Rowing: Champ destroys class field

Mahe Drysdale claimed his sixth national sculling title at Lake Karapiro yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

Mahe Drysdale took a field of world champions apart yesterday to cruise to his sixth national sculling title at the New Zealand Championships at Lake Karapiro.

The four-time world champion started quickly in a race that included other world champions Peter Taylor, Marcel Hacker and Joseph Sullivan, while Kiwi Nathan Cohen was the dark horse of the field.

Cohen and Taylor followed Drysdale out, and it looked to be all about those three until Drysdale pulled away in the third 500m and Hacker rowed into contention.

Hacker got past Taylor and was closing on Cohen - who produced a good performance given his lack of time on the water - but it was a Kiwi 1-2.

"I was pretty happy with how it went today," Drysdale said. "I got out at the start pretty well and controlled the race from there. It's never easy when you've got that class of field."

Emma Twigg dominated the women's single sculls, leading from the start.

A surprise in second was Odette Sceats, who had also caused a stir making the final of the Billy Webb Challenge last year.

Fi Paterson confirmed her good form for Central RPC with a third placing, backing up wins in the eight and the quadruple scull.

Central RPC's women performed notably during the week with wins in the championship double scull, second in the pairs, and wins in the quad and eight.

One of the best races of the day came in the Boss Rooster, one of New Zealand's, and rowing's, oldest trophies.

Waikato Rowing Club took an early lead, but could not shake off the advances of West End with Drysdale in the two seat.

West End's row wasn't as good as their heat, and Waikato looked to have sealed it with 500m to go.

But Dane Boswell in the stroke seat led a huge push for the line that saw the crew pass Waikato in the dying moments, with West End a close third.

The traditional ceremony for painting the Rooster was delayed due to a protest about an amended crew order, but Boswell, Ian Seymour, Warwick Wright and Shaun O'Neil retained the title.

Waikato RPC won the men's premier eights while Central RPC dominated the women's eights with a young crew.

Blenheim had a great row in a packed field to win a gripping novice fours race, while the Wellington men's eight took the club eights.

Other notable results included three wins for Cambridge in the men's and women's senior pair and in the women's club quads.

- NZPA