January Boat Camp, incorporating Blue Lakes Regatta and Cambridge Town Regatta
On Monday, 12 January the Senior Boys, Senior Girls and Boys' Under-16s arrived at Auckland Rowing Club for the start of the annual Boat Camp.
After a quick 2000m erg (to sharpen their senses!), they hit the water. Training continued on a daily basis up to Thursday, 15 January, after which the trailer was loaded for our first regatta of the year, the Blue Lakes Regatta at Rotorua.
Racing over a distance of approximately 1400m, the crews notched up some impressive results, highlights being:
- 5th in the A Final and 1st in the B Final of the Boys’ Under-16 1x
- 8th in the A Final and 2nd in the B Final of the Womens' Open 1x
- 6th in the A Final and 1st in the B Final of the Mens' Open 4x+
- 1st and 2nd in the A Final of the Boys' Under-16 4x+
- 3rd and 4th in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-15 2x
- 3rd and 5th in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-17 4x+
- 2nd in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-17 2x
- 1st in the B Final of the Mens’ Open 4x-
- 2nd in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-17 8+
- 1st in the B Final of the Mens' Open 2x
- 1st in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-15 4x+
- 6th in the A Final of the Womens' Open 4x+
- 6th in the A Final and 1st in the B Final of the Boys’ Under-17 2x
Following this regatta, we moved to Epworth Recreation Centre for four days of intensive training on the Waikato River. Great strides were made by all crews, including the Boys' Under-15s, who joined us on the morning of Tuesday, 20 January.
To round out the camp, all crews contested the Cambridge Town Regatta at Lake Karapiro. In a much larger field than they had experienced at Blue Lakes, the crews again demonstrated how much they had improved. Notable results include:
- 3rd in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-18 4x+
- 3rd in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-17 4x+
- 3rd in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-15 8x+
- 4th in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-16 4x+
- 1st and 5th in the A Final of the Boys’ Under-15 4X+
- 1st in the B Final of the Boys’ Under-18 2x
It is quite evident from these results that King’s is a strong force in school sculling and it is very exciting to think what we might be able to achieve at North Islands and Maadi.
Our next regatta is the Head of Harbour at Lake Pupuke on Saturday, 14 February.
Nick Lloyd
Head of Rowing
