Another day of tight racing at Lake Karāpiro : Aon Maadi Regatta

It was another day of tight racing on the course on Lake Karāpiro as we head toward the pointy end of the 2023 Aon Maadi Regatta. Crews put their foot on the throttle to ensure qualification out of the semis and into the A final. The top four crews from each semi final progress to the A final, with the remaining four crews progressing to the B final. 

Semi final one of the girls under 18 double saw Wellington Girls College, St Pauls Collegiate, Craighead Diocesan and Columba College comfortably qualify for the A final. It was a slightly different story in semi final two with an incredibly tight fight for the line. Wakatipu High School breezed home in 7:56.92 followed by Pukekohe High School in 7:59.45. Three crews came within a whisker of each other for the remaining two A final spots. Otago Girls High School finished in third with 8:00.41, Onslow College crossed in fourth with 8:00.62 and Cromwell College narrowly missed an A final spot with 8:00.68.

Cashmere High School and Sacred Heart Auckland were the standout crews in Semi final one and two of the boys under 18 coxed quad. The two crews won their semis with clear water and look to be the two favourites for Friday’s A final. Despite being well clear of the field in their semi finals, the two crews finished only one second apart suggesting it could be a thrilling final. 

The top four crews were well clear of any danger in each semi final of the girls under 18 single. Freddy Todhunter from St Andrews College, Jenna Brangwynne from St Pauls Collegiate and Harriet Thompson from Otago Girls High School were the standout performers and could be in line for a podium finish, but Elsie Talbot from Craighead Diocesan and Rebecca McLaren from Glendowie College will be looking to make their mark when push comes to shove in the A final on Saturday. 

Less than eight seconds separated the top 8 crews across both semi finals of the boys under 15 coxed quad today. St Pauls Collegiate and Wellington College won their semi finals but there was only 0.04 seconds difference between the two crews. Marlborough Boys College, St Thomas’ of Canterbury College, Shirley Boys High School, Wakatipu High School, Twizel Area School and Glendowie College round out the remaining crews in the A final. 

Local girl Tegan O’Dwyer (Cambridge High School) looks a strong contender to take out the girls under 17 single. She finished five seconds ahead of St Hilda's sculler Olivia Ollerenshaw who goes into the A final with the second fastest time. Sophie Gibson (Ashburton High School), Emma Spittle (Waitaki Girls High School,) Keeley Begg (Rangiora High School), Caitlin Wain (Otumoetai College), Tegan Negus (John Paul College Rotorua) and Madeline Cox (Hamilton Girls High School) round out the top 8 that will battle it out for the podium spots in tomorrow’s A final.

Sponsor support

Aon has been a major partner to Rowing NZ for over 18 years, and the Aon Maadi Regatta continues to be a proudly sponsored by Aon.

Aon is the leading provider of insurance broking, risk management and associated services both in New Zealand and globally. They pride themselves on protecting all different kinds of Kiwis, from young families through to businesses and farms of all types and sizes. With over 950 staff located in offices spanning from Kerikeri to Invercargill, Kiwis will be sure to find a local Aon broker no matter where they live.

The Aon Maadi Regatta remains the biggest secondary schools sporting event in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere and Rowing NZ are proud to work alongside Aon to bring it to life each year.

Tomorrow the action kicks off with the first day of A and B finals at the 2023 Aon Maadi Regatta. The event programme can be found online on the Aon Maadi Regatta website, as well as the livestream of racing each day thanks to Altitude HD Ltd.