The Bay crews proved they were ready for the Twizel-hosted regatta beginning on March 26, with six titles and three third placings at the three-day AON North Island Secondary Schools regatta, which ended at Lake Karapiro on Sunday.
"This has been a very good weekend and a successful chapter inwhat has been an outstanding season for members of our club," Hawke's Bay Rowing Club club captain Ross Webb said.
Napier Boys' High School's New Zealand representatives Tom Jenkins and Andrew Potter, who are coached by Rohan Condon and Doc MacDonald, won gold in their under-18 coxless pair final. Three Mike Trautvetter-coached Napier Boys' High School crews won golds.
They were the Under-18 novice eight of Russell Dodd, Max Williams, Edwin Laver, Liam Kitchin, Mathew Kitchin, Luke Kitchin, Alex Sye, Sam Bish and cox Harry Evans, the Under-18 novice double scull crew of Russell Dodd and Max Williams and the Under-18 novice four of Dodd, Williams, Laver, Liam Kitchin and cox Logan Herbert.
Woodford House rower Hannah Bailey, who is coached by Webb and club president Neil Pulford, won gold in her Under-16 single sculls final. Pulford and Webb collected their second gold for the weekend when Napier Girls' High School's Ashlea Quirk and Tessa Gregory Hunt won their Under-16 double sculls final.
Condon and MacDonald also coached two bronze medal winning crews. One was Napier Boys' High School's Under-18 coxed four of Thomas St George, Potter, Jenkins, Oliver Wood and cox Herbert and the other was Napier Boys' High School Under-18 single sculler Tom Thomas.
The Matt Symonds-coached Napier Boys' High School Under-16 single sculler Pat Nichol also won bronze. Napier Boys' High School finished fourth on the overall points table for the Derby Trophy.
Webb said the regatta attracted 1577 rowers from 89 schools. Hawke's Bay schools were represented by 46 rowers who competed in more than half of the 48 events.
Friday's heats were run in atrocious conditions and a times racing had to be stopped.
At one point a dead heat was called as the judges could not see the bow balls or numbers of the leading boats. Conditions improved on Saturday and Sunday. Seventeen rowers representing Napier Boys' High School, Napier Girls' High School, Woodford House, Iona College, Lindisfarne College and St John's College will compete in Twizel.
