Avon, and Lopas, dominate regatta

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33450, 4 February 1974, Page 30

Avon, and Lopas, dominate regatta

The former Canterbun oarsman, .1. G. iLopas. who changed to the Avon Club this season for better competition. won two senior titles at the provincial rowing championships .at Kerr's Reach yesterday. Lopas, a former national; icolts representative and the; i reserve for the New Zealand j Olympic rowing t°am in 1972, ialso had two seconds—in the 'senior fours and in the double ! sculls. Lopas retained the senior!; singles title when he sculled p a well-judged race to beat anf Olympic oarsman, G. DJ Robertson (Oamaru). His second win was with'! the well-trained Avon eight,|l which effortlessly won thej glamour event. By virtue of his move toil Avon. Lopas joined the’l Olympic oarsmen, T. I. <

Coker, A. J. Earl, D. E. Lindstrom; the national colts representative, P. J Walker, a red coat oarsman, 1. Sutherland. and two experienced club rowers, G. Nolan and R, Flanagan, in the eight. Although the eight was not pushed by Canterbury and Oamaru yesterday, it showed a well-drilled technique and' ; rowed the 2000 metres in a| | good time of smin 48sec. PAIRS REVERSAL | i Coker and Earl. the national coxed pairs titleholders avenger last year’s defeat by beating the experienced combination of Robertson and B. Johnson (Oamaru) jin the final of the senior jpairs. The Avon pair took the, [lead right from the start and I (won by five lengths. However. Johnson and ■ Robertson returned to form jin the senior doubles and [beat the two Avon finalists 1 jto win their only title. Avon dominated the senior events, winning four of the five finals, and won the Colin >| Cook Cup for the most points!;

in the seniors, Avon gained! 27 points, but the visting club. Oamaru. performed creditably to gam 12 points —ahead of the two local clubs, Canterbury and Union. The Avon strength in this class was fully illustrated, when its two fours gained; first and second places. In the senior fours there was a timely return to form by the young Union crew which won the national junior fours last year. After some disappointing rows earlier this season, the crew pushed the Avon number two four throughout the 2000 metres, but the more experienced Avon crew kept ahead by half a length. ; Three clubs retained their; Ititles. Blenheim repeated its! isuccss by winning the novice! ■ fours; it was inevitable that! Avon should again win! the senior eights and fours, and Union win the junior, fours. EYE TO NATIONALS With the national chant-1 pionships only three weeks | away, crews used the two-1

I,day regatta to obtain much ; needed competition. Local i crews to stand out with ; chances at the national re- ! gatta were the Avon senior . crews, the Union junior four, : the Avon maiden four, ihe I Canterbury novice eight and lithe Union maiden eight. i The maiden eights final ; was as exciting as the heat i but the result was similar, ' with Union beating Avon by ' more than a length, with : Oamaru finishing two lengths • behind again. I There was one upset when ' the fastest qualifiers, K. Berry , and P. Glubb (Union) were I beaten by their clubmates, J. ' Walker and A. Wheldale in the junior doubles. The regatta also counted ; towards D.C.L. Shield points: Avon gained 40, Union 20 and; Canterbury 18. Results of finals:- ; Senior singles.—J. G. Lopas [(Avon), 6:28.1, 1; G. D. Robertson (Oamaru,) 6:31.7, 2; R. Hegg;lum (Wairau), 6:53.0. 3. Senior pairs.—T. I. Coker and ■A. J. Earl (Avon). 6:17.0, 1; (Robertson and B. Johnson I (Oamaru), 6:29.6, 2; B. C. Allen

and 11. Allen (Canterbury). 7:3.0, 3. Senior doubles.—Johnson and Robertson. 6:27.2, 1; Lopas and D. E. Lindstrom (Avon). 6:31.0. 2; I. Sutherland and G. Nolan (Avon), 6:35.9, 3. " Senior fours.—Avon No. 1, 5:48.8, 1; Avon No. 2, 5:57.3, 2; Union, 5:58.9, 3. Senior eights.—Avon, 5:48.9. 1; Canterbury. 6:22.5. 2; Oamaru. 6:34.0. 3. Junior singles.—B, Rowe> (Wairau), 6:57.4, 1; B, Pettigrew: (Canterbury). 7:7.6, 2; D. Hus-i band (Avon), 7:9.9. 3; Junior doubles.—J. Walker and! A: Wheldale (Union), 7:12.6, 1;' P. Glubb and K. Berry (Union).i 7:18.9, 2; C. Campbell and P. Heagney (Blenheim). 7:27.1, 3. Junior fours—Union, 6:28.5, 1; Blenheim, 6:34.7. 2: Wairau, 6:55.6, 3. Maiden singles. — Hegglun, 6:53.2, 1: P. Wicks (Canterbury), 6:8.0. 2: G. Keyes (Avon). 7:20,0, 3. Maiden fours.—Avon No. 1, ; 6:7.7. 1; Oamaru No. 1. 6:31.7, 12; Wairau, 6:53.0. 3. ' Maiden eights.—Union. 6:6.4, 1; iAvon. 6:12.4. 2; Oamaru, 6:22.0, 13. Novice fours. —Blenheim, 5:24.1. 1: Canterbury No. 1. 5:41.2, 2; North End. 5:47.6, 3. Novice eights. — Canterbury, 5:5,5. 1; Timaru, 5:15.6. 2; Union, 5:34 5 3. Youth fours.—Oamaru No. 1, 5:29.3, 1: North End, 5:41.9. 2: Union, 5:47,4. 3.