Picton crews clean up at Kaniere

In the words of the Picton Rowing Club contingent, they “had a ball and a medal haul!” at the recent South Island Masters regatta.

The Picton crews took part in 45 races, managing 31 podium placings, 16 golds, eight silver medals and seven bronze, underlining the depth of rowing across all age groups, with rowers aged 30 to 79 involved.

The regatta celebrated 25 years and was hosted by the Cure Boating Club at Lake Kaniere, Hokitika for the first time.

The inclusion of a new recreational category over 500m, and the “New Rower” category for rowers who have been rowing for less than five years added to the event registrations.

The event attracted 266 rowers from 26 clubs from across the country.

Picton took a squad of 19, teaming up with North Shore, Tasman Coastal, Nelson, Cambridge, Dunstan, and Wairau to make up some additional composite crews.

The men’s A-D eight of Ryan, Hayden, Shae and Keiran Gaudin, Mark Patterson, Willy Karena (Blenheim), plus Dunstan’s Greg McLaughlin and Simon Smith, coxed by Max Smith retained the “Smash and Grab Trophy” for the fastest long distance Eight.

Mark Patterson retained the “Jack Cocker Upside Down Rooster” for the fastest men’s single, while Mark and Keiran retained the Gardiner Trophy for the fastest men’s double.

Picton’s over-70 “Feisties” crew of Annie McNichol, Jill Evans, Mariska Gifford and Val Griffith Jones took to the water, racing for the first time with two new novices aged 71 and 79, in the recreational quad and the 1000m “H” race and won both age group events.

Annie McNichol then teamed up with Lyn Walker, Willie Parker and Neil Campbell to win all of her recreational races in the women’s double, mixed double and mixed quad.

Ryan Lock had another outstanding regatta, winning the H single and then teamed up with Ian Boserio (Wanaka) to win the men’s H double.

Maia Bahlsen racing for the first time in a single, won the new masters ladies single.