Bond on back foot to inspired Manson

The pre-Christmas regatta brought out over 2,200 competitors including novices, age group and New Zealand’s top rowers being mixed and matched into various combinations.

Manson, who rowed the 2014 international season in the men’s double sculls with brother Karl, raced the double with Chris Harris and finished six seconds ahead of Bond and his doubles partner Michael Arms. Internationally Bond has not lost a race since 2008 while Arms is coming back to national team rowing following an injury.

Coming in third in the double was George Bridgewater and John Storey. Storey and Harris both raced in the men’s quadruple sculls at this year’s World Rowing Championships, while Bridgewater is on the comeback trail. Bridgewater last raced internationally at the 2008 Olympic Games where he took bronze in the men’s pair. Since then Bridgewater has studied and rowed at Oxford University (Great Britain) and begun a career in finance before deciding to try for another Olympic Games.

Manson also took out a second, and equally impressive win, in the men’s single sculls. Racing against Mahe Drysdale, Manson finished seven seconds ahead of the Olympic Champion in a time of 6:47.

In the absence of World Champion Emma Twigg in the women’s single sculls, the winner was Fiona Bourke. Bourke became a World Champion at the 2014 World Rowing Championships when she won the double with Zoe Stevenson. Finishing second to Bourke was Lucy Spoors who raced this past season in her country’s women’s quadruple sculls. Spoors then went on to finish first in the women’s double sculls with fellow quad member, Sarah Gray. World Champion in the lightweight double sculls, Julia Edward finished second with partner Zoe McBride.

The women’s pair saw the World Champion women’s four combination of Grace Prendergast, Kayla Pratt, Kerri Gowler and Kelsey Bevan divided up with Bevan and Genevieve Behrent finishing first ahead of Prendergast and Olympic medallist, Rebecca Scown. Gowler and Pratt were third.

For full results: http://www.rowingnz.kiwi/