ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1645, 11 January 1913, Page 12

ROWING.

IBx "Merouby."] NOTES AND ANTICIPATIONS. The W.R.C. Takes a Hand. Since the Marlborough regatta on New Year's Day iccal crews havo been "resting up" to some extent. After th? winding-up process connected with the/ preparation tor a regatta, there generally comes a slump- in the training operations of the men engaged. Crews that have been successful' take the spell which they consider thoy have earned before buckling down to steady work again, and their Foes skilful—or less fortunate—brethren sit down in antclpatibn of the changes in personnel that generally follow failure. ■.:■• . ' Early in the New Tear, too, there is much night-work abounding in the land, for whioh various reasons thera is nothing to chronicle just at present regarding the doings of regatta crews. Nevertheless, in default'of actual happenings, there is no lack of anticipation,abroad. In this i respect the Wellington Club easily holds nfst place. As things are now there is every evidence, of a big change in this club's protpeots as a chainnionsnip proposition. As has been chronicled, it has already been strengthened by the inolusion in its ranks of Blanchbrd, lately of the Aram'oho Club, and Charles Hegglun, erstwhile of the Blenheim champion four. , Now comes word of oven stronger reinforcements. These consist of Hegglun's brother "Dick." a member. of the redoubtable Blenheim quartet, and Arthur Jackson, also once a member of the saino victorious crow, and more recently of the Pieton combination that at present holds the championship title. This quartet will make a formidable crow, and must bo'considered right away as likely to make a-big bid for tho big honour. It is understood that the arrangement bf the men in tho beat has not yet been decided upon, but it is probable that C. Hegglun will be in the stroke seat, with Jackson and R.. Hegglun in their usual places as three and two, and Blanchard bow.. ; Hegglun has yot to prove whether he is'as efficient as a. stroke &9 he whs further up the boat, but'if ho shows anything at all like first-class form, tho men behind him will do tho rest, and the combination is such that it must make' the other top-notch crows sit up. and tako notice. •"■.]'•

To Picton;; Jackson's absence must be severely felt. Fortunately,'however, they can fill his plaoo worthily, but their position, without him, is no longer unassailable, as it could truthfully have been said to have been had ho stayed. , Now it is presumed that Kenny will bo moved from ■ .the-No. 2 to the No. 3 seat, : and the vacancy filled by the inclusion of Burncs, the pair-oar champion Etroke, or Norton; which still makes,a crew that.will take a power of beating—viz., Andrews, Kenny, Burns, and Carrick:'The Wollington Club, is to bo congratulated on the very successful'outcome of its efforts to be worthily represented on* •its own water at the big meeting at Easter time. There can bo no doubt that,tho presence on tho harbour of 6-uch a crew as that mentioned above will add' Considerably tolocil interest in the regattait is many years since the Wellington public has been given a chanco to see a focal crew at work Which could be seriously considered as a likely' winner of the champion fours \ of:' New Zealand—and,, moreover, its'-'entryi'iri' tho \ actual ! r'abo' will stimulate interest ■in this particular event very considerably on account of the open character that will.be imparted to it. The.first, nppearance.of; thecrew in the" boat under its new colours will bo watched for with much interest in.tho local: sheds. '•.,..'•"..':' ..'"■'.. .•■■' The Canterbury E.C. crew for tho champion fours has been selected; .It consists of: Burn (stroke), Fitzer'(No. 3)i. Farrow. (No. 2), and Baxter. A Long Pull and a'Stronn Pull. ' •; ' Tho two famous English amateur scullers, H. BlackstauV (Vesta Club), nnd/VV. D. Klnnear (tho world's champion), with 'Ernest Barry, the .world's professional champion, will early in the Spring, essay to'row from Oxford to Putneyi(a distance of KM) miles 0{ -furlongs) • in a • triple sculling'ljoat. A recent-issue, of. tho. "Illus-' tratcd Sporting and Dramatic News'' contains a photograph"of tho trio in their iboat—lllackstaffe sculling in \ the sti-oke scat and Barry.in the bow.' ' .• ;■■ '.. The last time this, feat was accomplished was in the'year lfinO.'wltcu tT»i New Zealand '-sportsman,' Mr. Spencer Gollan. with Tom Sullivan (New Zealand), and .George ' Towns (Australia) sculled the distance in 13 hours.s7. minutes. ' ■_■

Pearcs, Challenges, and Chaos. ■ The latest development of the Australian championship argument ; is that .Harry Pcarco has raised his full stake money for his race with Barry in July, and has announced his intention' of leaving for England on February 12. This means that he will not defend his .Australian'title,' which, therefore,, automatically goes, to his challenger, Alf Felton, by virtue; of the rules governing the holding /of tho honour. ■'"-.'■',.'■ The new ehampion is.not to enjoy his title in pcaco very long, as he is dueHo race Charles Towns for the same-and a stake of ,£2flo aside,-over the Parramatta course on January 25. Even if he beats Towns he will not. 1m free from trouble, as he has yet another match in prospect —against ''Jim" Pnddon on February .15, for tho title, if Felton still holds it, and JSOO'aside.' . And after Paddon there is every chance of "Dick" Arnst coming down with a challenge. According to Australian exchanges, the ex-champion is very unsettled, as witness the.following paragraph:—

"Dick" Amst's negotiations for the. ■purchase of a business in town aro ap-. !■ parently at a deadlock. The popular ;; ex-champion is casting round for a j new field for his energies. His future ~ at present swings between' travelling with a well-known lino of goods, a settled business in Sydney, and going on the laud. ■ At tho present moment the land claims his attention. Ho is now thinking of settling on land in tho Peak Hill district. This, he says, will be a deal' easier than boat-pulling, as most of tho work will he done by machinery. Anyhow, he says he hopes that Pcaroo" comes, back with tho championship. , ■■',„'. "If ho docs," says Arnst, "I'll meet him either on the Parramatta or tho Middle Harbour course. I will," says tho ex-champion, "endeavour to get a match ; n that event, after the wheat is in, and I can row him while it's growing. If I won the money would como in handy for machinery." Then on Thursday morning Inst came the cablegram from Sydney stating that Arnst. had received an offer of a world s tour for h's wife and himself, embracing several matches in America, provided ho would meet the winner of tho BarryPcarce race at the conclusion of tho tour —which offer iwe were informed he would probably accept. A Letter from Plcton. Sir,—ln perusing your issue of January 4 I noticed an error in your notes ro the New Year's Day regatta held at Picton, in which you stated that the Picton champion pair wore unplaced in the senior pair race. Now, sir, I would like to state that neither members of the champion pair crew wcro competing on Now Year's Day. The crew which did represent'Picton in the fenior pair race had their first row together on New Yearns morning. Trusting that in justice to Mr. P. Carrick and myself you will correct the error and oblige.—l am, etc., . V. BURNS, Stroke, Champion Pair.