The Rowing NSW Regatta typically signals the start of the competitive rowing season. After a year in which nearly every regatta has been canceled due to Covid 19 or curtailed due to terrible weather conditions, last Saturday came as a massive relief to rowers and coaches from all clubs.
Finally, a regatta without smoke, heat, or driving rain to at last enable rowers to have a great day of real competition.
Our club took a large contingent to the International Regatta Centre and overall, our rowers performed well with lots of wins and places. The coaches took the opportunity to get as much racing as possible and some of our more experienced rowers were happy to join with the younger rowers in some crew boats to give them experience in how to race.
The highlights of the day were the big boat challenges in the Men’s and Women’s Open Eights. In the men’s eight we fielded a crew with 2019 Australian U23 pair champions, Britt and O’Shannessy in the stern with
Dani Pettit steering and a younger group of mainly U21’s up the boat. The race featured SUBC, Sydney, and Mosman. Sydney leads out well with University settling into a longer rhythm. Sydney led all the way with the margin closing to under half a second at the 1500 meter mark. In the last 500, SUBC was able to get the upper hand going out to a lead of three quarters of a length and winning by just over two seconds in 5.50.99 from Sydney with Mosman third.
In the women’s open eight the pace was hot from the start with only Sydney and SUBC contesting. The crew was stroked by Ella Mentzines with Tara Rigney and Kate Rowan in 7 and 6. Talia Barnet-Hepples was the coxswain. The University crew did a major push at the 1,000 meter mark and went out to a clear lead eventually winning by eight seconds in 6.40.24. This race was the first race for the club’s new Empacher eight – christened n March as the “Belinda Hutchinson” after our University Chancellor.
Phil Kaufmann was one of our Learn to Row members in 2018 and has applied himself diligently to the sport. This year through the Covid lockdown Phil kept hard at the task of training on the erg and last Saturday was rewarded with a win in the Men’s Open Single and a 2nd place in the Men’s B Double Scull. Congratulations Phil.
Other wins for SUBC came for India Hobbs in the Women’s B Single, Darcy Cameron in the Men’s C Single, Tara Rigney and Kate Rowan in the Women’s Open Pair, Jaime Ford and Eleanor Price in the Women’s B Pair, and Tara Rigney, Kate Rowan, Sophie Houston and Ella Mentzines in the Women’s B Quad Scull.
The Women's Open Eight with a clear water finish.
Our full list of placegetters is below.
