THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE. Auckland, October 31.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 313, 3 November 1888, Page 3

THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE. Auckland, October 31.

From Sydney papers to hand by the s.s. Wairarapa to-day we are enabled to give the following additional particulars regarding- the great championship sculling i ace, the competitors and their train" ing. The "Sydney Referee" says:— Peter Kemp is a magnificent specimen of manhood, and, unlike many colonials of his age, he is at his prime at 35 years of age ; an age when — more's the pity — most of our athletes are old crocks, owing to the fast lives they lead between trainings. Kemp did not begin too young, while his life — that of a farmer on the Hawkesbury — was qualified to produce the best material without undue strain on anj r particular portion of the system. His look is that of a perfectly sound and healthy man. His disposition is cool and self-contained. He never frets or worries, and, as a consequence, he does not look his age, but appeais a perfect specimen of a 28-y ear-old Australian, tall without lankness, wiry without dryness, strongly built without clum^ine&s. He is a model for a sculptor. His finish as a waterman is superb, and he is able to row the whole three miles 330 yards of the Paramatta course at thirtytwo strokes to the minute, and we all know what strokes those are- Against any other man than Henry Searle I should " but me no buts," but against that man he will have one weak spot, and that I fancy will be found in a lack of dash. He was dashing enough less than a year ago, but like all men who win their races easily, he seems to have got into a fixed style and pace, beyond which he will find it very hard to go, and that i& where his comet-like opponent will find his chances. Harry Searle is, as is well known, a mere lad, being only twenty-two years of age, and his real experience of first-class rowing is of six months' date. Only last January he met his first big men, and then with a start, and he beat them handsomely. Since Noil Matterson took the lad in hand on the Paramatta, he began to &how amazing aptitude at the game, and blazed forth after his race wifch Wulf a perfect comet, a star of the first magnitude, and, like a comet, a beggar to travel. He has beaten in rapid succession Wuli, Stansbury, Neilsen and Hughes, and in the race with Stansbury (no duffer, bear in mind), he albo beat the record, and did ib laughing. He, of all men, possesses the very quality that will, it anything, enable him to beat Peter Kemp. He is like a raeehorbe in his h'rst mile and thinks nothing ol 44 for 200 yds, and theu 42 to 40 tor the most of the balance of die mile, while, when that is done, and he is on that long and trying journey do\wi the long reaches, he seems to be able at any time to respond to an opponent's spurt with another ol surprising vigour and brilliancy. His build is in his favour, for he cai ries more weiaht on a shorter frame, and is splendidly bui'fc at that. It will be die gieatest struggle that was probably ever rowed, and there is very little in it either way, though yesterday a hundred to ninety and a hundied to eighty went on Matterson'a comet, still I think, little a-5 there is in it, that little, on the points I have mentioned, is in favour of J

HARRY E. SEAKLE. Prom the papers we gather that Kemp "is in magnificent condition, and is evidently fit to row a mo&t determined race. His sculling is clean and hard, he exhibits splendid -watermanship, and gets any amount of pace out of his shell. His weight is about list 41b." Also *' iii one of Searle's last braining spins on the return journey he showed a pretty bit of spurting, giving the onlookers an idea of his wonderful turn of speed for a fehort distance/ The young Clarence River sculler can spurt very brilliantly when he likes, and his rowing as a whole is effective and fast. Ho did a fair mount of work on the water in the afternoon. Searle is in oxcellent fettle, and he has been well looked after by INeil Matterason andGeorge Fern. His weight yesterday was list B^lb. The Kemp - Mabterson match which Kemp has won arose from the fact that a supporter of Kemp offered to make the match with Matterson, and said he would lay £1000 to £300, provided the race took place on Monday afternoon, over the usual championship course. MatLerson's backers accepted, and a deposit was made and the race came off with the above mentioned result.

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