The squad was unable to attend the 2020 Maadi Cup regatta due to its cancellation as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown. As a result we wanted to give the rowers an opportunity to race at Lake Ruataniwha and also gain valuable experience racing against the South Island Schools and Clubs.
Racing conditions for the heats on Saturday were near perfect. Sunny skies and calm, glacial blue water made for a fantastic back drop for some superb King’s performances.
King’s had two crews in the Men’s Intermediate Coxed Four event. The crews finished first and second in their heat to secure a place in the A final. Te Aria Jackson once again confirmed she is a force to be reckoned with, even in the South Island! She finished first in her heat to qualify for the A final in the Women’s Intermediate Single Scull. Jack Mitchell also placed first in his heat in the Boys U17 single scull. The Boy’s U16 Quad rowed a brilliant race and led from start to finish to secure their spot in the A final. The last King’s boat to race on Saturday was the Boys U19 eight who secured their spot in the A final by winning their heat in convincing style. In total King’s College finished the day with eleven A finals and two B finals.
The squad woke up to slightly different weather conditions on Sunday. The skies were cloudy, grey and the temperature had dropped dramatically. There was always a chance the weather would impact racing on Sunday and it looked like the predications were going to be true!
The finals got underway with a great performance from the Boys U17 four (L. Mazza-Carson, J. Mitchell, C. Barfoot, H. Hay and O. Horton), who placed second in the A final just pipping Christ’s College who finished in third. The second U17 King’s four secured a very respectable fourth place.
The Men’s Intermediate Coxed Four of M. McKree-Jansen, L. Craig, C. Abel, T. Wright and J. Chapman won their A final followed by the four of L. Pearce, T. Cryer, C. Finlayson, H. Malaghan and O. Horton who finished in second place. A fantastic result for King’s!
It was unfortunately at this point in the day where the wind picked up and racing was put on hold. Racing eventually resumed with the Boys U16 Quad only racing from the 1000m mark due to the rough conditions up at the start of the 2km course. The crew of Lewis Mazza-Carson, Cole Barfoot, Callan Ogilvie, Baxter McGillivray and Oliver Horton led from start to finish to win the Boys U16 Quad.
Unfortunately, not long after their race the rest of the regatta was abandoned due to the strong winds.
It was a fantastic weekend from a King’s perspective despite the regatta being called off. The King’s rowers certainly attracted some positive attention as a result of their performances on the water and conduct off the water. A number of officials and coaches from other clubs commented on the King’s rowers and how good it was to have them at the regatta!
For more comprehensive results from the weekend please click here.
Brendan Boreham
Head of Rowing
Thanks to Continental Cars Porsche and Structurflex for their support of King's Rowing.
