AQUATICS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1791, 17 November 1879, Page 3

AQUATICS.

The members of the Canterbury Bowing Club had a successful meeting and a capital afternoon's sport on the river on Saturday, when four crews met to contest the President's Cup race, and two crews competed for a prize, value £4, offered by the Olnb for maiden double sculls. The afternoon being fine a large number of spectators assembled along the banks of the river, and the result of the various events was watohed with great interest and pleasure. The crews for the President's Cup race had been in active training for some considerable time, and the day of trial was looked forward to with an unusual amount of interest by the members generally as it was confidently anticipated that there would be a good exhibition of rowing. The race was rowed in four-oar outriggers, with sliding seats, over a two mile courso, the captain of the Club (Mr J. O. Jones), acting as starter, and the Bev. E. A. Lingard officiating as judge. The first heat was easily won by Taylor's crew against B. Smith's, and was not particularly exciting. Smith himself rowed in good style, and is deserving of great credit for the plucky manner in which he stuck to his work throughout, but the rest of his crew were very much out of form, and will require a lot of coaching and careful training before they are able to handle the osur with anything like effect or advantage in an outrigger. The second heat was rowed between L. M. Ollivier's crew and four juniors under the strokeßhip of J. Grierson. From the fact of four juniors (by no means light weights, however,) rowing on even terms with a crew composed of men just in the zenith of an oarsman's life, the keenest possible interest was oentred in this event, and the contest proved one of the best and prettiest races seen on this river for some considerable time past. Both crews rowed in good form, and led alternately nearly the whole distance, and though Ollivier had just a boat's length to spare at the finish, on getting out of; his boat he freely confessed the " boys" had given him a lot of hard work, and that he had " had quite enough of it"—an expression readily endorsed by the remainder of his crew. Considering the winding nature of the rivor, the race was rowed in very good time, the distance being covered in just over 131 minutes. Between the second and final heat the maiden double scull race came off, and resulted in an easy viotory for A. L. Smith and G. Ford against Gibson and Hislop. The final heat of the fours between Ollivier's crew and Taylor's was a foregone conclusion, bar accidents, and as nothing of the latter description occurred, Ollivier pulled it off with great ease. Tayler and Hawkes both worked hard to make a close race of it, but the crew generally was overmatched, and had to be content with second place. The following is the result of the various heats:—

Pbesident's Cup and Prize, value £lO, open to the whole club, to be rowed in four-oar outriggers ; distance two miles. FIRST HEAT. Electric (South bank) —T. Tayler, stroke ; E. G. Hawkes, No. 3 ; Bridges, No. 2 ; . Johnston, bow; (Dunnage, cox.) 1 Tyne (North bank)—R. M. Smith, stroke ; Wardrop, No. 3; Goertz, No. 2; McGlashan, bow; (Dixon, cox.) 2 The Tyne's crew got well away, but the Eleotrio's crew were somewhat slow and irregular at the start. Smith held a slight lead to the first turn, when Tayler's crew, who had settled down to a steady Btroke, began to draw up. On roundine the corner at Butterfield's the Electric drew ahead, and Tayler had the race well in hand for the remainder of [the distance, winning easily by just a clear length. SECOND BEAT. Electric (South bank) L. M. Ollivier, stroke ; J. E. Evans, No. 3 ; A. C. Salt, marsh, No. 2; B. Snow, bow ; (C. Dixon, cox) 1 Tyne (North bank) — G. Grieraon, stroke ; E. M. Boulton, No. 3; Dobson, No. 2; B. M'Dougall, bow ; (Laurie, cox) ... _ ... 2 The starter got the beats well in line, and at the word "off," the Tyne's crew gripped the water and were the first to get their boat well under weigh, and with the first dozen strokes gained a lead of a quarter of a length. Though not getting away quite as quickly, Ollivier's crew were by no means slow over the start, and settling down at once to a long, powerful, and regular stroke, their boat shot through the water at a very fast pace. GrierBon was rowing a very lively effective Btroke, and kept his slight lead to the first turn, where Ollivier drew up level, and on rounding the corner at Butterfield's the Eleotric was leading by three-quarters of a length. From this to the tannery Ollivier slightly increased his lead, and, for a moment there was a clear space of a couple of feet between the rudder of the Electric and the bow of the Tyne. Just after passing the tannery Grierson's admirers urged him to spurt for the next corner, and almost immediately the distance between the two boats bepan gradually to decrease, the " boye " putting on a grand spurt. Though his opponents were overhauling him, Ollivier continued to row with great judgment and coolness. Just before the turn at Pratt's the boats were exactly abreast, and Grierson, with an eye to the advantage of the corner, kept his crew at work with a hard fast stroke, the result being that on coming fairly into the straight he was leading by three quarters of a length. Here the excitement was most intense, the large concourse of people who were riding and running up the banks cheering most lustily. At the mile tree Grierson held a lead of a clear length. From thence all the way up the straight a capital race ensued. Ollivier opened his big, broad shoulders, and putting extra weight into his long, powerful stroke, gradually drew up level, and the boats led alternately to just above the bathing place. Here both orews spurted for Cowlishaw's, the Electric leading by half a length, and the Tyne contii ually drawing up level. Just as the worst part of the bend was reached Laurie steered the Tyne badly in shore, the oars of bow and No. 3 being for a eouple of strokes on dry land. Dixon's wise head was not slow to take advantage of this, and some good steering brought the Eleotric first round, and in coming into the 'straight for Stanmore bridge she was again leading by a length. On going through the bridge there was a clear length of water between the boats, and though Grierson never for a moment slackened his pace, he was unable to again get on level terms with his rivals. Two hundred yards from home the Tyne began to draw up, but Ollivier had the race well in hand by this time, and came in a winner with just over a length to spare. From start to finish both crews rowed in capital form, and stuck to their work with a great amount of pluck and determination. Grierson rowed a game raoe all through and kept up a particularly lively stroke, his efforts being well backed up by the rest of the crew. Had it not been for the bad steering at Cowlishaw'e the last half mile of the race would have been much closer, though the result would doubtless have been the same. Ollivier rowed a capital race from start to finish ; indeed he has rarely been seen to use his great strength and weight with so much coolness and good judgment as he exhibited on this oocasion and having good men behind him, it is not surprising that he should have pulled off th< heat. Time, 13£min.

FINAL HEAT. Electric (South bank)—L. M. Ollivier, stroke; J. R. Evans, No. 3; A. C. Saltmarsh, No. 2 j R. Snow, bow; (C. Dixon, cox) «. 1 Tyne (North bank) —T. Tayler, stroke; E. G. Hawkes, No. 3; Bridges, No. 2 ; Johnston, bow ; (W. Dunnage, cox.) 2 The Electrio jumped away from the start and held a safe lead the whole distance, rowing in good form and winning easily. Tayler and his No. 3 worked very hard, and tried all they knew to make a dose race, but the bow was weak, though he showed a very good style of rowing, and No. 2 was much too Blow in his recovery, the stroke oar nearly touohing him in ooming forward. The time of this race was taken as 13min., but this must be a mistake, as the winning orew rowed easily nearly the whole way, and it took them 13$ min. to row their first heat, in whioh it will be teen they were closely pressed from •tart to finish. Maiohn Double Sottlls; prize, £A; one mile, in stump outriggers. Cygnet—A. L. Smith and G. Ford (Dixon, cox.') ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Swan-Gibson and Heslop (Fletcher, c0x.)... 2 Smith and Ford led from the start and won easily, with several lengths to spare,