Wairau rowers in fine fettle at Canterbury champs

A sizeable Wairau Rowing Club contingent produced some outstanding results at the weekend’s Canterbury championships at Lake Ruataniwha, picking up 27 medals across a variety of events.

The squad, one of the largest contingents for many years, came home with nine gold medals, including wins in the men’s premier quad and four, plus the women’s premier pair.  Wairau rowers also bagged three premier silver medals as well as three bronze. Six weeks out from the national champs, the men’s premier four of Fred Vavasour, Dylan Burton, Edward Botherway and Ed Lopas looked commanding, while the women’s premier pair of Emily Bowden and Brooke Pritchford dominated their event.

Several Marlborough Girls’ College crews were also successful in Wairau colours. Among their highlights were wins to the club eight, comprising Daisy Vavasour, Holly Feltham, Liv Matthews, Jess Bennett, Lexi Timpson, Emma Flanagan, Jorja Bacchus, Molly Glover and cox Emily Bowron; the under-15 coxed four of Grace Straker, Mila Van Rensburg, Sophia Saggers, Jessica Brown-shi plus cox Molly Wilkes; the under-15 eight of Straker, van Rensburg, Saggers, Stella Cornelius, Jessica Brown-Shi, Harriet McLaughlin, Eliza Glover, Bella Rayner and Wilkes, as well as the under-16 coxed four of Bennett, Ella Barnes, Lilah Stallard, Hazel Glover, with cox Iris Vavasour.

Among the Marlborough Boys’ College contingent, the novice coxed quad of Luke Martella, Thomas Pitts, Ollie Watts, Tom Wilkin and experienced cox Walter Wickham performed well in their first major regatta, winning both their heat and the final in emphatic fashion.

The under-15 group consisting of mainly novices also performed well, particularly the double sculls crew of Louis Girling and Jock Flanagan, who came second in their final, then joining Hamish Lindstrom and Ben Musgrove in both the coxed four and coxed quads for solid third placings.

A mixture of under-16, under-17 and under-18 boys formed a crew for the men’s under-19 coxed eight and surprised with a strong second placing in the final. The MBC eight comprised Dylan Locke, Zac Jenkins, Hugh Straker, Leon Poswillo, Jack Stevens, Ashley-James Fitzgerald, Hunter Nelson, and George Lindstrom, plus Wickham.

The next regatta is the South Island club champs on January 28-30.

Wairau medal-winners at the Canterbury champs

GOLD (9)

Men’s premier quad (Reuben Cook, Fred Vavasour, Kobe Miller, Edward Lopas)

Men’s premier four (Fred Vavasour, Dylan Burton, Edward Botherway, Edward Lopas)

Women’s premier pair (Brooke Pitchford, Emily Bowden)

Women’s club eight (Daisy Vavasour, Lexi Timpson, Emma Flanagan, Holly Feltham, Jorja Bacchus, Liv Matthews, Jessica Bennet, Molly Glover – Elizabeth Bowron)

Women’s intermediate single (Grace Waring-Jones)

Girls’ under-16 coxed four (Jessica Bennet, Hazel Glover, Ella Barnes, Lilah Stallard – Iris Vavasour)

Girls under-15 coxed four (Grace Straker, Sophie Saggers, Mila van Rensberg, Jessica Brown-Shi – Molly Wilkes)

Girls’ under-15 coxed eight (Grace Straker, Mila van Rensberg, Jessica Brown-Shi, Sophie Saggers, Stella Cornelius, Harriot McLauchlan, Eliza Glover, Bella Rayner – Molly Wilkes)

Men’s novice coxed quad (Luke Martella, Thomas Pitts, Oliver Watts, Tom Wilkin)

SILVER (9)

Women’s premier four (Brooke Pitchford, Emily Bowden, Kyla Otway, Orla Fitzgerald)

Men’s premier double (Fred Vavasour, Kobe Miller)

Men’s premier single (Reuben Cook)

Women’s senior single (Brooke Pitchford)

Women’s club coxless pair (Emma Flanagan, Lexi Timpson)

Women’s intermediate coxed quad (Jessica Bennet, Ella Barnes, Lilah Stallard, Hazel Glover – Tessa Unwin)

Men’s under-19 eight (Dylan Locke, Zach Jenkins, Hugh Straker, Leon Poswillo, Jack Stevens, Ashley James-Fitzgerald, Hunter Nelson, George Lindstrom – Walter Wickham)

Girls under-15 double (Grace Straker, Mila van Rensberg)

Boys under-15 double (Louis Girling, Jock Flanagan)

BRONZE (9)

Men’s premier double (Reuben Cook, Logan Docherty)

Men’s premier single (Edward Lopas)

Women’s premier pair (Kyla Otway, Meg Flanagan)

Men’s club pair (Hugh Straker, Zac Jenkins)

Boys under-17 coxed quad (Dylan Locke, Reuben Dempster, Jack Stevens, Lochlan Gilmour – Tyran Carter)

Girls’ under-15 coxed quad (Grace Straker, Mila van Rensberg, Sophie Saggers, Stella Cornelius – Tessa Unwin)

Boys’ under-15 coxed four (Jock Flanagan, Louis Girling, Ben Musgrove, Hamish Lindstrom – Jack Shaw)

Boys’ under-15 coxed quad (Hamish Lindstrom, Jock Flanagan, Louis Girling, Ben Musgrove – Jack Shaw)

Men’s novice coxed four (Luke Martella, Thomas Pitts, Tom Wilkin, Oliver Watts – Tyran Carter)