ROWING - Rowers do Bay proud

19th December 2007

Hawke's Bay Rowing Club coach Chris Morgan had plenty to crow about after the weekend's Lake Karapiro-hosted regatta.

His senior coxless four of Michael Harrison, Cameron Smith, Liam Hale and Blair Harrison followed up their Jury Cup win in Wanganui a fortnight ago with another victory at the biggest pre-Christmas regatta of the season.

They beat their Auckland counterparts by four seconds, and Cambridge were a further two seconds behind.

They also combined with Richard Harrison, Brendan Lack, Todd Hale and Maia Solomon to finish third in the men's premier eight. Harrison, Lack, Solomon and Hale with coxswain Nick Laracy also finished second in the under-19 coxed four.

Peter Twigg, coach of the under-17 girls eight, saw his crew win their heat by three lengths and go on to finish second in the A final. The eight of Olivia Maxwell, Abbey Green, Leanne Holly, Samantha Holly, Hayley Jenkins, Kelsie Tripp, Louise Heath-Anderson and Katherine Thomas with coxswain Lillie Brownlie were in a race-long battle for the major placings.

Giacomo Thomas and Jack Barr were also heat winners in the under-17 double scull and went on to an all-the-way win in the A final. Thomas also won his heat of the senior single scull, as did Adam Tripp.

Carraldo Fougere, Evona Lee, Alice Sykes and Lucy Edwards finished second in the final of the club quadruple scull.

World under-23 champion Emma Twigg (pictured) continued to close the distance between herself and the Evers-Swindell twins, finishing two seconds behind Caroline and one second behind Georgina in the women's premier single scull. This finish was a proud moment for the Bay club, as all three rowers started their careers on the Clive River.

All the Bay's top rowers, apart from the Evers-Swindells, will compete at the club's New Year's Regatta on January 2.