The New Zealand Masters rowing championship was held at Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel earlier this month. Photo: SUPPLIED
Rowing clubs around the country are imploring the sport's governing body to rethink its calendar after one of its leading regattas was again hampered by adverse weather conditions.
More than 300 competitors travelled to Twizel for the annual New Zealand Masters Rowing Championships held on 11-12 October.
Participants, many of whom had spent thousands on travel costs, were left frustrated after strong north-westerly winds meant most of racing on Lake Ruataniwha was scratched, including the entire second day of proceedings.
It followed similar weather-related disruption when the Masters was last staged in Twizel two years ago.
Some clubs have expressed doubts over returning to the regatta, suggesting it being held over Spring, when the elements were at their most fickle, was not worth the risk.
The Masters Rowing Championships was the biggest regatta of its kind in the country, open to competitors aged 27 and over.
Hosting of the regatta alternated each year between Lake Ruataniwha and Lake Karapiro near Cambridge.
Before this year, the regatta had been held in September since 2010.
Rowing New Zealand then opted to shift the two-day event into the warmer climate of October.
The National Rowing Championships at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel on 21 February 2013. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Tauranga Rowing Club's Richard Rennie said he was disappointed the latest regatta was again wrecked by the perilous conditions on water.
"Wind gusts of up to 60 to 70 kilometres an hour. They started to set in on Saturday which meant racing was delayed for over six hours," he said.
"We were able to row the big boats (the eights) and a few smaller ones. All up it was a pretty unsatisfactory outcome if you'd travelled any distance to compete in them.
"The Twizel pub on the Sunday was the big winner."
At least two boats were also swamped due to the bad weather.
Following the regatta, Rennie wrote a letter to Rowing New Zealand, urging a rethink on the scheduling of the regatta.
The letter was signed by 11 rowing clubs who had attended the Masters.
"We believe the need to change the scheduling is imperative and urgent. Anecdotally the Twizel event has resulted in multiple clubs re-considering their commitment to the Nationals, and certainly their commitment to returning to Twizel at this time of year.
"At a cost of about $1200 per competitor to compete, the risk to come to Twizel is simply too great now."
Cambridge Rowing Club president Peter Fraser was also frustrated another regatta had been impacted.
Fraser told RNZ the regatta being staged at the start of the rowing season meant competitors trained in dark and freezing conditions over the Winter period.
"I personally do all my training in the dark. It just suits me to be a morning trainer rather than an afternoon trainer. But five o'clock at night you're going into the dark. It's something I've learnt to cope with," he said.
"People down south, like Lake Dunstan, have snow to the edge of the lake when they're training over the Winter.
"With rowing you don't want to be dressed like the Michelin Man."
A view of Lake Ruataniwha looking towards the Twizel township and Southern Alps. Photo: Photosport
Petone Rowing Club masters co-ordinator Caroline Robertson said the regatta itself was well managed by the organisers on the ground, despite trying conditions.
She described the winds that had hit the last two Twizel regattas as "diabolical" for rowing.
"No one can control the weather. But I think you could influence when the regattas are held," she said.
"October, September, they're not great months. You've got those spring winds that seem to be getting worse and more [frequent]."
Rowing New Zealand general manager of sport development Jared Cummings said the move to October had followed feedback from the rowing community.
Cummings said regattas being disrupted by the elements was not uncommon.
"It is a long way for people to travel.
"It's not unusual though for rowing regattas to have bad, or challenging conditions. It's reasonably common.
"We do work in a limited environment with a limited window. High wind can happen at any time of the year."
Rowing New Zealand was open to feedback from the clubs over the scheduling of the Masters, Cummings said.
Feedback would feed into the governing body's five-year-strategy for the country's masters events
A national masters committee was also expected to be established
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