WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 302, 13 March 1928, Page 16

WITH the OARSMEN

BY

“RIGGER”

A VALUABLE LESSON The chief lesson from the eight-oar race is the fact that it showed rowing still possesses great possibilities as a drawing-card. There were people clustered on every vantage-point, and they followed the race with the greatest interest. A good eight-oar programme. staged on such a day as Sunday, and advertised with judicious publicity, would be made a good proposition from the gate-money point of view'. WHERE CLUBS FAIL It is patently time that the dispatch of such races as Somerville Shield events was taken out of the hands of the clubs and controlled by authorities sufficiently fearless to establish, right away, the virtues of punctuality. Sunday’s race was late, as usual. It was timed to start at 10.30, and it was just an hour later that the boats set off. They would have been later still had A. M. Mackay, Waitemata club captain, listened to the importunities of club supporters who wanted a couple of late-comers included in the crew. Fortunately, Mackay had the courage of his convictions, and the reserves filled the places, fcfr good or ill. * * * PAGEANT OF ROWING CRAFT The harbour on Sunday morning was a sight to gladden the heart of old rowing men, a picture reminiscent of the game in its palmy days, when all Auckland was at the quays to see the favourites go sweeping by. Dozens of craft, including pair-oars, doublescullers, skiffs, and fours were out on the glassy water, and every club was represented. Of the race itself the best that can be said is that Waitemata, lacking life, rowed like a beaten crew from the start, whereas Hamilton’s long clip held plenty of devil. AUCKLAND ASPIRATIONS Auckland had wanted to start in the race in one of the club’s clinker boats. This courageous ambition was checked at birth. In Sunday’s conditions a clinker ship could not have stayed within furlongs of the best and best craft. Pope, who stroked Hamilton, set a nice beat throughout, bi| it was really Sandos, maintaining a beautiful swing, who set the rhythm for the boat. Pope’s blade work was inclined to be uneven. He was “skying” badly at times. • » * HAMILTON’S HOPES The wisdom of permitting Hamilton to enter a challenge and carry off the shield cannot be established until its effect is fully seen. There is in sight the grim prospect that the latest development has killed the Somerville Shield, as Hamilton has no eights, and few challengers will feel inclined to undertake the responsibility for shipping boats there to participate in a race which will always be problematical as to result. However, Hamilton’s idea in making the challenge was to illustrate the strength of their claim to an eight, and they have certainly done so. Apart from the. N.Z.A.R.A., the Hamilton Club is thinking of trying to purchase an eight of its own. * * * THE SHIELD GOES BACK The Somerville Shield was borne triumphantly back to Hamilton on Sunday evening. Having achieved such success in the eight-oar, the Hamilton Club probably regrets that it did not take the opportunity of entering a crew in the senior championship fours, which would have been rowed, almost for certain, had Hamilton been an entrant. Next season it is doubtful if the same fine senior four will be together, Sandos, Bayley and G. St. Clair are talking of retiring. Fortunately, the club has promising material coming on. Good men in Taylor and Johnston came to light in this season’s maiden races. • * • INTER-HOUSE CUP Milne and Choyce’s, having won the inter-House cup three times in succession, the suggestion that the crew should be allowed to retain the trophy permanently has been made. This would be in accordance with the usual practice, and would in this case be simplified by the fact that the firm

is willing to donate another cup to allow the race to be carried on. The series of rather hollow victories registered by Milnes’ which has the good fortune to possess a first rate stroke in V. Smith, lends point to the suggestion that the application of the race should be

widened. Incidentally, McCorkindale and Shaw, of the winning crew', have stated that they will not be turning out again.

VARSITY ROWING Places in the Auckland University eight are apparently to be competed for warmly, as five crews were/boated in the course of the trials conducted over the week-end. There is some good material in sight, and to command it—this being the most gratifying feature—the selectors have not needed to go beyond the usual relatively rigid student classification. A.

G. Ross, the Auckland man, will probably be stroke of the crew, which is to compete against Wellington on Easter Saturday, in connection with the University tournament. The following others have been advised to keep in training: Brooker, Solomon, Mackay, McCallum, Jonson, Blakey, D’Authreau, Martin, Field, Lowe, Keegan. • » * CHAMPIONSHIPS OFF Unless it developed some pious qualms about racing the outstanding championships, on the Sabbath the Auckland Rowing Association lost a great chance last Sunday, when conditions were perfect. However, Hamilton did not come clown prepared to row, they could have had a Waitemata boat, but the boat would not have been rigged bow—side, to suit Sandos —so the opportunity -will recur. * * * NGARUAWAHIA PROSPECTS Prospects for Ngaruawahia are bright. The entries are particularly good, and the single sculls, especially, has attracted a great field. SENIORS AT NGARUAWAHIA The senior fours at Ngaruawahia will excite a lot of interest, as all the crack crews in the province are to turn out, pius a new contender from West End. There is no new material in the West End boats, but the tried campaigners, only lately put into training, may be a surprise packet if they do actually start. Waitemata has got another senior crew, now stroked by T. Johnson, into action. The men are: T. Johnson (stroke), L. Brooker, N. Doubleday, A. M. Mackay. INTERPROVINCIAL EIGHTS At a meeting of the Wellington Rowing Regatta Committee, the following programme was approved for the interprovincial and Olympic eights regatta, to be held on the Wellington Harbour on Saturday, March 24: Maiden Fours, £7; Inter-Provincial Championship Eights, .£25; Maiden Double Sculls, £5; . Light-weight Maiden Fours, £7; Maiden Pairs, £5; Youths’ Fours, £7; Olympic Possibles v. Probables. The Championship Eights will be rowed over a course of three miles, and the Possibles v. i Probables Eights a mile and a-quarter, all the minor races being a mile. ' The selectors appointed by the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association will be present at this regatta, and will announce the crews for the Possibles v . Probables’ race after the finish of the Inter-Provincial Eights. • • • ROWING AT TAURANGA C. Tonkin, the popular captain of the Tauranga Club, was the recipient of a mark of appreciation at the club’s “At Home” last Saturday. Tonkin’s efforts have been mainly responsible for the healthy interest taken in rowing by the sportsmen of Tauranga. The activity of the club is exemplified by its entries for Ngaruawahia—junior fours and pairs, light and heavy maiden fours, and maiden pairs> Tonkin will stroke the junior four. TRAINING FOR NGARUAWAHIA Waitemata crews intend to make a better showing at Ngaruawahia than they did at Rangiriri, so all are training hard, and with a little general brisking in style should do well. Crews from this club have all been sluggish lately. Lowe, the club’s single sculling entrant for next Saturday, has been out a number of times during the last few days. He will be rowing in a clinker boat, and will need a good handicap if he is to be in at the finish. FEARON PAIRS Mr. C. C. Cairns was an efficient starter in the Fearon pair- oared trophies held by Waitemata on Saturday. Some of the crews who were giving away 19 seconds and over in less than a mile found the wait at the start rather irksome, and lost considerable time by indulging in the doubtful joy of false starts. MAURICE CARO CUP By defeating St. George’s in the Caro Cup double sculls on Saturday, Auckland gained the cup for the third time in eight years. St. George’s have held the trophy three times also, while North Shore and Waitemata have won it once each. The record of winners is as follows: —1920-21, Auckland; 1921-22, Auckland; 1922-23, St. George’s; 1923-24. St. George’s: 1924-25, North Shore: 1925-26, Waitemata; 1926-27, St. George’s; 1927-28, Auckland. WEBBER IN TOWN Norman Webber, the promising Whangarei oarsman, arrived in Auckland to-day for • training with the Auckland eight at Hamilton, in preparation for the interprovincial race and the Olympic trials at Wellington on March 24. ♦ * * PEARCE CUP Two world’s champions, as will be seen, are numbered among the winners of the Pearce Cup, won by G. S. Bright (Wellington Rowing Club), at the recent Wellington Regatta; W. Copeland (Star) ISS7 F. Foster (Napier) 1888 W. Copeland (Star) 1889 T. Sullivan (Wellington) 1890 W. Bridson (Wellington) 1891 A. G. Hume (Star) 1594 C. Chapman (Wairewa) .. .. .. .. 1897 W. E. Bendall (Star) 1899 G. Hutchinson (Star) 1901 J. F. McGrath (Otago) 1902 W. Webb (Union) 1903 W. Webb (Union) .. 1904 W. Whelch (Akaroa) 1905 A. T. Bendall (Star) 1906 E. McDonald (Wanganui) 1907 G. H. Marshall (Wanganui) .. .. 1908 A. C. Christensen (Union) .. .. 1909 A. S. C. Anderson (Wanganui) .. 1911 H. Sharpe (Union) 1912 D. C. Hadfield (Waitemata) .. .. 1913 D. C. Hadfield (Waitemata) .. .. 1914 D. C. Hadfield (Waitemata) .. .. 1920 A. Sharpe (Union) 1921 A. Sharpe (Union) 1922 A. T. Godfrey (Aramoho) 1923 A. T. Godfrey (Aramoho) 1924 E. O. Trail (Union) 1925 J. W. St. Clair (Hamilton) „. .. 1926 J. W. St. Clair (Hamilton) «_ 1927 G. S. Bright (Wellington) w X X 1928