Rowing: Golds ideal spur for nationals

GLORIOUS GOLD: Hawke's Bay's eight medal winners from the North Island champs. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Hawke's Bay rowers Morgan Davies and James Brott were quick to praise their club's relationship with the Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust as they reflected on their North Island champs medal haul.

The pair returned from last weekend's Lake Karapiro-hosted champs with a gold medal from their men's club coxless pair final, a silver with the men's club coxed eight crew and a bronze with the men's open coxed eight crew. They were among eight gold medallists from the Bay club as Jessica Norris won gold in her women's club and senior single sculls finals and the Katherine Ebbett-coxed women's novice quad of Brooklyn Bayly, Harriet Williams, Danika Wilson and Hannah Lawson also made the top spot on the podium.

"We've been working with Rob Gillet-Jackson, the strength and conditioning coach out at the trust which is based at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park, over the summer. He came to the champs with us and his pre-race and post-race stretches were awesome. The variation he provides with all of his off-water stuff including nutrition has been a big plus," Brott explained.

The 18-year-old fifth-season rower is in his first season with the Bay club after transferring from Gisborne. When quizzed if their North Island gold can be repeated at the Lake Ruataniwha-hosted nationals in Twizel from February 14-19 Davies replied:

"We'll be competing in the Lightweight Premier Pair division so it will be a toally different class. But we'll be looking for a top three finish. Doc decided it would be the best way to go."

The Doc he was referring to was one of their coaches, Doc McDonald, who received a New Year's honour in recognition of more than six decades service to the sport. This bloke knows his stuff particularly when it comes to power to weight ratios so it will be a surprise if Brott and Davies don't medal in Twizel.

Waikato University-bound Norris, 18, repeated her two golds from last year's North Island champs. The Michael Harrison-coached fourth-season rower said they were what she aimed for.

"I'm hoping to repeat the feat at nationals but I will be up against Veronica," Norris said referring to 2016 Ashburton College sensation Veronica Wall who won four golds at last year's Maadi Cup national schools regatta in Twizel.

"Rough weather has forced the cancellation of a few regattas in the South Island so I've had more race time than Veronica. I've raced against her twice and I've closed the gap ... I got within a boat length of her in December.

In addition to her single scull events Norris is likely to combine with Kate Laracy in the club double at nationals.

The Cedric Bayly-coached women's novice coxed quad continued their domination displayed at their club's New Year's Regatta. The under-16 crew retained the same positions from that event with Bayly, a grand daughter of the coach at stroke, Williams in the three-seat, Wilson in the two-seat and Lawson in the bow.

"Silver wasn't an option," Iona College student Bayly said.

Ebbett won the award for the cox of the regatta. She also coxed a four to a fourth in an A final and an eight to a berth in their A final before they were scratched.

Havelock North High School's Williams and Wilson and Iona College's Bayly and Lawson competed as doubles at the regatta. Both finished second in their heats but didn't continue because their quad crew was the priority.

"I'm sure both crews were good enough for a top five finish in the final. Depending on the schedules we may be able to tackle the double in Twizel and we'll definitely be aiming for the double races at the Maadi Cup Regatta at Lake Karapiro next month," Lawson said.

"We all get on really well. Most of us are fit from playing a lot of different sports and we're all mentally strong," Ebbett replied when asked to outline the crew's strengths.