Rowers take on racing boats

BY LOGAN SAVORY

Southland Powerboat Club members say a tragedy was narrowly averted on the Oreti River on Wednesday night after rowers unexpectedly strayed into their course during an event.

The powerboat club was hosting the third day of its three-day meet, which included the South Island clubmans championship and annual Crosbie Shield event.

Southland Powerboat Club president Brian Railton said the club had made contact with the Waihopai Rowing Club in the leadup to the event and negotiated to have the use of the river.

He said despite this, rowers still opted to train on the river on Wednesday night, shocking powerboat spectators when the rowers entered the course, where boats were travelling up to 200kmh.

Railton said it was a tragedy waiting to happen because the rowers disregarded warnings about what could happen.

When two rowing crews rowed into the powerboat course during a heat of the Crosbie Shield race, officials quickly hoisted a red flag to stop the event.

The rescue boat quickly got to the rowers before any incident occurred.

Waihopai Rowing Club official John O'Connor said he had apoligised to Railton for the mixup.

O'Connor said he wasn't aware the powerboat meet would run on Wednesday night as well as the weekend so he hadn't advised the rowers to stay away.

Many competitors, who will take part in today's corporate rowing challenge, turned up to train on Wednesday night and continued despite the powerboat event being held on the river.

O'Connor said the rowers had tried to time their row down the river when the powerboat races weren't running.

However, he said there was a lack of communication between the two parties about when was the best time for the rowers to go.

Railton believed there should not have been any rowers around the course at all, to avoid any possible accident.

O'Connor agreed the powerboat officials and rowing officials needed to meet and talk about the best way both clubs could work together to avoid any future confusion.

Invercargill's Mark Dawson in his boat Velocity won the Crosbie Shield series on Wednesday night.

- © Fairfax NZ News