MANNING River Rowing Club will host 22 clubs, universities and schools for the Taree Summer Regatta starting today.
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A total of 251 races will be decided from 2pm today through to Sunday afternoon.
A strong contingent of Manning rowers will be in action. Sam Hearn and Tal Wiersma will contest the men's D-grade double scull. They will then combine with John Cross and Warren Steedman to compete in the D-grade quad scull. In the women's D grade scull Megan Saxby, Brielle Wiersma, Ashley Harry and Kate Rankin will be starters.
Roy Halliday and Graham Nix will have to work hard to overcome Ken Ambler and Richard Martin from Sydney Rowing Club along with Lake Macquarie's Peter Armstrong and Peter Stievenard in the men's masters double scull. With all three crews have rowed together for a number of seasons and this should be tough race all the way to finish line.
Division six of the men's masters double will see Ray Beeton from Manning River combine with George Xouris from Swan River.
An added attraction introduced to this years' program is the feature event, the mixed A-grade eight sponsored by Croker Oars and Stacks Finance.
This has attracted 10 crews with heats set to start at 1.30pm tomorrow with the first three crews from each heat progressing to the final to be decided on Sunday at 12.45pm.
Glebe have two crews entered, one in each heat, and will be up against Sydney University, University of NSW, Balmain and Sydney in heat one. Competition in heat two will come from Leichardt, Newcastle University, St George and Manning River.
The eights events have attracted large fields in other categories with 12 crews in the women's D-grade eight and 11 in the women's masters eight. The regatta is set to finish with two division of the men's B grade eight followed by the women's open eight with Sydney University going head to head with Sydney Rowing Club.