SCULLING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2575, 24 September 1915, Page 3

SCULLING

WEBB-HANNAN MATCH TO-DAY

THE CHALLENGER'S CHANCES ' • (Br Telegraph.—Special Eeportsr.) , _ Wanganui. September 23. Wanganui is full of visitors, and 1 most of the liotels are providing shakedowns for late arrivals. This congestion augnrs well for the gate at the big sculling race between P. Hannan, of Wellington, and W. Webb, of Wanganui, to-morrow. A careful inquiry into the position reveals the fact that Wanganui is not nearly so confident of their man winning as they have been on former occasions. There exists a healthy respect for the challenger. Haimau 'has undergone a restricted course of training, on the course to be rowed upon to-morrow, following on two months spent on (ho Wairau, and he says he feels as fit as a fiddle. Ho looks as hard as iiails, ;.nd will probably row a little better than ho ever has done before in his life. Whether that. little will be enough to beat Webb is quite, another consideration, as the Wanganui "sports" declare that i.e is rowing as well as ever lie did, and <.t his best, Webb, though never among the best of the world's champions, i-as a very pretty sculler. It is said that lie has reverted to his amateur style of keeping his knees together when lie goes forward for the stroke. If this-be so, it is a retrograde step, as he cannot get as long a reach or so sure a grip of the water as he could by opening his knees. There is this to be considered, too, in reviewing_ the ex-champion's chances, that lie is 35 years old, whilst Hannan is only 20, and has been beaten in a fairly .hollow fashion in the last three races lie has rowed. • As . his backer, Mr. W. Tuck, says: "I have told 'Billy' that if he can't win this race I will take the shoes off him and put him out in the paddock." "Personally," our special reporter concludes, *'I like Hannan's Chances. Though ho has done .nothing sensational in Australia, he has never been far out in any raice he has entered into, and in his straight-out match beat Priddle, a good second-rater, on the Parramatta. Han-, nan will strip at list. 61b., and Webb a pound lighter. The race will take place over the 3}-mile championship course at noon, when it. is top of . the tide, dead water. The course will be cleared as far as' possibles of-driftwood to-morrow morning. I look to Webb to take the lead at the start, and to finish behind. Hannan."

THE AMATEUR RACE. The amateur race at Wanganui to-, day between A. Sharp and D. Hadfield is not for the championship of New Zealand; but is simply, a friendly race, advantage "being talcen . of Hadfield's. visit to Wanganui to Bee the WebbHannan contest. The statement published yesterday that Sharp was an exNew Zealand single sculling champion is contradicted by Mr. A. D.. Bayfield, hon. secretary of the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association,, who states that the amateur sculling championship title has been held by Hadfield for the :past three years. He won it.in 1913 from C. E. Stone, who lield saine for four consecutive years. Sharp holds a "red cap"'for double sculling, but has been beaten by Hadfield.on at least tv>o occasions for the champion singles.