There was considerable excitement amongst coaches and rowers as two trailers were loaded with a large number of boats (including two eights).

The first regatta at Lake Karapiro was held mid-November and for many of the new novice rowers, it was their first experience at the world class venue and over a 2km course.

The rain on Friday was torrential when coaches Gary McAdams and Graham Watt arrived with the boats, but luckily the weather cleared overnight.

In a first for some time, Whakatāne paired up with rowers from other Bay of Plenty clubs to enable larger boats to be raced and to provide more options.

Composite crews consisted of the senior boys – Alex Iremonger, Travis Talpos and Ash Schultz – being joined by Joseph Williams (Taupō) in the men’s coxless quad for a definitive win. Joseph also combined with Shaun Snow to be very competitive in the men’s open double scull.

The novice girls and boys also had the opportunity to row, combining with Tauranga crews in the women’s and men’s coxed novice octuple.  Our novice boys of Conrad House, Jasper House, Hayden Grant and Hamish Cochrane also competed in the quadruple scull.

Coach Deb Roweled by example and rowed in the stroke seat of the women’s intermediate octuple with her crew of Kate Staples, Tayla Cloke, Piper Reddish, Pikake Tupe-McGarvey, Kaylene Kemp, Kayla Billings, and Olivia Calder. The club is heartened to see growing numbers of girls taking up the sport.

Single scullers Ash and Travis also had a strong showing in the men’s club single, both winning their respective divisions convincingly.  The boys combined to have a strong win in the men's club double scull.

The large intermediate boys’ squad of Kohl van den Anker, Adam Albert-May, Callum Hughes, James McKay, Finn Anderson, Finn Madson, Luka Hagger and Sam Knapton focused predominantly on large boat combinations for the regatta.

Coached by McAdams and Leighton Hale, the crews looked strong, particularly in the men’s intermediate octuple as they came over the line first in their division. This boat looks well positioned for the season.

The same boys earlier competed in the men’s intermediate eight, having to re-rigg the McAdams' boat between events and were also in combinations in quadruple sculls and fours.

It is great to see the club stretching in to more sweeping events, with Grace Iremonger and Ayla Rowe along with Alex and Travis entering in the club pairs.  Alex and Travis, in their first 2km event, came a strong second place in their division.

Most noticeable performances of the weekend were on Sunday morning when, in gale force winds, Kate and Piper, followed by Grace and Ayla, made their way to the start and survived the race down the course in sea-like conditions.

Racing was postponed immediately after the race, and an hour later the regatta was abandoned. Sadly, this meant an early return home for all.  The next regatta will be held at Karapiro at the beginning of December.