Waitemata’s Win

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 183, 24 October 1927, Page 7

Waitemata’s Win

fine FORM IN HENLEY FOURS

Pearce Defeats Stevenson

THE Waitemata crew which represented New Zealand at the Henley-on-Yarra Regatta did so worthily and well. It impressed the critics with its easy win in the big fours race. W. A. Stevenson, the Waitemata sculler, was third in the Henley sculls, which were won by the Australian champion, R. Pearce, of New South Wales. Bj/ Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright

MELBOURNE, Sunday. rpHE Waitemata crew scored a 1 popular victory in the senior fours at the Henley-on-Yarra regatta. [t won its heat and the- final easily. The critics were favourably impressed bv the Auckland rowers’ vigorous leg drive and perfect physical condition. The Waitemata sculler, W. A. Stevenson, was third in the Henley senior sculls. Great interest centred in the meeting of Stevenson and the Australian champion, R. Pearce. The New Zea-

kinder sculled well in the first heat, which he won, defeating the Victorian champion. A. Cambridge, but he proved no match for Pearce in the final. Goulding defeated Stevenson on the post for second place. Pearce is recognised as Australia’s greatest amateur sculler, and is believed to be certain to win the Olympic test sculling race on Monday. Mosman, Sydney, defeated Mel-

bourne by a length and a-lialf in the Senior Eights. The principal results were as follow: STEWARDS’ CHALLENGE Senior Fours Finafc WAITEMATA 1 NAGAMBIE . . 2 Won by four lengths. Time, smin 24sec.

HENLEY SENIOR SCULLS Final R. PEARCE, N.S.W 1 R. GOULDING, N.S.W 2 W. A. STEVENSON, Waitemata 3 Won by six lengths. Time, smin 23 *ec.—A. and N.Z.

WAITEMATA’S GOOD WIN NOTES AND COMMENTS

THE Waitemata crew’s success at Melbourne crowns it series of conducing wins in good company in New inland, and again illustrates the high '‘tandard ol New Zealand rowing, in tymparison with the standard overseas. The Waitemata four has not yet won championship of its own country. Iwaa.1 waa . beaten by a few feet in the '•humpionship race at Picton last summer, after it had led most of the • v uy. The crew that, with a despersprint to the post, retained its atle on that occasion, was the Otago of Werges. McAra. An‘erson and Brough, a powerful but Vj nie\vhat unorthodox crew. Waite•'‘Us journey to Melbourne should ■ ave developed the four, and endowed "Jth valuable experience, and it is i the cards that, if the four remains '•wet, it, may turn the tables this T aSOn - Unfortunately there is a that N. Doubleday. No. 2 in Th oat - ma y rema in in Australia. Hie Waitemata crew is a good, even b., weight averaging about lwhich, while not particularly av )'. is a good rowing weight. details of crew d. le stroke man, T. Johnson (11.7), uie most experienced man in the v ir ' v ‘ .He has represented the proan, Ce in severa - 1 inter-provincial .ours. bow in the last representative • Zeala ncl eight, which had such wins in Australia in 192", commenced rowing in 1922, and in 5 hrst season rowed three in a ow!?*, crew stroked by W. Lindsay, • s , ft the Star Club in Wellington. In ■nte* COn< * year he was selected for r he ‘-provincial four—an outstanding jvrrnance. I 5? c fntre of the boat is made up of ; crooker (3), and N. Doubleday (2>. 2q.i whom weigh about 13 stone. are neat, polished oarsmen, and /wore or less certainties for the jh .New Zealand eight. The pair eir e ? ced r °wing in 1921 in a maiden W , stroked by A. A. Lucas, with F. /rnold as the bow. so that all four in' p. era of that crew were well-known “asn! s ? circles. In the following , li}j n Johnson, Booker and Doubleof v across to Melbourne a couple 'Vth? 0118 buck » and won the event. na occasion Waitemata was in-

day were associated with A. M. Mackay in a crack junior four, which remained ! unbeaten after two long and strenuous ! seasons. During this period D. W. Smith, now j rowing bow in the senior fours, was | in a crack Waitemata youths’ four stroked by his cousin, V. Smith. lie i | was brought into the four at the ! | beginning of last season, after a sea- | son’s junior rowing. Smith has had i considerable success as a sculler, hav- • ing won the champion double sculls with Stevenson on two occasions. ! By winning the Stewards’ Challenge ; Cup the Waitemata crew upholds New Zealand’s prestige. The Otago four

vited to represent New Zealand (although the crew rowed under its own colours in the race) and the honour extended has now been thoroughly justified. STEVENSON’S RACE AV. A. Stevenson, the Auckland sculler, beat a tough opponent in A. Cambridge, whom he eclipsed in the first heat of the sculling events, and his success, coupled with the acknowledged skill of Cambridge, suggested that he would make a good race of it with Pearce. The big New South Wales man, however, is a first class sculler, with sculling in his blood, and the physical proportions of a giant. His father was an old-time champion, find he has been trained by another old-time champion in Floyd. J. A. Goulding, who narrowly defeated Stevenson for third place, was champion of New South AVales ’ efere Pearce arrived on the scene. Stevenson has failed to maintain the record of success achieved by other New Zealand scullers in Australia. Three years ago I. AV. St. Clair, of Hamilton, won with ease on the Parramatta. It is Quite evident, however, that Stevenson was meeting an exceptionally line sculler in Pearce, a man of such ability that against him even Stevenson’s fierce determination could not carry the day. Moreover, letters received before the race, both from Stevenson and from his coach, Mr. AA r . Logan, suggest that the eccentric Melbourne climate seriously affected the New Zealander, so that possibly he was unable to reproduce his best form.

FOULED BY GOULDING

PRIVATE ADVICE RECEIVED

Interesting light is thrown on the Henley-on-Yarra sculling test by the following advice received to-day from Mr. AV. Logan, Stevenson’s coach: “Alf gets second place. 'Had hard luck. Goulding fouled him several times along the course. Also he had worst position.”

Logan’s opinion that Stevenson got second place conflicts with the official verdict. Another test, to decide which of the Australian scullers will be sent to the Olympic Games, is being rowed to-day, and it will possibly give the Aucklander a fairer test.

AUCKLAND CLUB’S START

PROMISING OPENING

Tin; appearance of five crews in the Auckland Rowing Club's opening trial on Saturday gives the season an encouraging opening. The selected crews rowed for the William Clark Memorial Shield, and the trials produced work of a satisfactory standard. A following wind blowing straight along the course gave no position any particular advantage, but a jobble on the water made clean bladework difficult. In the first heat K. Stacey met G. Jonson and AV. Eaddy. Eaddy showed out from the start, but at Park Stacey was overhauling him, with Jonson trailing. Passing the sheds Stacey was ahead, but liis three (Barrett) was showing signs of distress and Eaddy appeared to have the race in hand. His challenge, however, was stalled off in a battling finish, with the crews racing blade to blade, a foul nearly occurring. Eaddy was a substitute in the second beat when A. Ross, the newcomer from Hamilton, was his opponent. Ross

set off with a long stroke, supported bv "ood drive from the stretcher. At the'start Eaddy lost part of his swivel, •md thereafter he could apply no weight, Ross winning in a canter. In consideration of the accident with his swivel, Eaddy was allowed to start with Ross and Stacey in the final, and he made the pace at the start. Ross, on the centre course, speedily took the lead with Eaddy hanging close, and Stacey, on the inside, very little behind ' Passing the sheds Ross quickened his heat to throw oil' Eaddy. Stacey challenged vigorously when he reached the shelter of the reclamation, but. though he gained ground, lie could not do more than overlap with the leaders There was roughly a length between Ross and Eaddy, and between Eaddv and Stacey. Ross showed excellent form in both appearances. Tne winning crew was:—A. Ross (stroke), R. Mahon, H. Duck, T. Morgan (bow), p. Stacey (cox.).