Latest news with #WhakatipuRowingClub
Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Rowers on world stage
Wakatipu High's Seb Watson, left, and Harry Lightfoot proved their rowing chops with a record win in the U18 double sculls at this year's Maadi Cup on Lake Karapiro. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Two Wakatipu High 17-year-old rowers are furiously training and fundraising to represent New Zealand at world under-19 champs this winter. They are Arrowtowner Harry Lightfoot and Queenstowner Seb Watson, who sensationally broke a record of about 20 years' standing when they claimed gold in the U18 double sculls at this year's national secondary schools Maadi Cup regatta. Following trials, Harry's made NZ's team for the U19 worlds in Lithuania in August, which will be preceded by six weeks' training in Cambridge. He'll row in the double with Nathan Strachan, from Auckland's Macleans College, who won the U18 single sculls at this year's Maadi. Seb, meanwhile, has made the U19 NZ development team who are off to the Continental Challenge Cup regatta in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the United States, where he'll compete in multiple events including a mixed eight. Both trips are solely self-funded, Harry's costs reaching $20,000 and Seb's $8500 — a Givealittle page is running for the pair who are also fundraising themselves, including a raffle in Harry's case. Both have been rowing since year 9 at Wakatipu High, but have come on particularly over the past two years under Whakatipu Rowing Club coach John Morrison. Last year they won golds at Maadi in the U17 double and coxed quad, and they repeated the dose at U18 level on Cambridge's Lake Karapiro this year. For their upcoming worlds they've upped their training to 10 or 11 times a week including gym, rowing machine and on-water work. "Normally there's the big group trainings but at the moment there's just like me and Seb in a double or we'll be in singles, and it's freezing," Harry says. Both boys say they enjoy the social side of rowing — "I just enjoy being with my mates", Seb says — but also the competitive side. Both intend carrying on when they finish school this year, initially with the Whakatipu Rowing Club this next season — Seb's off to Canterbury University, and Harry's still deciding his next move. Harry follows in the wake of local rowing star Marley King Smith who competed at the past two U19 worlds.
Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Clubhouse funding shortfall
Whakatipu Rowing Club's almost-completed two-level clubhouse overlooking Lake Hayes. PHOTO: PHILIP CHANDLER Whakatipu Rowing Club's $800,000 clubhouse redevelopment project has struck some ripples. The club, in the final throes of replacing its Lake Hayes rowing shed with a two-level facility including upstairs meeting room, kitchen and viewing balcony, needs about $150,000 more to complete the project, despite having had a huge amount of community support already. President Amy Wilson-White explains the shortfall's caused by two factors. The first is extra costs incurred for an accessible carpark and ramp, fire egress at the end of the balcony and unexpected costs to stabilise the foundations. "Those things have added at least $100,000 to the bill," she says. The second factor is a couple of funding blows. They'd confidently asked for $200,000 from Lottery Grants Board, only to receive nothing, and had asked for $75,000 from Community Trust South, but only received $10,000. To make up the shortfall, Wilson-White says any funding would be welcome, such a 'buy a brick' donation in return for permanent recognition on the building. She thinks many businesses might like to book the venue for workshops and corporate team building — there's capacity for 125 people. "I would argue it's the best view in Queenstown, it's brand new and it's something different." She's also appealing for any builder with spare time on their hands who'd like to help out — Lakes Building Co, for example, recently contributed two weeks' voluntary labour in a break between jobs. Wilson-White says completion's due late next month or July — "we're not that far behind schedule". Meanwhile, two Wakatipu High rowers who won each won two golds at the Maadi Cup secondary schools regatta in March have won national selection. Seb Watson's in a New Zealand development team going to the United States in July and Harry Lightfoot's competing for NZ at the under-19 World Cup in Lithuania in August.
