WITH THE OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 924, 18 March 1930, Page 14

WITH THE OARSMEN

BY

“RIGGER”

SPLASHES Ths umpire for Saturday’s big race will be accommodated on Mr. W. Rapley’s launch, the Viveen. Mr. Rapley has frequently lent his time and his boat to the A.R.A. and his services are appreciated. St. George's crew for the lightmaiden race will be O. Kelleway, E. Auger, J. H. Biss, G. IT. Biss. Waitemata and Hamilton will probably enter the same crews as at the Whau and Ngaruawahia. The Otago eight averages 11 stone 31b, quite a solid combination. Contrary to the usual seating of a crew, stroke F. Brough is the heaviest man in the boat, weighing 12.5. Otago holds the Hallyburton Johnstone Cup, having won it from Canterbury at Lyttelton last season. Captain H. H. Sergeant is buoying the three-mile course for the A.R.A. The starting line will be marked by a buoy and a beacon and coxwains will have no difficulty in following the course. MAIDEN RACE Positions for six crews have been drawn as follow for the light-weight maiden fours, which are to be rowed immediately after the eights:—Auckland, 1: West End, 2; St. George’s, 3; North Shore, 4: Hamilton, 5; Waitemata, 6. The race is for a trophy donated by the patron of the A.R.A., Mr. John Clark. There have been some stirring races in this class at regattas through the season, notably on the Whau when, after dead-lieating once, Waitemata beat Hamilton by the narrowest of margins in the re-row. At Ngaruawahia on Saturday Hamilton had its revenge, winning by a length, so the return should he interesting. RECEPTION TO VISITORS The Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, has signified his intention of extending a civic welcome to the visiting oarsmen and officials and the function will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Royal Hotel. An hour later the visitors will be taken by launch to the W’hau, where they will be given every opportunity to familiarise themselves with the course. The boats will be housed in the Auckland and Waitemata sheds, so that tho visitors may train on the harbour should they wish to do so. The boats will be taken to the Whau by barge on Saturday morning*. VARSITY EIGHTS A meeting is to be held tonight to make arrangements for the interVarsity eights, which are to be rowed on the Whau on Easter Saturday as an unofficial part of the Varsity tournament. Wellington and Canterbury are certain competitors and Otago will send up a crew if arrangements can b© made to boat it. Wellington will probably bring up a boat. Canterbury is likely to use the second Auckland boat and Otago will make an endeavour to persuade the Otago Association to leave the boat that is to be used in the inter-provincials next Saturday. If the association consents to leave the boat for a month, and it seems a reasonable arrangement, Otago will race. A selector is to be appointed tonight and the Auckland crew will bo announced before the week-end. Last season Mr. L. E. Brooker was selector. The race was rowed at Lyttelton and the crews'were Canterbury, Auckland and Wellington. Wellington won. That was the second eight-oared inter-Varsity race and Wellington had won the event the first time as well. The Wellingtonians are said to be confident this season also, but Auckland should be able to enter quite a good crew, as the race is being rowed on home water.

NEXT SATURDAY Saturday will be the season’s big day for Auckland rowing. It will be the first time that the inter-provincial eights have ever been held in Auckland, where lives Mr. Hallyburton Johnstone, who donated ..the fine gold cup that is emblematic of Dominion superiority. Four provinces are to be represented and the three visiting crews will be Otago, the holders, Wellington and Maryborough. The race is timed to start at 2 p.m., when the tide is at its best for the course, it being high water at 12.40 p.m. Tlie draw for positions has resulted:—Marlborough, 1; Otago, 2; Auckland, 3; Wellington. 4. No. 1 is on the eastern or City bank of the Whau. Buses will be run to the course at frequent intervals from Sturdoe Street and there will be excellent accommodation for a large number of spectators. The officials will be: Judges, Messrs. John Clark. Walter Mason and H. Reston; umpire, Mr. C. C. Cairns; starter, Mr. R. Pooley. Tho eights will he followed by a light-weight maiden race for the John Clark trophy. PROVINCIAL CREWS The crews for the eights are: Otago.—F. Brough. J. D. Solomon. F. W. Eggers. G. B. Johnson, L. Fountain, J. C. Mitchell, F. J. Wilson, L. IT. Pritchard, C. Crammond, cox and coach. Wellington.—G. Cooke. F. Mullins, F. Bell, D. Field, J. Beasley, C: Gimblett, W. Kennedy, IT. Luke, S. Kearns, cox, A. White, coach. Marlborough—C. Saunders, J. Adams, B. Wilson, J. McDonald, M. McDonald, V. Cfennie, O. Gibbons, A. Gridley, P.. Gosling, cox, A. N. Hale, coach. Auckland. —G. W. St. Clair, B. Sandos, W. Bayly, E. W. Waters, I. W. St. Clair, W. Brockett, N. Pope, C. ID. Molesworth, S. H. Buchanan, coach. The crews will arrive by the daylight Limited, Otago today, Marborough on Wednesday and Wellington on Friday. REGATTA SEASON OVER Hamilton was again the most successful club at Ngaruawahia. Shore rather faded out of the picture and West End and Waitemata were the most successful of the City clubs. Hamilton gained four firsts and four seconds; West End had three firsts and a third; Waitemata had a first, two seconds and three thirds; Shore had a first and two seconds; Tauranga had two seconds and St. George's and Auckland had a third each. On the three, two, one basis the points for the day were: Hamilton, 20; West End, 10; Waitemata, 8; North Shore, 7; Tauranga, 4; St. George’s, 1; Auckland, 1. Ngaruawahia hiding the last of the regattas, the pomts for the season, on the same computation, are as follow: Hamilton, 9G; Shore, 43; Waitemata, 33: Tauranga, 31: West End. 30: St. George’s, 17: Auckland, 14. Hamilton holds the proud record of having scored more than twice p.s many points as any other club. Ampng the City clubs, the fortunes of racing have changed rather. Shore leads, mainly through the successes on the Whau. Waitemata, a club which has had one or two lean seasons, comes next and might well have been ahead of Shore but for the absence of club crews from tho Hamilton Regatta, where Shore had a few wins. Tauranga slips in next and then comes West End, another club that has had a quiet time during tho last few seasons. West End has been particularly successful with pair-oar crews this season. A powerful junior, crew, too, has won prizemoney for the club. St. George’s and Auckland have had poor seasons. St. George’s, of course, is still labouring under the disadvantage of the Judge’s Bay shed and the removal to Orakei may see a decided improvement. Auckland’s stock has slumped badly. The leds headed the City clubs last season but another round of regattas finds them at the bottom of the list.