WANGANUI REGATTA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 40, 15 February 1878, Page 2

WANGANUI REGATTA.

[By 4. {Special Correspondent.]. The Interprovincial Eegatta held at Nelson last year was regarded by the boating fraternity as being a very tame affair, but it was not to be compared to the regatta held at Wiinganui on Tuesday and Wednesday last in that respect. There was a fair number of people present, the Wallace having brought across several|escursionists from Nelson, and the Storm Bird and Manawatu soine from Wellington. The races in most cases were rowed down the river, which, were the course was laid out, takes n circuitous turn, starting some distance above the railway bridge, and winning near the Wanganui bridge, where a grand stand had been erected, which was but poorly patronised, the extortionate sum of five shillings being demanded for admittance. The arrangements were not nearly so good as in Nelson. There was no barricade placed across the roadi consequently horsemen had full swing. The dust which was raised in clouds by them as they passed along the banks of the river was something frightful, while the danger to life and limb was rery great, though but few accidents occurred. The first race on the programme was the Maiden Eace. The race in itself possessed but little interest to outsiders, but was regarded by the Wanganuites as the criterion of future races in which the rival clubs were concerned. It was won by the Wanganui Rowing Club's Lily, beating the Union Club's Maiden by some lengths. The Pair-oar ltace was merely a pull over for the Roman Eall, beating the Dolly Varden, which for the nonce had been converted into a pair oar boat. As both boats belonged to the same club in Wellington the result of the race was a foregone conclusion. More interest was taken iv the next race, which was the Senior Fours, in v/hich three provinces were represented. The race was really a splendid one. All the boats got well away together, the Transit (Wellington) losing a little at first, but she soon picked up the lo3t ground again. For the first mile the boats ran side by side, but after that the Transit gradually drew ahead, coming in about seven lengths ahead of the Maiden (Wanganui), the two other boats being close in the rear. The Sculler's Race saw four boats start, one of which was pulled by a Nelson youth named Taylor. Ho was one of the crew of the Heathcote> but having been offered a boat on his arrival at Wanganui, he went into training with the full determination to try to wrest the honors from Hearn, who may be regarded as the champion sculler of New Zealand. Eive boats started, two of which were from Wellington. The race was won by Hearn, though Taylor pulled pluckily to the last, and came, in a fair second, the rest nowhere. It is but fair to state that the outrigger which Taylor pulled in was a colonial built one, and was not to be compared to the others. The last race on the first day was the whaleboat race, in which all the interest was centred.. As a Nelson boat— the Shamrock — was entered for this race, and it was known that she was to be manned by the famous Polly Varden crew, she soon rose high in the betting list, though' the Danger from her previous performances was looked upon as the winner by the Wanganui men. But fate appeared to be against Taylor's boat. Her crew Ind pulled in the previous race, and as they were not at the post at the advertised time, the starter gate the signal, and the three other boats got away together. The course for this race was up and down the river, starting from the Wanganui bridge, round the Railway bridge and then home. The Elvira, manned by the' Lytteltou crew, soon took the lead, followed closely by the Cutty Sark, the Danger bringing up ia the rear. Shortly afterwards the Shamrock put oil from the boat shed and gave chase. The Elvira and Cutty Sark were steered very badly, the coxswain of the former running his boat inside one of the stakes, aud did not discover his mistake until he had gone fully one hundred yards, and consequently bad to come bauk again' and by the time he got slewed round the other boats were fully ji quarter of a mile in advance. The Cutty Sark, by following the winding of the river, instead of taking a straight course, allowed the Danger to pass her, aud was never able to make up her lost ground again. In the meantime, the Shamrock was pulling hard to make up lost ground and so successful was she that the Cutty Sark was soon pasesd, and the space between her and the I. anger gradually lessened. But the start the latter got was too much to make up, aud the Danger came in the winner by about two lengths. The race caused great dissatisfactio 1. Had all the four boats started together there is no doubt but that the race would have beeen carried off by the Shamrock, As it was, the Elvira would

have been the winner had. not her coxswain made such an unfortunate mistake. There was a larger attendance on the second day than the first, and at one time there must have been 3000 people present. The District Race was the first one, and was restricted to four entries. It was won by the Union Club's Transit. And now came the great race of the day — the Champion Fouroar Outrigger Race. But three boats were entered— Heathcote (Lyttelton), Dolly Vardeu (Wellington), and Ulysses (Canterbury). The Wanganui people, though they had a boat, did not enter her. The Dolly Varden, on account of her previous performances, . was the favorite, and 3 to 1 was freely offered on her. As full particulars have already been telegraphed you, I will only add that there was great excitement while the race was being rowed, and a great deal of money changed hands. The admirers of the Dolly, who were mostly WeUingtouians, and were to be seen carrying a piece of pink ribbon, were in no way loth to back their boat, even while the race was on, and one enthusiastic admirer was offering as much as £10 to 30s on the Dolly. The rowing on the whole was good, that of the crew of the Dolly being splendid, though they did not appear to be in good form. The course was four miles, and was covered in 27mins 7secs against the tide,The Volunteer Race, like the whaleboat race of the previous day, was characterised by muddles of every description. After the defeat the Dolly Varden had sustained in the previous race, she was allowed to run for the Ladie3 Plate, which, had she won the champion race, she would not have been allowed to do., As they anticipated wiuning the " big money," they engaged to pull the Shamrock in the Volunteer Race., but as circumstances altered cases they d clined to do so, as they were to pull in the race for the Ladies Plate, which was to follow the Volunteer Race. The consequence was that the Shamrock was left without a crew, but the Wanganui Fire B igade preferring her to the Cutty Sark took the Nelson boat for the race. This left three boats to start. All got away together with a quick stroke, the Shamrock at once jumping to the fore. The Elvira, however, crept up tq her and these two boats having fouled, the Danger took the lead. The Shamrock and Elvira soon came up on the Danger, when they again came into collision. They were, however, soon extricated, and once more got away, the Elvira taking the lead followed by the Shamrock, both of which soon passed the Danger. On coming round the bridge, the Shamrock and Elvira again collided, the former striking the latter amidships and knocking a hole in her just above the water line. The Danger once more got ahead while the other two were clearing themselves, and came in a winner by about four lengths, the E.lvira b,eing second. The Ladies Plate was a walk over for the Dolly Varden. The Canoe Race was the mo*t amusing one of the meeting. Five canoes, manned by Maoris and Pakehas armed with short'paddles and shouting and yelling tremendously, came up to the starting post. After a great deal of trouble in getting them into a line they were sent awayi*. A canoe with a mixed cpew in it took fhe lead, follqwed closely by a large canoe with twenty warriors almost naked in it. The hootinfeand yelling of the Maori women, of whoafglhere were hundreds congregated on theWnk, as th« canoes passed them was deafening, and as the canoes gradually went out of sight, silence once more reigned, but as the time ca.me for them showing up again, all were on the qtfi viva. Immediately" on their showing up a tremendous yell from the bank told which was the winning boat. So pleased were the winners with their success that most of them jumped overboard as they approached the bank. That Nelson was not represented^ at the late regatta is to be regretted, as for a certainty she might have pulled off the Maiden race and the two whaleboat races, to say nothing of the chance she would have stood for the other races. It is to be hoped that our boating men will shake off the apathy which has hitherto formed their leading characteristic, and make an effort to be represented at the next interprovincial regatta.