Bowdoin Rowing

regatta

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Gold at The Snake!

The Bowdoin Navy again earned medals in each event it entered at the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta in Worcester, MA on Oct. 15. Racing in the fours,  the men finished 1st and 7th in a 20 boat field, and the women took the gold with a 44 second margin over 2nd place Simmons. Three scullers competed in the Open 1x with Bowdoin’s Scott Mitchell claiming the silver.  Our Novice Men finished 17th overall and 2nd among the novice entries and the Novice Women were 6th and 7th, and first among novice crews!

The men squeeked out a 4 second victory over  Vermont,  so racing next weekend will have the added drama of this close rivalry.  Our Second Men beat all other B entries and A boats from Bates and Tufts in finishing 7th.  The women pounded up the course with aggressive catches to take advantage of the tailwind as they zoomed to an impressive victory.  After a big medal haul at the Textile earlier in the month, this was an especially satisfying day of racing in challenging conditions.  Heading into the Charles next weekend, the navy is eager and ready to mix it up with a national field.

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Cleaning Up at the Textile!

The Bowdoin Navy opened the fall racing season with an impressive showing at the Textile River Regatta on Oct. 2.  We had nine crews and a sculler entered in six events and took medals in five of them!  James Henry ’13 opened the run with a win in the Men’s Rec single, a boat he had only rowed for a couple of weeks. The Novice Women finished 2nd and 5th; the Varsity Men were 2nd and 11th; the Varsity Women took 3rd and 4th, and the Men’s Club 2x got a 3rd!  The Novice Men were 4th and 7th, just out of the bling.

1st Men win Silver!

The regatta came a week after a wonderful gathering of over 100 alumni, parents and rowers celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Restoration of Rowing at Bowdoin. Rowing was the first intercollegiate sport at Bowdoin, going back to 1858, and was active and successful into the 1890’s. Phin Sprague ’50, Coach Bill Brown, and Bill Harding  introduced rowing again in 1986.  Folks traveled from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, DC and even Switzerland to mark the re-introduction by dedicating a new hull to honor Coach Brown, row over the New Meadows, and feast on the friendships and accomplishments of the last 25 years.

Founder Phin Sprague ’50 with early rowers from ’89

Bowdoin races next at the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta on Oct. 15th, and we have 4 college fours and an alumni men’s four racing at The Head of The Charles on Oct. 21.