The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-27
ABOUT THE
ROWING ROW
Fair Play" Raises
Some Vital
Points.
FORAGES IN THE
BOOK OF RULES
His sympathies Are Decidedly
| Healanian and Argument is
Not Unsound.

believe in dragging disagreements into
the press, feeling very decidedly that
races should be won or lost On land Or
water as the case may be; but in view
of the fact that the Myrtle captain has
published his definite decision not to
abide by the ruling of the judges on Re-
gatta Day, relative to the senior barge
race between the Healani and Myrtle
clubs, he feels it only right that the
public should have the Healani side of
the question presented in order that it
may form its own opinion fairly. The
discussions concerning this
much talked of race have shown a Ia
nrentabIe ignorance among those doing
most of the talking concerning three
things:
% The rules of the Hawaiian Rowing
Association.
(2) The relative positions of the boats
when the foul occurred.
go The history of racing during the
past few years, both at Pearl Harbor
and on Regatta Day.
We will take these up in the order nam
ed, and herewith present the rules of the
Hawaiian Rowing Association which COW
er the portions of the race in question
concerning which there is argument. In
the printed bylaws of the Hawaiian
Rowing Association, page 10, Rule Z, UNI
der the heading. Water we find
Each boat should keep its own water
throughout the race, but may depart
therefrom at the peril of foul
Rule S-A boats water is it's straight
course, parallel with those of the COM
peting boats, from the station assigned
to it at the start and finish.
Rule 9.-The judges shall be sole
judges of boats own water and proper
course during the race.
Rule 1G.-No fouling whatever shall be
allowed; the boat committing a foul
shall be disqualified.
Rule 16.-Every boat shall abide its
accidents, except when during race a
boat, while in it's own water, shall be in
terfered with by any outside boat, the
judges may order the race to be rowed
over, if in their opinion, such interfer-
ence materially affected the race.
Rule 1S.-The Jurisdiction of the judges
shall extend over the race, and all mat
tiers connected with it, from the time the
race is specified to start, until the final
termination, and their decision in all
cases shall be final without appeal
Rule 19.-Any competitor refusing to
abide by the decision or to follow the
direction of the. judges shall be disquali-
fed"
Let us take these up in the order nam
ed. Captain Harris of the Myrtles claim
ed that if there was open water between
the boats, that he had a right to steer
into the Healani water. We beg to call
his attention to Rule z, above, which dis
tinctly says that if he does so it is at his
own peril. Rule s definitely states what
a boats own water is Those of the
boat clubs and those along the wharves
were only able to judge as to the rela-
tive positions of the barges with respect
to their distance from the finish line and
could only surmise as to whether the
Myrtles were in the Healani water or
not. Those in boats behind the crews or
who were on the steamer Peru at the
channel wharf alone could intelligently
judge of this, and there are number of
gentlemen so situated who affirm that at
the time the foul occurred the Healani
crew were pointed directly toward the
judges stand, instead of the finish line,
and therefore away from the Myrtles'
course and that the only possible way
in which they. could cross the finish line
was to keep their own water and be
the Myrtles, which was manifestly i'm
possible. This being the case, it was an
absolute impossibility for the Healanis
to have fouled the Myrtles, the reverse
being the case. The judges could not
render any decision except to order the
race rowed over again, for the following
reasons: Col. Chas. Mccarthy was on
the tug, acting as judge OF the course,
he being sole judge of the whole race.
except the start and the finish. Owing
to misunderstanding of signals. the tug
dropped behind the crews to such an ex-
tent that when the foul occurred the
lighthouse interyened, and the Judge of
the course could not even see either crew
at the time the foul occurred. The other
judges, naturally depending upon the de-
cision of the judge of the course were
not in a position to decide which boat
fouled the other, and therefore ordered
the race to be rowed over again. which
they clearly had a right to do, as per
Rule 16. The Healanis abide by the de-
cision of the judges, and the bylaws of
the Rowing Association, see Rules II and
Is, and are willing to row the race over
at any time. In one published statement
Captain Harris said that it was too much
of a strain on the coach and crew; we
would ask him if the strain is any great
er on the Myrtles than 1t is for their
opponents.
Now. as to Klebahn's coaching, from
the lines concerning which the wearers
of the red and white have made such
capital. He should not have done this,
but when he saw his crew being showed
further and further out of their course,
until they finally could not even cross
the finish line without rowing around
their competitors, he very naturally call
ed out to them to hold their course. Capt.
Harris was coach of the Myrtles, and
his crew has the benefit of his coaching
all through the race, while Klebahn,
because he was heavier. was of course
barred from acting as coxswain. We
would ask any fair minded person which
would do the most to win race, a shout
through a megaphone. Keep your own
water" or to steer in front of the oppos-
inss crew so that they could not finish
without rowing around in a semi-circle?
The question is not what the judges
should or should not have done. but what
they did do, and having decided that the
race should be rowed over again, the