Junior rowers looking for gold in Buffalo Regatta

THE Durban Rowing Club will send a team of their best junior rowers to East London to compete in the prestigious Selbourne and Buffalo Regatta on 12, 14 and 15 February.

The Buffalo Regatta is one of South Africa's most prestigious events, and this year would be the first time in many that Durban's juniors will be participating. In a recent trip to Victoria Lake in Germiston for the Victoria Lake Regatta, the juniors and adults won one gold, three silver and three bronze medals, raising hopes for the next competition.

Twelve boats were taken to the Victoria Lake Regatta in Germiston from Durban. It proved quite a task, according to rower, Nola Mitchell: “First to de-rig the boats before packing them onto the trailer together with the oars, foot plates and boat seats. Then re-rig them when reaching a destination. Then to do the same all over again before leaving and once reaching Durban – the boats have to be re-rigged and carefully washed before storing them in our boathouse, which is situated in Durban’s Yacht Mole,” she said.

The juniors will also be participating in the South African Champs at the end of February and March.

“We really have an 'oarsome' bunch of young people,” said Mitchell.

Mark Burgess is captain of the Durban Rowing Club, while Hilary Abraham is the club's official coach. She has been hard at work training the juniors for the upcoming regattas.