Otago University Women’S Eight Place 4th In South Africa Uni Games
Sept. 29, 2009
The Otago University Women’s Eight have just returned from South Africa where they competed in the Mutual and Federal Universities Boat Race on the Kowie River in Port Alfred, South Africa.
There were nine other South African universities competing and the Otago team, the only international crew invited, were placed fourth overall. The regatta consisted of a 4km race for the women and a 6km race for the men, down the windy Kowie River. The heats were in the form of a time trial, where each crew were started 30 seconds apart, the crews were then ranked and placed into the respective finals. The finals were usually 2 boat finals (so 1st and 2nd, then 3rd and 4th etc) however with the inclusion of an international team whatever final the Otago team made would be a 3 boat final.
After the first day’s time trial the Otago women were ranked fourth, only 2 seconds behind the University of Johannesburg(UJ) (Otago’s hosts while in South Africa) and 14 seconds ahead of University of Capetown (UCT), so these three crews would meet again in the final for 3rd/4th/5th. Winning the time trial was Wits University and in second was Rhodes University.
The Otago women’s final was a great tussle between Otago, UJ and UCT. The three boats lined up for a very tight start however it was not long before UCT dropped off the pace and it became a race between Otago and UJ. At the first corner both coxswains were fighting for their desired line and oars clashed about as the umpires tried to direct the crews away from one another, UJ managed to put the pressure on at this point and made a move on Otago. Otago stayed with the UJ crew but were unable to stay in contact by the next corner where they had the advantage. UJ hang on to their lead through the last straight and won the final and so won the bronze medal but Otago still remained well ahead of UCT to take 4th position.
This trip was the first Otago Women’s crew to ever compete overseas. The crew was as follows:
Aynsley Moore (cox)
Leigh Johnstone (stroke)
Kirsty Thompson
Fiona Bourke
Rosie Waddington
Genevieve Behrent
Sarah Lindley
Amanda Thompson
Penny Farrell (bow)
The crew is coached by Sonya Walker and Glen Sinclair.
The dates of racing was September with heats on September 10th and B finals September 11th and A finals September 12th.
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