WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 202, 15 November 1927, Page 14

WITH the OARSMEN

BY

“RIGGER”

Next Saturday will be a big day for oarsmen. West End, North Shore, Auckland and St. George’s are holding formal opening ceremonies. The clash of fixtures is unfortunate, but was inevitable owing to the necessity for making the dates fit the tides. SATURDAY'S TRIALS Official events on Saturday were restricted to trials conducted by the North Shore and Waitemata Clubs. Overhead conditions were glorious, but the tide was bad, and a stiff souwester gave some of the Shore crews a hectic passage as they battled into its teeth. On Sunday every club had regatta crews out. There was a good tide in the morning, but the water offshore was very rough, so that boats had to hug the land. INTER-HOUSE CUP Suggestions that the scope of the inter-house cup event should be extended are unlikely to have any effect, as when the Court cup was given it was rigidly specified that the cup should be for competition between retail and soft-goods houses only. A meeting to discuss this year’s race, which will probably be held in February, is to be held shortly. An effort will be made to stage the race at North Shore. The principle of rotation is a good one to follow in arranging for such fixtures. Last season’s race was rowed at West End. * * * HOLDERS AGAIN STRONG Milne and Choyce, who hold the cup, should again be strong. McCorkindale and V. Smith, who formed the foundation of the crew successful in the past two seasons, are again available, while A. Berridge, the well-known footballer, now rowing for St. George’s, has also joined the staff. As there is a limitation against newcomers, however, he may not be eligible. R. Follas, the Shore man, hopes to get a- good crew out for John Courts, per has been a member of the Canterbury Yacht and Motor-Boat Club for a good many years now, and has been an untiring worker in the interests of yachting generally.” Well, it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good, and what is Lyttelton’s loss is Auckland’s gain. Welcome, Mr. Waddell and lona. Another of the Takapuna class boats has made its appearance at Lyttelton. This is F. Forman’s Pauline, which sailed in and won its first race recently. The new boat was built by F. Dobby. BEAUTY GETS A DUCKING The two young yachtswomen who recently acquired the 16-footer Tulip, can now boast of having been properly initiated into the more exciting side of their adopted sport. They have experienced the pleasure of a capsize. The two fair adventurers w'ere out for a spin last Saturday in company with their sailing master in the stiff: breeze then blowing, and were bowfiing along merrily with plenty of sail showing, when suddenly over they went. The little incident occurred off Kauri Point and the crew of Wild Wave, who happened to be in the vicinity, became very gallant and rescued the very w*et but cheerful yachtswomen and their sailing master. Who says the age of chivalry is dead?

Ltd., who were second last season, when there were three raw novices in the boat. Follas, who coached and stroked the crew, is now something of a veteran. He was in the North Shore crew which won the A.R.A. youths’ championship in 1914-15. BROKEN SWEEPS For sweeps to break in successive trials has been the experience of the Waitemata Boating Club. On Saturday it was Brooker, stroking a crew that had a good chance of winning, whose sweep snapped at a critical stage of the race, and the previous Saturday Russell, rowing three in A. M. McKay’s crew, had had a similar experience. In both cases the oposition crew was stroked by C. Read. Brooker’s oar was sprung, and the stroke should not have started with the possibility of a complete break so apparent. After the mishap Brooker continued to give the time to his crew, but the handicap was too much, though they managed to beat Barker for second place. TAURANGA REGATTA The Tauranga Regatta has been fixed for December 28, a date which may be distinctly inconvenient for city oarsmen, as it falls in mid-week, with a day intervening between it and Boxing Day, which is a Monday. Programmes for the popular regatta, which starts thq regatta season, will soon be out. Donations will be the same as last year, about £9O, plus a 15-guinea cup and gold medals for the Bay of Plenty event, open only to Hamilton, Rotorua and coastal clubs. HISTORIC CUP One interesting feature of regatta night at Tauranga. this season will be the presentation to the Auckland Rowing Club representatives of a historic pewter cup discovered in a second-hand shop by Mr. J. Thomson, late of Gisborne, a member of the Tauranga committee. The mug is inscribed as follows: “A.R.C. trial fours, 11th November, 1882; G. Allom, 9st 21b (bow), W. Stafford, 10st 81b, No. 2: R. J. Hogg, list 71b, No. 3: T. Jackson, str., lost 101 b; W. M. Black, cox.” The mug forms a most interesting relic of a race rowed 45 years ago, and the Auckland Rowing Club intends to ascertain if any of the original winners are still about. NORTH SHORE PROGRAMME North Shore’s opening day programme includes trials for the president’s fours, a naval cutter race, veteran’s race, and a “tippy canoe” race. On November 26 trials will be rowed for the Kobn Cups, five in number. The donor thoughtfully included the coxswain within the scope of his generosity. The Mcllwraith Cup fixture has been set for December 10, and Shore will be represented by D. Davies (str.), W. Dean, E. Korn, and D. Townsend. ENTERPRISING OARSMAN W. Dean, who won the North Shore trials on Saturday, owed his success largely to his fitness. He is in the pink of condition, a condition largely attributable to constant rowing, and the fact that he cycles over from his home at Birkenhead whenever he wants a row. Like his clubmate, Davies, Dean is a promising sculler. Davies recently purchased for £45 a beautiful Towns boat, and Dean there-

upon bought the boat Davies had been using. Still in good condition; the older skiff was built in Auckland by Mr. P. R. Graham, who had experience with Australian boatbuilders. ST. GEORGE’S NEW FOUR LANDED St. George’s Club landed its new best-and-best four yesterday. She has ben built by Sims, of Putney, England, and will probably be the first Sims four in New Zealand, nearly all the others being built by Towns, of Sydney. The association’s eights were built by Sims, and if they are any criterion St. George’s four should be a good boat. MANY SENIOR CREWS One feature that augurs well for this season’s rowing is the number of senior crews that will be taking the water. West End will be out with a really good four, in which Bright and Skinner, Who were the backbone of the crew some years ago, will both have seats. St. George’s will have Page, Solomon, Woolhouse, and Hargreaves, who should form an excellent four. The Waitemata crew is not known as yet. There is some doubt as to whether Johnson, who was married some time back, or Doubleday, will row, so that this club’s crew may not possibly be as strong as in the past few seasons. The other senior crew in the province will be Hamilton, which will have practically the same crew as last season, except that possibly a place will have to be found for Sandos. The first senior race of the season will probably be at the Hamilton Regatta, on January 31, although there is a possibility of a race at the Tauranga Regatta. The event should create considerable interest, as it will form a good line on the various crews’ chances at the championship regatta at Wanganui later on. Until the crews are all announced, it would be impossible to sort out any one crew as being better than the others, but it looks as if the senior crews will prove a very even lot. It does little harm to see the honours go round, and the keen competition that should eventuate in this class should' do the sport a great amount of good. So far no Waitemata crews have been announced, although a large number of men have been seen out in their crews in the evenings. The club held its annual meeting very early this year to enable an early selection to be made. The competition for any vacancies in the senior crew is evidently very keen. JUNIOR CLASS In the junior class, Waitemata’s four from last year is badly broken up. Impey is on a holiday trip in England, and Cottrill has returned to his native Wanganui. Fearon, Lowe, and J. Stevenson are available, but one or two others must be found. On the other hand, St. George’s juniors, which was a very strong crew last year, is almost intact. Solomon may be dost to the crew later in the season, however, through being placed in the senior crew. North Shore should have a good junior four, with several men from last year’s crew available. Davies, last year’s stroke, is now a senior, and will confine his attention to sculling. The Auckland Club’s crew will be stroked by Ross, the ex-Hamilton lad, and will have several of last year’s light maidens. This crew was very successful last season, and should form the nucleus of a good junior four. The other junior crews are at the present unknown quantities, but sufficient should be known of them in a fortnight or so to appreciate their merits.