SILVER MEDALLISTS: Gisborne Rowing Club's crew for the men's senior coxless sculls — (from left) Lewis Green, Alex Hyland, Oscar Ruston and Sacha Dewancker — took second place in the A final at the 2020 Karapiro Christmas Regatta. Light and Motion Photography pictures
Gisborne Rowing Club had an outstanding weekend of results at the 2020 Karapiro Christmas Regatta.
The club had 40 rowers there — the biggest team the club had taken to any regatta in years.
Gisborne Rowing Club assistant coach Peter Simmons said it was exciting to have such a strong contingent of rowers travelling to compete.
“It wasn't long ago that the club had three or four active members rowing.”
Rowers competed in a combination of age-group races (under-15 to u18) and skill level races (novice, intermediate, club and senior).
Simmons said the club's rowers performed exceptionally well in harsh, windy conditions at Lake Karapiro.
“The bends, bridges and increasing congestion of our Gizzy rivers make it hard for us to train to full racing conditions,” he said.
“These results were great achievements for these rowers.”
For some, it was the first time they had been able to race over a straight 2000-metre course.
“The way our coaches get the results, they must be doing something right,” Simmons said.
The coaching team of Alex Hyland (girls' u17, u18, intermediate and club), Murray Kendrew (girls' u15, u16, novice and intermediate) and Luke Jenkins (all male categories) and Simmons himself were “pleased with the efforts of all our rowers”.
In all, 10 GRC crews made A or B finals. The highlights were two firsts and a second placing in the A finals of men's events.
Sacha Dewancker and Oscar Ruston placed fourth in the boys' u18 coxless pair oars, which was a good result as they had trained in the boat only a handful of times before this regatta, Simmons said.
“These boys continued their success from the 2020 North Island club champs and North Island Secondary Schools regattas by winning the A Final of the boys' u18 double sculls.”
Ruston had stayed on at Karapiro to take part in New Zealand Rowing's u19 development training camp, which could result in his being selected for the NZ Rowing junior team in March, following an incredible string of results, Simmons said.
“He's been rowing singles and winning by big margins.”
Senior rower James Brott and club coach Alex Hyland joined Ruston and Dewancker to take out the men's senior coxless four.
With a change of rigging from sweep to sculling and with Lewis Green replacing Brott, Gisborne contested the A Final of the men's senior coxless sculls. The team of Ruston, Dewancker, Hyland and Green snatched second place.
In the women's categories, the Gisborne club's experienced rowers achieved a fifth placing (women's club coxless quad sculls) and a sixth placing (women's club coxed four) in the A finals, while intermediate rowers placed second in the B Final of the women's intermediate double sculls, Simmons said.
Gisborne Rowing Club athletes will next compete at the Hawke's Bay Cup on the Clive River, Hastings, over the New Year holiday weekend. That will be followed by the North Island Club Championship regatta at Lake Karapiro at the end of January. A small contingent of senior rowers may head to the New Zealand Rowing Championships on Lake Ruataniwha at Twizel in February.
Men's senior coxless four (Oscar Ruston, Sacha Dewancker, Alex Hyland, James Brott): A Final: placed 1st (6:49.67).
Men's club double sculls (Ben McCosh, Joshua Kelly): Heat 3: placed 3rd (8:36.46).
Men's club double sculls (Luke Jenkins, Alex Hyland): Heat 3: scratched.
Men's club coxless quad sculls (Joshua Kelly, Ben McCosh, Jack Notting, Thom Simmons): Heat 1: placed 6th (7:46.28).
Men's intermediate double sculls (David Levy, Beb Blakeman): Heat 4: placed 1st (8:33.05), A Final: placed 7th (8:08.94).
Men's intermediate coxed quad sculls (Ben Blakeman, A (Lucky) Goel, Jackie Kelly, David Levy and Jackson Horne, cox): Heat 3: placed 7th (8:35.50).
Men's intermediate coxed four (Ben Blakeman, Jack Notting, Thom Simmons, David Levy and Phelix Moore, cox): Heat 1: placed 5th (8:32.71).
Men's novice double sculls (Eugene Paul, Theo Mackay): Heat 2: placed 5th (10:34.65).
Men's novice coxed quad sculls (Phelix Moore, Jackson Horne, Ned Clarke, Eugene Paul and Theo Mackay, cox): Heat 4: placed 3rd (9:27.52), B Final: placed 8th (8:26.56).
Men's club coxed four (Ben McCosh, Jack Notting, Thom Simmons, Joshua Kelly and Phelix Moore, cox): Heat 2: placed 5th (8:32.33).
Women's club double sculls (Presley Gibson, Hannah Veitch): Heat 2: placed 7th (9:50.12).
Women's club double sculls (Eva Mirko, Vita Anderson): Heat 1: placed 5th (9:45.70).
Women's club coxless quad sculls (Eva Mirko, Leah Scholefield, Vita Anderson, Presley Gibson): Heat 1: placed 4th (8:26.62), A Final: placed 5th (7:45.35).
Women's intermediate double sculls (Leah Scholefield, Sabine Lapointe): Heat 3: placed 2nd (8:59.16), B Final: placed 2nd (8:25.26).
Women's club coxed four (Eva Mirko, Hannah Veitch, Sabine Lapointe, Vita Anderson and Pippa Jones, cox): A Final: placed 6th (8:30.65).
Women's novice coxed quad sculls (Grace McVey, Eve Meridith, Nattida Martin, Florence Faulks and Atahu Kohere, cox): Heat 5: placed 5th (12:20.14).
Boy's U18 coxless pair oars (Oscar Ruston, Sacha Dewancker): Heat 2: placed 1st (7:40.40), A Final: placed 4th (8:07.51).
Boy's U18 double sculls (Sacha Dewancker, Oscar Ruston): Heat 1: placed 1st (7:55.06), A Final: placed 1st (7:20.25).
Girl's U17 single sculls (Sabine Lapointe): Heat 1: placed 5th (10:45.05).
Girl's U16 single sculls (Pippa Rogers): Heat 2: placed 5th (10:34.61).
Girl's U16 single sculls (Pippa Jones): Heat 2: placed 8th (11:13.74).
Girl's U16 single sculls (Eve Meridith): Heat 2: placed 7th (10:52.33).
Girl's U16 double sculls (Sarai Gerrard, Pippa Rogers): Heat 4: placed 6th (10:04.03).
Girl's U16 coxed quad sculls (Pippa Jones, Tessa Lapointe, Sarai Gerrard, Sophie Lapointe and Vita Anderson, cox): Heat 3: placed 6th (10:04.94).
Boy's U16 double sculls (Harry Naske, Matua Tibble): Heat 5: placed 6th (9:47.67).
Boy's U16 coxed quad sculls (Harry Naske, Matua Tibble, A (Lucky) Goel, T Mackay and Jackson Horne, cox): Heat 3: placed 7th (8:33.91).
Boy's U15 double sculls (Phelix Moore, Ned Clarke): Heat 3: placed 6th (9:51.83).
Boy's U15 double sculls (Eugene Paul, Jackson Horne): Heat 4: result (DNS).
Boy's U15 coxed quad sculls (Phelix Moore, Theo Mackay, Ned Clarke, Eugene Paul and Jackson Horne, cox): Heat 3: placed 5th (9:46.80).
Girl's U15 double sculls (Ava Duncan, Jasmine Hall): Heat 4: placed 7th (11:13.94).
Girl's U15 coxed quad sculls (Ella Knight, Florence Faulks, Jasmine Hall, Ava Duncan and Atahu Kohere, cox): Heat 3: placed 3rd (9:24.76) B Final: placed 7th (10:23.03).
Girl's U15 coxed quad sculls (Grace McVey, Nattida Martin, Samantha Gardner, Eve Meridith and Pippa Jones, cox): Heat 2: placed 7th (10:33.78).
Girl's U15 coxed octuple sculls (Ella Knight, Ava Duncan, Jasmine Hall, Grace McVey, Nattida Martin, Eve Meridith, Florence Faulks, Samantha Gardner and Atahu Kohere, cox): Heat 1: placed 8th (11:01.31).
Girl's U16 single sculls (Pippa Rogers): Heat 2: placed 5th (10:34.61).
Girl's U16 single sculls (Pippa Jones): Heat 2: placed 8th (11:13.74).
Girl's U16 single sculls (Eve Meridith): Heat 2: placed 7th (10:52.33).
Girl's U16 double sculls (Sarai Gerrard, Pippa Rogers): Heat 4: placed 6th (10:04.03).
Girl's U16 coxed quad sculls (Pippa Jones, Tessa Lapointe, Sarai Gerrard, Sophie Lapointe and Vita Anderson, cox): Heat 3: placed 6th (10:04.94).
Girl's U17 single sculls (Sabine Lapointe): Heat 1: placed 5th (10:45.05).
Boy's U18 coxless pair oars (Oscar Ruston, Sacha Dewancker): Heat 2: placed 1st (7:40.40), A Final: placed 4th (8:07.51).
Boy's U18 double sculls (Sacha Dewancker, Oscar Ruston): Heat 1: placed 1st (7:55.06), A Final: placed 1st (7:20.25).
Women's club double sculls (Presley Gibson, Hannah Veitch): Heat 2: placed 7th (9:50.12).
Women's club double sculls (Eva Mirko, Vita Anderson): Heat 1: placed 5th (9:45.70).
Women's intermediate double sculls (Leah Scholefield, Sabine Lapointe): Heat 3: placed 2nd (8:59.16), B Final: placed 2nd (8:25.26).
Women's club coxless quad sculls (Eva Mirko, Leah Scholefield, Vita Anderson, Presley Gibson): Heat 1: placed 4th (8:26.62), A Final: placed 5th (7:45.35).
Women's club coxed four (Eva Mirko, Hannah Veitch, Sabine Lapointe, Vita Anderson and Pippa Jones, cox): A Final: placed 6th (8:30.65).
Women's novice coxed quad sculls (Grace McVey, Eve Meridith, Nattida Martin, Florence Faulks and Atahu Kohere, cox): Heat 5: placed 5th (12:20.14).
Men's novice double sculls (Eugene Paul, Theo Mackay): Heat 2: placed 5th (10:34.65).
Men's club double sculls (Ben McCosh, Joshua Kelly): Heat 3: placed 3rd (8:36.46).
Men's club double sculls (Luke Jenkins, Alex Hyland): Heat 3: scratched.
Men's intermediate double sculls (David Levy, Beb Blakeman): Heat 4: placed 1st (8:33.05), A Final: placed 7th (8:08.94).
Men's novice coxed quad sculls (Phelix Moore, Jackson Horne, Ned Clarke, Eugene Paul and Theo Mackay, cox): Heat 4: placed 3rd (9:27.52), B Final: placed 8th (8:26.56).
Men's intermediate coxed quad sculls (Ben Blakeman, A (Lucky) Goel, Jackie Kelly, David Levy and Jackson Horne, cox): Heat 3: placed 7th (8:35.50).
Men's club coxless quad sculls (Joshua Kelly, Ben McCosh, Jack Notting, Thom Simmons): Heat 1: placed 6th (7:46.28).
Men's senior coxless four (Oscar Ruston, Sacha Dewancker, Alex Hyland, James Brott): A Final: placed 1st (6:49.67).
Men's club coxed four (Ben McCosh, Jack Notting, Thom Simmons, Joshua Kelly and Phelix Moore, cox): Heat 2: placed 5th (8:32.33).
Men's senior coxless quad sculls (Sacha Dewancker, Oscar Ruston, Alex Hyland, Lewis Green): A Final: placed 2nd (6:58.61).
Men's intermediate coxed four (Ben Blakeman, Jack Notting, Thom Simmons, David Levy and Phelix Moore, cox): Heat 1: placed 5th (8:32.71).