AON Maadi Regatta Recap

Run by the NZSSRA and Rowing New Zealand, the AON Maadi Regatta is New Zealand's largest rowing regatta, alternating annually between Lake Karāpiro in Cambridge and Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel. The 2024 New Zealand Secondary School Championships (Aon Maadi Regatta) was held at Lake Ruantaniwha from 18-23 March.


TGSRC took a crew of 43 athletes to Twizel, where we had near-perfect rowing conditions each day. Crisp, clear mornings were followed by still bluebird days with close racing and lots of personal bests achieved by our crews.

Staying at Lake Ohau Lodge was a real privilege, something that the club has been doing for over twenty years. Having some distance from Twizel and the intensity of the regatta gave our athletes much-needed time to decompress and catch up on school work.


Reflecting on the week away, our parents should take pride in how well their athletes conducted themselves during the regatta. As a group, they required very little active management, which was a real testament to their maturity and dedication to the sport.


But It wasn’t all racing, mid-week we had a lull in our schedule so the crew enjoyed an outing to Mt Cook where athletes completed a three hour walk topped off with a swim in the glacier lake, an apparent highlight of our week away.

Results:

Boys U15 double sculls B final placed 8th

  • O Moy, J An

Girls U18 double sculls C Final placed 4th

  • E McKendry, N Shipkov

Boys U18 coxed quad sculls B final placed 8th

  • C Bourke, T Bloom, M Molony, E Brownlow + M Stebbing

Boys U18 coxed four B final placed 3rd

  • T Foster, O Burton, T Smith, T Dodds + M Stebbing

Boys U15 coxed quad sculls B final placed 8th

  • O Moy, J An, S Crampsie, D Feng + G Cockayne

Boys U17 coxed four B final placed 7th

  • B Mansell, G Layburn, B An, C Willman-Childs + A Bourke


Maadi, signals the end of the season which sadly means a number of our Year 13 athletes have concluded their school rowing careers. On the last night of our Ohau stay, Joanna and Sam wished these athletes well, thanking them for their contribution to the club’s legacy.  


Thanks to all the coaches, committee members, and parents for coming down and supporting our crews. A special mention to Head Coach Sam Grant and Kent Forsyth for driving the skiff trailers to Twizel and back. It was a great week on the water, and the club's future looks bright.

Claudia M