13 oarsmen seek Avon eight seats

Press, 30 September 1977, Page 28

13 oarsmen seek Avon eight seats

By

TIM DUNBAR

Keen competition among; I its top oarsmen indicates;' 1 that Avon will again boati ( strong senior crews at the; national rowing champion-[ 1 ships this season. Avon is intent on regain- . Ing the eight-oared title it < lost to Petone last March ; and a healthy total of 13 i rowers is trying for seats inq the big boat. 1 All the members of the 1977 eight are again im training. There will be L plenty of competition from: Peter ("Sam”) Le Compte,|‘ Tony Brook, Steve Donald-,, son, and John Smyth, the ■ junior rowers who finished ■ ; second in the senior coxlessh 'fours at the nationals. i; New blood has come from], iHawke’s Bay in the shape of, [Duncan Holland, who rep re- 1, i sented New Zealand in the] I coxed fours at the 19/3;,

European championships in Moscow. “Holland hasn’t rowed for two vears but he is keen to get back into it again,” said David Lindstrom, the stroke of the last two Avon eights. The senior crews should again be coached by Fred Strachan — after Pat McQuinn’s stint with them last season — and he will be chasing the eights-coxed [ four double the club [ achieved for the first time 18 months ago under his authoritative guidance. Last season’s successful I “Learn to Row” day will be repeated from 10 a.m. on [Sunday. The novice oarsmen i attending will be guided by Lindstrom and Ivan [Sutherland, both members of [the New Zealand coxless I four which won the silver i medal at the recent world ' championships in Amsteri dam.

il Usually novice oarsmen tend to come en bloc from a r rugby team but a year ago ) there was a good crossi section. From the 20 who s attended, an eight was produced that romped away 1 with the national title in the i class. t Five or six members of i the successful novice eight 1 will once more be rowing 1 with the club and Lindstrom 3 expects crews to be fielded ■Jn both the maiden and s I junior classes. ■ Avon’s top crews will be l ;abie to make use of a conavertible quad-coxless four it which is at present on order i and expected to arrive early rinext year. i Opening day is not until f the week-end after next, but! b the club will have an early | r chance to publicise itself, j from today (Friday) at al • three-day "Land and Sea[ 'Expo” at Canterbury Court.!

Avon’s display will include its top boats, posters, and demonstrations on an ergometer. Canterbury will have its opening day on October 8 but is also planning a day for novices this Saturday, with at least eight potential oarsmen expected to attend. Bernie Rowe, the club captain, said that Canterbury had lost Bruce Allen, Steve Currie (on an oil rig off the Scottish coast), and probably Owen Rutledge from its top crew but still hoped to field a junior eight and crews in most of the other classes.

Brent Stanaway, a prominent oarsman in the club two years ago, was coming back and Peter Fyfe and Chris Mayhew would also be in line for the eight. The club is buying no new boats this season, although a few oars are being ordered. Instead, it intends to put

aside some money with view to some overseas purchases last next year when the world championships are held at Lake Karapiro.

Also in on the opening day — which will feature demonstration rows by the New Zealand colts and women’s crews — will be the other Christchurch rowing club. Union. Trevor Sullivan, a club spokesman, said that Union would not be very strong this season as it had lost some of its more established members during the year. “We’re starting off from the bottom again and working up. Concentration will be mainly on the novices and the maidens.”

Sullivan is not coaching this season but Des Borgfeldt and possibly Jim Little will be advising crews. A new plastic single is due to arrive in a few days.