SCULLING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 5 August 1907, Page 3

SCULLING.

THE WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP flHßte'Ti;:'. 1 ANNEXED BY NEW ZEALANDER. Gfcti. —— SPLIVDfD RACE WON BY WEBB. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copv- . right). Received 3rd, 8.52 p.m. Sydney, August 3. The sculling race for the ciiampionehip of the world, between Chas. Towns (New South Wales) and W. Webb (the New Zealander) took place 011 the I'arramatta river this afternoon, the men breaking away just after four p.m. The weather waa dull and threatenbig, with a strung wind blowing, but right behind the scullers. Webb won the tn--, but there v. ,1 - no particular advantage in the position*. Rush, the veteran sculler, acted as umpire. The competitors received an ow.tion as they leisurely sculled to the starting post. THE START.

An excellent start was effected, Towns going away"at the rate of 38 str ..w to the minute, while his opponent v. . • only rowing one less, but the chain; 11 did not get away from Webb with .i- rush that his supporters had expect :. At I'hrs Point, it was f0:..tl that Towns had reduced hi- stroke t and while Webb, too, had decreased his, he Was putting in 32. The first hall-mile was ci.vked as 2mln 4U»ec, and the Maorihmler was pressing his rival, who had barely a length's advantage. Webb was rowing surpri ' :.'ly well, although his body was lvh.ng about j somewhat.

As the mile post was approached, .Webb had reduced Towns' lead to half-a-length, and the hope* of the New Zealailder's supporters were rising steadily. It was clearly evident t!..it Towns could not get rid of him. As they both swept past the mile (Blase! anils), Webb was almost on terms, the time in traversing the distance being smin 40sec. Webb then opened out with a fine spurt, and Towns gamely responded, each being 30 strokes to the minute. Approaching Putney, Webb had forged ahead, and soon assumed a length's lead. Towns came at him, and both scullers edged into Gascoigne Bay somewhat, which was Towns' side of the river.

Towns quickened Irs stroke and altered his course to clr;ir Putney Point. Webb made a great effort to get clear, bat Towns came too quickly, and hit the stern of Webb's boat with his left seulL The New South Welshman held up his hand as" A PROTEST, and then weut on alter tVebk. Putney Point was leu behind in Duiiu Zsec, u ebu at this stage having a couple ol lengths' advantage. beeing his rival coining up again, he cracknl on pace, and added another length to las lead, and the race was practically over. Towns spurted, but Webb responded readily to every cli'ort towns put forth. Tennyson's (about 1 miles J was passed in llinin biisec, and there great cheering arose l'rom the steamers at Webb's success.

fie was now able to hold Towns with the utmost ease. Though the latter spurted and spurted, Webb maintained his eight lengths' lead, passing Uladesvillc in lornin ISsec. Towns now made a wonderful spurt, which he maintained almost to the finish, and drew up to within three or four lengths of the visitor, but as the judge's boat was neared, Webb put in aome hard rowing, and gained the verdict by five lengths, in the fine time of 20min 45aec.

PROTEST LODGED. Received 3rd, 7.33 p.m. Sydney, August 3. Towns lodged a protest on the groundof a foul. I'he matter has not y«t been decided. v PROTEST DISMISSED.* Received 4tb, 4.7 pjn. Sydney, August 4. The protest against Webb was dismissed.

THE UMPIRE S VERDICT. RESULT UNAFFECTED BY TOUCH. Received 4th, 4.45 pjn. Sydney, August 4. In dismissing tiie protest, Mr Ilush, the umpire, in giving his decision, said: "I wish to say, when lilaseland l'oint was turned, I considered the men rowed as straight a course as possible for Putney both occuping the same positions that they took at starting, and I believe Towns had sufficient water at all times without having to depart from his Btraight course, and the blight touching of a scull which took place in no way in- • terfered with the result. I therefore the protest." ENTHUSIASM IN WANGAXt'L Per Press-Association. Wanganui, August 3. The news of Webbs victory was received with great enthusiasm by a crowd assembled in the vicinity oi the Telegraph Oiiice. Cheers innumerable Were given. iht* Garrison ijand piayed "bee the Conquering Ilero Comes," and the Mayor made a speech. In the course of his remarks, he L'Xpre.-M'il pleasure at the glorious victory, and invited the people lo witness the next race tor the world's championship on the W'anganui river. The Garrison Hand remained on a. hotel balcony, and during the evening played various selections while the crowd grew greater,

DELIGHT IN AUCKLAND. Per Press Asociation. Auckland, August 3. The news of Webb's victory over Towns in the sculling championship was received here with great delight. The race created more genuine excitement than anything else for some weeks past.

.INTEREST IN WELLINGTON. Per Press Asociation. Wellington, August 3. i'fcrgw numbers of people assembled . the newspaper oiiices last nighl ♦ IP.-! TII tlle re " Ult ° f tlie 6CUll ' U g ~® . . m the Parramatta, pnd tho news ot\ XeWl win ,va " rewivcd " ith great appla."

THE CONTESTANTS. PROIiABLE CHALLENGERS. it ia many }'<*« »lw* *» eh tal " r, '. st was evinced in .1 rov ing race as was the Saturday. wh.-n even the second test football match paled •what beside the expectancy with which the newa of the result of the TmvnIWebb race for the sculling champmn- np ioi the world waa awaited. Naturally result was received with estrone ■ratification. for not even Webb's roo-t • supporters had felt eanM.j'% jhout the result. either °T7, v *wn conl.l "!•> over the famous eonn,. «»" ail unknown quantity. l»r S2X 'Town.-. a!«Ji'.»2h t?,» holder ot the tin.. S"' rai< ' , r ! 1 ' Geor-rc To ~H ■wci-eAsfiili.v defended J..-' champion,!,. > "S"'"" 4 dian, last v, w " 81,(1 r^P ln a challenge fr om ' '''* l,r,,tljer (l! ,rl "'. rended the titl, * in M ™ r<ian "' ""V* previous revive retl " fron l th „ e world's champion beaten. Charlie own ° a Australian, tanned 4,1,(1

27 years of age last '? 5 T^ what remarkable t. V,t . alth "" : " h r Webb and Tnwm In• ' they were hi'. t!i-v me , "'"v vionily rowed one m:\<- 1 wa* last vear—Tov.-n- in r ' JV' Webb, again-f -Tim Stii I cemher. Neither. h .uovei « < *' ,TX girded a=? a novice. ei-h ha in more than 20 ra< r-. " l '' l * v * lily nntil hj" m< t Stanbun *» J*'"** - ' known outside amateur ci .?» I those mo*t intimately ronne c * "p. * \ his work, have never ca- d to prnp-.um j Mm a future world'- < i»amni on? 4 " their pn-Hw.. h,n fulfill".than pvr-n tli.-v tK'Tn-"lv.'» em " hoped. Webb's suetcs -lumld ! " e means of srivtrttr a »:.-at i:n>>f rowinir in \ew Zriloml. nn<l in ' f "'" gamii in partienl r. The next ra '° for the ehamp.ion-liip of the v.<>;-!! v I ' 1" wirhont doubt, be e.-nteft'd oil t!v» ' Tl *' ganni river. .iV'.-iv two Tr " r * are mentiiy,! -I—Tn-siiddiT (chanipio. Australia), and Wclcli. the wellfr.cr.V

jAkaroa oarsman, who defeated Webb, jwben he met him in the Amateur Cliam!p:<.iis!iip three years ago. Those who have been watching the work of R. Arnst, the ex-champion cyclist of New Zealand, who retired from the cycle track last year to become a racing sculler, believe that before long he will be a doughty opponent in a world's championship event.

SOME INTERESTING RECORDS. So many arguments naturally occur at the present juncture concerning the abilities of different sculling champions, their records, and so forth, that the following, culled from J. J. Miller's Sporting Pamphlet, may prove of interest:— The fastest time for a mile single «'il-s. is credited to Stanhurv-4.25-111 11 1 "' a -. with a swift tide." and the course is said to have been 170 vards short.

leter Kemp, however, one of the finest scullers the world has seen, has the reputed record of 4.40 (bracketed with IV. Leeh For a mile and a half, we have the record of 8.30. by Laing, of Canada. •lake Gaudaur put up a splendid record o! three mile-—ld.O. That was in America in 18M. Now we come to the I'arramatla championship course, which Is 3 miles and 330 yards. Hera we are confronted with the names of those who have materially assisted to make history in the sculling world. For instance: Chris. Xeilscn, 17.40'/;,; Tom Sullivan, 15.4H4: ll' rrv Searle. 19,53%; ReynoMs. 20/:; Trickett, 20.11; Beach, 20.17. George Towns (in the championship race against Stanburv) in July of last year was credited, over the same course with 10.53 1-5.