ROWING NEW ZEALAND / ANNUAL REPORT 2021
MASTERS ROWING REPORT 2021 This year’s NZ Masters Championships overlapped with the Aoraki 1000 Regatta over three days at Lake Ruataniwha. Both events were run over 1000 metres.
W Imogen Coxhead
eather conditions were warm and the wind stayed away until late on the final day. The warmth was certainly welcomed by masters, who usually have their regatta in September and end up scraping ice off boats in the mornings and nursing freezing feet in wet socks. The postponement definitely worked in our favour, as late October is much more hospitable. This was the first large regatta to be held at Ruataniwha under Level 2 Covid restrictions, and Rowing NZ and South Island Rowing sure did some hard mahi to enable the event. The regatta venue was separated into six zones, each with lake access, and each was allocated a maximum of 100 individuals and separated from the others by 5-metre-wide no-go areas. There were clear guidelines about site access and about who could attend – there were no spectators, for example – and the whare kai remained closed. Where you ended up was a matter of luck. Those in zones located by the race course got to watch the races and enjoy the commentary, while others were confined to the boat park with no view and sadly no audible commentary. But hey, who’s complaining! — 33 —
The dovetailing of these two events worked really well and brought a cheerful atmosphere to the boat park as the oldest masters mixed with the youngest and newest rowers on the block.
We were there! Those in the north were not even allowed to leave home, let alone row. You were missed! All that aside, the racing was heaps of fun and the moana stayed flat and shiny for almost the entire weekend. Despite the lower numbers, many events had full fields and were as hotly contested as ever. Many cobwebs were blown away. I love masters regattas – there’s such a shared feeling of camaraderie and respect among all those people who just love to row. The masters nationals is usually a big old social occasion as people catch up with rowing friends and foes from around the motu. This year was smaller of course – 185 competitors from 23
