Rough winds cause delays at the Maadi Cup

Rough conditions at Lake Karapiro saw rowing suspended. Photo copyright Geoff Ridder

Races have been suspended at the Maadi Cup after cold winds hammered Lake Karapiro.

Chairman of Karapiro Rowing, Don Craig, said: “It’s too windy, the wind is coming right down the course its really too rough for boats to row properly.”

The delays in the races due to the wind could cause issues with the schedule.

“We’re hoping for the best,” Craig said.

“The athletes just want to get going,” Margaret Webster, Rowing NZ communications officer, said.

Tauranga Boys’ College coaches Brendan Cullum and Cullam Davie are among the coaches whose team will be affected.

FEELING THE COLD: Tauranga Boy's College coaches shelter from the wind — FEELING THE COLD: Tauranga Boys’ College coaches, from left, Brendan Cullum, Cullam Davie, Ryan Megson, shelter from the wind

“They will call off the race if the wind gets too bad,” Davie said.

“If it’s a tail wind it will give faster times, but then if you have conditions like this and there’s a huge tail wind it makes it really rough and slows it down.”

Cullum says the conditions were better yesterday. “The wind wasn’t this bad.

“It makes it really rough and they just can’t row properly.”

Benefitting from the bad weather is Espresso to Go for whom business has been better because of the cold, “A lot of hot chocolates!” Laura James, a worker at the coffee cart said. “It’s been very busy.”