Welcome to row2k coverage of Henley Royal Regatta 2010, one to end the decade; with that pronouncement...an air of importance on this week, as a broad and talented International field presides on the boat tent early in these grueling duels on the Thames. Today, however, student and club races rule the day.
The weather is as expected, very pleasant. Qualifiers last week had to endure some temperatures at the high end of England's range, and training prior to racing this week was in 90+ degrees (Fahrenheit, of course) with relative humidity almost Louisiana-like. Not something expected in the UK to be sure, but very similar to 2009 regardless. Now that the temps have tempered a bit, the full Henley regalia of sundresses and seersucker is brightening the views, with cloud cover and wilting heat gone.
Races come down the course on five minute centers for 5 races, followed by a ten-minute break, then back to the five minute centers. Long Lunch and Tea Intervals, at 12:20 and 3:50 respectively, give ample time for this regatta's dignified spectators to dine ("giving guests sufficient time without having to rush" says the announcer). A bonus also for those with kegs tapped at Fawley Meadows, and of course better for the settling of that lovely British meal. Why does everything have to have English Chutney on it anyway? Getting off course a bit, of course - back to the racing.
The morning began for US Crews with University of Washington freshman 8 cruising to a three length win over University of Warwick in the first round of the Temple Challenge Cup. They began this race with their usual vocal style through the boat, with "Go Huskies" broadcast at the start - did we hear a response of "this is Husky weather?" Not sure, but we did see a powerful Husky start at a moderate start rate. At Fawley (approximately 3/4 miles), Washington had reduced their rating to 32 and had a comfortable 2 1/2 length lead, they reduced to a rating of 30 for their base by Remenham Club (1 Mile) and had extended their lead to 4 lengths. Their opposition was at a higher rating throughout, and Washington rowed past the Steward's enclosure at a 28 to win.
Just a couple minutes later, a Princeton 4+ made up of the bow 4 of the lightweight boat that won at the IRAs in the Eight just one month ago in New Jersey, fell to the Imperial College boat from London, UK by 1/2 length. For the men in the boat, who slumped over their oars with fatigue and disappointment after the race, it seemed to catch them off-guard: "Did we really lose this first round?" The unfortunate answer, yes. They were behind a half-length at the end of Temple Island, and one length at the Barrier. At a mile and 1/8, rating at 37, Princeton took the lead "by a few feet" over Imperial, so they had figured out how to turn on the power mid-race. At the Steward's enclosure (AKA "at the sprint"), Imperial surged ahead, and Princeton did not answer--losing by that half length. The boys, staying up the hill on Rotherfield Road may have some more time to hone their golf drive, a pass-time they picked up in the gardens of The Mount, the home of hosts Tom and Elaine Coleman.
In the Prince Elizabeth Challenge Cup for school boys eights (age 19 and under at close of regatta), Kent School from Connecticut, USA, took a lead rating at a 40 from the start, and never relinquished it. At the Barrier, they decreased their rating to a 37, increasing their lead to 1 length. Rowing in the Buckinghamshire Station and ahead 1 and 3/4 ahead at Fawley, they settled a bit into the body of their race, and at Remenham, they were up more than two lengths and the stroke Alex Perkins was speaking to new coxswain Lauren Harvey about settling and lengthening their stroke. Harvey is a replacement as the cox for the season at Kent was too old for this event.
"We know we have some tough races ahead, and if we can conserve some energy and have a good lead, and we can drop it down.... that is what we are doing in these early days," says Coach Eric Houston. At the finish, they were at a 28 and rowing comfortably, with The King's School, Chester, at about a 36 and fighting to the finish. Kent will be facing Shiplake in the next round. An ironic twist is that the Headmaster of Shiplake College Greg Davies was a roommate of Eric Houston, Coach of Kent, at Kent during Davies' gap year, and they were in a 1980 National Championship boat. The pair engaged in "a little friendly banter" in the enclosure, says Houston.
"We were talking a good bit during the race," said stroke Perkins during the race, about his communication with Harvey as she adjusts to her new role in the driver's seat for Kent. Kent had won at US Youth Nationals Regatta two weeks ago in Ohio with coxswain Pat Knorring, before that they had made their mark by winning the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) Championships in May by 5 seconds over Salisbury, who are also here at Henley as well. Salisbury was not in the finals of the Youth Nationals, but seems in good form here in Henley.
Salisbury (another crew from Connecticut, which state not coincidentally dominated the Youth Nationals events just weeks ago), won their race "easily" over St. Peter's School, taking the lead just 10 strokes into the race, maintaining a significantly lower rating in this heat of the Prince Elizabeth Challenge Cup, with a finish at 31 to St.Peter's 38. Yesterday this crew took a hot air balloon ride over the course, landing on a rugby field upright and tearing the balloon in the process...it seem the boys fared well, no injuries on this unhappy landing for the balloon owner.
Between these two scholastic races was a boat from the US which was by no stretch of the imagination a scholastic boat. Going into Henley and viewing the draw last Friday, we had no intelligence on Potomac Boat Club, a Washington DC-based crew that defines eclectic, entered in the Thames Challenge Cup for club and student men. With rowers ranging from 24 to 44 years in age, (including stroke, an age-maker by veteran's/masters standards!) The crew of Apolo Nguyen (cox), Chad Jungbluth, Paul Holland, Johnny Forrest, Mike McCarthy, Bob Price, Brian Wood, Nick Davies and Thomas Brock are mostly a post-college mixed bag of professionals who row 5 days a week andadmit they do not know a lot about their competition - but then no one knows about them either. "We're all Google-able," quipped 7-seat. "We are a lot of former D-1 varsity rowers who have done well on the Masters and club level (at HOCR, top-10 in masters and club eights)." says Holland. Princeton, George Washington, Navy, Colgate, Syracuse, Oxford, Ohio State are in their competitive backgrounds. Syracuse alum and 4-seat here, Bob Price, attended Henley as a Syracuse athlete.
Potomac won their race, leading by about two lengths for most of the race and about two or three beats lower than York City Rowing Club. They looked good doing so, and we'll look forward to seeing more of these guys as the days progress.
Onward to afternoon racing!
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