WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 320, 3 April 1928, Page 16

WITH the OARSMEN

• BY

“RIGGER"

Rowing in Auckland is practically at an end for the season. The disposal of the remaining A.R.A. titles last Saturday rounded off a season that has been full of incider^:. BARRETT CUP The Barrett Cup race will be staged at West End on Saturday week, but the fixture has been left so late that it will lose much in interest. Waitemata and St. George’s are unlikely to be represented. A QUESTION OF PUNCTUALITY As rowing events go, the programme for the A.R.A. events last Saturday was dispatched with moderate promptitude, but at the same time there were tedious intervals. Casual passersby arrived in motor-cars, paused to wonder why the little group had assembled, and then passed on—still wondering. * * * LATENESS THE RULE Every major regatta this season, with the possible exception of Ngaruawaliia, has been run behind schedule. This is a reflection on rowing men themselves, and the sport will never grip the public fancy until they remedy the fault. Even the inter-provincial eights, at Wellington, were run an hour behind timetable, and of course the delay at Wanganui has become notorious. SCULLERS GO ASTRAY Davies, Woolhouse and Lowe, who filled the places in the handicap sculls on Saturday, went considerably off the course, and finished well out in the harbour. Lowe lost a great deal ol ground through keeping on a diagonal course insteac of swinging in al the slight bene near the finish Woolhouse a n c Davies committee the same fault to s smaller degree Davies almost fouling a launch. The three finished reasonably close together. Both Woolhouse and Lowe sculled with neatness and power, but they were opposed by a good man in Davies, whose new boat was a further factor in his favour. * * VARSITY CREW’S WEIGHTS The members of the Carsity crew are training under C. G. Fearon, and their weights, are as follow:

J. K. Hunn (10st.), is reserve and coxswain. All of the crew are camped at the Waitemata and Auckland sheds, and until the week-end, when the Auckland racing eight arrived back from Wellington, they trained in one of the Auckland clinkers. For the actual race, to be rowed at Wellington on Saturday, a boat will be borrowed from Wellington. Crease and Mullins will be stroke and seven in the Wellington boat, in which all the oarsmen are members of the Star Club. In the Auckland crew the four men in the middle of the boat. Blakey. Solomon, D’Autlireau and Hislop, belong to St. George’s.

FINE DOUBLES PAIR A scratch Waitemata pair in C. G. Fearon and J. M.

down with their colours flying to those two versatile performers, V. Hargreaves and M. Sym o n s. The St. George’s pair had practically a rowover in the maiden doubles, and then went on to win the junior event in excellent style. They have had a great season. * * * GUARANTEE REQUIRED Thßugli it is to be commended for tho care it is lavishing on the boats, the Auckland Rowing Association seemed to raise a rather severe barrier when it demanded of the Varsity crew, which is now training, a £275 guarantee before the crew could train in one of the besct-and-best eights. The required formalities having been complied with, lite students are now doing solid work, though yesterday morning a heavy fog kept them off the water. OLYMPIC GAMES FUND If progress in Auckland is any criterion, there is not much probability that enough money to send a crew to the Olympic Games will be raised. The Auckland Committee has worked hard, but the response from many big business firms and other organisations has been disappointing and discouraging. Neither the Auckland Racing Club nor the Auckland Trotting Club two institutions that subsist on sport —felt that it could assist. This shows the difficulties the committee has encountered. « * * WEST END “AT HOME" Mrs. Mortimer Fair and her ladies’ i committee again helped West End to | success in their admirable catering for the president’s day “At Home” on [ Saturday. Trophies for the races were given by Captain H. H. Sargeant. the club’s popular president, and Mr. R. C. Stewart, vice-president, assisted by placing, his launch, Duchess, at the disposal of the committee. The coxswains’ race revealed some promising material, particularly young George Dowling, son of the club’s deputy-captain. Felton stroked the winners in the main four-oared series, and R. Macey captured the swimming event. TELLING COMPARISON The methods adopted elsewhere make a telling comparison. At the Victorian Henley the crews have to be at the post five minutes before starting time. There is always a race on the water, a process maintained by means of masterly organisation. Organisation is a commodity that seems utterly foreign to the complacent rulers of rowing in this countrv. •‘ * * WAITE MATA’S ROW-OVER The deflection of St. George’s from the senior fours on Saturday was most disappointing. The St. George's seniors were placed ahead of Waitemata at Hamilton, and a good race might have been seen on Saturday. It was distinctly regrettable that St. George’s, who had sufficient men available, even though Corlett was absent, did not make some effort to ! boat a crew. A scratch crew would have been better than none at all. There seemed to be something wrong when an oarsman of Page’s calibre spent the afternoon on the bank. THE SEASON CLOSES At this stage of the season a word or two of reflection may not be in-

appropriate. In its year of existence The Sun has endeavoured to strike a new note in treatment of rowing, with the result that oarsmen have enjoyed the hitherto spasmodic privilege of publicity in the Press. While this has quite clearly been appreciated, it has not yet stimulated oarsmen to more than a. lukewarm response. Several of the clubs, and the Auckland Rowing Association itself, make very little effort to assist the Press by pursuing publicity for themselves. From these observations Auckland and West End must be excluded. The other clubs seem prepared to assume that the public is indifferent to rowing, and their assumption will be correct until they change their attitude. * * * CROWD AT WEST END The West End Club’s “At Home’’ on Saturday was the most ambitious function of its type held this season. In spite of the fact that the date clasghd with the A.R.A. championships, there was a large attendance. Captain Sergeant’s Fours were decided during the afternoon, and there was some excellent rowing, though Felton was not pushed at the final. ODDS AND ENDS A. C. Norden, after rowing at the West End “At Home,’’ sculled over to Judge’s Bay, where the A.R.A. events were rowed, on Saturday. G. Barrett was out on Saturday at the stroke oar of a North Shore crew, and P. R. Graham was out in his sculler. * * * The Varsity eight rowed to Pine Island on Saturday. * * * _How they do it in Wanganui: The Union Boat Club has issued tasteful invitations to its annual series of dances. “Rigger” acknowledges the arrival of an invitation extended to The Sun’s rowing staff.

A. Ross, str St. lb. 0 K. E. Brooker, 7 .. .. 5 Blakey, 6 0 Solomon, 5 h I> Authreau, 4 .. .. . 8 Hislop, 3 12 Keegan, 2 7 Field, bow 7