A show of home-club strength from Hawke's Bay's Jake Lorkin.
A show of home-club strength from Hawke's Bay's Jake Lorkin.
A full programme of more than 100 events has been completed at the Hawke's Bay Rowing Club's annual two-day New Year Cup regatta despite the traffic-lights limitations of the Covid-19 Protection Framework.
About 500 took part in the regatta on the Clive River, all having to have double-vaccination certificates, butotherwise, says club secretary Belinda Van der Peet, conditions were perfect, and an ideal launching of the season and in some cases the careers of rowers and scullers from the five clubs which travelled from as far as Whanganui and Porirua.
Superior in numbers, the home club successfully defended the cup for the most regatta points.
Van der Peet said that had "definitely" been a surge in interest in the sport from prospective young competitors and families following the Tokyo Olympic Games gold medal successes of Emma Twigg and Tom Mackintosh, both from the club.
With some regattas further north not held because of the pandemic restrictions – notably Lake Karapiro in Waikato, it was the first opportunity as the season powers-up to the national championships, currently scheduled for Karapiro on February 15-19 – depending on Covid.
The Clive bridge was designed as a major highway link between Napier and Hastings, but also served well as a viewing point during the eights nearing the end of the regatta.
A Hawke's Bay novice four, from left Hannah Field Aishling, Libby Windhager, Alex Taylor and Lydia Burns.
Amelie Willis, a visiting rower from Whanganui.
Hawke's Bay's Molly Lawson with after-effects of a race on the 1200-metres course.
