SIDNEY, Maine — Bowdoin Rowing held its own against Colby and Bates, two highly competitive varsity programs, at CBBs on Saturday, October 26th. Though the opposition came out on top, Bowdoin is proud to have fought two fiercely competitive programs that have been successful at the national level.
After a short commute to Messalonskee Lake on a particularly charming fall day, the Polar Bears unloaded their trailer and rigged their boats. Bowdoin Rowing is deeply appreciative of both Colby and Bates for loaning us a few of their 8’s, without which we would not have been able to fully compete.
After enjoying some bagels for breakfast, the Polar Bears prepared to race. Head coach Doug Welling gave a rousing speech recognizing the difficulty of the competition, but inspiring all to row their best strokes against the odds. All boats then went through their warm up routines, then took to the water for a trial run of the course before the race.
The course, approximately 6000m in length, was a down-and-back, featuring a sharp turn around an island at the halfway point. After a practice run down the course, all boats took to the line one at a time in a staggered start.
Bowdoin’s A and B Varsity Men’s 8s— with times of 21:35.7 and 22:21.3, respectively— both outperformed Colby College’s B entry and Bates College’s C entry. Similarly, Bowdoin’s A Varsity Women’s 8— with a time of 25:29.5— bettered Colby’s B entry by nearly two minutes. Of the races, Doug said “it was quite something to look across the lake and see 20 boats lining up to race… rowing in Maine has grown significantly and we take a great deal of pride taking to the water with neighboring schools that have such strong presence at a national level.”
After the races, Colby hosted a lovely barbecue for everyone present. Doug noted “we are grateful to Colby for hosting and providing a wonderful BBQ to close out the day’s festivities.”
Bowdoin Rowing anticipates a long and fruitful winter, and looks forward to challenging Colby and Bates again in the Spring!