Otago rowers will test themselves against the best in the country at the national championships starting today on Lake Ruataniwha.
Almost 700 rowers from 35 clubs and four regional performance centres will compete in 72 boat classes over the next five days.
The country's top rowers will compete in premier, under-22 and under-20 grades and will represent their regional performance centres - Auckland, Waikato, Central and Southern - while club rowers make up the rest of the competition.
Fresh from winning the supreme Halberg award with Eric Murray, Olympic gold medallist and seven-time world champion Hamish Bond will represent the North End Rowing Club.
World championship gold and silver medallists Fiona Bourke and Alistair Bond (Hamish's brother) will represent the Otago University club.
With 2014 single scull champion Emma Twigg taking a break from the sport, Bourke is a real chance in the women's premier single scull.
The men's premier single scull race will be a highlight of the week as Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale guns for his eighth national title.
Hamish Bond and Murray will both compete for the title in a tough field.
There are 37 rowers entered in the women's club single scull.
Karley Wilden-Palms, Eliza Adams and Emma Wallace (all North End) make up the Otago contingent.
Wanaka brothers Riley and Eachann Bruce will compete together in the men's club double, before going head to head in the men's club single scull.
The pair are among 34 entries in the men's club double, and the brothers head into the week full of confidence after winning the South Island title earlier this month.
However, defending champions Matthew Butler and Lenny Jenkins, of Whakatane, will take some beating.
Maysie Scott and Sydney Telfer lead a strong contingent of Oamaru rowers looking to continue their golden summer.
Scott and Telfer won the women's under-19 double sculls at the South Island championships earlier in the month and will now look to claim the national title.
Julia Fauth, Micaela Irvine and cox Jess Mulligan will join them in the coxed quad, as they look to add to their South Island title.
Minus Mulligan, they will also compete in the women's club coxless quad.
North End's Juliette Alm-Lequeux, Adams, Wallace and Wilden-Palms will also compete in the coxless quad.
There are 48 Otago rowers competing at the championships.
Racing runs from 7.30am to 4pm each day.
Finals start on Thursday and wrap up on Saturday afternoon.
