Bay Coast Rowing

Yesterday, 24 masters from Bay Coast took part in the Nielsen Kellerman Legion of Rowers Regatta at Karapiro. It was a fantastic day all around and a good learning experience rowing in those rolling waves. As the day went on, the conditions got tougher, but spirits stayed high. Congrats to everyone who had firsts and personal achievements, with a special shoutout to Jill Edwards and Alana Hawke for grabbing gold in the Women's New Master Double Scull. A big thanks to Nick Hanna for driving the trailer (and the whole show, generally), and Marcus for coxing, and to the whole team, including the family supporters, for being such an awesome bunch.

We've been a bit slow in sharing the award winners from our end-of-season club prizegiving, so without further ado, here are the winners of the Bay Coast Rowing Club Awards 2023/2024:

Most Improved:
School Boy – Arthur Crimmins
School Girl – Asha Reid
Novice Boy – Logan Lands
Novice School Girl – Tallulah Kubaisi–Gallagher
Master Rower – Jill Edwards

Most Valuable:
School Rower – Kaylee Cattley
Club Rower – Jemima Glaholm
Master Rower – Jill Edwards

Rower of the Year
School Boy – Arthur Crimmins
School Girl – Anahera Hawke
Club Rower – Luca Romersa
Novice Master Rower – Alice Woods
Master Rower – Nick Hanna

Special Awards:
Coach of the Year – Ted Phelps
Outstanding Contribution to Club – Charlie Burns & Nathan Scott
Club Spirit – Julie Samuelson
Outstanding Rower, Crew or Performance – Luca Romersa & Henry Gavin.

Congratulations to all the award winners. Thanks for making the 2023/2024 season one to remember. Here’s to even greater things in the season ahead!

Keen to be involved with our thriving rowing community? We're looking for coaches to come on board for the 2024/25 season.

There’s a real buzz down at the river. A visitor recently commented that our club always seems busy – and it’s true. Weekends are a hive of activity, with one group of crews getting off the water as the next group gets ready to go on. It’s a great energy to be around, with lots of laughter and healthy competition.

We've seen a surge in interest across all our rowing crews, with the highest pre-season numbers in years – and that was before the success of the New Zealand rowers at the Paris Olympics, and the election of rowing-great Mahé Drysdale as mayor of Tauranga – things that are sure to spark even more interest in rowing in the region over the coming months.

With this growth, we're looking for coaches to join our passionate and experienced team. As proved by James Coote, coach of gold medal-winning women’s double Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis, you don't have to be an elite rower to train one. While we wouldn't say no to any elite rowers who want to join us, we’d love to hear from anyone interested in coaching, even if you’re unsure whether you have enough experience or skills yet. Whether you’re a parent, a rower new to or returning to the sport, or someone with experience in coaching or competing in other codes, you may be just the person we’re looking for.

Our coaches generously gift their time to share their love for the sport and guide the next generation of rowers. Excited to be part of our team and help shape the future of rowing at Bay of Plenty Coast? Come check out the action down at the river on a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon, have a chat with one of our coaches, or contact Wendy at 027 332 2211 or [email protected]

Massive thanks to Cambridge Rowing Club New Zealand for hosting an amazing masters rowing camp – such a great weekend, our crew have been raving about it!

SunLive - Bay Coast Rowing Club celebrates pontoon project - The Bay's News First Bay Coast Rowing Club celebrates pontoon project

Building resilience and determination on these 1 degree starts, respect

Yesterday we had a fantastic time celebrating the opening of our new pontoon and hosting our end-of-season prizegiving. What started as a lovely afternoon turned into a cozy evening. We'll share more about the prize winners and pontoon project later, but for now, we just want to thank our amazing club members.

The event was a celebration of our fantastic team. From the hard work of athletes, coaches, managers, parents and caregivers throughout the season to the behind-the-scenes organisation, fundraising and engineering for the pontoon project, our community's dedication and spirit really shone through.

This spirit was evident in the little details – the lawn looked beautiful, the potluck dinner assembled in our newly spruced-up kitchen was delicious, and the erg races and straw guy competition added a lot of fun. Plus, the family band at the bonfire, made by wood from our recent river cleanup, added a special touch.

To everyone involved – thank you. Your contributions made yesterday truly memorable. Here's to many more great moments together!

📣 Hey fitness buffs, Mums, Dads, sports teams and social groups! 📣

Ōtūmoetai College Rowing Team is fundraising again for next year's Maadi Cup with an awesome 4-hour Ergathon in June. This event was a huge success last year and enjoyed by all who attended. 🎉

Gather your workmates, gym buddies or social group and join us for 4 hours of fun, prizes, food, goodie bags and an amazing atmosphere. You can have between 6-10 people per team. No rowing experience needed – we’ll show you the ropes! 🚣‍♂️

By participating, you'll be supporting our school rowers in their journey to the biggest rowing regatta in March 2025, the MAADI CUP. So, get your friends together and register now! Let’s make this event another unforgettable experience. See you there! 💪🥇

Henry, our very own "boy in the boat", joined Bay Coast for the 2023/24 season. A self-confessed dopamine addict, Henry thrives on competition – whether it's a rowing race or a week-long food-eating contest against a fellow rower, he's all in. Selected as an U19 Rep in the pair for Team England in 2022, Henry is not afraid to set goals and work hard to achieve them. A highlight of last season was Henry and Luca's performance in the Men's Club double at the NZ Club Nationals. They produced an impressive turn of speed and power in the last 500 meters for a well-deserved bronze. Henry has now headed off to train in the Waikato and we wish him all the best for his future goals – don't be a stranger Henry, we look forward to seeing you on the water, and back over the hill at Bay Coast whenever you get the chance!

REGISTER TODAY to give rowing a go!

Join us for three FREE introductory sessions in April and discover what the rowing buzz is all about. 🌊🚣‍♂️

📅 Dates: Sunday 14, 21 & 28 April
🕰️ Time: 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
📍 Location: 369 Wairoa Road (near Bethlehem)

Rowing is a great sport for building fitness and resilience within a supportive community. It's also a whole lot of fun. If you are serious about competing for your college in 2025, or you're just curious to see what it feels like to paddle backwards up a river, now is a great time to get involved.

Don't miss out! Register today for an experience that might just change your life: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2LuWUFhbQJUeA42l-s9Dtoa0htcMh1PczeH2wnbYY9UGP1g/viewform?usp=sf_link 🚤💙 No prior experience needed, all equipment provided.

**Registrations are also now open for our Term 2 Learn to Row programme. Run by experienced coaches, this programme provides an excellent opportunity to master the basics and get a feel for what is involved before progressing to competitive rowing. For more information and to secure your spot visit baycoastrowing.co.nz/learn-to-row

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Te Kura made waves at Maadi this year, securing silver in the boy's novice U18 quad sculls event. It's only the second time the correspondence school has participated in this event, but they've firmly established themselves as a team to watch in the future. Most of the team rows out of Bay Coast Rowing Club and includes Charlie Etherington,  Connagh McCormack, Fynn Sattler, Jacob Trillo, Logan Lands, Silas Scott, and Molly Sattler (cox). Ashton Clark from Hawkes Bay completed the team.

In the A Final of the novice U18 4X+ event L. Lands (S), A. Clark, C. McCormack, C. Etherington, and M. Satler (Cox) won silver with a time of 7:01.70. (J. Trillo competed in the heats but was unable to compete in the final).

The team also secured two B final spots in the boys novice U18 double sculls event:

C. Etherington (S) and L. Lands secured 3rd place with a time of 7:29.08.

A. Clark (S) and C. McCormack finished 6th with a time of 7:33.54.

If you are a Te Kura student and want to get involved in rowing, check out your local rowing club for opportunities to learn to row and reach out to Melissa Satler ([email protected]) for more information on how to join the Te Kura row team.




📸 credits .photography and BOPC team

The Ōtūmoetai College rowing team continues to grow from strength to strength, with 13 athletes competing at this year's Maadi school nationals. Collectively, the team secured an impressive 3 A finals (ranking in the top 8 nationwide) and 5 B finals (ranking in the top 16 nationwide).

The team comprised Anahera Hawke, Arthur Crimmins, Asha Reid, Elsa Alexander, Emily Keith, Kaylee Cattley, Olivia Woods, Skyla Still, Tasmin Jacka, and Taylan Still from Bay of Plenty Coast Rowing Club, alongside Caitlyn Wain, Matt Ryder, and Peer Czorny from Tauranga Rowing Club with teacher support from Ian Ridgway and Sanet Bircham.

Huge congratulations to all the team. You should be so proud of what you have achieved and the amazing comradery displayed, both on and off the water. So many highlights - Arthur powering into A final of the boys U16 single sculls, Anahera's impressive repechage race which earned her a spot in the girls U16 single sculls semis, Taylan and Arthur working the oars to make the B final in the boys U16 double sculls, the U18 girls quad of Skyla, Kaylee, Anahera and Asha so so nearly making the semis, two A finals for Peer, one with Matt, two B finals for Caitlyn – the U18 single and the U18 double sculls with Elsa, and Tas and Olivia proving their potential in the B final of the Novice U18 double sculls... it's been an exciting week of racing.

A Final results:

Boys U17 1X: P.Czorny (S), M.Ryder - 6th Place, 7:40.27

Boys U18 2X: P.Czorny (S), M.Ryder - 6th Place, 7:03.26

Boys U16 1X: A.Crimmins - 5th Place, 7:48.57

B Final results:

Girls U18 2X: E.Alexander (S), C.Wain - 5th Place, 8:12.31

Girls U16 1X: A.Hawke - 4th Place, 8:47.08

Girls Novice U18 2X: T.Jacka (S), O.Woods - 6th Place, 8:32.10

Boys U16 2X: A.Crimmins (S), T.Still - 6th Place, 7:40.27

Girls U18 1X: C.Wain - 3rd Place, 08:39.23

If you're keen to join the rowing buzz and want to have a go at representing ŌTC at Maadi in 2025, now is a great time to get involved. Contact Sanet Bircham, the teacher of rowing, for more information. Also, keep an eye out for Bay Coasts' upcoming give-rowing-a-go sessions - Sundays at 1.30 during the April school holidays.

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📸 credits .photography and OTC team

The dynamic duo from ACG Tauranga – Hazel Church (Tauranga Rowing Club) and Tallulah Kubaisi-Gallagher (BOP Coast Rowing Club) – did their school proud at the recent Maadi school rowing nationals, winning the B Final of the girls U15 double sculls event. This places them at number 9 nationwide in their age category – a massive achievement for these young athletes. Congratulations, we are so proud of you!!

If you're inspired to join these gutsy girls and represent ACG at Karapiro in 2025, now's the perfect time to get involved. Mr. Ian Shaw, the head of PE, is the first point of contact for those interested in rowing for ACG. Also, keep an eye out for Bay Coasts' upcoming give-rowing-a-go sessions - Sundays at 1.30 during the April school holidays.

Team ACG with their banner ready for the parade. They may be a small team, but already making waves with their (tall) banner!

The Ōtūmoetai College team - ready to swap blazers for rowsuits and get out on the water!

Te Kura entered Maadi for the first time last year with one athlete. It's awesome to see how their team has grown, with eight athletes competing this year

Three boys.... Three singles... Getting a feel for Lake Ruataniwha

Wishing all our athletes heading to Twizel for the MAADI School Nationals this week all the very best. Row your hearts out and enjoy doing what you love.

The North Island Secondary School regatta was a great success, with rowers from Bay Coast proudly representing four schools: ACG, Bethlehem College, Ōtūmoetai College and Te Aho O Te Kura Pounamu. So proud of how these young athletes conducted themselves. Many personal bests over the three days, as always, some things went to plan, others didn't, that's rowing. Congrats to all those who made a final, who got out there and gave it a go, with special mention to our medal winners:

BRONZE for Te Kura in the Novice U18 Men's 4x+ with Jacob Trillo, Logan Lands, Connagh McCormack, Charlie Etherington + Molly Sattler (cox).

BRONZE for Arthur Crimmins from Ōtūmoetai College in the Men's U16 single sculls.

Two weeks until the Maadi Nationals in Twizel... let's go!

📷 Photo credits

Image 1,2,4,5 .pictureshow
Image 6 .photography
Most others

Next up in our MEET series is the exceptional Jemima Glaholm. Ted once warmly described Jemima as the epitome of an ordinary individual achieving extraordinary things, having in her possession unparalleled determination and grit. This was evident last weekend when, despite facing a recent setback - a badly broken finger - Jemima's tenacity propelled her to the A finals in the club singles at the NZ Nationals. Her ability to overcome challenges is truly inspiring. Jemima's passion for rowing and strong work ethic motivate those around her to strive for their best. Currently, Jemima is exploring opportunities for rowing scholarships in the United States. We are excited to see where this journey takes her. Watch out, world! 🚣‍♀️🌍

>>If you're a member of Bay Coast, past or present, and would like to be part of the MEET series, we'd love to hear from you. DM us for more information. 🚣‍♂️🌊

Thanks to everyone who helped make our Give rowing a go sessions such a success - the organisers, coaches, boat carriers, oar fetchers, coxswains, parents and caregivers and most of all those who put their hands up to try something new. We hope you had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing you back on the river. And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask 😊

How to sum up Nationals week? We can't say it better than Lou did, so we're stealing her words: What a week team. Some absolutely incredible results all round. We are all so proud of each & everyone of you. There’s always ups & downs in sport & this week was no different. Turn the tough lessons into learning &week team the next regatta will go even better. Your club mates are here to support you along the way. Super coach Ted, are you amazing! Please take tomorrow as a rest day! Sleep well everyone. You’re all legends.

Today's fuel....enjoy

REGISTER TODAY to give rowing a go!

Join us for this Sunday and discover what the rowing buzz is all about. 🌊🚣‍♂️

📅 When: Sunday, February 18th
🕰️ Time: 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
📍 Location: 369 Wairoa Road (near Bethlehem)

No prior experience needed, all equipment provided. Just wear activewear and bring a sunhat, water bottle and your running shoes.

Don't miss out! Registration link in bio🚤💙

Keen to continue rowing? Registrations are also now open for our Term 2 Learn to Row programme. Run by experienced coaches, this programme provides an excellent opportunity to master the basics and get a feel for what is involved before progressing to competitive rowing. For more information and to secure your spot visit baycoastrowing.co.nz/learn-to-row

Link in bio.

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Summer days on the Wairoa 😍. Looking forward to introducing the wonderful world of rowing to all the newcomers at our Give it a go session this afternoon. 😃

Next up in our MEET series, we're introducing, by way of farewell, one of our club rowers and 2023 club captain, Luca Romersa. As Luca heads off on an exciting new journey to Otago University after Nationals next week, we're filled with a mix of sadness and pride.

Luca has been an integral part of our rowing community, and many have witnessed his growth from a bright-eyed kid to the most remarkable young man. His infectious smile, unwavering dedication and genuine warmth are some of the things we will all miss. We'll also miss him at boat loading, his skills at which are yet to be rivaled.

Join us in celebrating Luca's time at Bay Coast and wishing him the best as he enters this next phase of his life. Luca, go well as you embark on this new chapter! You'll be sorely missed. 🌊✨

>>If you're a member of Bay Coast, past or present, and would like to be part of the MEET series, we'd love to hear from you. DM us for more information. 🚣‍♂️🌊

Over the coming weeks and months, we're going to be profiling some of the people who help make Bay Coast the exceptional club it is today. Kicking off our MEET series we have Bruce Wills, our esteemed club president, an active master rower and a highly valued coach. A much-loved member of the Bay Coast community, Bruce brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in maintaining peak physical condition. We think his story is one you'll enjoy. 

>>>If you are a member of Bay Coast, past or present, and would like to be part of the MEET series, we'd love to hear from you. DM us for more information

REGISTER TODAY to give rowing a go!

Join us for two FREE introductory sessions in February and discover what the rowing buzz is all about. 🌊🚣‍♂️

📅 Dates: Sunday, February 11th & 18th
🕰️ Time: 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
📍 Location: 369 Wairoa Road (near Bethlehem)

No prior experience needed, all equipment provided. Just wear activewear and bring a sunhat, water bottle and your running shoes. All intermediate and college-aged students welcome.

Don't miss out! Scan the QR code to register today for an experience that might just change your life. 🚤💙
LINK TO REGISTER: https://forms.gle/8pbPx8jQfofRP6327

**Registrations are also now open for our Term 2 Learn to Row programme. Run by experienced coaches, this programme provides an excellent opportunity to master the basics and get a feel for what is involved before progressing to competitive rowing. For more information and to secure your spot visit baycoastrowing.co.nz/learn-to-row