Hamilton in Form

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 609, 11 March 1929, Page 7

Hamilton in Form

CHAMPIONSHIP ROWING New Whau Course Proves Success A L* IER many years the Auckland Rowing Association is -»» at last able to congratulate itself on having found an excellent course at the city’s gates. This was definitely proved at the Auckland Provincial Championship Regatta on the Whau on Saturday. There was a satisfactory attendance and the racing was keen. Hamilton and Auckland were the most successful clubs.

Claimed to be the Dominion’s bqst, the new course fulfilled all expectations and oarsmen appreciated a straight and unruffled stretch of water nearly two and a-half miles long. From the hill where the judges were stationed, an excellent vantage point, the whole length of the course is plainly visible and there was ample accommodation for the many spectators who journeyed to the regatta by bus, train, car and launch. Finishes were keen in most of the events and all the clubs were in the money, though Hamilton and Auckland were most successful. The placings were: —Hamilton, four firsts, one second: Auckland, two firsts, one seeand and two thirds; West End, four seconds: North Shore, one first, one second and three thirds; Tauranga, two firsts: St. George’s, one second and two thirds; Waitemata, one second and one third. Most of the interest of the day was concentrated on the appearance of the New Zealand champion four, which had little difficulty in defeating Waitemata. Th© Hamilton men rowed like one machine. An eight-oared race between town and country was also a novel event. The absence of Turner, New Zealand champion sculler, rather robbed tho handicap sculls of its importance in the eyes of spectators and two or three mishaps also had some effect on the placings. Officials for the day were: Starter, Mr. W. G. Mason; umpire, Mr. C. H. Hunt; clerk of scales, Mr. N. Cossey: handicapper. Mr. E. H. Buckler; judges, Messrs. H. Cleal, J. Lovett and J. Clark. The umpire was accommodated on the launch Viveen, placed at the disposal of the regatta committee by Mr. TV. G. Rapley. The starter was on Mr. W. G. Oliver’s launch Mercia. Though the programme was running late, the fault was largely that of competing clubs, whose crews did not go down to the start promptly. The results were: Maiden Double Sculls—Four started. Auckland started strong favourite and

found little difficulty in heading the field to win by four lengths. West End was second and St. George's beat Hamilton for third place by half a length. The winning crew was: G. Cleal (str), W. H. Eaddy (bow). Junior Fours.—Four started. Stroked by R. K. Stacejr, Auckland almost succeeded in beating Hamilton, being defeated by less than a canvas. The race was held to be a certainty for Hamilton, but Auckland was handy all the way and made a rattling finish of it. North Shore was third and St. George's fourth. The winning crew was: N. Pope (str). (bow) OCkett ’ E ' A ' Attwood > n. Salisbury Maiden Fours Light-weight.— Five started. Auckland and Shore started last, but Hamilton set a stroke to last the distance and soon overhauled the leaders, gradually forging ahead to win by about 20 lengths. The second division, West End, Auckland and Shore, had a great battle for second, and the crews were almost level 20 yards from the line. wS?i y n fi " IShed 111 the order named, West ;.r a ° ne and a-half lengths ahead of Auckland, with North Shore a further half-length back. The winning W. C ' W - (str), J. GumJiiei, \\ . Curnow, W\ Nichol. Senior Fours.—Two started. Dropping down to the full two-mile course Hamilton and Waitemata faced the starter in t .s ls . „ The . Waikato champions, stroked by Bayly in the absence of St SmL JUmped to - the ,ead a » d gained all the way, rowing like clockwork. As the boat crossed the line 150 yards Waitemata, spectators were treated to a masterly exhibition of oarsmanship. The leaders were never bustled A l ?,*?,) , ro "' ed a steadier stroke than the Aucklanders, who were very ragged The winning crew was: W. Bayly (str), B (bow) 8 * J ' W ' St ' clair > E - Waters Maiden Fours, open.—Seven started. It was one of the finest sights of the day when seven crews finished well bunched m this race. Auckland held a slight lead all the way and speeded up in the last 50 yards to win by two lengths. The remaining crews finished in batches of three, separated by only a length or so St. George’s was second and Shore half a length further back third. Fourth . place was gained by Hamilton. The winning crewVas: W. H. Eaddy (str). G. Cleal, J. Bygate. A. C. Andrew (bow). Single Sculls Handicap.—Seven started. The handicaps were: C. D. Molesworth

(Hamilton), 2sec; W. A. Stevenson (Waite mata), scr.; R. Hill (Hamilton), Bsecj J. W. St. Clair (Hamilton), scr; G. Fogerty (St. George’s), 20sec; D. Davies (North Shore), lOsec; C. Haua (Tauranga), 12 sec. The scratch men started well and of those near the limit Fogerty and Hill dropped back, leaving Haua and Davies in the lead. At the finish St. Clair came up fast to beat Davies for second place by a length, a length behind Haua, the winner. Stevenson, who lost a length through swinging out of his course to avoid Hill when the latter broke a rowlock gate and capsized, finished well in fourth place. Eight-Oar Event. —Town v. Country. The crews were: Town, W. A. Stevenson (str), L. Brooker, M. Simons, F. Solomon, D. Davies, W. Eaddy, C. G. Fearon, G. Conway (bow); Country, M. Pope (str), B. Sandos, W. Bayly, E. A. Waters, I. W. St. Clair, L. Brockett, W. Taylor, D. Molesworth (bow). Unfortunately it was well after five o’clock when this event was decided and many of the spectators missed the fine sight presented by the two crews swinging easily up the river with the Country combination slightly in the lead. Country won by three lengths. Maiden Pair-oar.—Six started. Auckland started strongly, but was rapidly overhauled by Shore, which went on to win by three lengths. West End and Waitemata had a hard tussle for second ; place, the West End crew gaining the decision by a foot. The winning crew was E. J. Norris (str), F. Eaton (bow). Youths’ Fours. —Four started. Biding its time, Hamilton closely followed North Shore and Auckland to the half-way mark. The Waikato men then lengthened out and won by two lengths from Shore, with Auckland a further two lengths back third. The winning crew was G. Taylor (str), N. A. Pennell, W. Taylor, R. Salisbury (bow). __ . _ _ Junior Pairs. —Six started. West End sprung a surprise in this vent by nearly defeating Tauranga. the same crew that so decisively broke in on the home club’s winning way at the Hamilton regatta. West End held the lead to within 200 yards from the line, when Tauranga made a determined challenge and crossed the line two lengths to the good. St. George’s 1 was third. The winning crew was C. Haua (str), G. Lindell (bow - ). |