Butters claims top honours

FIRST AND FOREMOST: In his category, Bruce Butters had the best prognostic time of the 19 boats and crews who entered the September race of the Wanganui Rowing Winter Series on Sunday morning. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

He had been regarded as one of the best individual racers in a waka and Bruce Butters proved it with victory in the Wanganui Rowing Winter Series September race on Sunday morning.

After boat numbers in the mid-20s outside of the school holidays, it was a smaller field of 19 craft that took part in the longest race of the six-event series, a 9km run starting from the 2km finishing point at the Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club through to the National Library Building.

Butters, who was fifth in the June edition of the race, finished with 78.69 per cent of his 'prognostic time' when he completed the course in 1hr, 6.58 mins.

Butters' class was the Single Waka Golden Master Men 60+.

As there are many different classes, crew numbers and age groups of rowers and waka competitors, the best overall on the day is decided by taking the time they race, then calculating which time they would be expected to reach if racing in that class at international level.

In a weekend that saw some more blustery and cool conditions, no competitors managed to reach the 80-90 per cent area of their prognostic times as had been seen in earlier races of the series.

Also noticeable by their absence were the team waka crews who had performed so well at the July and August races.

Making an impact again were AWRC's Trevor Rush and Richard Brock, who came second as their 41.42min time was 76.26 per cent of their prognostic for the Masters F Grade Men's Double.

Also returning to the podium was talented AWRC and Collegiate rower Anton Possenger who finished in 44.12min at 74.18 per cent of his prognostic for the Boys' Under 17 Single.

The last race of the series will be the Tonks Small Boat Race on October 13.