Emma Twigg and Tamsin Gilbert won the women's double sculls as a national rowing championships dynasty ended on Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel today.
Waikato twins Georgina and Carolina Evers-Swindells have dominated the category since 2000 but their recent retirement left the title up for grabs.
The Auckland crew of Twigg and Gilbert made sure of it with a dominant performance, winning in six minutes 56.53 seconds, more than 5sec clear of the Central crew comprising Anna Reymer and Simone Hudson.
Olympic single sculler Twigg will be a firm favourite when she contests the singles final tomorrow.
Earlier today, world lightweight men's champion Duncan Grant of Wairau reclaimed the national title with a fine victory in the men's lightweight single sculls final.
Racing for Central, Grant repelled a strong challenge from Graham Oberlin-Brown, of Te Awamutu, the under-23 lightweight world champion.
After a close start Grant started to assert himself and established a clear lead through 1000m.
Oberlin-Brown attacked over the closing 500m but Grant responded to stretch his advantage by the finish when his time of seven minutes four seconds left him 6sec ahead.
Hamish Bond and Jade Uru of Southern won the men's premier pairs final ahead of Waikato rivals Eric Murray and Simon Watson.
Bond and Uru had to withstand a strong challenge and it was only in the final 250m that they established a comfortable lead.
It was Uru's first red coat win while Bond retained the title he won last year paired with Carl Meyer.
The clear highlight on the final day of racing tomorrow will be the men's single sculls final, where three-time world champion Mahe Drysdale locks horns with former Olympic champion Rob Waddell.
The two rowing giants last locked horns in a three-race trial for the Olympics a year ago, won 2-1 by Drysdale on Lake Karapiro.
Today's results
Leading premier results from the national rowing championships on Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel:
TODAY _ finals
Men:
Pair: Southern (Jade Uru, Hamish Bond) 6:34.36 1, Waikato (Eric Murray, Simon Watson) 6:38.46 2, Auckland (Alex Mamo, Nicholas Pusinelli) 6:51.52 3
Double scull: Southern 1 (Matthew Trott, Nathan Cohen) 6:22.82 1, Central (Steve Cottle, Joseph Sullivan) 6:28.45 2, Southern 3 (John Storey, Michael Nisbet) 6:36.30 3
Women:
Auckland (T Gilbert, Emma Twigg) 6:56.53 1, Central (Anna Reymer, Simone Hudson) 7:01.63 2, Waikato (Genevieve Armstrong, Jaime Nielsen) 7:06.17 3
YESTERDAY _ semifinals
Men:
Single sculls: Race one _ Mahe Drysdale (Auckland) 7:03.14 1, Joseph Sullivan (Central) 7:06.19 2, Storm Uru (Southern) 7:09.82 3. Race two _ Rob Waddell (Waikato) 7:08.50 1, Nathan Cohen (Southern) 7:12.70 2, Peter Taylor (Southern) 7:21.79 3
NZPA WGT dg \NZP 20/02/09 1714NZ
