ROWING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 267, 1 February 1928, Page 12

ROWING

By “RIGGER.HAMILTON REVIEW ST. GEORGE’S SUCCESSES OTHER CITY CLUBS FAIL The successes of St. George's, which captured two firsts in minor events, and made a good showing in the senior fours, was for city oarsmen almost the sole redeeming feature of the Hamilton regatta on Monday. The peculiarities of the Hamilton course always give home crews some sort of an advantage, but on Monday Hamilton’s wins were so clear-cut that actual superiority, crew for crew, played a more important part. Along with St. George’s, the Auckland Club had a moderately satisfactory day, and its habit of being persistently in the money must raise it to the front rank as time goes on. For a club which has had a very hard struggle its efforts this season have been particularly creditable, and compare more than favourably with the recent record of the neighbouring shed, Waitemata, which has a larger membership and a greater number of coaches at its disposal. In coaches, particularly, Auckland is not happily placed. Most of the coaching has been carried out by Stacey, the club captain, . who is an earnest student of the theory of rowing, and has produced good results among new members under his charge. _ OUT OF THE HUNT The Waitemata Club was so completely out of the hunt that its case is difficult to understand, and must occasion the club authorities a good deal of concern. Three or four years ago the club was winning all along the line, yet on Monday it had the worst regatta day in at least six years, no blue and gold crew being in any race closer than third. The shadow of failure was perhaps visible to the close observer last season, when the lower grade crews failed to impress, but the club then had a winning senior crew, and W. A. Stevenson, to place it at the top. Now, apparently, its seniors have lost form, and Stevenson, who did not appear at Hamilton, has not yet decided whether he will compete at the championships. The senior crew had the worst of the course, and had a hard plug up the middle of the river, but it was nevertheless beaten by better crews. St. George’s seniors were a lot further ahead of Waitemata than the report that “Waitemata and St. George’s were close together” would lead one paper’s readers to believe. FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIPS While the result of the race was disheartening to Waitemata, so hisheartening that one member of the crew, on stepping out of the boat, said that it would be his last row, it was conversely encouraging to St. George’s, which made a creditable impression in its first appearance in big company. The strength of the St. George’s crew is largely Solomon, a three man of magnificent physique, but beyond Solomon it has good men in Page, Hargreaves and Corlett. Not long before the regatta the crew was taken in hand by W. Logan, who expresses keen satisfaction with its performance. Page intends definitely to take his crew to Wanganui, and it will train hard for the big events there. Tauranga, the fourth crew in the senior fours, could not hang to the leaders, and -the comparison of performances suggests that between junior and senior standards there is a greater «ap than many imagine. Incidentally, it must be noted that two of the St. George's seniors had already had hard races when they stepped into the boat for the senior event, and Solomon, in particular, had had a gruelling race in the junior fours only half an hour or so before. EIGHT-OAR TRIALS The eight-oar trials delighted the record crowd which lined the banks of the river, and were wisely made less actual races than practice spins, in which the crews held together until they were permitted to apply the pressure a few hundred yards from the post. In these trials the best combination was that effected by V. Smith and Sandos as sfroke and seven in the one boat. The pair gave a model display of clean and attractive rowing. Sandos has come back with colours flying, and his return gives Hamilton a senior crew better, rather than just the equal of, that which won its championship colours a few years ago. Sandos, Bayley and G. St. Clair w-ere members of that crew, and Waters, who is now with them, is probably better than Curtis, the former bow. Taylor, the stroke of the Hamilton lightweight maidens, impressed close observers as one of the neatest and cleanest oarsmen seen in action at the regatta. If he were heavier he would be a potential senior stroke. J. Webber, three in the Whangarei ‘heavy maiden crew, is another good • oar. and a man of splendid physical mould. Auckland’s performance in the heavy maiden race, won by Whangarei, \%as almost as impressive as that of the winners. Cruikshank, the Hamilton wan who won the handicap sculls, may borrow a best and best boat so that he can compete at the championship. St. Clair and Molesworth are both sculling well, and both will be in action at Wanganui. Winning donations at Hamilton were: —Hamilton, £37; St. Georges, £l3; Tauranga, £l2; Whangarei, £9; * Auckland, £4; North Shore, £l. West End and Waitemata, both consistent race-winners a few seasons back, failed to reach the money.

AN OLYMPIC EIGHT

WELLINGTON NOMINATIONS Press Association. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. ■Wellington's nominations for the Olympic eight-oared crew are: A. L. Warden. R. T. Cameron, R. G. Duncan, T. Slinn, A. E. Jones, G. C. Cooke, G. E. Williams and G. S. Bright. DINGHY SMASHED TOLL OF HOBSON BAY GAP Hobson Bay gap took further “oil last night, when a terriffle flood tide, tearing through the narrow opening, took charge of a dinghy and pounded it nearly to wreckage. The occupant managed to get ashore safely. An outboard motor-boat which when to his assistance was also dam- , *ged.