Expect the Wanaka Rowing Club to be prominent in the under-17 races at this weekend’s South Island championships.
With a strong cohort of rowers in the age group — which won three medals at last year’s regatta — it is hoping it can deliver more success at Lake Ruataniwha.
Its most recent outing would suggest it is on track to do that. In Sam Pearce, it has the recently crowned Canterbury championships under-17 boys single sculls champion.
And its girls squad claimed medals in the single, double and quadruple sculls at the same regatta.
Amanda Inkster, both a coach and a committee member at the club, said the group had kept building from a successful season last year.
The junior squad was coached by Rob Bruce, who was assisted by Matt Rickard, and she said both were working very well with the rowers.
Pearce in particular had come into his own this season.
"He was getting to the races and getting to the podium [last season]," she said.
"Now he’s got a bit bigger, got a bit more switched on with the racing, he’s winning races now. He’s doing really well."
The girls squad was disrupted by winter injuries and illness but had come through that.
Peta McKay had finished second at the Canterbury championships in the single sculls and was also part of the double and quadruple sculls crews that won bronze and silver respectively.
Meanwhile, Maggie Stiven had made great progress.
She had finished fourth at those championships and had improved her 2km erg time from more than 8min to an impressive 7min 50sec.
Greer Porter placed second at last year’s South Island championships and was another chance of doing well.
The girls were joined by promising under-16 second-year rower Rata Horan, who would come into the quad crew.
Inkster said the club would mix up its crews this weekend as it looked to find the best combinations ahead of March’s South Island secondary schools regatta.
She said training had been going well, although the past week they had been unable to get on the water due to poor conditions.
The heat and popularity of Lake Wanaka could pose challenges, although she said neither were big problems.
"[The heat] hasn’t affected us too much because ... we’re out at 5.45am, 6am when it’s cool," she said.
"So that heat hasn’t impacted on their morning training.
"I think it’s impacted on them a bit in the afternoon. They’ve been feeling it a bit.
"But because of the weather this week, they’ve done a lot of early-morning erging."
Racing begins at 7.30am today and concludes tomorrow at 2.35pm.
