Impressive Vic team wins Easter rowing

Victoria Unive rsity stole the limelight in the New Zealand universities' Easter tournament rowing, held on the Wanganui River.

It won the feature eights event impressively and followed this by a resounding single sculls victory.

Gibbons, one of the power men in the successful Vic eight, had too much in reserve for the single sculling field to take his third consecutive victory in this race. He was selected for the New Zealand universities' crew which trounced the rest by 1( lengths.

The eights was no walkover for Victoria. They had to fight off Canterbury who finished fast over the last quarter mile of the two mile course.

On the driftwood-strewn river. Victorias course was the most obstacle-laden and they had to literally weave their way to the finish. The crew did well to win with an interrupted training schedule after a boating accident on Wellington Harbour which claimed the life of their coxswain A. Boycott and injured their coach, R. Joyce.

Victoria was helped to its overall points tally win of 23 points for the regatta by the second placing of its doublesculls R. Troll and O. Gilbert, both members of the eight. These two were also picked for the New Zealand universities eight.

The race between the N.Z. universities' eight and the rest was a fine exhibition of solid rowing. New Zealand universities held their rating low until the last 300 metres after containing the rest from the gun.

Then in a last sprint they suddenly accelerated away to beat the rest by 1( lengths.

Comprising the N.Z.U. crew were: R. Black (stroke), A. Winwood (Canterbury), O. Gilbert, J. Gibbons (Victoria), P. R. Trott (Victoria), R. Fairclough (Auckland and N. Lynch (cox).

Those selected for the Rest were: P. Hill (Masssey), C. Ashby (Auckland), N. Reilly, L. Lopus, D. Raw son (Canterbury), C. Nilsson (Lincoln), T. Castle (Victoria) and M. Seawood (cox).

The race billed as "Ladies fours—1000 metres, if they survive", produced some fine rowing. particularly from Auckland who were in a class of their own.

Otago led all the way in the closest race of the day— the novice fours, to win from Canterbury and a fast-finishing Massey No. 3.

Otago also won the light-weight fours. They boated a strong combination which left Massey crews more than 100 metres behind.

Lincoln took their only placing in the college fours. They were third behind Canterbury No. 1 and Otago No. 1.

Otago's N. Sharpe and M. Ramsay were in fine form for the double sculls, comfortably beating Troll and Gilbert from Vic. who had steering trouble.

Results were:

Eights: Victoria (O. Gilbert, stroke, J. Gibbons, B. Sharp, T. Castle, C Gilbert, J. Welch) 1, Canterbury 2, Massey 3; distances, 1L. 3(L.

College fours: Canterbury No. 1 (D. Lindstrom, stroke, T. Brownlie, A. Mclntyre, A Tail) 1, Olago No. 1. 2, Lincoln 3; distances, 2L, 3L.

Lightweight fours: Otago 1. Massey No. 1, 2, Massey No. 2, 3; distanc 1 1/2 L.

Single sculls: Victoria (J. Gibbons) 1, Otago 2, Canterbury 3; distances, 3 1/2 L, 1L. Novice fours: Olago No. 1, 1/2 G. Holloway, A. Edmond, B. Ferris, E. Edgar) 1, Canterbury No. 1, 2, Massey N. 3; distances 1L, canvas.

Ladies' fours: Auckland 1, Otago 2, Canterbury 3. Distances, 3L, 1/2L.

Double sculls: Otago (N. Sharpe, M. Ramsay) 1, Victoria 2, Massey 3; distances, 2 1/2L, 3L.

Double sculls: Otago (N. Sharpe, M. Ramsay) 1, Victoria 2, Massey 3; distances, 2 1/2L, 3L.

Final points: Victoria 23, Canterbury 18, Otago 16, Massey 4, Lincoln 2.