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ROWING.
Langley Retains Sculls.
(By 'Bow.')
The regatta held on Saturday last by
the West Australian Rowing Association
provided a very tame ending to what
lad promised to be. earlier in the vear.
an exciting season. After the June re
gatta the Swan River Club was leading
the Fremantle Club, which up to that
date was very strong in maiden and junior
ranks, by only a few points. If in the re
maining regattas the West Australian
Dlub had been strong enough to even
mlve the senior points with the Swan
Club, and the Fremantle juniors and
maidens had been able to retain their
form. Fremantle. might have secured the
premiership. However, the Fremantle
Club, which has only a small member
ship, suffered several casualties in its
crews, and it found difficulty in filling the
vacancies. The West Australian Club also
entered upon a lean time, for excluding
sculling it won only one senior event, the
champion pairs, while the Swan Club
went from success to success.
Sculling has never been really populai
on the ' river and for many years it has
been almost a monopoly of the West
Australian Club. This season has been no
exception, and there was no inter-club
competition in the championship. The only
man to enter against the present cham
pion, K. Langley, was his clubmate and
captain. George Rogers, who is about
twice his age. Langley first won the title
in 1D27. and he has yet to taste defeat.
He represented the State in 1929, when
he sculled a good -race against the re
doubtable H. R. Pearce, twice Olympic
champion. In Saturday's race he always
had the measure of his veteran opponent,
and his shell travelled' cleanly and
smoothly even over the roughest part of
the course. It was a case of youth will
be served, for Rogers, although he has
lost little, if any, of his skill, is now
50 years of age, and naturally he has
not the fire and dash of yputh.
Although the novice eights only at
tracted an entry from two clubs the stan
dard of the rowing in both crews was
exceptionally good. In fact, the standard
shown by the winning Swan eight was
quite equal to maiden class and even
better than some iunior crews, which have
been boated (luring tlie last two years.
If it is possible to keep this crew to
gether and if it carries its form into the
racing boat it will make a first-class
maiden eight next season. The A.N.A.
crew was unfortunate in meeting such
a high-class opponent, as in any 'ordinary
field it would have won comfortably. The
A-.N.A. Club now has the services of two
outstanding coaches in Messrs. P. J. and
Roger Ryan, and if the members respond
to their tuition they cannot fail to put
their club much higher on the premiership
list next season. Although the loss of
their services is a blow to the Swan
River Club it should prove a benefit to
rowing generally, as it should bring about
keener competition, and thus tend to raise
the standard of the sport to the high
pinnacle it reached in the years preceding
1929. At the Swan Club's annual dinner
on Saturday night several speakers con
gratulated the A.N.A. Club on its good
fortune and wished Messrs. Ryan suc
cess in their undertaking of developing
the latent talent in the younger club.
In winning tlie maiden fours the West
Australian Club crew performed credit
ably. Trouble with a fitting caused the
crew to lose three or four lengths when
half the course had been travelled. This
loss entailed the additional handicap of
being forced to drive the boat through the
broken water, which was rough enough to
practically swamp the Swan four. To be
able to_ overtake and pass the leaders in
such circumstances was no mean per
formance.
Unfurling the Pennant.
The Swan River Club will hold a re
gatta at its clubhouse on October 15,
when four-oar races for trophies donated
by the president (Mr. A. H. Macartney)
will be held. During the afternoon the
association's championship pennant, which
has been won so decisively by the club
during the season just closed, will be un
furled.
The executive committee of the West
Australian Rowing Association will meet
at the A.N.A. Aquatic Club on Monday
next. Advice has been received from Mel
bourne that the Australian Henley will
be held on the Yarra on November 26.
The committee is willing to grant up to
£50 towards the expenses of any crew
entering for any of the events. The local
representative of the regatta committee
is Mr. J. A. Child, honorary secretary
of the West Australian Rowing Associa
tion, and any intending competitors should
get in touch with him for any further in
formation.
The West Australian Club will hold its
annual dinner at the R.S.L. rooms on
October 14.
$