HIGHLIGHTS OF SPORTING EVENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20989, 16 December 1939, Page 21 (Supplement)

HIGHLIGHTS OF SPORTING EVENTS

Cricket, Bowling, Swimming, Rowing, Tennis, Yachting, Polo, Amateur Athletics, Gun Club Shooting.

Former Boxing Champion An interesting arrival in Hamilton during the week was Johnnie Summers, the well-known British boxing champion of a few years ago. Although his active ring career ceased with his retirement about ten years ago, Summers, who is now in middle age, still retains a keen interest in the sport and has expressed his intention of opening a boxing school in Hamilton next season. At the height of his career he held the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight titles of Great Britain, and he was also a Lonsdale Belt holder He had three fights with Jimmy Britt, the world’s lightweight champion and won two of the encounters. He also beat Hughie Meeghan for the lightweight championship of Australia, but lost the British lightweight title to Freddie Welch, who was later the world’s champion in that class. Summers’ record shows that he has had about 400 fights and has lost less than 20 of them. During his three years in New Zealand he has taught boxing in Gisborne, Wellington and Auckland. Y.M.C.A . Swimming Club Some of the senior members of the club covered considerable distances on Saturday last, when in the afternoon, in company with some members of the Hamilton Club, they travelled to Te Kuiti for the official opening of the new municipal swimming baths. A comprehensive demonstration of stroking, diving, life-sav-ing, and water polo was given to a large and appreciative gathering. During the afternoon the newlytormed swimming club functioned in a very creditable manner, auguring well for the future of swimming in that district. It is hoped to affiliate with the South Auckland Centre, and in due time to hold championship carnivals. Then again in the evening they, with other members of the Y.M. club, travelled to Matamata to compete in the first carnival of the season, in which, considering the short, period of training, results were very gratifying. Swimming Prospects

expect strong opposition from his clubmate, R. Clarke. J. Collins is an intermediate whose recent performances have been impressive. He is a greatly improved swimmer with a nice action in the water and shows great promise. Big Bowling Tournament One of the principal fixtures of the season for Waikato bowlers, the annual South Auckland New Year fours bowling tournament, promises to be one of the most successful tournaments yet staged by the South Auckland Centre. Large and representative entries have been already received, and the calibre of the teams entered indicates that the standard of play in the tournament should be high. The tournament will be played on January 1,2 and 3 on selected greens. Promising Young Batsmen Two secondary schoolboys who show considerable promise as batsmen are R. R. S. Fulton and E. Jackways, of Hamilton Technical College. Playing in the college’s annual match against Thames High School last week-end, these two lads' put on a useful 101 for the first wicket. Both boys play an attractive game and smart calling and backing-up enabled them to get many useful singles. Schoolboy Hitter

Hamilton Yacht Club The first of a series of races for Wilmhurst Cup was sailed last week-end by the Hamilton Yacht Club and in a light breeze, three races were able to be decided. The rules of this cup are that each boat skipper should sail every other boat entered once during the series of races, allowing skippers to gain experience in handling boats other than their own. The donor of the cup, Mr C. Wilmhurst, was present during the afternoon watching the racing, the results of which were as follows: First race, W. Nash; second race, W. Belcher; third race, T. Mason. Rules of Yachting As promised last week-end, it is intended to deal with the rules governing converging yachts and it is taken for granted that the reader knows the actual wording of the rule Converging yachts neither overtaking. Supposing two yachts in a race converge and neither is overtaking—that is to say, neither ranks as overtaking yacht as previously described—then the windward yacht must keep out of the way. Now, obviously yachts may converge when they are sailing very | slightly different courses. In such ; case they converge slowly and graduI ally. Then they may converge | rapidly because they are sailing con- [ siderably different courses. It generi ally happens that yachts converge i rapidly during the starting manoeuvres between the first gun and the starting gun, because during that time they are just turning and twisting about—waiting for the start. Now we will deal first with the rule “ between the guns ”: A is the windward yacht, B the leeward yacht. On the same tack they converge. Now, the helmsman must remember before the gun to start has been fired there is no “proper course.” Everybody is just cruising around, so to speak. Thus A must keep out of the way of B. B may alter her course by luffing if she wants to do so, and A must alter hers also and keep out of the way. The only thing B must remember with regard to A is this: B must not alter her course so rapidly that A cannot keep out of the way. If two yachts, both a little too soon approach as starting line, the lee beat may luff to avoid going over it before gunfire, and the weather boat must keep out of her way; and in all cases between the first and second guns, when yachts are converging and neither overtaking, the lee yacht may alter her course (not so quickly as to make it impossible for the weather yacht to keep clear), and the weather yacht must keep a lookout and alter hers also.so as to keep out of the way. Different Rules

Those members of the general public who consider cricket is slow to watch should have seen Stan Dorns playing for Hamilton Technical College in its annual fixture with Thames High School last weekend. This youngster, who is barely sixteen, went in after the fall of the sixth wicket and in 25 minutes compiled 45 runs, his score including five boundaries and two sixes. His hard hitting delighted the large gallery of schoolboys and schoolgirls who attended the match.

Primary School Cricket The Hamilton Primary School Cricket Association competitions for 1939 were completed this week when the Hamilton West team won the Loughlin Cup for the third year in succession. In the junior grade Southwell won the Frank House Cup for the first time. The Hamilton Primary Schools’ competitions are conducted in two sections, the first in the first term and the second section in the third term so that the same teams play throughout. The following are the number of times each school has held the respective cups:—Loughlin Cup: Southwell 7, Whitiora 6, East and West 3, Marist 1. Frank House Cup: Whitiora 5, East 4, West 2, Southwell and Frankton 1.

Ken Webster, the prominent South Auckland swimming champion, has not as yet made an appearance in swimming circles this season. Nevertheless, he may be expected to make his presence felt when he resumes training. His absence from the Hamilton club’s relay team at Matamata on Saturday last resulted in the club relinquishing the South Auckland relay banner to the Matamata team after a thrilling tussle in which the latter team gained the verdict by a touch. Webster will experience formidable opposition from K. Waterson, of Matamata, who wrested the 100 yards title from him at the South Auckland championships last season, and who is now swimming better than ever. However, Webster’s clubmates are confident he will prevail over the middle distances. Webster is a swimmer of outstanding calibre and has distinct prospects. As Hamilton unfortunately does not possess tepid baths he is at the serious disadvantage of having only one month in which to train for a threemonths’ season in comparison with the Auckland swimmers who have a six-months’ season and all the year round in which to train Swimming Club Rooms The Hamilton Swimming Club has acquired a club room in the Municipal Baths building, and shortly an endeavour will be made to raise funds for furnishings. The women’s committee, under the capable charge of Miss Peggy Iggulden, is planning the decorations. The donation of a leather-mounted stool was forthcoming from Mr D. M. Gracie, a typical gesture of the “live wire” president. Reached Senior Status

Details of Results The following are the details of the games:—

After the starting gun has fired, the law is different. It is simply a question of fair play, and so it is very easy to remember. The rule is simply that the weather boat must keep out of the way. Now, when the starting gun fires, this is not the case. From that moment everybody knows the “ proper course ”: (1) if the wind be free, is a fair course to the next mark, or (2) if the wind be ahead, it is nothing to leeward of full-and-by; in both cases making due allowance for wind and tide and other circumstances such as the passing of a headland or obstruction. Therefore, directly the starting gun fires, it is the duty of B, the leeward boat, to sail a proper course for the next mark. If "then A and B converge, the reader will see that the converging must in practice generally be slow and gradual. The converging, if the yachts are close hauled, may be caused by the windward yacht not being able to lie so close a-wind as the leeward yacht, and in such a case the windward yacht must keep out of the way and tack in order to do so if necessary. Sailing Different Courses Converging after the start, however, is more often caused by yachts sailing slightly different courses. Thus A and B meet through a little difference of opinion as to the best course. Someone must now have the right of choice. It is B the leeward yacht which has this right. Nevertheless, B. no longer has a free hand as to the choice of course as she had before the starting gun fired, when no “proper course” was laid down. The proper course is now specified by the sailing instructions, and it is incumbent upon B to keep it. She may luff to make fair allowance for wind, tide and obstructions, but she may not luff to drive A unreasonably wide of the proper course. In other words the yachtsman must remember that when there is no question of overtaking, when the starting gun has gone, it is his duty to sail for his mark, allowing for wind and tide, etc., or full-and-by as the case may be, and so make a fair test of the speed of his yacht, and never to molest other yachts which are merely sailing parallel or nearly parallel to him.

Good Bowling Record The Frankton Bowling Club has established an excellent record in matches for the Waikato Challenge Pairs Shield. The club won five challenge matches for the shield last season and to date this season has withstood four challenges. The club has thus won nine successive matches for the shield, the winning margins being frequently quite substantial. One of the best performances staged in connection with the Waikato Challenge Rinks Shield was that registered by the Hamilton club when it won nine matches for the shield in one season.

Gordon Ladd, a member of the Hamilton Swimming Club popularly known as “Shindu,” has reached senior status after gaining distinction as an intermediate swimmer. Although it is very early in the season to form sound judgment, he is regarded as the logical prospect for the long-dis-tance events at the South Auckland championships. However, he may

West SENIOR 12 11 i 22 Southwell 12 10 2 20 Frankton 5 6 10 Marist .. 10 5 5 10 Whitiora 10 4 6 8 East .... 2 9 4 Southwell B . . 10 1 9 2 Southwell JUNIOR 14 12 2 24 Fairfield . 12 9 3 18 Whitiora . .... 12 7 5 144 Hillcrest 13 7 6 14 Marist .. 5 7 11 East 4 6 9 West ... 14 3 11 6 Frankton 11 2 9 4