Nelson Rowing Club, celebrating their 150th. Anniversary, hosted 306 competitors from 25 Clubs, at ANZAC weekends South Island Masters Regatta on Lake Rotoiti, Nelson. The event encompassed all that is good in Masters Rowing – competitive racing, great camaraderie and big team efforts to get boats and rowers to the stunning location in St. Arnaud.
A squad of 16 Masters from Wanaka Rowing Club competed strongly in singles, doubles, pairs, quads and fours over the weekend. Perfect water conditions on Saturday across the 1km course were enjoyed by rowers, categorised by age from 27 years and upwards.
The Regatta opened with a frosty and moving lakefront ANZAC service, the mournful Last Post echoing around the hills encircling Lake Rotoiti. Following a two minute silence, over 200 rowers took to the water for the 5km long distance race, starting at the Southernmost end of Lake Rotoiti.
Racing continued on Saturday with the mixed race schedule where Wanaka crews won Gold in the following events;
Mixed E-M Coxless Quad Sculls – Tristan Hughes, Heather Knox, Sandra Binney, Max Paulin
Mixed E-M Double Sculls – Max Paulin & Elizabeth Lampen-Smith
Sunday dawned calm with great racing on the 1km course before the wind picked up and the course was altered and shortened to 600m. The following crews rowed strongly to secure Golds
Womens A-D coxless pair oars – Brit Smith and Vic Schutte
Mens E-M coxless pair oars -Tristan Hughes and Shane Gibson
Womens New E-M Single Sculls – Lizzie Ritchie
Womens A-D Single Sculls – Brit Smith
As well as their 6 Golds, Wanaka secured 9 second places, 4 third places and 4 fourth places.
But it is certainly not just about medals, many crew combinations rowed their best races together, the squad up at Rotoiti supported one another on and off the water with some very tight turn-arounds, rowers back home supplied baking to fuel the athletes and all returned safely home having enjoyed a glorious weekend of high level sport and friendships.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US NELSON ROWING CLUB!
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