Bad weather had the biggest say at the Otago championships on Lake Ruataniwha at the weekend.
Only a handful of finals were completed on Sunday, as strong winds picked up before lunch and resulted in the regatta being abandoned at noon.
Almost all of Saturday's scheduled races were completed but, like the interprovincial championships in October, wind wiped out a large chunk of the regatta, the largest Otago championships (1117 athletes from 31 clubs) in history.
Bradley Leydon and Alexander Timmings, of Otago Rowing Club, made the most of the conditions before the wind became too strong.
The pair won the boys under-17 double sculls in 7min 51.53sec, comfortably clear of Jack Castle and Perry Smith, of Nelson Rowing Club, who crossed the line in 7min 55.28sec.
Coached by Jamie McKenzie, one of nine Meridian coaching scholars in Otago, Leydon and Timmings qualified second for the final on Saturday.
In much better conditions, the John McGlashan College pupils won the first of three heats in 7min 29.01sec, while Castle and Smith won their heat in 7min 28.16sec.
Oamaru's Mark Taylor, Charlie Wallis, Jared Brenssell and James Scott recorded an impressive win in the men's club coxless quadruple sculls.
After qualifying for the final with a convincing win in the heats on Saturday, they did not disappoint in the final, winning in 7min 4.19sec.
An Invercargill composite, which included Wanaka's Riley Bruce, crossed for second 4.93sec later.
Sam Masterton and Thomas Ryan, of North End Rowing Club, had to work hard for their win in the men's novice double sculls.
Raced over 1000m due to increasing wind, the pair crossed in 4min 24.64sec. Joseph Young and Callum McNab, of Nelson Rowing Club, were second in 4min 26.43sec.
Representing Southern RPC, Andrew Potter, of Otago University Rowing Club, teamed up with Cameron Crampton, Matthew Mesman and James Walker to win the men's open coxless quad in 6min 54.30sec. Alexander Byars and Jack McLaughlan, of Otago Rowing Club, had to settle for second in the boys under-15 double sculls behind William Topham and Jack Hurley, of St Thomas of Canterbury.
Byars and McLaughlan were 1.34sec off the pace, crossing the line in 8min 15.48sec.
Inan Diwan and Michael Williams, of Otago University Rowing Club, and Oamaru's Sydney Telfer recorded third-placed finishes in the men's novice double and women's under-20 single respectively.
Otago masters rowers also impressed in the few completed finals. Simon Smith, of Dunstan Arm Rowing Club, comfortably won the men's masters single (1000m) in 3min 46.43sec, while Imogen Coxhead won the women's masters single (1000m) in 4min 55.06sec.
The Dunstan's men's masters coxed quad of Simon Smith, Lee Wilson, Wayne Gloag, Quentin Annan and coxswain Sophie Smith won their 1000m final in 4min 6.22sec.
The Canterbury championships will be held on Lake Ruataniwha on January 16-17.
