AQUATICS.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 153, 30 November 1874, Page 3

AQUATICS.

O.R.C. PAIR-OAR RACES. The first of the pair-oar contests for the cups presented by the Captain of the O.R.C. for competition amongst members of the club took place on the Avon on Saturday last. The distance was a mile and a half, the start being below Pratt’s, winning at the Willows. Speaking generally of the races, we may say that they were hollow in the extreme, there not being a contest throughout the afternoon. The more we see of these races on the Avon the more we feel convinced of the impossibility of having (except in exceptional cases) a good contest when boats are started abreast. The fact is the river is only suited for time races, and the sooner our boating friends recognise this fact the better. To return, however to the racing of Saturday. As we have said, the contests were hollow in the extreme, the winning boat in each heat taking the lead from start to finish and winning as it liked. Two heats only were pulled, the final heat being postponed until Tuesday next, when the victors in the first and second heats will try conclusions, The Rev. E. A. Lingard acted as starter, Mr Stead as timekeeper, and Mr Herdson as judge. We append the results of the racing:— Pair-Oar Race. —One and a half miles, with coxswain. Prize, two cups, presented by Mr Blakiston. To be won twice by same crew. The race to be rowed in beats. FIRST HEAT. Moa (L. Ollivier and J. 0. Jones, Mountfort, cox) 1 Cygnet (P, Barker and W. Gundry, Callender, cox) 2 The descriptive portion of this race need occupy but little space—the Moa took the lead from the start, and was never headed, winning easily by 22\ secs. Time, 15 min 20 secs. The winning crew pulled a nice even stroke, but the Cygnet’s had a short choppy stroke, well enough in a four-oar, but quite out of form for pair-oar racing. SECOND HEAT, Moa (W* Lewin and Brown, E. Mountfort, cox) 1 Cygnet (Sibbald and Staveley, R. Mountfort, cox) 2 Like the former race, half a dozen words will suffice to describe it. The Moa led from the start, and though it was not quite such a runaway race as the first, still it was enough to take all interest out of it. Time, 15 min 17 secs.

Four-Oar Scratch Race, for youths belonging to the club. Three-quarters of a mi e. Tamesis, North bank (F. 0 Hornbrook, bow; G. Mat) i is, 2; J. Martin, 3; Collins, stroke; it. Mountfort, cox) ... 1 Tyne (Hawses, bow; Lockhart, 2; Callender, 3; 11 inland, stroke; E. Mountfoit, cox) ... ... ... ... ... 2 This would have been a capital race had it not been for the close steering of the Tyne cox at Cowlishaw’s corner, resulting in the boat touching the ground and losing her way, A good start w r as effected, the Tyne taking the lead, which she held till the unfortunate contretemps referred to. The Tamesis then assumed a commanding leal, which the Tyne crew, though pulling pluckily, were unable to wrest from them. Ultimately the former won by lOTsecd. The time of this race was not taken. On Saturday next the four-oared races for the Bev J. O. B. Hoarc’s cups will take place.