WIT%H the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 534, 11 December 1928, Page 16

WIT%H the OARSMEN

C BY

“RIGGER”

‘Swill” Hadley. All Black Rugby for- j ward, stroked the winning crew in the , veterans’ race at the West End “At j Home” on Saturday. Hobson Bay looked quite animated j on Saturday when three clubs rowed ! trials over the course inside the railway embankment. * * • The A.R.A. has planned a working bee for Wednesday evening, when the best and best eights will be overhauled for the season. The boat which deal and Eaddy, Auckland maiden scullers, will use at Tauranga has now been satisfactorily repaired, the damage it suffered recently having proved to be not so great as was at first feared. * * * R. Stacey, stroke of Auckland’s heavy maidens, is suffering from a poisoned wrist, which may prevent him from rowing at Tauranga. Should the Auckland captain be forced, to relinquish his seat in the boat, Bj'gate will probably be brought down to stroke from two seat, Eaddy taking his place. * * * Hamilton’s senior crew for the season will probably be G. St. Clair (stroke), Sandos, Bailey, Waters (bow), a combination that should fully extend any other senior four in the Province. K. D. Page, captain of St. George’s last season, was in town during the week-end and visited the club house though he did not row. St. George’s held another dance at the Parnell Park Tea Kiosk on Saturday. These social evenings have pi oved to be so popular that it has been tentatively decided that they be made monthly fixtures. » * * Fixtures for Saturday" are:—Auckland, Kohn challenge fours; Waitemata, for Impey trophies. NEW ZEALAND WOULD HAVE WON In the opinion of Mr. James McDonald, a prominent Australian oarsman, who is at present visiting New Zealand, a Dominion eight would have been assured of victory at the Olympic Games. Mr. McDonald, who is a life member of the Yarra Boating Club and a member of the Victorian Rowing Association, is a man whose word carries some considerable -weight, as lie had a great powing career in Australia. In the eighties and nineties he was a member of several champion eights, and holds the great record of 24 starts in a season—2o wins and three seconds! In his opinion European crews swing too far back, thus checking the way on the boat during the recovery. Mr. .McDonald attended the Olympic Games as Australia's delegate to various sporting conferences. He considers Stevenson to be a great sculler, without a peer in the Old Country, though he is firmly convinced that Pearce is too good for him. Like most Australian sportsmen this veteran oarsman j would like to see a New Zealand eight j cross the Tasman in the near future. Mr. McDonald, in addition to his rowing successes, holds the 50-miles walking championship of Australia. WEST END “AT HOME” A rather belated, but hone the less successful, opening day was staged by West End on Saturday. “Rigger” is pleased to Congratulate the excutive on its organisation, by which the trials and veterans’ races (six races altogether) were all finished by 5.15. This | speeding-up which has been so necessary lately was in evidence at the City Club trials, all of which were completed by 5.30. This is a great improve- ; ment though five o'clock should see the final well under way. Floyd Conway, who stroked the winning crew in the Peacock Shield trials, has had four wins out of four starts so far this season. Another popular vie-' tory was that of “Swin” Hadley who, after dead-heating once, won tne veterans’ race by a short margin *in his second attempt. J. Taylor will row bow in the youths* four in place of F. Baker, who was injured in a motor accident on Friday. R. Noton, who also made an appearance in the veterans’ race, is an old member of the West End Club, ar*d may be a regular visitor to the sheds, where he will coach coming oarsmen. * *- * BEGINNERS’ FAULTS Each season sees the old familiar hurdles cropping up to discourage the novice oarsman. He finds the sport hard work and, perhaps, lacking the coaching that would correct his style, goes back to less arduous pursuits. Chief among these difficulties is the tendency of most untrained men to row deep. They feel greater water resistance and think they are doing more work than when taking a “bladeful” of water. Even with more experienced men the fault of slicing is apparent, and it was particularly noticeable in one heat of a set of trials rowed by West End on Saturday. A member of the losmg crew was slicing badly and had to jerk his oar out at the end of the stroke with some force. The result was that the boat rolled badly and the timing as thrown out. Though coaches err? -

phasise the need for eyes in the host there is only one way for a novice to cure himself of slicing:. He must con centrate on getting his catch with blade square to the water, glancing to the side occasionally to make surethahe is holding his oar correctly as h* chops in. Next week a few remark< may be made on ‘ lugging*’ and "shoo*ing.” EYES ON AUSTRALIA The date of Jackson’s meeting wit! Pearce on the Parramatta is fast approaching. and in spite of the attractions of local holiday regattas, the eyes of New Zealand rowing enthusiasts are fixed on Australia and a sculling contest that is almost equivalent to a world’s championship. As far as Aucklanders are concerned Jackson is almost an unknown quantity, but rumours have been freely circulated that he is unlikely to last the distance If the word of an ex-champion and famous coach is anything to go on. however, the Wanganui man should be well in the hunt. W. Webb, who is with Jackson on the other side of the Tasman, put his charge through exhau*ti;e tests before leaving for the scene of the contest, and expressed himself a* quite satisfied. In the last spin before leaving Wanganui, Jackson was striking 26 to the minute. “He maintained an even pace, driving his boat through the water at a fast rate,” said a Wanganui critic. "It was plain that he was putting plenty of power into his strokes, his blade work was first-class and his boat wa t running well between strokes, while no fault could be found with his steering.” • * * WILL O’ THE WISP In spite of the freely circulated rumours about him, Crease, the Wellington oarsman who has recently arrived in Auckland, has not yet decided what he will do in regard to his rowing this season.. In his own words, “Things are all anyhow at present.” It was first thought that Crease would join St. George’s; then the rumour was abroad that he was taking a seat in the Waitemata senior four. Yesterday “Rigger” heard that the elusive Wellingtonian was rowing for North Shore seniors in place of Rutledge, who was unable to travel. REGATTA OFFICIALS A.R.A. officials for Tauranga have been appointed as follow:—Starter and umpire, E. H. Buckler: judge, A. MacKay; clerk of scales, D. Davies. Whangarei officials will be; Starter and umpire, C. Cairns; judge, R. Pooley; clerk of scales, X. D. Page. The following times for Tauranga are also announced: —Maiden pairs, 10 a.m.; youths’ fours, 11 a.m.; junior pairE. 11.30 a.m.; single sculls, 12; lightweight maiden fours, 2 p.m.; senior fours, 2.30 p.m.; open maiden fours. 3 p.m.; junior fours, 3.30 p.m.; Bay of Plenty fours, 4.5 p.m.; maiden doubles, 4.30 p.m. • * * CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES It is now quite certain that there is no chance of the Arapuni course being used for the A.R.A. championships this season. The association is definitely committed to use the Whau, and the executive will visit the river next Sunday to examine the course and fee what can be done to provide means for launching the boats and embarking on them. It is thought that punts may have to be towed up the harbour, as favourable spots on the bank are difficult to find. Arapuni may be considered next season, but it dqes not promise to be at all satisfactory. Although the Railway Department will run an excursion at a very satisfactory figure, the time spent in travelling end transhipping the boats on to lorries for the last stage of the journey, appears to be prohibitive. The train journey takes about four hours, and after that there is a distance of * en miles to be covered by motor- lorryTen hours* travelling leaves little time for deciding the championship events* INTER-CLUB EIGHTS Interesting arrangements for the Stuart Reid inter-club eights race are in hand and will be advanced a further step at a meeting of club delegates to be held on Thursday eveningIt is proposed to row' the race over tw-o-mile course at Pine Island. T - Whau course was considered as alternative, but an unfavourable h and the prohibitive transport W* have put it out of the question. * present scheme is to hire a ferry - - and take a crowd up the harbour watch the race, which is to be to • in conjunction with the ■A-UCkia. Club’s “At Home” on February -'3 A.R.A. eighths will be used, and ail n clubs will share the expenses oi - day. Two delegates from each will attend the meeting and an » pendent chairman, either f £ 01 ” Auckland Club or from the -A..R-A., • preside. A proposal that shoifid _ the day’s sport much more in for the spectators is that the wi > of the first heat should be taken in the ferry to compete in the final with the crew that draws ' This w-ould mean that crews . race both up and down the cou r?fl a biy the events would be COES^ lre this speeded up. It is hoped to m it the “head of the harbour” race. e is possible that the A-R-A. wi other plans in regard to the d of that title. OPOTIKI CLUB FOURS (From Our Own Correspondent) OPOTIKI. Jlondi!^ The final of the Opotiki Club’s trial fours was row w-eek-end. Burrett’s crew & Breed’s crew by three-quar length, after having a lead au