Racing This Weekend

The best week of the fall season continues this weekend as many crews are in action around the country.

We'll start in Philadelphia where despite a brief scare earlier today, the Head of the Schuylkill will go on as scheduled (although expect the weather to play havoc with the racing). There is a six boat light eight event as Marist, Philadelphia University (I think this may be their first year competing in crew), Holy Cross, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Duquesne head into battle. I wonder if Pittsburgh was able to clone that light four? Marist and Holy Cross both competed in Boston but, given their four's result, I'm going to look to Pitt as the favorite in this race. There is no light four event at HOSR so that may explain why Penn State and Pittsburgh are both entering eights. There is, however, a light single event and Bucknell has three women entered.

Next we head to the Head of the Tennessee lightweight eight event. Dayton and Virginia Tech are entered, along with the Atlanta Rowing Club. My guess is that Dayton beats Virginia Tech, but Atlanta takes the race. The light four event has Auburn, Augusta Juniors (don't tell the NCAA), Berry College, Georgia State, UTC, and Virginia Tech. Coming back from Boston, Georgia State may be able to pull off a good result here.

The Speakmon Memorial Regatta has a light four event with entries from Miami University, Ohio State, and Wittenburg University, along with some other club and juniors (don't tell) crews. This should be a good race for Ohio State to blow out the carbon.

Wisconsin will make its pilgrimage to the Head of the Iowa. The Badgers will race a novice light eight against Northwestern and Grand Valley while the varsity will race light fours (3 boats) against Creighton, Grand Valley, Marquette, Northern Michigan, Northwestern, and Kansas. Kansas is an interesting boat to see here - I wonder if that is the varsity program racing lightweights or a club program. Racing in fours, it looks like Wisconsin is heading into the part of their season where they worry about rowing well a bit more than hammering the water from an eight. Watch what the good programs do and you'll begin to understand how they can row with power and technique.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Princeton Chase. I believe this race is one of the finest head races around. Only colleges race and its unique combination of the casual with the intense almost makes one think it should be called the Princeton Dialectic rather than the Chase. It has the atmosphere of a pick-up game against your biggest rivals. I'm not exactly sure who will be there, but I expect we'll see Georgetown and Radcliffe as well as Princeton. [Update: MIT will be competing as well.] The crews will also race small boats, everything from fours to pairs to doubles and even singles. If the weather is good, nothing beats this regatta.