Bowdoin Rowing

Remigio Delectate et Remigate Velociter

Merrimack River

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The Textile River Regatta 2015

The leaves have barely started turning and we’ve already got our first race under our belts… sort of. The Textile this year was one unlike any other in recent history.

For the Bowdoin Navy, it included just as many non-races as it did races. The gentle breeze that kicked us into gear early Sunday morning ended up kicking us off the water by early afternoon.

Our novices, scullers, and club fours returned from mighty voyages down the Merrimack River with stories of being “slaughtered” by the waves and trying to dodge buoys that had drifted all around the course, yet all crews pulled through with remarkable spirit.

Our first novice men’s boat came in fifth in their event with a time of 25:30, with the second novice men’s boat following closely behind with 28:36. The first novice women earned second place with an impressive 28:36!

Next up was the men’s recreational single sculling event, which was demolished by our very own Lucian Black with a time of 28:25.

In the men’s club fours event, our third varsity boat came in eighth with a time of 23:32 after a penalty. Several course marker buoys had moved around in the tumultuous waves, so many crews were getting penalized left and right for “skipping” them. A similar thing happened to our women’s third varsity boat. Despite the odds, they had a great race with an adjusted time of 28:44!

By the time 1 pm rolled around, three more men’s boats and two more women’s boats were sitting pretty at the start line, ready to take a stab at it. 

The Merrimack had other plans…

Several boats had already flipped downriver due to the nasty conditions, and race officials deemed the whole project unsafe for the rest of us. In an exciting and thoroughly unsystematic manner, about thirty boats of all different sizes made a beeline (“paddling”) back to the dock.

Thankfully, all our rowers, coxswains, and equipment made it back safe and sound, albeit damp. Land ho!

This weekend, we take on the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta and, after that, the Chahhhles River! Stay tuned with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@bowdoinrowing).

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Fall Opener

The Fall Racing Season opened with The Textile River Regatta on Sunday 9/30, during Bowdoin’s Family Weekend.

On Sat. we welcomed rowing families at the Boathouse where we dedicated the Tafts’ gift of our new Pocock K4, announced a major gift to the endowment, and gave folks a chance to try a hand at the oar in the eights. Then we loaded the trailer to head to Lowell for the annual opener on the Merrimack River.

Many families made their way to the river and the great spirit of Sat.’s fesitivites made its way with them. And the crews were fast!

The Varsity Women won the Open 4 by :29 with an agressive row over the top of the course and impressive finish below the bridge.

The Varsity Men in the Open 4 zoomed to silver with a similar race plan, only :11 behind home course powerhouse Merrimack and :12 ahead of Riverside. WPI was the closest collegiate crew over a minute behind the Bears.

The Novice Men opened the medal run in the morning in the 4 with a silver, and two Novice Women’s 4’s dashed to bronze and a 5th.

Scott Mitchell powered his way to a bronze in the Club 1x, just 2 seconds out of silver.

In the eights, the both WN8 and MN8 were 4th, and the VM8 came 11th while the WV8 was 12th.

And a four full of alumni men prepping for the Charles came 11th in the Open 4!

All around, it was a wonderful fall weekend, and thanks go out to rowing families and the rowers themselves for making it so fun to race boats!