SCULLING HONORS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1921, Page 3

SCULLING HONORS.

DICK ARNST IN NEW ZEALAND. CLAIMS THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD. Massive of frame and looking very fit, Dick Arnst arrived in Wellington on Wednesday, after an absence of ten years from New Zealand. He left the Dominion as champion sculler of the world, having defeated William Webb, of Wanganui, twice for the title, and he returned claiming that he is to-day the champion. Interviewed by a Dominion reporter, Arnst said: “I claim the sculling championship of the world, inasmuch as eight days before the Barry-Felton .race in Sydney for the title on August 28 last I put in my challenge to the winner, with £lOO deposit. That challenge ’and deposit were handed in to Mr. Aubrey Barclay, editor of the Sydney Sunday Times. •

“Now, the championship rules say: (5) A challenge shall only be recognised as bona fide when accompanied by a deposit of £lOO if race be international, and £25 if between local men, and this placed in the hands of a reputable person, who shall notify the person challenged of the nature of the challenge. (6) A holder of the championship must accept a bona fide challenge within three months, and must race within six months of the acceptance of the challenge, or forfeit his title, unless he has to row in another country, when the limit shall be nine months. ' As the declared winner (Barry) was then in the country and the six months have elapsed, I claim that, having complied with all the conditions, I am the champion. “In Sydney the Pi ess and rowing men all admit my claim to the title, and the race against Hannan will be for the championship of the world. The rules provide for a £5OO stake for an international event, but when both men belong to the same country the minimum amount of the stake is fixed at £2OO. So, far the amount of rhe stake for my race with Hannan has not been definitely fixed. Hannan proposes to race on May; 5, but that is too early for me. I can’t get ready, by then; so the race will probably take place about the first or second week in June.

“I brought over my boat with me, and it is now • in the Star Boating Club’s shed. It was given to me by the Ainslie whisky people, and was presented by Messrs. Manton and Halloran (of Dewhurst and Holloran) on the wharf alongside the Manuka, just before we left Sydney. There was a big crowd, speeches were made, and the whole business was kinematographed. The boat, which is a beauty, made by Peter Kemp, was christened the Ainslie.” Asked whether he had done much training work yet, Arnst said he had been six weeks in easy training—on the river, road, and bicycle. He at present scales 15 A stone —a good deal above the ideal rowing weight. When asked whether he could get his weight down much lower, Arnst said he reckoned he could get off another stone. He stated that on March 23, 1920, he scaled 19st 41b, and got down to 14st 41b 'for the sculling handicap rowed on the Parramatta some six or seven months ago. On that occasion he won his heat in good time, but went stale in the final.

Referring to the Barry-Felton race, by which Barry was given the championship of the world, Arnst declared that the unfortunate foul which occurred was unquestionably Barry’s fault, as he in a spurt slanted across the course away from his own water, into that of Felton, and the latter put up his hand, claiming a foul. Ex-champion William Beach ruled that the accident occurred in neutral water, and disallowed the foul, but there was only one opinion about it among rowing men.