FOXTON REGATTA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 24, 24 January 1879, Page 2

FOXTON REGATTA.

♦_, The annual Foxton regatta took place on Wednesday last, Anniversary Day. As aquatics are at present comparatively in their infancy on the Manawatu Kiver, some of the arrangements were possibly not of the best character, and hence there was considerable delay in getting uome of the races started. However, whh past experience, these difficulties will doubtless be obviated in future, and now the ice has been broken, and the Wanganui men have been able to see tho advantages of our capacious river'rbr rowiiig purposes, wo anticipate that' next year the Rogatta will bo mora successful; both in regard to the number of cvews competing, and also to the number of visitors attending from other parts of tho district. The various officials connected with the sports performed their duties efficiently. The folio wis a list of the events :-■ 1. Sailing Eace — Open to all boats without centre-boards. First prize, £lO; second £4. For this race three boats started, viz., Jonson's Black Eagle, Stewart's Swift, and Hillary's City of Auckland. A good start was effected with alight N.K. breeze, Jonson's boat leading well up the river. Here a considerable amount of tacking was required to round the upper buoy, but eventually the Swift came down the river beau » tifuliy, and rounded the lower buoy about a-third of a mile in advance of Eagle, which carried a heavy spread of canvas. The City of A uckland, having no chance of the race, was sailed in shore, and hauled up. Meantime the Swift had rounded the lower buoy, and there was every prospect of a speedy termination of the race, but from this time her luck deserted her ; a heavy ebb tide began, and the wind died away. The consequence was, both the

I Swifoarhl i.ivj\b drifted rabidly down 1 slro.wii. Tuo t>v.> J;ilg'3:3, after : waiting some l.imo, r jwe.l duwa ual i asked the crews it* tii y ware willing \- to closo the racej tmt tlio lfitiglo doj cUnd.d to do soj rovtmiatoly i'or thoir ! uiiaue-s ; Ijv a few uiiiu'te.s aicur, tlio j ! wiml irj.sliened u[> from tUe JS.W., 1 and as thy Ma^le sr<i3 on the Wust j siJci of t!io livor, ilild liQi 1 oitpjiiont | j near t jio opposite baak, the i'orniJi 1 | boat sailoi in easily, and woa. 2. Boys' Paiu-Owed Race.— Prizes, £2 and £l- Thre3 boats started, tho Minnie, Lily, and Firefly. It was at once evident thatths crew of the Minnie were far too much for their opponents, though the Lily was rowed placidly. A mistake occurred regarding the course, the firefly going found the snag on the opposite side to the dther boats, and when they came in, a protest was entered agains f the Minnie's crew on the ground of their being over age ; the Frefly also protested on the gro nud that the boats wont round the wrong side. The boats came in — Minnie, 1 , Lily 2, Firefly 3. 8, Four-Oared Inrigued Race. — Prizes, £20 and £5. This was the crack race, as two Wauganui boats competed against the. Queen Mab The entries were— Waterlily( Wanga- ' nui Jl 0.) Maiden (Wanganui (JO.) Queen Mab (Foxton) The Waterlily was the favorite, and odds were given freely against Foxton. A rather bad start was effected, the boats pulling against the currant, aa-i the I Waterlily getting the advantage and ! taking the lead. After about a quarter of a mile, however, th.9 Mab had made a gap between herself and the Maiden, and Howe (stroke of the Mab) had pushed his men right up I to tho stern of Iho Waterlily, when | the stratcher of No. 2 in the Foxton boat gave way and lessened her chances of tho race. On passing the wharf, tho Waterlily L:d by about three lengths, tho Mab being about five lengths ahead of the Maiden. A fine raca ensue:!, but the Waterlily obtaining the down current first beat the foxton boat by about half a minute, the Maiden beirfg nearly a niin* uto behind her. Had the stretcher not given way, it would no doubt havo been a closer race, though the rowing in the Wanganui boats, was beautiful ; infinitely superio-t to the Mab, owing t^ tho lack of practice of the latter crew. Pair-oared Race. — Prizes £5 and £2. TVo boats entered— Liddell's pairoared batswing, Roller, and the Maiden. The skiff ran away from the gig, and came in an easy winner A couple of Maori canoe races — one for men, the other for women — caused great amusement. Handicap Four-oared. — This was tho best race of the day. The three batswings and the ships' gigs Rose and City of Auckland started. The Rose and Auckland got 4 minutes start of- the Waterlily, 3£ of the Mnb, 3 minutes of the Maiden. Coming down the river, the Rose led a long distance, tho Auckland following. One by one the batswings came in sight, and passing the wharf a splendid race took place. The Rose, however had rounded the lower buoy, and came in an easy winner. A good race then took place between tho Maiden and Mab for second money Tho former rounded the buoy fir3t, but was overhauled by the Mab, which won by about two lengths, the Waterlily being fully a minute behind the Queen Mab. The prizes were £10 and £4. Scullers' Race. — Prizes, £4 10s, and £1 10s. This was a gift to Ferry, who rowed a pair-oared outrigger against the two Foxton " dingies." The latter simply raced for the second money, Burr boating in the Minnie, though Collins pluckily sculled the Lily. Four-oared Handicap Race, for Mauawatu Residents. Prize 3, £5 aud £2 103. Only two boats entered aad henoe no second prize will be given. Three minutes' start was given, to the Rose, but seeing there was no chance her crew gave up the race when the first half had been gene over, and the Mab had it all her own way. For the Duck Hunt, Burr entered, and succeeded in evading his puraaew,' thus winning the prize of £2. Except in the matter of the boys' race, no protest was entered during the day, and everything passed off well. Tha prizes giveu amount to about £81 ; of this, only £25 goes out of the place to Wanganui.