Poor weather had disrupted both the Otago and Canterbury championships earlier this summer but the weather could not have been better over the weekend, with clear blue skies and little wind — perfect conditions for rowing. More than 1200 rowers took part in the regatta.
The Dunstan Arm club was again impressive, but rowers from the Wakatipu and Wanaka clubs also tasted success.
The Wakatipu boys octuple won gold with the crew of Toby Rorrison, Josh Viana, Luke Bouchier, Logan Noton, Marley King-Smith, Ashton White, Carlos Ruess, Ben Hogan and cox Charlotte Muir doing the business. The under-16 double sculls team of Sam McAtamney and King-Smith also won.
The girls under-16 quad of Olivia Key, Zara McKay, Neve Bates, Holly Rogers and cox Emily Howick won, while Bates and Key teamed up to win the double sculls.
Rorrison and Viana teamed up to win the under-15 double sculls, while that duo along with Bouchier and Noton won the under-15 coxed quads, again coxed by Muir.
The Wanaka club picked up some wins in the masters grades and also won the intermediate quads with the crew of Neve Faed, Lyla Chamberlain, Bella Sargison and Samara Goodall winning, along with cox Thomas Mitchell.
Faed, Sargison, Goodall and Emily Findlay teamed up to win the under-17 quads. Findlay joined Pipi Horan to win the under-17 doubles.
Aaron Maxwell, of Wanaka, won the men’s intermediate singles.
Dunstan Arm continues to be a real force and it won 10 South Island titles.
The under-16 girls octuple crew from Dunstan, of Marzella Debeer, Maycee Williams, Caitlin Alley, Tahlia Nelson, Chloe Robertson, Ruby Smith, Arlia Murphy, Libby Handford and cox Tessa Handford won, while Williams, Debeer, Alley and Robertson won the under-15 quads, coxed by Billy Grant.
Eva Hofmans, who has been training on Lake Dunstan, won the senior singles, while Smith and Nelson teamed up to win the the novice double sculls. Debeer and Williams won the under-15 double sculls.
Paige Furrie, MacKenzie Ealson and the two Sophie Smiths won the under-19 coxed quad. Coach Simon Smith and Greg McLaughin teamed up to win the senior double sculls. Sophie Smith, of Alexandra, won the club single sculls.
Hofmans and Ealsom combined to win the senior double sculls, while Ruby Smith, Nelson, Ellie Key and Emer Bryant won the novice quads.
Reuben Cook had an impressive win for Otago Boys’ High School in the club single sculls. Siena Snow and Caitlin O’Brien won the club coxless pairs for Columba College.
Mark Smith and Zac Cleaver-Donovan teamed up to win the under-17 double sculls, while the Otago novice crew of Matt O’Meara, Oliver Hamilton, Angus Loe and Jarn Hollows, with cox Lauren Gibb, won the novice quads. Jack Pearson won the under-17 singles just ahead of team mate Smith.
The New Zealand champs will take place at the Lake Ruataniwha course later this month.
