More than 2000 rowers from across the country will take to Lake Ruataniwha at the annual Maadi Cup regatta this week.
Including 108 reserves, 2253 athletes from 120 schools are entered in the largest secondary schools regatta in the southern hemisphere.
Otago's contingent of almost 200 rowers from 15 schools should go into the week full of confidence, after winning 32 medals - 7 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze - at the South Island secondary schools championships a fortnight ago.
But they will need to up their game with a swarm of North Island talent invading Twizel for the next six days.
Heats, repechages and preliminary finals for the 52 events will be completed between today and Thursday, before the medals are decided on Friday and Saturday.
Rowers will take part in four age groups - under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-18.
The most contested event will be the girls under-16 double scull, which has attracted 63 crews.
Sixty under-17 boys have entered the single, including Waitaki Boys' High School's Mark Taylor, John McGlashan College's Bradley Leydon and Dunstan High School's Robert Allen.
The inaugural Maadi Cup was held in 1947 and only featured boys.
Girls were included in the 1970s and it has evolved into the feature secondary schools event on the calendar.
This year's event is the latest the event has been held since 1965, and is the first time it has been held in April in the South Island.
Hamilton Boys' High School is the school to watch.
It won the overall trophy for a third consecutive year and the sixth time since 2005 at Lake Karapiro a year ago.
The powerhouse school also won the feature event, the under-18 boys eight, for a third straight year.
The winners of the boys under-18 eight are awarded the Maadi Cup, yet to be won by an Otago school.
Wanganui Collegiate (17), Christ's College (10) and Hamilton Boys (10) are the most successful schools in history.
Coached by Owen Gould, Waitaki Boys' High School has entered a crew in this year's event.
Maadi Cup
Lake Ruataniwha, today to Saturday
• Total competitors: 2145
• Schools competing: 120
• Events: 52
• Races: 600
