Waikato has the edge

Press, 8 March 1989, Page 35

Waikato has the edge

From

TIM DUNBAR

in Twizel

Waikato kept things close to the chest when its campaign for a record ninth straight men’s champion eights title began in the GREsponsored national rowing regatta at Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel, yesterday. On another perfect day, the Waikato premiers had a laidback eights heat, easily leaving behind the rest of the field and dropping its rating well below 30 strokes a minute over the last 250 metres. Little could be read into the fact that Waikato’s time was a far-from-startling 6min 6.4 s with a slight tailwind while its only serious rival, Tauranga, was just on nine seconds faster in winning the other heat. . It was an encouraging row for Tauranga but Waikato still has a big psychological advantage, both because of its past record and a threelength win over the same crew in the Auckland championships just over a fortnight ’ ago. “In heats you only do what , you have to do,” said the nuggety former Avon and • Wairau premier oarsmen, Sam Le Compte, who has taken over the coaching of the Waikato premiers from Alan Cotter this season. “The bu 11.... and jellybeans stops on Saturday (the second

finals day). Le Compte said that the Waikato eight had to work on a few things including its start and the bladework, specifically the entry into the water. “It’s a little bit floppy, we want to sharpen it up.” He described the Waikato attitude as confident rather than cocky about the eights. “You have to really respect your opposition, not laugh them off.” Taking over such a quality group as the Waikato premiers with all the international oarsmen was “a helluva challenge,” said Le. Compte. “It takes you a while to get used to the guys.” Waikato is trying to clean up the sweep-oared events in the premier, lightweight and senior classes—a big total of 14. "It might be ambitious to think it, but you have to give them a carrot.” A disappointing aspect of the regatta generally is that 19 of the 50 events will now be straight finals, including the champion coxed pair and ihe coxless four. Le Compte said it was an especial pity that there would be no heats in the “straight” four. The domination of the Waikato club in premier events has attracted a “boring” tag in some circles, but Le Compte said it was important that the club maintains its high level. "If we lower our

level, we lower our (New Zealand’s) level internationally.”

Some of the best competition at premier level at these championships should be in the single sculls and the first shots were fired in both the men’s and women’s champion singles yesterday. In the men’s singles the title-holder, Eric Verdonk (North Shore), and two previous champions, Gary Reid (Eastern Bay) and Conrad Robertson (North Shore No. 2), were among the starters in the heats. Verdonk, a bronze medallist at the Seoul Olympics, looked polished in his heats win, though a new contender, Richard Newey (Whakatane) was the fastest sculler of the four heats. Interesting contests are also developing nicely in the women’s single between the champion, Philippa Baker (Cambridge) and Brenda Lawson (Hamilton) and in the women’s coxed fours between the same clubs. One of the best battles of the day was between the Waikato and Avon senior coxed fours, both qualifying for the final with the North Island crew crossing th'e line half-a-length ahead. These two look likely to fight out the final and Avon’s joint coaches, Les O’Connell and Derek Manning, were happy with their crew’s row. “We

only raced it (until) halfway down the track,” O’Connell said.

The Avon senior eight will have to do without any heats in that class, though the same crew is also taking part in the champion eights; in the heat it was 13s behind the Waikato seniors.

Among the other Christchurch crews through to the finals are the Canterbury senior coxless pair of Glen Hardwick and Nigel Cummins which looked impressive in winning the fastest heat and two Union junior single scullers, Chris Haughey and Hamish Johnson. There are also three novice eights from the river clubs, the big Canterbury crew (first in its heat), Avon and Union.

The Union novice eight, placed third, was in the most eventful race of the day which required three starts and some delays. First the Union No. 2 man shattered a blade, then a Porirua rower broke a gate, before there was finally an uninterrupted race.

Canterbury’s Kirsten Winters and Ginny Le Bas had no trouble getting through to the semi-finals of the intermediate double sculls, their time of 7min 55.9 s being the fastest heat by nearly 7s. They have scratched from the champion double to concentrate on the pair.