By Jonathan Leask  December 1 2009

The Ashburton Rowing Club’s annual regatta was a successful day despite the wind causing a premature end to the event at Lake Hood.

It was the fourth annual regatta under its current format and entries were up on last year, with 448 entries from all over the South Island, from Oamaru, Timaru, Christchurch and Kaiapoi.

 There was scheduled to be 45 events but the regatta was blown out at 11.30am with 37 of the events completed.

 The Ashburton regatta offered crews the ability to race on a full 2000m long course that was eight lanes wide, as opposed to the three lane courses in Christchurch.

 The races were set up into divisions so that competitors raced other crews of similar ability, and the local crews had some successful races.

 In the women’s under 17 single Olivia Bain was able to pull home in fourth and in the women’s club single scull Kim Jacob managed to finish fourth.

 In the women’s 50% novice, meaning two experienced rowers were paired with two amateurs, the team of Emma Mears, Emma Jary, Nicole Hazelhurst and Amy Cullimore in the stroke seat with Adam Hodge at coxswain, came second.

 The under 17 eight crew of Cullimore, Hazelhust, Jacobs, Mears, Bain, Harriet Wilson, Rebecca French and Shannon Brawley, with Georgie Aitken the cox, had a major achievement of finishing third in their race.

 The result was impressive due to the fact that it was the first time in competition that the eight has raced, having only trained as an eight over the winter.

 The under 17 quad of Brawley, Hazelhurst, French and Wilson in the stroke seat with Hodge at cox also claimed an impressive third place.

 The local club also had a further single race and two quads to complete before the weather intervened.

 The event planners were investigating possible solutions to the wind problem that had persisted at events at Lake Hood.

 “We need to take into account that the wind seems to pick up around 1pm and drop off at 4pm most days.

 “We just need a bit of innovation to solve the problem,” event spokesman Justin Wall said.

 The event was still deemed a success by the organisers, with all crews getting at least two races under their belts before the wind picked up to unmanagable levels.

Pictured: Boats power across the Lake Hood course at the annual Ashburton Rowing Regatta on Sunday. - Photo Sarah Chamberlain 291109-SC-370