Whanganui Rowing Association held a successful Bridge to Bridge (B2B) Eights race and Small Boat Head of the River race on Saturday, November 19.
Both races started at Upokongaro Cycle Bridge and finished adjacent to the Treadwell Gordon Building in Taupo Quay, a distance of 10,500 metres. NB: The finish was shortened from the Town Bridge due to river conditions.
Race director Gus Scott had to make a tough call regarding whether it was safe to race, with the river running higher and faster, with quite a bit of debris in the river, but finally made the decision it was safe to race at 7am on Saturday, to the pleasure of local rowers, as well as visitors from Auckland (North Shore and Auckland’s “Michelin Men”), as well as some Wellington and Nelson rowers.
The Head of the River race got away at about 9.45am, with 11 crews, all quadruple sculls except for race winner Pat Carroll, Union Boat Club (UBC), who raced a single scull. Pat won in 33 minutes, 14.68 seconds, with a 113.8 per cent, with UBC Women’s Intermediate Coxed Quad Scull of Rose Hurlimann, Pip Scanlan, Summit Storr, Emma Aspinall and coxswain Charlie O’Hagen taking silver and Whanganui Collegiate School’s Boys Under 18 Coxed Quad, of Zac Burke, Matt Poulton, Jaden Allen, Thomas Fraser and coxswain, Jack Walker taking the bronze, both crews with a 111.2 per cent prognostic time.
The main event the B2B started at 10am with seven coxed eights and one octaple entered. The winner is first across the line, which was the North Shore Women’s Masters E 8+ crew in 31 minutes, 39.25 seconds and 111 per cent prognostic. Silver went to Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club’s Intermediate Women’s Octaple, 109 per cent, with Wellington/UBC/Nelson Rowing Clubs’ Masters A Women’s 8+ winning bronze with a 109 per cent prognostic.
