THE BEACH-HANLAN MATCH.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1536, 17 April 1885, Page 2

THE BEACH-HANLAN MATCH.

The Sydney Evening News published reports of interviews with Beach and Haitian the day before the race, from which the following are extracts : — INTERVIEW WITH BEACH. I do not think I have improved much during my present training, and I could not wish to, for the very good reason that I do not think I could possibly be in better form or condition. I uever felt bettor or rowed better in my life. I consider my chance good, and feel confident th«t I shall win. I cannot say whether Han lan has. made any improvement in his rowing since I met him last, though I do not thing ibis is possible, because as far as science goes he was tknn perfect. He may be in better condition than he was on that occasion, because I do not consider that ho trained as well as he might have done ; but I do not think he can possibly row any better. I shall step into my boat on Saturday at 12sfc. We shall row the race with a strong flood tide against iw-—in fact one of the strongest tides of the whole year. I expect it will Uoil up against us, and I anticipate afhead wirtd. I expect this will give me a slight ari ventage. The race will be slow, and it will probably take us from 28 to 24 tuiutes to cover the course. INTERVIEW WITH HANLAN. I have l>«eo most carefully trained for this race. I think ' lam in better condition than I was when I last rowed Beach. J h»ve been better trained, and my good coudition is due to Mr Laycock, whota 1, consider to be one of the very best of traiuers. With regard to my chances on Saturday, I really do not know what to think on the matter. I do not like to say that I can win until I have won. Ido not believe in com petitors expressing their positive confidence in themselves before the event comes off. I know what 1 can do, but I dou't know what Beach can do. He, like most Australian scullers, is difficult to get at, and 1 kave i.o idea how fast he is. lam as ignorant of his pace as the veriest amateur. I j shall go out and row a great race, and if he beats me I do not thing he | will beat me by more than half a minute' I cannot say that Id» feel | confident of winning the race on Suturday, because, to tell you the truth, 1 1 don't know exactly what I shall have to do, both as regards Beach himself and the tide. lam now a little over 10«.t 121 b. but that will be about my weight when I go to the starting-post on Saturday. As to the tide, on the , Parramatta^ I have not been able to 1 form any definite opinion. Indeed I , have rowed the course experimentally , on several odcasioua at different limes, and sometimes I have rowed so fast as i to enable me to " run rings" even , 1 round Beach, but I have found that ' the tide differs every five minutes, and the people with whom I have spoken on the niattw, ali differ in their opinion although they are supposed to be well acquainted with the river. So far as ; I can judge, we shall have to row I against a two 1 hours* tide, which, in j my opinion will bo ib Beach's favour. I I am sick aud tired of arguing with i acquatie men about the rise and fall of the Paramatta. I have watched it until I thought it to be dead water, and then rowed, aud afterwards consulted men wlio profess to kuow all about it, and found that; their opinions were altogether contrary to mine. It is this which has over thrown all my calculating, and prevented me from forming any real opinion as to the Paramatta *s a championship sculling couish. I think Beach is a stronger man now than - when I met him l>efore, and he has since then made marvellous improvement in Sculling. He sits better, and I consider that he has gained a minuteover the course. He is a man who will make a match without thinkingof allowingan opponent a ghost of a chance. Thus he had not pluck enough to make a match to row me in dead water, but insisted on making one to row against the tide, in order to make "bollock' work of it, where I, being the lighter man, must have the worst of it. rOf course the champion, the great luminary of the sculling world, has Spin hi* power to make the lesser lights cpme to him ; and as I am one of the \ loftier lights I suppose I must give jo ,on the matter, hut I cannot understand why people should, bet even n\pney on myself against a man of Beech's physique, who is' so much stronger than I am,' and consequently will have the advantage with Wind and tide in his favour. Never theless, as I h*ye said, I shall do tray best to raaice V great* race' of ft from start to finish,' aYid' if he boats me it [ will not be hy much.