ANNIVERSARY REGATTA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5256, 28 January 1878, Page 3

ANNIVERSARY REGATTA.

The pulling races postponed from the Anniversary Day, owing to the inclement nature of the weather, came off on Saturday afternoon, and were not a very great success. This might have been expected from fact of a postponement being necessary. The attendance was very poor, which may be accounted for by the counter attraction of the cricket match on the Basin Beserve. Thu races with one exception were contested with little spirit. the course for all the events except the whaleboat race was from Evans Bay Point along the shore to a vessel anchored off Meechs Slip; thence to the wharf, to finish there, ihe whaleboats started from the wharf, and made a three-mile circular course round H.M.b. Nymphe to Evans Bay Point, finishing at the wharf. The starts of’the boats from Evans Bay Point could not be observed from the wharf, and consequently the times which the races occupied could not be very well ascertained. The first race did not commence till an hour after the advertised time, and the Volunteer Whaleboat Bace did not take place till late in the afternoon, by which time most of the judges had gone home. The Senior Pair-oared Bace, the last on the programme, did not come off. JUNIOR PAIR-OARED GIG RACE. The first event on the programme was the Junior Pair-oared Gig Bace. Distance, two miles. First prize, £5 ; second, £2. There were four entries for this race, but only two put in an appearance, namely, the Dart and Duchess of Devonshire. Shortly after starting, the last-mentioned boat from some cause or other stopped rowing, leaving the race to the Dart, which was pulled, leisurely over the course. WHALEBOAT RACE. The next event was the Whaleboat Bace, which the Echo, Orson, Black Diamond, and Arawata contested. The distance was three miles, a circular course, and the boats had to be steered by a bona fide steer-oar. The first prize awarded was a cup and £ls ; second, £5. After some considerable delay, through the Echo persistently keeping ahead of the other boats, all went off to an excellent start. The Echo was the first to go ahead, but she speedily had to give place to the Black Diamond, which soon assumed a lead of a couple of boats lengths. She was followed by the Arawata. The Orion, which had decidedly the worst of the start, soon picked up, lost ground, and got on pretty even terms with the Arawata and Echo. The Black Diamond was first round the Nymphe, Arawata second, and Orion and Echo in the order named. As they pulled across the bay for Point Jerninghatn buoy the Black Diamond and Arawata were a long way ahead, but a most exciting race between the other two boats, for the third position, took place. They raced close together for a quarter of a mile, when the Orion’s crew putting on a tremendous spurt shot ahead. Nothing of any note occurred during the rest of the race; the Black Diamond coming in first an easy winner by a dozen lengths, the Arawata second, Orion third, and Echo last. Time, 25J minutes. MAIDEN POUR-OARED INRIQGED GIG RACE. Distance two miles. First prize, £7 10s.; second, £2 10s. The Castor and Maud, belonging to the Star Club, were the only boats in thi«°race. They pulled together all the way round till turning the last fl tg-boat to come home, when the Castor by wide steering lost a couple of boat’s lengths and thereby the race. Time, 10 minutes. scullers’ race. Distance one and a half miles. First prize, a cup and £5 ; second, £\. Messrs. Hearn and Floyd started for this race, the former winning as he liked. No time was taken. VOLUNTEER WHALEBOAT RACE. In this race three started—the Black Diamond, Kobo, and Arawata. The former boat goon after starting dropped out of the race, while the Arawata took the lead and maintained it to the finish. As the Echo had not entered, of course she will not be able to claim the second prize. No boats put in an appearance for the Senior Pair-oared Outrigger Bace, and consequently it was struck off the programme.