Sculling Championship

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1921, Page 4

Sculling Championship

ALLS ST AND HANNAN LN GREAT FORM.

NOTES ON THE TRAINING

BLENHEIM, May 27

“I’m feeling well and going well.” said Dick Arnst in reply to a query as to bow lie felt, and he certainly does look very lit. “In Australia,” said tho champion, “before ] commenced training, J weighed 19sL. 51b in my clothes, and as I stand now I weigh list lllb. and expect to row under list. The manner in which his clothes hang on him is evidence that “Dick” has got rid of a tremendous amount ol surplus weight. His iron constitution has made light of the grind of training, and h* limits, as he says be is, “As well to-day as ever 1 was in my life.”

The champion said that the weather had been perfect for training, and in all his long experience lie had never bail such a wonderful run of good weather. In live weeks lie had had only two and a half days id which Ik- could not work on the river. Arnst rows twice daily ,aiul cycles long distances, morning and afternoon. He is his own trainer, and his methods are peculiarly his own—no long rubbing down after a row, just a shower, and then back home to bed, where li e spends half an hour in the blankets, after which bo feels fresh anil supple, without a trace oi won tineas after his strenuous row. Arnst takes no liquid whatever, not even a class of water, between meals, and to thi s lie attributes his ability to get off his weight so readily. Hannan is also hard at it, and his trainer, George Wareham, lias him in rare buckle. With vigorous rubbing and massaging, Hannan is now in the pink of condition. His skin is like satin, and his muscular development is a credit to his trainer. The challenger has been doing exceptionally good work on tho river, and finishes a long, hard row seemingly without an effort. This week Hannan did some fast work over short courses, and the times he put up excelled anything ho did when preparing for his match with Fogwell.

Hannan was most unfortunate in wrecking one of his boats, as when the accident happened, he was doing a trial over th<- full course, and the time promised to beat anything vet done on tho river.

Next week Arnst will be doing really fast work, sprinting and hopping ofl the mark, and towards the end will have a genuine try out over the foil course. His boat is riding light in the water now, and carries bis weight really well. For the first couple of weeks “Dick” nearly buried her; being off her racing lines, she dragged like a punt. Now she runs very sweetly, and gives the impression of being an exceptionally fast boat .

Hannan will not be inconvienced by the loss of bis boat, as be bas a sister boat to tbe wrecked craft—tbe ono in which b G beat Eogweil. She is a splendid calm weather boat, but cannot

_ - ■ r stand up to a sea like his third boat, . built by Neilson At this time of year the Wairau is like a sheet of glass for weeks on end, and Hannan will, no doubt, be able to race in his Towns shell, which is on 0 of the fastest boats ever built by that great craftsman. The final deposit is due on Saturday week, June 4th. The articles governing the match stipulate a stake of £250 aside, with provision for an extension to £SOO, and it is likely that' the latter sum will be put up by the backers of the rival scullers.