Eight-oar Racers in Action To-morrow

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 229, 16 December 1927, Page 11

Eight-oar Racers in Action To-morrow

SOMERVILLE SHIELD CHALLENGE MATCH ARRANGED The Sims eights taken over by the Auckland Rowing Association at the end of last season will be given their first official outing tomorrow, when they will be under the racing colours of Waitemata and West End, rowing for the Somerville Shield. To be rowed over a course nearly three miles in length, the race will give the boats a fitting taste of strenuous racing and will, moreover, thoroughly test the mettle of the crews, the members of which have hitherto this season rowed only over short courses. Waitemata won the Somerville Shield at Wanganui three years ago, after it had been held since before the war by Union, of Wanganui. UNION’S BID The shield was presented to the Auckland Club, one of the few institutions that then practised eight-oar racing, by Captain Somerville, of Auckland, but it was not long before Union arrived on the scene with a very strong crew, which beat the Aucklanders in hollow fashion. The irony of the situation was that Union did not have an eight of its own, and all subsequent challenges were rowed in boats borrowed from Union’s next door neighbour, the Wanganui Rowing Club. As a stimulus to the purchase of eight-oar boats by the clubs themselves the shield was a failure, not because of the spirit of the contest, but because of the lamentable lack of enterprise among the clubs themselves. After the war Star (Wellington) and West End (Auckland) endeavoured unsuccessfully to wrest the shield from Union, but not until 1924-25 did the light blues part with it. They were then beaten by a Wanganui crew stroked by C. V Thurston, but Wanganui’s triumph was brief, as a few weeks later Waitemata followed up several successes at the Wanganui regatta by combining two regatta crews, which, with T Johnson as stroke, defeated Wanganui ' with considerable ease.

With the shield back in Auckland, both St. George’s and West End challenged for it, but were beaten rather easily. These races were rowed in the Auckland Club’s boats, but last season the Auckland Club, in the interests of its property, decided to apply stricter conditions. As a result of this and the fact that permission to use the best-and-best boats could not be secured in time, no contests were held, but this season the series is likely to be popular. WEST END’S CHANCES

West End’s chances to-morrow are brightened by the relatively poor showing of the Waitemata juniors in last Saturday’s Mcllwraith Cup event. The crews will be:

West End. —W. IST. Bright (str.), J. Skinner, O. Felton. G. Bowling, W. Bioxham, J. McFarlane, L. Strange, S. Hadley, G. Bowling, junr. (cox.). Emergency: G. Conway. Waitemata.—C. G. Fearon (str.), L. E. Brooker, T. .Johnson, N. Boubleday. A. M. Mackay, B. M. Smith, V. Smith. W. A Stevenson. Emergencies: W Lowe, J. M. Stevenson. It will be noted that T. Johnson, who stroked the Waitemata crew when it won the shield, is now rowing four, while C. G. Fearon is in the stroke seat. Including as it does seven senior oarsmen, the Waitemata crew is formidable, but West End, though perhaps lacking the same polish, will boat solid and powerful oarsihen. ■ ■ ■ Of interest is the appearance at bow of S. Hadley, All Black front-ranker Weather permitting, the race will be rowed from off Kohimarama to the eastern tide deflector, over a threemile course. The start will probably be by mutual consent.

REMAINING PROGRAMME FURTHER CLUB TRIALS Aspiring scullers will be on trial at West End to-morrow, when a single sculps events will be dispatched. Auckland will row trials for the Kohn medals, and St. George’s. Waitemata and North Shore will also have domestic events to hold the attention of their members. CHRIST’S COLLEGE WINS ANNUAL BOAT RACE ON AVON RIVER Pi'ess Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. Christ’s College beat Wanganui Collegiate School in the annual boat race on the Avon River to-day. The river was swollen by rain, and the race was rowed against a heavy head wind. Wanganui won the toss, and took the inner course, which gave them the advantage of less wind and a current of smoother water. Thev went away beautifully together, and socn had a lead from Christ’s College, which at halfway was a length and a-half. A quarter of a mile from home the college coxswain called on his crew, and

they responded nobly, and drew level. Two hundred yards ffrom home Wanganui mad® a last effort, and the nose of their boat was in front momentarily, but Christ’s College forged ahead again, and won by three-quarters of a length. The time for the mile course was 6min 52sec. Tl.e crews were: Christ’s College—C. H. Bachelor (bow,l ), Neale (2), P. C. Whyte (3), D. G. McHardy (str.); Wanganui—ll. G. Kemp, N. R. Syme, T. S. Ellingham, W. R. Taylor.