Rowing champs postponed

Posted by Marlborough Express on 18 December 2011 | 0 Comments

Tags: Marlborough Rowing Championships, Wairau River, Blenheim Rowing Club, Rowing New Zealand, Marlborough District Council

Wet weather has forced organisers to postpone the Marlborough Rowing Championships which were to be held this weekend on the Wairau River, based at the Blenheim Rowing Club.

Although the river was not flooded at the time, the decision was made yesterday by Marlborough Rowing Association president Dave Henry. The river was higher than normal and there was concern that rowers would be endangered by debris likely to be washed down if rain fell as forecast.

Nearly 350 rowers were expected at the event from Timaru, Canterbury, Nelson and Wellington and the call was made yesterday afternoon prior to visiting squads leaving for Blenheim.

Chief race starter at this weekend's event and Rowing New Zealand board chairman Ivan Sutherland said that while they had rowed in conditions similar to what prevailed yesterday on the river with a fresh coming through, the amount of debris in the water was the deciding factor and the forecast for more rain tomorrow.

Sutherland said: "Safety is first and foremost. The risk of holing a boat was too great. A lot of first- time novice rowers were coming, young school rowers. Safety is paramount.

"We've been in regular contact monitoring the Marlborough District Council regarding the river flow, and it had gone up during the afternoon."

Sutherland said organisers had been in regular touch with the clubs attending the event and said they needed to make a call by 6pm Thursday.

Fortunately, Sutherland said, there is a spare weekend on January 21-22.

The championships will now be held then in place of a scheduled local club regatta between Wairau, Blenheim and Picton.

People accepted the postponement decision, Sutherland said, and it was the first time he could recall the Marlborough rowing championships being postponed due to bad weather.