Strong wind conditions at day one of the 2019 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships
The first day of the 2019 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships saw challenging conditions with strong head winds, as 764 athletes from 49 clubs competed in heats across 77 events.
The women’s premier single scull saw Brooke Donoghue of Waikato RPC, Emma Twigg of Waikato RPC, Eve MacFarlane of Southern RPC and Kirstyn Goodger of Central RPC taking first place in their heats. Zoe McBride of Central RPC, who in the 2018 international season competed in the women’s lightweight double scull, placed second to Emma Twigg in heat two. Sam Voss of Waikato RPC, and winner of the women’s single scull at the 2018 World Rowing U23 Championships, took second place behind Eve MacFarlane in heat three. First and second place move to the final, with all others moving to a repechage.
The women’s premier double scull event saw two heats with Hannah Osborne and Brooke Donoghue representing Waikato RPC taking first place and moving straight to the final in heat one, and Olivia Loe and Eve MacFarlane representing Southern RPC taking second and moving to the event’s repechange. Jackie Kiddle and Zoe McBride of Central RPC and Kirstyn Goodger and Sophie MacKenzie (both of Central RPC) placed third and fourth respectively and also move to a repechage. The second heat saw Veronica Wall and Laura Glen of Southern RPC also move straight to the final after taking first place.
The women’s premier quad saw all four crews heading straight to the final, with Central RPC’s crew of Georgia Nugent-O’Leary, Nicola Baker, Kirstyn Goodger and Ruby Willis taking first place in a time of 6:49.79.
In the women’s club quad two heats saw only the first crew in each progressing to the semi-final, with remaining crews moving to the event’s repechage. Avon Rowing Club and Waikato Rowing Club both move to the event’s final.
The men’s premier single scull saw two heats with first and second moving straight to the final, and remaining crews moving to the repechage. Mahé Drysdale of Auckland RPC took first place in heat one, with Brook Robertson of Central RPC taking second. Robbie Manson of Central RPC took the win in heat two, with Jordan Parry of Waikato RPC taking second.
The men’s premier pair included two heats with first and second place moving to the final. Central RPC’s Phillip Wilson and Tom Murray took first place in heat one, with Auckland RPC’s Matt MacDonald and Samuel Jones taking first place in heat two. Southern RPC's Ben Taylor and James Lassche, and Thomas Russel and Tom Mackintosh took second place in heat one and two respectively.
The men’s intermediate single scull event boasted the largest number of entries for the regatta with 34 competing across five heats, with first and second progressing to the final with all others moving to the event’s repechage.
The men’s club double scull included three heats, with the first four of each race progressing to the semi-final. Heat two winners Shae Gaudin and Ryan Gaudin of Picton Rowing Club took the best time of all heats, crossing the line in 7:01.28.
The last two races of the day were the women’s premier eight and the men’s premier eight, with Central RPC taking first place in the women’s premier eight, and Auckland RPC taking first place in the men’s premier eight. All crews in both the men’s and women’s event move forward to the final.
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Alan Boykett Memorial Trophy, which celebrates the life and career of Alan Boykett. Boykett, in a brief but distinguished career, coxed the Wellington Rowing Club’s eight to victory in the Men’s Championship Eight in 1967, and later that year the New Zealand eight who won the FISA first North American Championships, followed by the United States eight and four oared championship titles. Boykett tragically drowned on the Wellington Harbour in 1968, and the trophy is awarded to the coxswain of the men's champion eight.
2019 also marks the first year the Charlie Flanagan Memorial Cups will be awarded to both the men’s and women’s senior eight. The Charlie Flanagan Memorial Cup for Men and the Charlie Flanagan Memorial Cup for Women were donated this year by Avon Rowing Club in memory of Raymund ‘Charlie’ Flanagan. Charlie rowed in the Avon Rowing Club winning the senior eight in 1971 and coached numerous crews to the same title, and many more throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Charlie was the ultimate club man, and it is fitting these cups are presented in what are the ultimate club events – the men’s and women’s senior eights.
Tomorrow’s racing will see crews vying for remaining places in spot in quarter- and semi-finals with a full schedule of repechages, with semi-finals due to take place on Thursday.
For full results from today and to view tomorrow’s schedule, visit rowit.nz
The 2019 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships are proudly sponsored by Rocket Foods - supplying New Zealanders with good honest wholesale baked goods for over 20 years.