Rowing.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 22, 1 December 1900, Page 13

Rowing.

The splendid water in the harbour during the past week enabled the local clubs to decide a number of their club events. A meeting was held on Monday evening between the committees of both the local clubs, when it was decided to hold a rowing regatta on the 2nd February. Messrs E. P. Smith and G. C. Fache were elected secretary and treasurer respectively. The Star Boating Club's Senior Double Sculls were won by H. L.Wiggins (stroke) and F. Gate (bow), who defeated C. B. Trimnell (stroke) and W. D. Home (bow) in the final. It was a good race for half the distance, when Wiggins forced the pace and gradually drew away, ultimately winning by two lengths. The Wellington Rowing Club will be represented in the Ladies' Plate at the Championship Regatta by the following : — T. Spencer (stroke), J. Calnan (3), J. R. Crawford (2), and A. McAlpine (bow), which is the same crew that represented the club in the Champion Fours at Auckland two seasons ago.

The Matheson Fours of the Otago Bowing Club were won by S. Clark (stroke), J. Allen (8), H. G. Taylor (2), and H. G. Scott (bow). A vacancy has occurred in the Star Club's junior crew through Cox being temporary transferred from Wellington. This is to be regretted, as the club placed great hopes in this crew for the coming season. The Wareham Pours (Wellington Rowing Club) were rowed last Saturday, when A. Hill (stroke), W. Read (8), S. Galbraith (2), D. Duff (bow) defeated G. Player (stroke), H. McKinlay (8), W. Evans (2), and J. Murrell (bow) by a length in the final. Great interest was taken in the event, eleven crews facing the starter, and some splendid racing was witnessed. The winners of the Star's Junior Double Sculls turned up in D. W. Duff (stroke) and G. Matthews (bow), who defeated C. E. Dowland (stroke) and F. Gill (bow) in the final. This was a very exciting contest — a hundred yards from the winning post there was little to pick and choose between the two boats— but Duff and his partner had more left in them, finishing with a splendid spurt three-quarters of a length in front of their opponents. The first of the Wellington Rowing Club's Senior Fours was rowed between T. Spencer (stroke), J. Spencer (3), W. Read (2), W. Ward (bow), and J. Calnan (stroke), F. James (3), H. Jones (2), R. F. Smith (bow). In this event, after the crews had traversed about half the distance, Calnan's crew stopped rowing and claimed a foul on the ground that Spencer had taken his water. Spencer's crew rowed on and finished the distance. The protest will be considered by the committee this week. I am glad to see the committee of the N.Z.A.R.A. have referred the programmes of the Championship rind Lyttelton Regattas back to their respective committees with regard to rowing the junior fours in clinker boats at the Championship Regatta, and the rowing of the Senior Double Sculls and Pairs in stump boats at the Lyttelton Regatta. As I have already pointed out, it does not foster good rowing, and a check must be put on regatta committees who use such boats simply because it is more remunerative to the regatta funds.