South Island Club Rowing season saw a big weekend of racing on Lake Ruataniwha with over 1500 rowers from across the South Island participating in some very exciting finishes with great water for most of the regatta. Many will now head to Nationals on Lake Karapiro in February.
Wanaka Rowing Club were represented by 15 Junior rowers and 4 Masters, with stand out performances from the Coxed Novice Boys, coached by Rob Bruce, who came home with Bronze in Boys U15 Coxed Quad Sculls (Jack Jones, Duncan Turner, Travis Cooper, Finley Hughes, coxswain Emily Hunt) and Gold in the Mens Novice Coxed Quad Sculls (Jasper Lambert, Will Persson, Duncan Turner, Finley Hughes, coxswain Emily Hunt).
As heats progressed to finals over the weekend crews consistently improved their course times showing potential with The Mens Novice Double Sculls pairing of Travis Cooper and Duncan Turner, very narrowly missing placing in their A final but shaving 15 seconds off their heat time. Likewise in the same event, Jack Jones and Jasper Lambert finished first in their B final in 7.50.37 some 20 seconds faster than their heat time.
The entire squad bolstered one another, rigging boats, getting on and off the water, cheering one another home. This coupled with magnificent sponsor, coach and parent support supplying transport, towing boat trailers and feeding athletes for the weekend illustrates what a team effort it is. Big thank you to Assistant Coach Philip Massey and Master and Learn To Row Coach AJ Humphries for their input over the weekend.
Junior Crews will all continue training hard now for the remaining two school regattas of the season in March (South Island Secondary Schools and Maadi Cup) and the Masters building toward South Island Masters Champs. on Lake Rotoiti in April.
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