Rowing: Kiwi rowers continue solid start

New Zealand's Curtis Rapley, James Lassche, Alistair Bond, James Hunter compete in the men's lightweight coxless four. Photo / Jean-Pierre Clatot/AFP/Getty Images

Kiwi crews made another solid start on day two of heats at the 2015 World Rowing Championships.

Lake Aiguebelette boasted perfect rowing conditions for the second day in a row with the biggest result of the day being the women's eight booking their spot in the A final.

Overnight Kiwi crews progressed to an A final, two semifinals and a quarter-final while two crews will contest repechages.

The women's quad were the first Kiwis in action on day two. The foursome started out in fourth and held that placing throughout the race finishing behind Australia, United States and China. Only the heat winner Australia advances to the semi finals while the remaining crews, including New Zealand will race in the repechages.

World cup winners Zoe Stevenson and Eve McFarlane of the women's double demonstrated their prowess winning their heat comfortably to qualify for the semi finals.
The men's double of Robbie Manson and Chris Harris also made a solid start, while they led through the middle of the race, they were challenged in the latter stages by France who pushed them into second place. However, they will still progress to the quarter-finals.

The men's lightweight four inched their bow ball in front by the halfway mark and went on to dominate securing a comfortable win and qualifying for the semifinals.

The last Kiwi events of the day were the much anticipated men's and women's eights both endeavouring to move one step closer to Olympic qualification. The women's eight finished second, executing a well timed race and moving from fourth early on to challenging the winning Canadian crew in the dying stages. Their second place ensures that they have booked their place in the A final with the chance to gain Olympic qualification by achieving a top five finish in the final.

The men's eight were right in the mix for the first half of the race but dropped off a little as the race progressed. After giving it everything the New Zealander's finished fourth and with just the heat winner Great Britain progressing to the final the kiwi eight will contest the repechage on Wednesday.

It will be a quiet day for New Zealand rowers tonight with just the men's four contesting a repechage.

The action will ramp up again the following day with the quarterfinals of the men's lightweight single, men's pair, men's and women's lightweight doubles, men's and women's single and repechages for the women's quad and men's eight.

The men's four will feature in the repechage tonight (8:55pm NZT).