The Scuilling Championship.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 240, 4 February 1888, Page 4

The Scuilling Championship.

' l P3te* 'Kemp arid Tom Clifford are still I doing" work' on the Parantfatta. At £he tirepent time ' tho Bculling match fixed for tne 11th 'proximo is, to a certain extent, overshadowed by the preparations for the . Centennial festivities y but, directly the Centennial Regatta is bve'r, public interest ]iri the rft^between, Kemp and Clifford will ; increase largely, as this event is to decide which of the > two Australian's is to hold tho championship and meet Hanjan, who is known to be anxious to recover his lost honour. On Friday both men were out, and pufc in good work on fcho river. In the morning Kemp, accompanied by Chris. Neilson, went over tho course at a fair pace, as also did Perkins and Clifford, the latter rowing an average of 28 to 30 strokes ,to the minute. Alter the heat of the day was over, Clifford wont over the course again, but Kemp, who was out alone,' contented himself with a pull as far as Cabarita and back. Flannagan, the Sandhurst amateur, who is training for the Laidley Sculls, to be contested for at the coming Centennial Kegatta, was rowing with Clifford and Perkins in the afternoon, when ihe.felt his boat becoming gradually heavier. Feeling that she was about to sink, he headed at once for the shore at Gladesville, but did not succeed in reaching it before she went down with him. Burke, who has been taking a good deal of rowing exercise m view of his match with Foley, had a mishap with his boat in tho afternoon. He was using Hanlan's Warm craft. On Friday afternoon, as he was in tho middle of the river, off Breakfast Point, a shark followed him, and seomed inclined to attack the boat. Burke naturally pulled as hard as he could to get away from the monster, and the extra exertion he used putting too great a strain on his frail craft, she broke right in half, jusb aft of tho seat, and Burke abandoning his boat had to swim for the shore. The shark, strangely enough, did not attack the well-known boxer, but devoted his attention entirely to the sinking shell. Burke attributes his fortunate escape to the fact that he was wearing a dark-coloured guernsey at the time, and the boat being of a light-coloured wood attracted the shark's attention away from him. Clifford and Kemp will probably continue to work steadily until the end of the week. Hearn,who is training in Black wattle Bay for the Allcomers' Race at the Centennial Regatta, is looking well, and is in good condition. The race between Kemp, Nelson, and Hearn should be a very interesting event, but it is matter for regret that the entries were not larger.