ROWING NOTES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 35, 9 February 1878, Page 2

ROWING NOTES.

By Proteus. The interprovincial regatta, to be held at Wanganui on Tuesday and Wednesday next, is the all absorbing topic of conversation among boating men. Nelson will be but indifferently represented, the ouly boat- that is going from here being a whaleboat, which Mr Taylor is buildiug specially for the occasion. With such a fine fleet of boats as the Nelson Rowing Club possess, it is a matter for regret that they cannot see their way clear to compete at the forthcoming regatta. What is the reason of this dilatoriness, if I may use such a term? Simply because they do not care about going in for steady practice. Occasionally they are to be seen out doing a spin, but the times are few and far between. Mr Taylor's whaleboat will be put ! into the water for the first time to-morrow. She is in every respect a likely-looking boat, and if she does not belie her looks will travel along at a good pace. Her keel was only laid on Saturday last, and since then Taylor hag been at work night and day in order to get her ready in time. ;His plucky action iv that respect is commendable. The boat will take part in both the champion and volunteer races, but it is pretty certain that the crews will not belong to Nelson. An attempt was made to get a crew from the Naval Brigade for the volunteer race, but this signally failed. The same may be said of a crew for the champion race. These failures may be attributed— 1. To the want of sufficient time to practise; 2nd, to the idiosyncrasy of Taylor himself. His boat will be rowed in the volunteer race, I believe, by the famous Dolly Varden crew, who are members of the Wellington Fire Brigade. The outrigger race is likely to see four boats in the field, viz., two from Canterbury, one from Wellington, and the other a local crew. The Dolly Varden is the favorite, with one of the Canterbury boats second on the list. For the whaleboat race there are four entries— Danger, Elivira, Cutty Sark, and Mr Taylor's. The Danger will probably be rowed by the Dolly Varden crew, and if such be the case will materially increase her prospects of winning the race. The Cutty Sark is spoken of very lightly by critics in the Wanganui papers, and her chance of winning is looked upon as a very poor one, unless the water should happen to be lumpy. The term whaleboat as applied to this class of boats is simply a misnomer, they being nothing more or less than racing skiffs, with sharp ends, and manipulated by a steer oar. Not one of them is fit to carry whaling gear. It will be a question for the future consideration of our Regatta Committees whether or not they will discard this class of whaleboat for something more of the Simon Pure. My aquatic correspondent at Wanganui having neglected to keep me au courani with regard to the other races I am unable to say much about them. More anon.