WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 196, 8 November 1927, Page 12

WITH the OARSMEN

BY

“RIGGER”

SUMMER TIME ROWING Tt was an oarsmen’s week-end. Glorious weather and good water issued a call to action, and the response from all clubs was convincing. Waitema.ta, West End and Auckland conducted four-oared races, and North Shore and St. George’s had practice crews on the water. « * « THE SUNBURN TONIC Brown shoulders are making their appearance among Auckland oarsmen. If there is anything in the prescription of sunlight as a tonic, then rowing men should be a healthy lot, for on the water the rays are both direct and reflected. The W'aitemata oarsmen who visited Melbourne recently gained a flying start in this respect. Enjoying fine return voyage, they were very bronzed by the time the Ulimaroa reached Auckland. NOT IMPRESSIVE East night’s annual meeting of the Auckland Flowing Association was held in a small, hot, and extremely overcrowded room. The lack of sufficient accommodation. and the complete absence of facilities for the Press, suggested that the association places a very modest estimate on the importance of its fixture, and the general conduct of the meeting indicated that the association might advantageously import more business-like methods into its operations. ALL CLUBS BUSY Every Auckland rowing club was busy ovr*r the week-end. Simmer time, a. measure expected to add greatly to Hie popularity of the sport, was introduced by bright weather, and Saturday’s trials and practice spins were conducted under excellent conditions. Auckland, W'aitemata, St. George’s, and West End all had trial fours on the water, and interesting racing was the result. Next Saturday there will be a less favourable tide, but on the following Saturday Auckland, West End and North Shore will stage official opening ceremonies, where entertaining contests should be scon. WAITEMATA SENIOR FOUR Alterations to the Waitemata senior four are foreshadowed, but whether they will ever materialise, or what form they will take, it is difficult to say. The casting of the crew is in the hands of a selection committee consisting of A. M. McKay, C. G. Fearon,

and T. Marshall, and their task assumes added importance because the arrangements they make may mean the winning of losing of the champion fours. As at present constituted, on top of its recent overseas success, the crew appears to warrant little alteration. but there is a possibility that D. M. Smith may in future devote Ills time to double-sculling. SCULLS OR SWEEPS Smith won his red coat as a result of double sculls success with W. A. Stevenson, but last year he took on the four, as well, and he and Stevenson were beaten in the doubles. The strain on Smith must have been

severe, for he participated also in both the champion fours and the challenge fours, in the latter of which Waitemata rowed third to Union and Wendouree. C. G. Fearon. an oarsman who rows with determination and grit, is one obvious candidate for a seat in this season’s crew, and V. Smith, who had a convincing record as stroke of a crack youth’s crew, is another. SHORT-COURSE FALLACY West End is getting complete satisfaction from its new course, which skirts the boat-harbour wall, and then turns on an easy curve for a long final sprint in front of the sheds. As an additional advantage conferred by the wall, there is generally good practice water on one side or the other. Hitherto, the club has rowed its trials over a short course, little better than a sprint, and the principle has been of doubtful value, as stamina and length are not cultivated under such conditions. The same observations apply to the trials conducted on Saturday by the Auckland and Waitemata Clubs. The necessity of sheltered water makes a short course inevitable at times, but when conditions are favourable the crews should be taken over the full mile. Some of the crews racing on Saturday had to steer a dog-leg course among launches off the gap, and when three boats were engaged the outside crew had to take a course of its own, over 100yds from the other boats. AUCKLAND REGATTA CREWS Further prospective regatta crews have been selected by the Auckland Club, and arrangements have been made to cover the “At Home” on November 19. Additional crews, subject to alteration, are: Light Maiden Four: G. Field (stroke), T. Wigley, A. Doull, T. Morgan. Youths: J. Bygate (stroke), M. Barrett, E. Thorburn, A. Andrews. Maiden Pair: G. Cleal (stroke), T. Morgan. Maiden Doubles: G. Cleal (stroke), J. McComish. The Auckland Club held a special general meeting yesterday, and decided that the membership fee should be £2 2s 6d reducible to £2 2s if pirid before December 7. Mr. H. Cleal was elected president, to succeed Mr. Mappin, who had advised that he would be unable to hold the position.

WEST ENDERS TRAINING The West End maiden crew was out over the week-end, with M. Taylor as emergency bow. Three has developed a tendency to shoot his slide, and two was inclined to sky at the catch. The time, however, was excellent. M. E. Taylor, the donor of the trophies competed for in Saturday’s trials, was unable to watch the races, as he was cycling at the Auckland Amateur Athletic meeting, at which he was placed in both the three-mile and halfmile handicaps. L. Skinner was out with A. Norden in a pair-oar on Sunday morning. lie seems to have lost none of his style, and would be a handy man for the West End junior four. NORTH SHORE VISIT A North Shore crew, in which were Davies, Cameron and Dean, paid a visit to West End on Sunday morning. Dean stroked the crew on the way over, and Davies took charge for the return journey. Ail the Shore regatta crews were out during the morning. Trial fours are set for Saturday next, when heats for the President’s Trophies will be rowed, the semifinals and final to be determined on opening day, November 19. The North Shore committee will meet to-night to decide whether or not to hold the Mcllwraitli Cup race on the opening day. Two other clubs are holding at homes the same day, and as there has been no preparation it is likely that the race will be postponed until later in the season.

BROKEN OAR EPISODE F. Wilson must have been a tired man after the final of the Waitemata trials on Saturday, for he carried the bow side along after Russell had broken his oar over a furlong from home. Russell showed good judgment in swinging with the crew as though nothing had happened, and as a result McKay, driving his crew along with much determination, was able to make a great finish of the race. C. Read, on the outside, had taken the lead in the closing stages, but McKay challenged as though there were four good oars in the boat, and was making up the leeway—only about a foot—when the line was crossed. HARDY VETERAN At u 6, or thereabouts, W. R. Conway, West End, can give points to many striplings ot' 20. On Saturday he rowed two in Skinner’s boat, which won the West End trials. It was a wonderful achievement for a man who, though he has never lost his interest in rowing, was away from the game for some time, and it parallels the performances of those rowing marvels, G. Barrett and J. M. Jackson, both durable personalities, who are well known on the Auckland waterfront. Conway, who is doing much more useful work for West End, should be a handy man in the veterans’ race to be staged at the club’s official opening on Saturday week. Other fixtures set for that occasion arc the Thomas Peacock Memorial Shield event, a race for trophies given by Mr. J. A. Peacock, the patron of the club, and a members’ swimming race. ODDS AND ENDS The Schmidt trophies will be rowed for at Auckland’s “At Home” on Saturday week.

St. George’s had several crews, including regatta crews, out oyer the

week-end, though on Sunday morning the tide was very bad. Symonds, stroking a maiden crew, was out for a practice paddle, under the eye of Woolhouse, on Saturday afternoon. Stacey must have a large number of Auckland trials to his credit by now. lie added to the number on Saturday. The Rotorua Club is at present dormant, but its vivid red and green singlet is still represented on the Waitemata, worn by Quinn, W’aitemata, who may possibly be leaving to live in Hamilton. Joe Cotterill, Waitemata, has returned for good to his native Wanganui. HADFIELD ON THE WATER Darcy Hadfield paid West End a visit on Sunday morning. Sculling admirably, and looking in the pink of condition, Hadfield seems as good as ever. He has undertaken the rather delicate job of repairing a best and best skiff owned by A. Norden, who damaged the craft last season on a halfsubmerged rock. He acquired it from I. W. St. Clair, just after he had used it successfully in Australia. Other visitors to West End, on Sunday, were the North Shore four and a Waitemata crew coxed by Fearon. BINDING FOR BLADES Stacey’s crew, which won the Auckland Club’s trials on Saturday, used a set of new oars, bound with a strip of brass round the middle of the blade. This principle of reinforcement at the weakest part of the oar, the part that inevitably goes with age, has been adopted by many leading makers, and may reduce the severe depreciation to which sweeps are now subjected. St. George crews recently out have plied oars decorated, at the foot of the blade, with the club’s colours, red and white, neatly applied. The idea is one that might be more generally adopted. In Australia the whole of the blade is generally painted, but that is carrying the colour-scheme business a bit far.

HAMILTON DOINGS B. Sandos is at present farming at Rotorangi, near Cambridge, and though he has ostensibly retired, it is on the cards that he would turn out again if an Olympic crew were in the wind. Me may row at the Hamilton opening. The club has a useful-looking maiden oar in Werges, brother of the competent oarsman who strokes the champion Otago four. E. Tasker, stroke of the seniors last season, is living at Ngaruawahia, but as the club there is inactive, he will probably row again for Hamilton. The two St. Clairs have been camping at Atiamuri. They are telegraph linesmen. Both will be active this season, and Jerry is devoting some of his time to coaching Peter Edmonds, a promising young sculler. IN ST. GEORGE’S COLOURS Tentative selections for regatta crews, one of which may include A. Berridge, the representative Rugby player, have been made by St. George’s. Seniors: Iv. D. Page (str.), Soloman, Woodlouse. V. Hargreaves. Juniors: Hume (str.), Soloman, Duncan, d’Authreau. Heavy maidens: Symons (str.), Berridge, Clarke, Tong, Col beck, McGregor, Lambert. (Four to be chosen.) Light maidens: Carr (str.), Wynyard, Kelleway, McAlpine, H'islop. The club will open its formal programme on November 10. The necessity of working to the tides makes a clash with the other clubs inevitable. INTER-PROVINCIAL EIGHTS In spite of all that the Auckland delegates could do, the New Zealand Rowing Association has granted the first inter-provincial eights to Wellington. The arrangement appears to be a typical example of regrettable discourtesy, and entirely ignores the established principle that the first race of any such series should be staged as near as possible to the home of the donor of the trophy concerned. In this instance the New Zealand Rowing Association is trading on the good nature of Mr. Hallyburton Johnstone, who, at its urgent solicitation, has agreed to go to Wellington to present his cup to the winning eight. CUP WITH A HISTORY The Hallyburton Johnstone Cup is a massive bowl of silver, and is one of New Zealand’s most striking sporting trophies. It was originally the property of the Duke of Buecleuch, and thus has an interesting history. Mr. Johnstone acquired it when he was on a visit to England, and has shown excellent judgment in presenting so valuable a trophy for a race that should develop into one of the most important fixtures in New Zealand rowing. Mr. Johnstone himself is a Point Chevalier resident, and was long a resident in the Waikato district. He recently gave an area of Point Chevalier land to the city of Auckland for a public playing area.

PROTRACTED MEETING

AUCKLAND ROWING ASSN. Delegates from the rowing clubs of the Auckland district spent nearly four hours last evening in a discussion of various acquatic topics. The occasion was the Auckland Rowing Association's annual meeting, over which Mr. G. H. Reston, vice-president, presided. Whakatane was the only club not represented. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Officers elected were: Patron, Mr. John Clark: vice-patron, Mr. J. Lovett: president, Mr. W. G. Mason: vice-presidents, Messrs. W. Madden, G. H. Reston, W. J. Bridson, W. Oliver and Captain Sargeant; lion, secretary, Mr. E. H. Buckler: hon. treasurer, Mr. A. M. 'Wilson: executive, Messrs, C. H. Hunt, T. M. Morton, N. Cossey, A. M. McKay, A. Ross, K. D. Page, G. Jonson, P. R. Graham: delegates to N.Z.A.R.A., Messrs. D. R. Menzies and E. S. Innes; auditor, Mr. J. C. Gulliver. ASSOCIATION LEVY A long discussion on the association levy of 5s a club member was introduced by a motion by Mr. R. Birrell, Tauranga, wh* moved that the maximum levy be 2s for seniors and Is for juniors. An amendment .that the levy be 2s 6d for seniors and Is 3d for juniors was moved by Mr. T. M. V. Morton, St. George’s, and carired. It was agreed that outstanding levies from last year be written off, and that this year’s levy be enforced. The position concerning last season’s Mercer Regatta was explained by the chairman, who said the Mercer committee did not have enough money to pay its donations. The position solved itself, because clubs would not go to Mercer.