Gisborne club hosts regatta for first time

Sebastian Solomann (left) and Joshua Kelly at Gisborne Rowing Club’s LVA Regatta. Pictures by Liam Clayton

Gisborne Rowing Club celebrated hosting the LVA Regatta for the first time by winning the LVA Shield last weekend.

The Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne rowing club have contested the LVA Shield since 1905.

As well as being the first time the LVA Regatta had been held here, it was first time in at least 10 years that any rowing regatta had been held in Gisborne.

Gisborne Rowing Club has been based on the Waimata River at Anzac Park since 1874, and the longest straight stretch of water is only 600 metres long. This makes it difficult to train, and almost impossible to hold races over the standard two-kilometre rowing race distance.

This year the club set up an alternative training site on the Waipaoa River, giving rowers access to a wide, straight stretch of water running for over 2300m. It also provided an ideal regatta venue.

Hawke’s Bay sent 36 rowers to compete against Gisborne’s 32 athletes. Races were held over two days in both novice and under-19 categories. The Gisborne club won the shield on overall points, 46-39.

The u19 men’s single event was dominated by Gisborne athletes. Oscar Ruston established a good lead from the start, showing the impressive physical strength that made him a standout novice last season.

Sebastian Solomann and Isaac Kinder took out remaining race honours, demonstrating the depth of ability in the senior men’s squad.

Gisborne’s Isaac Kinder and Ben McGosh — a new combination showing real promise — outclassed their Hawke’s Bay rivals in the open men’s pairs.

Sebastian Solomann and Isaac Kinder showed their class and experience in the open men’s double, pulling so far ahead of the field they were able to win despite the loss of an oar in the last 50m.

Nowhere was the dominance of Gisborne more evident than in the u19 men’s quad, with three Gisborne crews making a clean sweep of race honours.

Crowd favourites the men’s coxed eight also produced a Gisborne win. The growth in strength and technique of the senior rowers over winter produced a boat-length victory over the Hawke’s Bay crew.

The Gisborne womens’ crews enjoyed equal success at the regatta. Presley Gibson and Hannah Veitch stamped their authority on the women’s open double with a convincing win. The open women’s quad of Eva Mirko, Daina Stevenson, Presley Gibson and Phoebe Naske withstood several strong challenges from Hawke’s Bay quads in the early stage of the race before they pulled away to a strong lead over the last 1000m.

Coach Alex Hyland nominated the u19 women’s single race as one of the most exciting tussles of the regatta. Hannah Veitch performed impressively, taking the early lead and looking in charge for well over two thirds of the course. Clubmate Phoebe Naske made a late surge and looked dangerous, closing the gap to less than half a boat-length, but Veitch showed grit to hold on for the win.

Some novice rowers made their race debuts at the regatta and coaches were impressed at the potential shown.

Results of Gisborne club competitors —

Men’s open pair: 1st Ben McGosh and Isaac Kinder.

Women’s open double: 1st Hannah Veitch and Presley Gibson.

Men’s u19 double: 1st Isaac Kinder and Sebastian Solomann; 2nd Cody Wright and Oscar Ruston.

Women’s u19 single: 1st Hannah Veitch; 2nd Phoebe Naske; 4th Eva Mirko.

Men’s u19 single: 1st Oscar Ruston; 2nd Sebastian Solomann; 4th Cody Wright.

Women’s open quad: 1st Eva Mirko, Daina Stevenson, Presley Gibson and Phoebe Naske

Men’s open quad: 1st Ben McGosh, Joshua Kelly, Sebastian Solomann, Isaac Kinder; 2nd Oscar Ruston, Cody Wright, Sacha DeWancker, Eliarn Destounis; 3rd Lachlan Haar, Logan Haddad, Thom Simmons, Ben Blakeman.

Women’s novice coxed quad: 2nd Leah Scholefield, Sabine Lapointe, Keeley Cairns, Olivia Proffit, cox Zoe Stallmarch)

Men’s u19 coxed eight: 1st Oscar Ruston, Joshua Kelly, Sebastian Solomann, Isaac Kinder, Ben McGosh, Thom Simmons, Cody Wright.