It should be a crowded spectacle on the Whanganui River next month when the 2014 edition of the biennial Aon Billy Webb Challenge gets under way on November 30.
In light of growing financial costs, the Wanganui Rowing Association, in agreement with sponsor Aon, Wanganui District Council and Rowing NZ, have changed the format for the headline 5km race to include all the single sculler categories.
New Zealand's Elite men and women in their Olympic preparations will be side-by-side with club, masters, and school competitors.
At the last race in December 2012, Mahe Drysdale successfully defended the trophy against his fellow London Olympic gold medal-winning teammates in Nathan Cohen, Joe Sullivan, and Eric Murray, in what was something of a lap of honour for the New Zealand rowing public after the success at the games.
Australia's double medallist Kim Crow completely dominated the separate elite women's race for the Philippa Baker-Hogan Cup against three young NZ training squad rowers in Sarah Gray, Fiona Bourke and Zoe Stevenson.