College Rowing Season Underway

While many of their College mates were enjoying relaxing in the summer sunshine in the final days of the summer holidays, rowers and coxswains from College Rowing Club were getting out of bed at 5.45am each morning to be on the water early for the first of three daily training sessions on the upper reaches of Lake Karapiro on the Waikato River!

The 10 day annual rowing camp at Finlay Park in the central Waikato is the most important training and development element of the season and culminates on crew selections for the business end of the season – the North Island Secondary Schools and New Zealand Secondary Schools championships. Their first goal, however, was to compete at the Cambridge Town Cup on Lake Karapiro directly after camp.

While the fantastic summer weather meant every session could be maximised, it also meant crews were working in extreme 30+C heat for many hours each day and as a result, rest and recovery and meal times were critical. Rowing is a high energy sport and with four full meals being required daily (yes four – they eat breakfast twice!), club members consumed over 5,000 servings over the course of the week!

Our parent volunteers were crucial in ensuring the week ran perfectly and we extend sincere thanks to their 18 hours of non-stop work each day in the kitchen, dining hall, laundry and boat park.

Following camp, the rowers moved to Lake Karapiro for the Cambridge Town Cup which gave our newly selected crews their first opportunity to compete together.

The Cambridge Town Cup is one of the biggest regattas in the Southern Hemisphere each year comprising around 350 individual races, and showcasing over 2,250 athletes from beginner novice crews right through to elite rowers from the New Zealand Elite and Summer development squads. Following a tough week at camp, the students always hit this event rather fatigued but nonetheless achieved some extremely creditable performances. Special achievements include:

10 A finals and 6 B finals

1st place in the Boys U17 coxed Quadruple Sculls
Ollie Rhodes, Edward Barry, Andrew McBain, Jamie Sinclair-Eagle, Thomas Hussona (cox)

2nd place in the Boys U16 coxed Eight
Tom Mills, Angus Wilson, Matt Kelly, Ollie Strang, Nicholas Lyon-Ramsdale, Ethan Blight, Sam Morrow, Harry Ramakers + Sam Ingleton

3rd place in the Boys U18 Single Sculls
Ayden Lamont

Congratulations to all our rowers, well done on surviving the rigorous demands of rowing camp.

Our next major events are the annual Westlake Cup and Head of the Harbour regattas on the water at Lake Pupuke on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 February. Come and see for yourselves what rowing is all about!