Rowing: Whakatane scoop top prize

Members of Rotorua Rowing Club on the water on Saturday at the Blue Lake Regatta. Pictured (centre) is Sofia Morrell, 16. Photo / Ben Fraser

The Whakatane Rowing Club have won the Dewar Shield - the top prize on offer at the annual Blue Lake Regatta - for the third year running.

The big rowing club finished atop the points standings following racing on Saturday and Sunday at Tikitapu (Blue Lake).

The big event, which is hosted by the Rotorua Rowing Club with help from Whakatane, attracted about 700 rowers this year from 21 clubs.

Jared Sinclair, 16, was part of the 65-strong Rotorua Rowing Club team that took part and said he was hooked on the sport since starting last season.

"It is just a sport that I have clicked with, I have played other sports like rugby, basketball, and cricket but just clicked with rowing. The fitness is great, the training gets you really fit and it is really fun."

He said getting up at 5am for trainings was a shock to the system at first, but he was getting used to it.

He said it was all worth it when you compete at regattas, like the one at the weekend.

"In my first season I found it quite hard getting up at 5am but now, I wouldn't say I'm used to it, but it is not as hard."

The bulk of the 65-strong Rotorua Rowing Club team, which took part at the Blue Lake Regatta, were school-aged rowers.

Jared said they were about midway in their rowing season, which climaxes with the Maadi Cup (secondary school nationals) in May.

"We have already done a few regattas up at Karapiro so this is about halfway through the season. We are training four times a week at the moment."

The Year 12 student at John Paul College said he hoped to win a medal at Maadi Cup either this year or next year, and was targeting the doubles and quad.

Jared said a big thank you to his coach, Mike Power, who has been working with him this season.

Rotorua Rowing Club captain Glen Reichardt said Blue Lake was a very easy-going event, which a lot of clubs liked.

"The culture of the regatta was relaxed and laid-back and it was a great regatta," he said.

"The good weather certainly made it a lot easier to turn it into a great regatta."