The Wānaka Rowing Club achieved some standout performances at the South Island Rowing Championships in Twizel last weekend.

It was a big weekend of racing on Lake Ruataniwha for the South Island club rowing season, with more than 1,500 rowers participating in some very exciting finishes with great water for most of the regatta, the club reported.

Wānaka Rowing Club was represented by 15 junior rowers and four masters, with stand out performances including the Men’s Novice Coxed Quad Sculls (Jasper Lambert, Will Persson, Duncan Turner, Finley Hughes, coxswain Emily Hunt) winning gold.

The Coxed Novice Boys, coached by Rob Bruce, came home with bronze in the Boys U15 Coxed Quad Sculls (Jack Jones, Duncan Turner, Travis Cooper, Finley Hughes, coxswain Emily Hunt).

As heats progressed to finals over the weekend crews consistently improved their course times, showing potential with the Men’s Novice Double Sculls pairing of Travis Cooper and Duncan Turner narrowly missing placing in their A final, but shaving 15 seconds off their heat time. 

In the same event, Jack Jones and Jasper Lambert finished first in their B final in 7.50.37 some 20 seconds faster than their heat time.

The Wānaka squad bolstered one another, rigging boats, getting on and off the water, and cheering one another home, the club reported.

As always, sponsors, coaches and parents supported in supplying transport, towing boat trailers and feeding athletes for the weekend. 

The club thanked assistant coach Philip Massey and master and learn to row coach AJ Humphries for their input over the weekend.

The junior crews will continue training hard for the remaining two school regattas of the season in March (South Island Secondary Schools and Maadi Cup) and the Masters, building toward South Island Masters Champs on Lake Rotoiti in April.

PHOTO: Supplied