Wairau rowers beat Avon in open eights

Press, 12 January 1981, Page 16

Wairau rowers beat Avon in open eights

Wairau showed that there are; two strong premier eights in tne South island when it bea a more favoured Avon crew m the Lmn. Breweries rowing regatta at. Kerrs Reach yesterday. ’ At the finish of open eights race, Wairau, in lane two, was nearly two lengths clear of Avon, the national champion. Wairau shot out at the. start and was a ' up on its opponent at the loovm m it rk was an encouraging result for the Blenheim-based rowers, who, together with the Avon , men, must rate a chance for a “red coat” title at the nationals, which maintained a good length throughout the race, with Sam Le Compte stroking, , has been boosted this , year by I the former New Zealand representative. Ross Lindstrom, in the I No. 5 seat. , . I Lindstrom’s cousin and former club-mate, David, is coaching the . Avon eight -this season after sharing in the win last March. He did not seem unduly per- < turbed by the loss and is happy to have Waiiau providing “good, f keen competition” two months , away from the New Zealand chariipionships. Earlier in the day there was another surprise when Waiau s Ivan Sutherland and Le Compte, the national coxless-pairs champions, were beaten into second place by Avon No. 2 (Duncan Holland and George Keys.) A close finish had been in prospect before another Avon combination and a Wairau crew collided a few hundred metres from the finish.

The best finish of the day was provided by the intermediate coxed pairs, the Picton combination taking the decision over Blenheim on the line. Less than a metre separated the crews. Because of the importance placed by the Canterbury Rowing Club on novice and intermediate events at its inaugural sponsored regatta, much interest was genI erated In these classes. The Avon intermediate eight, which handsomely won its final after a good tussle with North End (Dunedin), secured the most attractive trophy. In the novice fours, Canterbury No. 1 reversed a decisive defeat by Avon No. 1 from the previous day’s heats. However Avon was an Impressive winner sf the novice eights ' from Wairau.

In the lightweight-fours final both the Canterbury combinations made their way down to the start too late and were disqualified.

Union’s only success came in the second-last race of the day when Dale Maher struck it third time lucky in the lightweight singles. In his two • previous sculling races he had bowed to Avon men, twice being bested by Gerry Dwyer. Five clubs frbrii outside Canterbury contested the regatta and, as has often been the case in recent seasons, the most successful was Wairau, with wins in the senior coxed fours, junior coxed fours, and women’s novice fours to go with its open-eights win. Results of finals: — SATURDAY Senior double sculls: Avon NO. 1, 6:27.3, 1. Canterbury, 6:55, 2; Avon No. 2, 7:29,3. Women’s open doubles: Picton No. 1, 4:22.1,1; Canterbury No. I, 4:25.4,-.- 2; Canterbury. No. H, 4:45.4,3. ' Senior singles: Avon No. 1, 7:36,1; Union, 7:36.2, 2; Cure, 8:19.4,3. Sunday Senior coxed fours: Wairau, 6:06.8, 1. •Blenheim, 6:20, 2; Union, 6:22.4, 3. Intermediate singles: • Canterbury, 7:01.2, 1; Avon, 7:09.6, 2; Cure, 7:11.5, 3. Premier coxless; nairS:. • Avon No. -2 (I). Holland, G. Keys), 6:21.6, 1; Wairau 6:25.9, 2; Avon No 1,>6;26.. . Intermediate coxed fours) Avonj 6:09.3,'1; Wairau, 6:18.4, 2; North End, 6:21.8, 3. J Novice coxed pairs:... Canterbury, 7:10.6, 1; AybriNo. 2, 7:22.8, 2; Wairau, 7:24.4,'3. Premier coxed fours: Avon No. •J,... 5;44.7,. .1; Wairau,. 5:51.4, 2; Avon No. 2, 6:05.6, 3. Iritermediate eights: Avon No. 3, 5:39.5, 1; North End, 5:47.1, 2; Wairau, 5:50.2, 3. Premier singles: Avon No. 1 (J. G. Lopas) 6:46.3, 1; .Avon No. 2, 7:00.7, 2; Union, 7:09, 3. Novice coxed fours: Canterbury No. 1. 6:37.4, 1; Avon No. 1, 6:41, 2; Wairau No. 1, 7:02.2, 3.

i Women’s open coxed f6ur: Canterbury No. 1, 4:07.8, I; ton, 4:15.2, 2; Canterbury No. 2 ■ 4:25.2, 3. ’ Novice eights: Avon, 6:38.8, I; i Wairau, 6:43.0, 2; Union, 7:54, 3. i Premier doubles: Avon No. i •(J. G. Lopas, D. Symon), 6:49.8, 1; Avon No. 2, 7:10.4, 2; Avon No. 3. ,7:29.7. Junior coxed fours: Wairau No , 1, 7:02.5, 1; Wairau No. 2, 7:12.0, 2; Cure, 7:44.4. 3. Women’s novice fours: Wairau, 4:32.5, 1; Canterbury, 4;51.3,2; Timaru, 5:09.9. 3. Women’s open singles: Canter- ' bury No. 1 (J. Duncan), 4:47.2,1; Canterbury No. 2, 5:03.5, 2; Avon, 5:09.2,3. , Intermediate coxed pairs: Picton, 7:53, 1; Blenheim, 7:53.4, 2; Avon No. 2, 8:04.5, 3. , I Lightweight singles: Union (D. I Maher), 7:35.6, 1; Canterbury, 17:50, 2; Cure, 8:00.5, 3. i Open eights: Wairau No. 1, ! 5:41.8, 1; Avon No. 1, 5:47.2, 2; Avon No. 2, 6:06.7, 3. Senior coxed pairs: Avon No. 1, 7:14.2, 1; Wairau, 7:29.3, 2; Canterbury No. 2, 9:27.5, 3. ' Lightweight coxed four: Avon,