WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 278, 14 February 1928, Page 14

WITH the OARSMEN

* BY

“RIGGER”

STEVENSON TRAINING W. A. Stevenson is still living at Milford. He is not yet definite about entering for the championships at Wanganui, but in the meantime he is training from the North Shore shed, where one of his boats is housed. WH ANGAREI INTENTIONS The Whangarei Club, which has come to light this season with five junior and heavy-weight crews, intends to be represented at Ngaruawahia Regatta on March 17. If funds are available, the heavy-weight maidens will be sent to the championship regatta at Wanganui on May 3. SOMERVILLE SHIELD Sunday’s race for the Somerville Shield was sufficiently close and interesting to give grounds for the hope* that more eight-oar races will be seen. St. George’s made a great race of it for the first mile, and though Waitemata shook them off, they were never far behind. Another challenge has been issued by North Shore. MEDALS ARRIVE Last week the gold medals won by the Waitemata crew at Henley-on-Yarra, Melbourne, arrived in Auckland, and were duly handed over to the members of the crew. The fact that for duty purposes they were valued at £ls illustrates their quality. The workmanship is gpod, and the design artistic. ♦ * . WEST END AT HOME West End has made a minor change in its programme, and the second “At Home’’ will not now be held next Saturday, as was originally planned. Trial fours for the Kohn Medals will be held instead. Members will be. treated to afternoon tea. * * * SATURDAY'S “AT HOMES” Both the Auckland and North Shore sheds will be “At Home’* to members and friends next Saturday, and attractive programmes are planned for each gathering. Afternoon tea, music, and dancing will be purveyed. In addi-

tion, there will be rowing and novelty events. An Auckland attraction will be a series of eight-oar races, rowed in the club’s own boats. WAIT EM AT A’S SENIOR FOUR Waitemata will not, unless the unexpected happens, be represented in the champion fours race at Wanganui. This is most regrettable, in such a season as this, perhaps the most important summer in the history of rowing in New Zealand; and the club’s failure to despatch a crew means that several capable oarsmen lost chances of inclusion in the Olympic eight. * * * PROVINCIAL CREW An unusually high tribute has been paid to the Hamilton senior four by the provincial selector, Mr. T. Marshall, who has built his eight-oar crew with the Hamilton four as a basis. The chief criticism to be levelled at the crew will undoubtedly be directed at the inclusion of V. Smith as stroke, before T. Johnson, who has been successful in recent trials, and was returned to the stroke seat of his club eight. Smith, of course, is a neat and proficient oarsman. It is just a matter of relative capabilities. REYNOLDS CUP The Reynolds memorial gold cup, won last Saturday by T. Johnson, is probably the most artistic trophy that' Waitemata possesses, and is undoubtedly a handsome contribution to the club’s assets. The cup is small, but classic in its outline, and is accompanied by permanent miniatures for the winners. These have not yet arrived from overseas. * * * AT PINE ISLAND Five boats from the North Shore Club found their way up to Pine Island on Sunday, the crews, which took their lunches, having an excellent day. The squadron consisted of the light maidens, junior pair, Davies (sculler) and a scratch four and pair Mr. Stan. Rutland, captain, acted as coxswain, and coatfh to the light maidens. • • * MORE BREAKAGES Faulty equipment again took its toll in Saturday’s club events. At North Shore a seat broke, robbing Norris of a certain victory in a heat. Auckland’s mishop occurred in the final. Cleal, leading, looked a winner all the way, when his two broke his oar, the crew dropping back. TRAINING AT HAMILTON The Auckland provincial eight-oar crew, consisting of V. Smith (str.), B. Sandos, W. Bayly, G. St. Clair, N. Webber, F. Solomon, B. Waters, L. Brooker (bow) will undergo training for a week at Hamilton uefore it goes to Wellilngton for the interprovincial race on March 24. The authorities are showing commendable wisdom in getting the crew together, but it seems strange to train on sheltered water for a race that, since it is to be rowed on Wellington Harbour, may eventuate under rough conditions. There are four Hamilton men in the crew, two Waitemata, and one each from Whangarei and St. George’s.

NOTES FROM THE SOUTH

THE LATE MR. HARRY BUSH Canterbury’’ rowing has suffered a severe loss in the death of Harry Bush, who was drowned off the Brighton Beach three weeks ago. Bush was one of the best scullers in Canterbury, and won the junior doubles with W. Greenway at both the Lyttelton and Akaroa regattas this season. At Akaroa he also stroked the senior four. He was entered for the senior and junior doubles at the Christchurch regatta, held at Kairaki a week after his death. Bush was deputy captain of the Union Club and had a splendid record to show for his seven consecutive years of rowing. THE CANTERBURY EIGHT It is interesting to note that the nominations for the Canterbury eight include the Akaroa Club’s senior four, which won at the Akaroa regatta on New Years’ Day. Although this crew' possesses a good stroke in “Bandy” Hammond, and gets plenty of work on the water, their style is hardly finished enough to earn them all a place in the eight. As far as style and dependability are concerned the Canterbury senior crew is hard to beat. Two of these oarsmen have been nominated for the representative crew, though one of them, C. S. Morris, while a fine oar and an outstanding athlete, has not had sufficient experience to secure a seat in the crew. F. H. Brown, undoubtedly one of the Dominion’s best oars, has not been nominated, but this can only be because he is not available.