Fifty-Five Yards Lady Members Handicap

FIFTY-FIVE YARDS LADY MEMBERS' HANDICAP It was started in accordance with the then recognised Southern method, and a back handicap had to be framed for this race, and read as follows :— Miss J. Skeens . . o secs. Miss D. O'Neil . . so secs.

„ M. Gardiner. . 6 „ „ 0. Couzens. 52 „ „ Glasspole . . 8 „ B. Ash . • 15 „ G. lanes . . 8 „ „ S. P. Aylen. . 18 „ The times under this system were of course untrustworthy for comparison and very misleading, but an improvement had been introduced by some starters, who framed a back handicap from the actual limit man of the handicap, instead of the limit man of each heat. They could then, of course, easily arrive at the handicap time.

Another system of starting and timing is the one used for ordinary cross-country handicaps, and its advocates claim that it is the only correct plan of starting a race. Its advantage is that the handicap time is ascertainable at once, but, on the other hand, the disadvantage of having to delay a start till the hand of a watch runs round to a certain portion of the dial more than counterbalances this. The following tables will explain the system : Programme Starter's Book Lenton . . . scratch Asgill . . . . 46 secs.

Mitton . . 9

secs. Bowen . . • 48 Doherty . . so „ Doherty . 5o „ Bowen . . • 52 „ Mitton . . 5x „ Asgill . . . . x4 „ Lenton . . . zero It will be noticed that in the heat quoted as an example the second hand of the watch would be run round to forty-six seconds before the limit man was started, and that when the hand reached sixty seconds the scratch man would receive the word to 'go,' and the actual timing of the race would start from the scratch man. This is a splendid system for cross country running or a long-distance swimming handicap, but in sprint swimming the official style is preferable, as no time is lost between the heats, an all-important consideration when the meeting is prolonged to a late hour.

Every timekeeper should be the possessor of a good watch, and one that has been well tested. He must be an expert, and if record is expected to be approached at the meet ing, the services of a recognised competent official should be secured. •If record be beaten, the distance should at

once be carefully checked and certified by a surveyor, so that when claiming the record full evidence in support of it may be tendered.

From Mr. Roland St. Clair, the honorary secretary of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, we have re ceived particulars of an ingenious automatic handicap starting and timing machine, used by the Auckland Club and invented by a Mr. Bartlett. Around the dial of the clock, which is placed at the winning-post, are arranged sixty buttons, corre sponding to sixty seconds. By depressing any of these, con nection is made with a bell placed at the starting-post, which rings accordingly, and by this means any number of com petitors in a handicap race may be sent at intervals of a second, as required. The bell may be taken any distance from the dock. When the winner touches the tape the clock stops. The instrument is being perfected to register the time when each competitor finishes. Some system such as this is bound to replace the ordinary timekeeper in the years to come. An electric timekeeping machine for water polo is even now in use in England.

In order to secure entries the members of the committee should visit the galas and swimming races held just before the date fixed for the closing of the entries, which should be at least a week before the meeting, and personally invite those swimmers whose entries would be acceptable. In every case the official entry form should be filled up, and the entry fee taken, otherwise the A.S.A. might be placed on the horns of a dilemma when desirous to deal with any infringement of its laws by the person entering. It is essential that a recog nised public handicapper be employed, because if it be made known that the handicap is to be framed by, a popular man the entries are more likely to be numerous, and the racing good.