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AQUATIC NOTES.
By " Aquarius."
What with the contest for the Stevenson
Cap, the launching of the Victoria Rowing
Club's new eight and the trial fours of the
Melbourne and Yarra Yarra Rowing Clubs,
the river presented a very buBy appearance on j
Saturday afternoon, quite reminding one ot ,
old times. The race for the Stevenson Cup '
was partly spoiled by the stupidity of a '
member of the Victoria, in a sculling boat, :
who managed to get in the way of the crew
representing Messrs Watson and Sons, but, !
under any circumstances, I think the result ;
would have been the same. ;
The Hop-bitters Company appear deter- :
mined to still further advertise themselves, as
it is announced that they are desirous of
making arrangements for another regatta, to !
be held on the Tyne, and in which all the lead- !
ing rowing men now in London may compete, i
The prizes offered are handsome, and it is !
probable that the affair will come off at an
early date.
The race for £200 a -side between Wallace
Ross and Trickett, which was ordered to be
rowed over again in consequence of a. foul, .
duly took place over the Thames champion
ship course on Saturday last, and resulted in .
an easy victory for Ross, who won by Jour <
lengths. As Laycock so easily defeated the ;
American in the Hop-bitters Race, the j
defeat of Trickett oy Ross proves to my mind ;
that the ex-champion must he out of all j
form — an opinion which, I dare say. ?
time will prove to be correct. After his
victory over Trickett, Wallace Ross issued
a challenge to row Laycock, proposing that
the match should be for the benefit of his
defeated opponent, Trickett. Laycock has ;
not yet replied, but it is not considered likely -
that he will enter into any arrangement until i
after the contest with Eanlarf. If he do< s, !
he will make a great mistake, as a friendly |
match on the terms proposed by Ross would j
be an absurdity, as, of course, no one would |
believe that it- would be contested on its j
merits.
There was a large attendance at the
monthly meeting of the Rowing Association
on Tuesday night, when some important
business, a full account of which will be
found below, was transacted.
A meeting of the committee of the Geelong
Regatta was held on Thursday evening, when
there was a good attendance. The following
programme was adopted, subject to additions :
— First-class yacht race, for yachts of 15 tons
and upwards ; all yachts to be classed as 15
tons. Second-class yachts, from 7 to 15
tons. Third-class, 4 to 7 tons; ail less to be
classed as 4 tons. Fourth-class, under 4
tons ; open. The prizes were fixed as follows :
— For first-class, cup, value 50 guineas ;
no second prize. Second-class, £30 ; no
second prize. Third-class, first prize £20,
second do. £10, third do. £5. For fourth-class,
first prize £15, second do. £7 10s., third do.
£3. The regatta was fixed to take -place on
Monday, the 10th of January, 1881. Entries
to he made up to the Thursday before the
regatta. The entrance money was fixed at
£5 for first-class yachts, £3 for second-class,
£2 for third-class, and £1 for fourth-class. The
secretary reported that he had been very suc
cessful in obtaining promises of support, up
wards of £70 being already in hand or pro
mised. Mr. Shannon and Dr. D. B. Reid pro
mised to canvass some of the principal re
sidents in aid of the funds. It was stated
that the Hon. W. J. Clarke has decided to
send down the Janet for the regatta.
The Portland Regatta is fixed to take place
on the 26th and 27th January.
The following rowing clubs have entered
crews for the forthcoming Colac Regatta, to
take place on Wednesday next: — Maiden
Four.oared Race —Albert Park, Colac, Corio
Bay, Lake Marnockvale, Williamstown.
Maiden Eight-oared Race — Corio Bay and
Williamstown. Senior Four-oared Race —
Colac and Corio Bay. Senior Eight -oared
Race — Colac, Corio Bay, Hawthorn. The
entries are more numerous for the Maideu
: Four than they were last year, but there are
j fewer for the Senior Eight. The sum realised
for the booths and the number of entries are
, both highly satisfactory, and exceed the esti
mate. The arrangements for the special
; trains are as follow : Special trains will leave
t. Ballarat and Melbourne at 7.20 and 7,5 re-
spectively, uniting at Geelong, and leaving
e there at 9.30, reaching Colac at 11.38. Both
| trains will leave Colac on the return journey
| at 7 p.m. Excursionists can return by the
| ordinary trains, if they choose, till thefoiiow-
I ing day. All competing crews will be allowed
to travel three days before and three days
I after the regatta, on their requesting the ;
1 station-master at the station they eome from
I to endorse their tickets accordingly.
K Few men were better known in the sporting
K world, particularly amongst those who take
1 an interest in aquatics, than was Mr. James
ft Punch, and the news of his death, which
S Occurred in Sydney on Tuesday. last, after ten
|| days' illness, was received with a general
ffifeeling of regret. " Jim Punch," as be was
familiarly known throughout the whole of the
Australian colonies, was born at Brisbane
BWater. New South Wales, in the year 1838.
Removing to the metropolis at an early age,
Hie began to devote himself to soulling in 1855,
and at the Balmain regatta on St. Andrew's
SBDay of the following year pulhd his maiden
Brace, it being for amateur in skiffs for a prize ,
fef £10, and in which h6 beat Richard Green
fend J. Healy— a feat that he repeated in out-
feiggers on Boxing Hay. Since then he has
engaged in upwards of thirty races or
Eaatahes, the most prominent of .which were
ffi-at Balmain Regatta, 30th November, 1860,
lijvithS jVPGratli# Cionin, and A ash, beat t ho ;
ferial crew for a prize of £25 ; "-'pth , ISol,
with M'Grath, beat R. and H. Green, a pair-
oared race in skiffs on the Paramatta River,
£50 a-side ; at Hobart Town Regatta, 6th
December, 1861, with M'Grath, R. Green,
Cronin, and H. Green, "won the whaleboat
race, £100 prisse, eight miles, beating four
other crews ; at Melbourne, 15th March, 1862,
beat Ben Oxhide, of London, in outriggers,
£100 a-side, on the Yarra. He retired from
his boat as a competitor in 1863, he anc
M'Grath being then at the top of the tree,
although he was always willing to act as
coach to any young sculler ; and on 20th
February, 1876, he took Trickett to England,
where Sadler was defeated for thie champion
ship of the world, and returned to Sydney on
9th November of the same year, when he was
accorded a perfect ovation. The late Mr.
Punch also took an ardent interest
in sporting matters of every description, and
of late years acted as stakeholder in all the
important pedestrian matches decided in
Sydney. Mr. Punch first commenced business
in conjunction with his partner in many an
aquatic contest, M'Grath, at the City Wine
Vaults, George street, still kept by the widow
of the latter; but about thirteen years ago
they dissolved partnership, and he moved
into the premises at the corner of King and
Pitt streets, which he retained up to his death.
The funeral took place on Thursday last, and
as showing the high esteem in which he was
held by all classes of the community, it may
be stated that the streets along which the
procession moved were lined by thousands of
people.
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