Philippa Baker-Hogan reflects on a busy rowing schedule in Whanganui, nationally and internationally

The Central Regional Performance Centre (RPC) Under 17 camp on July 5-7 featured rowers from Blenheim, Nelson, Wellington and the Whanganui region.

There's been plenty of action locally, nationally and internationally since I last wrote.

All local clubs have now had successful prizegivings from last season and different aged rowers are aiming for various goals, including the NZ Masters Rowing Champs on September 14-15 in Twizel.

The Central Regional Performance Trials in Blenheim are a goal of one or two rowers leaving school while American university scholarships are in mind for others and many are just rowing for enjoyment or in winter training for the 2019-20 season.

It was a thrill to win the Blinkhorne and Carroll Race 3 in July, racing a double scull with my daughter, Grace Hogan. Grace is leaving next week to start her freshman year at San Diego State University, focusing on rowing and completing a science degree.

Formidable masters rowers, Trevor Rush (Aramoho) and Bruce Tate (Horowhenua) took out second and third place respectively at the winter series, with a Central RPC Girls Eight, featuring Whanganui rowers Charlotte McKinley, Phoebe Collier, Charlie Robb and Leigha Stormont gaining fourth place.

Race 4 is this Sunday (August 11) over 8km starting from the National Library Building and racing upstream past the 2km start line, then turning and racing back to the 2km finish line by the Aramoho Bridge.

All man-powered water craft are welcome, with a prognostic system used for result order with just a $2 per seat entry and a plate for morning tea at Union Boat Club after. Entries due by noon Saturday, (August 10) to whanganuirowing@gmail.com and sponsor Pat Carroll has increased the spot prize money to $150 if 40 crews or more race.

NZ Rowing has been busy sending teams overseas recently. Our elite rowers raced at World Cup 2 and 3 with particularly good results from our women's crews, with the pair, double, lightweight double and eight all having wins in those regattas.

Of course Aramoho rowers Kerri and Jackie Gowler featured prominently, with it looking like Kerri and her pair partner, Grace Prentergast, may race two events, the pair and eight, with Olympic qualification the main aim this year and only five places up for grabs in mens and womens eight, so very cut-throat.

The new look Kiwi mens eight, featuring multiple Olympic champions Mahe Drysdale and Hamish Bond, appears to be getting quicker and quicker and came away with a bronze medal in their last race. All NZ rowers staying on in Europe in preparation for the 2019 World Rowing Champs in Linz, Austria, August 25 to September 1.

NZ Under 23 rowing champs have just concluded in USA, with NZ winning two silver medals and four others in the A finals. The USA Scholarship-based students Jack Lopas and Ollie McLean picked up one silver medal and the mens coxless four the other silver with the mens coxed four only 1.4 seconds off gold but in fourth place, so very tight.

Interestingly, Clifton's Ella Toa, a former NZ Junior was in the gold medal Great Britain womens quad scull with dual nationality working in Ella's favour.

The Junior World Champs kicked off as a pre-Olympic practice regatta in Tokyo yesterday with a relatively small NZ team racing from August 7-11.

Finally, Whanganui has welcomed back our Aramoho braveheart crew from their Henley Royal Regatta, Wyfold Challenge Cup experience. We also had a very successful Central RPC Under 17 camp in Whanganui from July 5-7 and welcome former NZ and Swiss coach, Duncan Holland here for a three hour coach course on September 12. If you are keen to attend and learn, it's just $20 and contact the email above.