes forth to meet Barry. Tho challenge snould clear the, air for I'earce somewhat, and one is inclined tq think that such a race is desirable, because, provided it is entered into in all seriousness, there should' be an opportunity forthose' who know Arnst best to say whether be has deteriorated any, or whether ail that' he has said about Barry is correct. They should, at the same time, be able to jjidgu whether there is a sculler available who can bo looked to in. the hear future to bring back the world's championship to Australasian is if Pearce fails (as he probably will) to dp SO. '"■'''; ',■.'.' In the meantime Pearce has declined to fcako any notice of his challengers, pending receipt of word tioui Barry as to thu position'of his challenge, and would, no doubt, be glad to see Arnst's challenge taken up by the younger scullers. And so the gume goes on. There is a glorious uncertainty now as to who is the best sculler, in Australasia. Whether .'•Dick" is or is not, oi-,.whether he belives be is, and, Becretly,. has hopes of again becoming .the champion of ■ the world before the' long-promised "settling on the land" becomes a fact for hiui, Championship Regatta, 1913. Tho Wellington Association hay* drawn up tho following programme for the championship regatta, to bo he'd on Easter Saturday, March 22, 1913:-Maiden Fours, Pairs, and Double SOUlls,' Xouths' Fours, Junior Fours, (2 races). Senior Fours, Champion Fours, Pairs, Dottblp Sculls, and Sculls—eleven, races tor which A'lss in prize-money is allotted.. . . , ' The programme is a good ou«, and ths association is to bo congratulated in getting it out so early. Uthoi centre.) will thus be enabled to iix their, dates, and the championships . will be the. final regatta of the season. .' ~,.,- ' ' Early reports go to snow that the regatta will bo a very representative gotb.ering, tho clubs farthest away (Auckland and Southland) having already s'gnified their intention of competing, • Tho date selected may, perhaps, be ti. little late, but any argument in this direction in outweighed by the suitability pf the Easter holidays enabling olubs to .6ecure full-strength representation. Club Races and Notes. ~ Influenza, who spares nobody when so minded, has upset several crews who are in training for club races. A, start, li<>\vever, was niado: with those on Mondaj evening last by the' Star Club in • their Junior Fours, . when 'M'lfey (stroke), lioung, Hohloif, and Forbes beat Haughton {(stroke), Brown, Holmes, and Withers. On Wednesday evening,'in continuation., of tho series, Martul (stroke), King, Wollerman, and Lawson beat liirker. (stroke), Wallace; Macintosh, and Halse. -.'■,'. Considering tho irregular praetico conditions,, the-rowing, of these, crews Was good, and, indmuually, excellent form was shown by Martin,. Browp;. Haughton, Kirker, M'lvay, and; Young, Kvrkef'o crew would no doubt have "done better had he not had to, take a substitute Rt the last minute, and his action (also Macintosh's) in consenting to row, is oouimendable. ' In the Novice Pairs, Nash and Watson beat Heenan and Freeth after a hard tussle. Those who have rowed in "the tubs" knotf tho solid \vork that is necessary to move these boats along, and the four men.engaged in this race kept at it hard from start to finish,, and should be heard of later whon competing' in iuhior \ races. Owing to the indisposition of Bird,, Evatt, and Brewer, the senior races stand ' postponed until to-day, when the unfinished heats if any, of the Junior Fours and Novice Pairs will also be decided. English Crews Visit to Ausiralia "Off." Kel'erring to the Australians' invitation to the: Leander • crew to visit Australia this season, "Nautilus" writes a$ follows to the "Keforee":— ' During and since tho visit irf the Australian crew to Henley, endeavours were and have been niaao to an . English crew to visit Australian waters. Mr. C. S. Cunninghaiuej ol Melbourne, who aeeompanied the team Home, and who was also one of the selectors, had been acting in Lon- ■ don on' behalf of the N.S.W. and Victorian Bowing Associations, With, the object, if possible, of bringing tba matter to a successful issue. He hell been instrumental in. gettiug the Commonwealth office iji londpn to extend an invitation to Leander B.C. to send a crew to Australia, and bj the lust I jmail he sent out to Melbourne copies of the correspondence passing b: tween the Commonweath Olfice and tho Leander Club committee. From this it appears that at feast for the near future no crew will be able to visit Australia from the Leander Eowing Club. The difficulties appear to tie London committee to- be insurmountable. For one thing, the club does not number many active rowing men on its list; and, for another reason, the club draws mainly on men Who would not be able to spars time to make the trip. Inquiries oavo iilso been made whether there is any possibility of getting an English crew other than from the.Leander Club to make the journey, and it seems tint at present it is unlikely that a representative crew could bo obtained. This is to be regretted, as an> English orew would be exceedingly wel. come here, and would do much, to maintain the great interest at present evinced in tho sport. From New Zealand's point of view this might be regarded as good news, because, had the Englishmen come out this si-ason they would have met Australian crews only, whereas, now, there is every prospect that next year, when the invitation is almost certain to be renewed, matters may be in order for a New-Zealand crew to compete also. Should it be possihlo for a oreW_to compete, there is no donbt that the Now Zealand Association ivould send representatives, who would doubtless be ••vftlcomed by Australia both froin a competitive and sportsmanship point of view, as well as adding greater interest to their acqimtic carnival. Champion Sculls. It is reported that there is 6omo doubt as to whother C. E. Stono, of St. George's Club, Auckland, and holder of tho New Zealand Amateur Championship lor the past four years, will defend his title this season, However, it is hoped by his club that they will succeed in getting his consent to nomination once more :it least, and while at present-there is,no local aspirant for the honours, our scullers, as well as the public generally, would welcome tho opportunity el seeing Stono scull, and his pttstrnctf wmild add gteatly to the interest of the regatta*