WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 190, 1 November 1927, Page 12

WITH the OARSMEN

BY

“RIGGER”

WIND AND TIDE A stiff westerly raked the harbour on Saturday afternoon, and the crews that got out clung to sheltered water. A poor tide helped to restrict operations, though the sunshine, with its hint of summer, had drawn good attendances to all sheds. On Sunday morning there was excellent water on the city side, Waitemata, West End, Auckland and St. George’s each getting out four or more crews. That St. George’s is not insuperably handicapped by the closing of Judge’s Bay was indicated by the appearance of three fours outside the wall. No trials were rowed over the week-end, but the series will be resumed next week-end by the Auckland and Waitemata sheds. Waitemata crews will row four-oared races for the Bailey and Lowe caps.

CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR WANGANUI Messrs. E. S. Innes and D. R. Menzies were the Auckland delegates to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rowing Association, and they put up a worthy fight for the allocation to Auckland of the first inter-provincial eights, for which the trophy will be the Hallyburton-Johnstone Cup, mentioned in this colum a week or two ago. The championship for the coming season was awarded to Wanganui,

but a motion to centralise championships permanently among the Picton, Petone and Wanganui courses was decisively rejected. M a j o r Lomax, the keen Wanganui sportsman, was elected president, and Mr. H. Ayres, the selector of the last New Zealand eight, a vice-president. In the course of the

proceedings it was mentioned that Auckland and Wellington University Colleges would probably meet in an eight-oar race at Wellington toward the end of the season. For the championship regatta a New South Wales eight and sculler are to be invited over, the association defraying all expenses, while the visitors are in the Dominion. ROWING MORE POPULAR There were 60 more oarsmen in the Auckland Association’s district last season than there were the season before. That is disclosed in the annual report of the Auckland Rowing Association. which records that last summer St. George’s, with 54 members, was the largest club, and Dargaville. Mercer and Whakatane, each with 21 members, were the smallest. Of the 369 active oarsmen last season, the five city clubs possessed between them 204. The figure is not nearly large enough, and suggests that many of the youths of Auckland are captivated by sports that demand less physical exertion. To some extent, of course, rowing clubs here are carrying on under difficulties, but there is apparent a definite need that the authorities here should take active steps to extend the popularity of the sport. NORTH SHORE FINANCE The North Shore Club’s satisfactory financial position is revealed by its latest balance-sheet, in which no severe liabilities are apparent. There is cash in hand amounting to £2B, and plant worth some £7OO. Like St. George’s the club was materially assisted, during the year, by success at regattas, which yielded £72 10s in donations. Plant sold realised £3l 9s 3d, and new plant costing £63 13s was purchased. An acquisition to the private plant of the club is the skiff imported by Davies, a promising sculler, who has been keen enough to buy himself a new Towns boat. AUCKLAND REGATTA CREWS The following crews have been selected by the Auckland Rowing Club for the coming regatta season: Junior four: A. Ross (str.), R. Mahon, W. Eaddy, R. Martin. Junior pair: Ross (str.), Mahon. Open maiden four: R. Stacey (str.), A. B. Andrews, G. Jonson, J. McComish. The junior crew should develop into a solid set, with the weight well distributed. Ross and Mahon are both a useful weight, with Ross slightly the heavier.

' The maiden crew is altered in only one respect from that of last year, Jonson replacing Hall, who has transferred to YVhangarei. Youths and light-weights will be chosen at an early date.

CLOSING A BAY No one could suggest that the civic authorities extended even scant consideration to the St. George’s Rowing Club when the opening across the mouth of Judge’s Bay was filled in in the face of an assurance that for the present it would be left open. St. George’s is now confronting serious difficulties, but there was no hint of dissatisfaction or lack of interest among the loyal members who rallied to the annual meeting, at which there was tendered ample evidence of enthusiasm. At the same time, the club appears to be applying to its members a severe test when it raises its subscriptions to two guineas and three guineas. At the latter figure the subscription for senior members is higher than the average. In the® three Wanganui rowing clubs, for instance, the highest senior subscription is two guineas.

STEVENSON AND HOFFLER When in Melbourne the Waitemata representatives, who returned by the Ulimaroa to-day, met an interesting personality in Heilman Hoffler, an Austrian, who in his own country was a champion sculler, swimmer and iceskater. He was without a boat in which to compete at the 1-lenley-on-Y'arra regatta, so W. A. Stevenson, the Aucklander, very generously offered him the use of his old shell, which he did not require when he had landed the new Sims boat. By that time, however, the Austrian did not have time to prepare for the race, but he was hoping that he would be able to turn out in another series of races last Saturday.

ODDS AND ENDS Cruel luck for J. Stack, the Waitemata oarsman and Newton League footballer. As a result of his accident on the football field he has suffered the amputation of a leg, and his rowing days are probably over for good. Of last year’s successful St. George’s youths’crew, only one, Hargreaves, will be eligible to row as a youth again this

season. The other three, Simons, Soloman and Coote, should make the nucleus for a fine maiden crew. City crews are finding that the railway embankment across Hobson Bay | gives them a fine stretch of sheltered j water when a southerly breeze is blowing. Auckland Club’s trials next Saturday will be for club trophies. Doull will not be available, so Cleal is to stroke i his crew, and Chappell will replace j Cleal in Jonson’s boat. j Stevenson’s two skiffs, and the Waitemata crew’s boat, will return from ! Melbourne this week on the freighter j Kartigi. VETERANS OF ST. GEORGE'S j V. Dunne, treasurer of the St. George’s Club, is in his 25th year of active association with the Judge’s Bay institution, and T. M. V. Morton, the secretary, is in his sixth year of office. Both are creditable records, and reflect the fine loyalty which has helped the club along since the daj r , recollected at the annual meeting by Mr. H. W. Hudson, when the timber for the construction of the shed, burned down in a fire, was floated into Judge’s Bay on

raft navigated by the first members. Prospects of disposing of the shed in the event of a move to another site, were discussed at the annual meeting last week, and one optimist suggested that it might bring £SOO. With its already strong membership, and somewhat curtailed facilities, St.

George’s is not at present seeking an iatflux of new members. The leaven of footballers on the roll has been strengthened by the election of V. Clark, of the North Shore Rugby Club.

ACROSS THE TASMAN B. McLaren, of Port Macquarie, has challenged Alf. Burns for the professional sculling championship of Australia. The champion, who in the meantime is in quest of a match with Goodsell, has two months in which to accept McLaren’s challenge, and six months in which to rape. R. Pearce, the man who beat Stevenson, confirmed his success by the record established in the Olympic trial on the following Monday. It looks as though Australia may lift the sculling title at the Olympic Games. Negotiations for a Sydney Varsity crew to visit New Zealand after Christmas are still in progress. The crew would be an eight, and its visit would excite so much interest that the enterprise warrants the cordial support of all rowing men. AN OLYMPIC EIGHT The question of sending an Olympic eight to the Games at Amsterdam appears to be still hanging fire. The chief reason for the hesitance is the cost of the venture, but against that must be set the definite acknowledgement that New Zealand oarsmen are nearer to world’s championship standard than any othr sporting representatives (except Rugby footballers) that the Dominion could send. The success of the Digger eights in England, and of the last All Black crew that visited Australia, should inspire the body of oarsmen to assert a strong claim for the right of a crack crew to be sent overseas. Given careful selection, through training, and time to become acclimatised in Holland, the Maorilanders would have every chance of coming back with the goods. NORTH SHORE ROWING CLUB The North Shore Rowing Club met last evening to finalise arrangements for the opening of its season on November 19. Mr. J. Farrell presided, and there was a good attendance to congratulate the committee on having painted the interior of the pavilion. On opening day the Shore's traditions of sociability will be' maintained. The programme will include a race for old-timers; a naval cutter race; and probably a trial for the newest form of aquatic relaxation there, the tippy canoes. REGATTA CREWS CHOSEN The pair oars at Devonport this season will be Dean and Cameron. Dean was partnered by Davies last season, but the latter is going in for solo work. Cameron will tip the scale at about 13st 71b, and his stroke at 12st 71b, a good hefty pair. During the weekend their boat was varnished and put ship-shape. Other Shore regatta crews are: Light Maidens. —Norris (str.), Challenor, Stead, Oliver. Juniors. —W. Dean (str.), D. Townsend, E. Korns, McCallum. Heavy Maidens. —D. Fraser (str.), Gardiner, Harvey, Musket. Youths.— Kohn, Townsend, Seagar, McCallum. Junior Pair. —W. Dean tfr.), N. CanieSingle Sculls. —D. Davies. Official Strokes. —Davies, Dean, Follas, Korn, Norris, Fraser. NOTES FROM WEST END Good water and tides enabled many crews to have try-outs over the weekend. A pleasing feature was the number of new members seen out in fours and pairs, all of them shaping well. Sage advisers counsel one budding Goodsell not to abuse the privileges of the novice sculler, who is expected to keep near the shed, and not roam as far afield at the Ferry Buildings. It is to be regretted that S. Hadley has decided not to go in for regatta racing this season. After completing a strenuous Rugby season, ; ‘Swin.” is about 81b under weight, and in view of the South African tour is unwilling, on top of this, to tackle the hard training required for regatta work. An ideal three, he will be hard to replace in the heavy-weight four.

WEST END REGATTA CREWS The crews at present likely to represent West End in the season’s regatta are: Open Maiden Four. —J. Haylock (str.), V. McFarlane, L. Strange, R. Snowden. Open Pair Oar.— J. Haylock (str.), V. McFarlane (bow). Maiden Double Sculls.— R. Snowden (str.), G. Dowling (bow). Junior and light maiden fours at previously stated. The open maiden crew and the pair oar had a spin on Sunday morning, and though on the light side should each mould into a fair crew. The maiden doubles were also out, and moved along nicely. Next Saturday West End is holding trials for trophies given by Mr. E. M. Taylor.