Rowing
21 October, 2024
New kids on the block
Horsham Rowing Club's new coxed quad group has taken rowing by storm. On Saturday, they won their first-ever race at the Bendigo Regatta, a 480m sprint.
The team featuring Jeremy Matheson, Joseph Shepherd, Nirvan Suwal, Christian Ebersohn with Lachlan Lindorff the cox, won in a time of 1:32:53 over the 480m distance, 2.86 seconds ahead of Bendigo with Essendon a further .54 seconds back.
All the boys are from Holy Trinity Lutheran College. Each took up rowing at a different time, but they came together as one six months ago.
Christian and Nirvan took up rowing in 2021, then stopped for a few years and only returned earlier this year. This year, Jeremy's grandmother said he had to take up rowing, so his mother made him, and he brought Joseph with him. Lachlan was also present at the rowing club.
They had been training for six months and planned for Bendigo to be their first Regatta, but it couldn't have gone any better.
Joseph Shepherd has long hair, so the boys had a side bet that if they didn't win, he would have to cut it, and he was thrilled he could keep his hair.
Jeremy Matheson said he was happy that they won.
"I am a bit tired, but I am happy we won and pleased that we didn't lose because Joseph would have had a haircut," Matheson said.
Nirvan Suwal said they rowed well as a team. "It was good. We rowed well, and in our first Regatta, doing what we did was good."
Christian Ebersohn said the nerves weren't there.
"It's just good to see we weren't too nervous, being our first regatta and all," he said.
"There are areas of improvement that can be ironed out in the near future."
Lachlan Lindorff had to do a lot of study to be accredited as a Cox. The Cox is legally responsible for the boat and has to be safety conscious and a leader. Being the smallest rower, he was a good fit.
"I had to go through 12 booklets and take a test on each," Lindorff said.
"Each booklet can be 30-50 pages, so it's a lot of study. Nirvan convinced me to row, and it's been good."
Coach Ray White said he was impressed with how fast they rowed.
"It took six months to get to this, and Bendigo is a sprint regatta on a fully buoyed course, and they did it in a good time, and I was quite pleased," White said.
The boys will next row together at the Dimboola Regatta in the sprint race on Saturday, November 9. They may also compete in the Head of the Wimmera on Sunday, a 6.2km time trial.
The club also had other good results, with the Female Masters Coxed Quad Scull winning.
Lindorff was the Cox, and the four rowers were Krista Fischer, Audrey Kottek, Sarah Tottenham and Tracy Richardson. They won by 3.41s in front of Richmond, with Bendigo 11.47s behind in third.
Sarah Tottenham was second in the Division One Female Masters Single Scull, which Ballarat City's Ebony Ebenwaldner won.
Krista Fischer and Sarah Tottenham were third in the Division Two Female Masters Double Scull, which the Corowa Rowing Club won.
White was thrilled with the results.
"Getting the boys home in their first Regatta was a big deal, and the ladies, being more experienced against good opposition, rowed well to get a win," White said.
"The boys also did well in the pairs and singles but were too tired after their race.
"Overall, it was a good result for the club and a good start to the season."