NZ Champs: Day 2
The yellow swarm
It was an impressive sight. Five Dunstan Arm crews lined up at the start of the Men's Senior Double Sculls semifinal. And all of them in the middle lanes. Seeded.
"We've got a great group of guys that challenge each other every week," says coach Simon Smith. "And that's what it produces. This is a normal Saturday morning for them when we do our four 2Ks, and they've done that all season."
It's what happens at the finish that counts of course, and that was even more impressive. Three boats straight through to the final in a 1-2-3 finish (Charlie Manser, Harry Lightfoot 7min 03.20sec, Henry Clatworthy, Matthew O'Meara 7.04.88, Hamish Yeatman, Josh Bartlett 7.07.89).
In the second semifinal, Fynn Allison and Luke Brock also made the A Final after finishing second behind a storming finish from Clifton's Liam Cox and Clayton Potts.
Four Dunstan crews in a nine-boat final. The yellow bucket hats are starting to resemble a swarm of worker bees getting the job done.
"We're here to race, mate, here to race. That's what it's all about," says Simon.
Dunstan has around 60 athletes at Karapiro.
"Across the board, Intermediate through to Senior and Premier, I'm impressed with them all," says Simon. "They've done the hard yards. They've worked really well together and we're here for the payday."
"We know the times we need to do and we've just got to execute our race. And that's what it comes down to."
This is Keep it Simple Simon. Know your purpose, do the work, reap the rewards.
And keep an eye on the bucket hats in the Men's Senior Eight as well, which finished second in the preliminary yesterday.
"We've finally done some training in the boat over the last two weeks and found a bit of speed," says Simon. "They're pretty excited, it's a mix of youngsters, some ex-Clubbies from last year and a few old boys. They're really gelling and having some fun."
So back to those 4 2Ks every Saturday, Simon, would you do it for schoolkids?
"Do it with everyone, mate. It's only 16K."
Triple Play
Dunstan rower Isla Westlake says she loves every morning, and those gruelling 2K Saturdays are no different.
In fact, the theory really got put into practice in the afternoon racing when she had to race the semifinal of the Club single, dock, get the boat moved to the outgoing pontoon and tear off down to the start for the semifinal of the Intermediate Single.
She won her Club semi in 9.17.34 and her Intermediate in 9.40.07. She's through to the final of the Senior Single as well. That was the aim in what is her first Nationals. Job done…for now.
Isla Westlake from Dunstan Arm Rowing Club has had a pretty good day 2 at NZ Rowing Champs! Photo: Sharron Bennett Photography.
Saturation starters
Dunstan isn't the only club occupying a few lanes in some A Finals.
Avon has five crews in tomorrow's A Final of the Men's Senior Pair, and four in the Women's.
And a shout out to Chris Williams at Whangarei Rowing Club, six of its crews have made it through to the A or B Final of the Women's Intermediate Double.
The 'We' is the Key
Para rower Ian Winson gets around in a red van with the number plate "Legend".
It's a tribute to master of endurance training Arthur Lydiard, who revolutionised the way modern athletes train.
The last year has been frustrating for Ian as far as training load goes. He sustained a major injury on his elbow just as he was starting to get into the swing of rowing after years of defying the odds in other sports.
But he's got a big red circle penned on the calendar for next month.
"Third of March, we are allowed to start really loading the arm up and getting it back training properly," says Ian, who came to national consciousness in 2011 after a workplace explosion that nearly killed him, and took the life of a colleague, Philomen Gulland.
So who's the "we"?
"There's my coach at West End Alistair McGeachie and my family who have to be on board because they pick up all the pieces. We have to work as a team because it's not easy for them and it's not easy for me being the odd one out in the family…it's not only the physical injuries…I have a traumatic brain injury which causes problems in the afternoons and evenings."
Thank God there's the mornings, a perfect time for rowing and as it turns out the beginning of something special with Ian's 17-year-old son Ethan.
"This time last year, Ethan came down to Nationals and he was helping me rig the boat and I just asked, 'Would you think about doing this sport?'
"No, it's too hard, dad. Never in my life could I do this sport well."
"And look who's sitting next to me at Nationals having just rowed the Novice Double and made the final of the Novice Four," says Ian. "Can't keep him out of the boat."
"From the moment dad organised for me to go hop in the double with one of the Masters rowers, I just haven't been able to not think about it," says Ethan. "It gets to the point where my teachers are catching me out at school, watching old footage of the Kiwi pair or German eight breaking the record for the fastest 2K time on water."
"It's become like my sole point of being on the planet…just get up every morning and row."
So, at the end of the regatta, the Winsons will be towing home an inclusion double. It means father and son will soon be on the Whau River in Auckland, 5am starts, training together, even racing.
"Now I can come out to Karapiro and race a kilometre or two with my dad," says Ethan. "It's like a dream come true, I can now properly exercise with my dad. Rowing's given me this opportunity…if I hadn't actually grown up a bit and gotten off my seat at home, I wouldn't be here experiencing this. It's amazing."
Legend.
Para athlete Ian Winson and son Ethan, who's in his Novice year of rowing with West End. Soon they'll be out training on the Whau River in Auckland. Photo: Andy Hay
And finally….
Let's go out on this.
That's Aramoho Whanganui sculler Bryn Morgan playing Clair de lune by Debussy. Many recent Maadi Regatta athletes will know him as the trombone 'Swamp Stomp' man for Whanganui High School at the opening parade.
Bryn's been playing the piano since long before he could row: "I've been playing since I was five, and I'm very grateful for my mum who taught me and raised a musical family. I love bringing my music everywhere I go."
He's passed his professional-level Trinity College London exam so definitely knows his way around the upright in the Don Rowlands Centre.
The rowing's going pretty well too.
He and his Club Quad squeaked into the A Final by 0.07s finishing fourth in 6.50.90. It came at the expense of scratching the two Doubles on coach Axel Dickinson's advice.
"It was nerve-wracking all morning, just like, 'Is it going to pay off, is it going to pay off,'" says Bryn. "To even just scrape in makes it all worth it. It was a bloody good race as well. I'm very happy we're on the other side of it. Onwards now."
Xavier Warren, Achilles Paikea, Bryn Morgan and James Tiglao from Aramoho Whanganui's Club Coxless Quad. James is here from California on a gap year. He rows out of the Los Gatos club in the Santa Clara Valley. He's hoping to get into a College lightweight programme when he returns to the States. Photo: Andy Hay.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
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NZ Champs: Day 2
The yellow swarm
It was an impressive sight. Five Dunstan Arm crews lined up at the start of the Men's Senior Double Sculls semifinal. And all of them in the middle lanes. Seeded.
"We've got a great group of guys that challenge each other every week," says coach Simon Smith. "And that's what it produces. This is a normal Saturday morning for them when we do our four 2Ks, and they've done that all season."
It's what happens at the finish that counts of course, and that was even more impressive. Three boats straight through to the final in a 1-2-3 finish (Charlie Manser, Harry Lightfoot 7min 03.20sec, Henry Clatworthy, Matthew O'Meara 7.04.88, Hamish Yeatman, Josh Bartlett 7.07.89).
In the second semifinal, Fynn Allison and Luke Brock also made the A Final after finishing second behind a storming finish from Clifton's Liam Cox and Clayton Potts.
Four Dunstan crews in a nine-boat final. The yellow bucket hats are starting to resemble a swarm of worker bees getting the job done.
"We're here to race, mate, here to race. That's what it's all about," says Simon.
Dunstan has around 60 athletes at Karapiro.
"Across the board, Intermediate through to Senior and Premier, I'm impressed with them all," says Simon. "They've done the hard yards. They've worked really well together and we're here for the payday."
"We know the times we need to do and we've just got to execute our race. And that's what it comes down to."
This is Keep it Simple Simon. Know your purpose, do the work, reap the rewards.
And keep an eye on the bucket hats in the Men's Senior Eight as well, which finished second in the preliminary yesterday.
"We've finally done some training in the boat over the last two weeks and found a bit of speed," says Simon. "They're pretty excited, it's a mix of youngsters, some ex-Clubbies from last year and a few old boys. They're really gelling and having some fun."
So back to those 4 2Ks every Saturday, Simon, would you do it for schoolkids?
"Do it with everyone, mate. It's only 16K."
Triple Play
Dunstan rower Isla Westlake says she loves every morning, and those gruelling 2K Saturdays are no different.
In fact, the theory really got put into practice in the afternoon racing when she had to race the semifinal of the Club single, dock, get the boat moved to the outgoing pontoon and tear off down to the start for the semifinal of the Intermediate Single.
She won her Club semi in 9.17.34 and her Intermediate in 9.40.07. She's through to the final of the Senior Single as well. That was the aim in what is her first Nationals. Job done…for now.
Isla Westlake from Dunstan Arm Rowing Club has had a pretty good day 2 at NZ Rowing Champs! Photo: Sharron Bennett Photography.
Saturation starters
Dunstan isn't the only club occupying a few lanes in some A Finals.
Avon has five crews in tomorrow's A Final of the Men's Senior Pair, and four in the Women's.
And a shout out to Chris Williams at Whangarei Rowing Club, six of its crews have made it through to the A or B Final of the Women's Intermediate Double.
The 'We' is the Key
Para rower Ian Winson gets around in a red van with the number plate "Legend".
It's a tribute to master of endurance training Arthur Lydiard, who revolutionised the way modern athletes train.
The last year has been frustrating for Ian as far as training load goes. He sustained a major injury on his elbow just as he was starting to get into the swing of rowing after years of defying the odds in other sports.
But he's got a big red circle penned on the calendar for next month.
"Third of March, we are allowed to start really loading the arm up and getting it back training properly," says Ian, who came to national consciousness in 2011 after a workplace explosion that nearly killed him, and took the life of a colleague, Philomen Gulland.
So who's the "we"?
"There's my coach at West End Alistair McGeachie and my family who have to be on board because they pick up all the pieces. We have to work as a team because it's not easy for them and it's not easy for me being the odd one out in the family…it's not only the physical injuries…I have a traumatic brain injury which causes problems in the afternoons and evenings."
Thank God there's the mornings, a perfect time for rowing and as it turns out the beginning of something special with Ian's 17-year-old son Ethan.
"This time last year, Ethan came down to Nationals and he was helping me rig the boat and I just asked, 'Would you think about doing this sport?'
"No, it's too hard, dad. Never in my life could I do this sport well."
"And look who's sitting next to me at Nationals having just rowed the Novice Double and made the final of the Novice Four," says Ian. "Can't keep him out of the boat."
"From the moment dad organised for me to go hop in the double with one of the Masters rowers, I just haven't been able to not think about it," says Ethan. "It gets to the point where my teachers are catching me out at school, watching old footage of the Kiwi pair or German eight breaking the record for the fastest 2K time on water."
"It's become like my sole point of being on the planet…just get up every morning and row."
So, at the end of the regatta, the Winsons will be towing home an inclusion double. It means father and son will soon be on the Whau River in Auckland, 5am starts, training together, even racing.
"Now I can come out to Karapiro and race a kilometre or two with my dad," says Ethan. "It's like a dream come true, I can now properly exercise with my dad. Rowing's given me this opportunity…if I hadn't actually grown up a bit and gotten off my seat at home, I wouldn't be here experiencing this. It's amazing."
Legend.
Para athlete Ian Winson and son Ethan, who's in his Novice year of rowing with West End. Soon they'll be out training on the Whau River in Auckland. Photo: Andy Hay
And finally….
Let's go out on this.
That's Aramoho Whanganui sculler Bryn Morgan playing Clair de lune by Debussy. Many recent Maadi Regatta athletes will know him as the trombone 'Swamp Stomp' man for Whanganui High School at the opening parade.
Bryn's been playing the piano since long before he could row: "I've been playing since I was five, and I'm very grateful for my mum who taught me and raised a musical family. I love bringing my music everywhere I go."
He's passed his professional-level Trinity College London exam so definitely knows his way around the upright in the Don Rowlands Centre.
The rowing's going pretty well too.
He and his Club Quad squeaked into the A Final by 0.07s finishing fourth in 6.50.90. It came at the expense of scratching the two Doubles on coach Axel Dickinson's advice.
"It was nerve-wracking all morning, just like, 'Is it going to pay off, is it going to pay off,'" says Bryn. "To even just scrape in makes it all worth it. It was a bloody good race as well. I'm very happy we're on the other side of it. Onwards now."
Xavier Warren, Achilles Paikea, Bryn Morgan and James Tiglao from Aramoho Whanganui's Club Coxless Quad. James is here from California on a gap year. He rows out of the Los Gatos club in the Santa Clara Valley. He's hoping to get into a College lightweight programme when he returns to the States. Photo: Andy Hay.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
