I competed in my first head race today! I am quite new to competitive rowing, having only just competed in two regattas for the first time last Summer. So, today was going to be the deciding factors as to whether or not head races are for me.
The First Race - Division 2
My first race was in a coxed novice 4 (i.e. a coxed sweep boat with four ladies, where we each have one oar and no racing points between us) in Division 2 at 10:00am. We had to boat (i.e. get our boats on the water) at 09:30am, which meant that we had to get to Northampton Rowing Club roughly an hour before the race. Luckily, our lovely coaches had arrived well before us and done all the necessaries with racing control before we even got there.
Wet socks!
It was an overcast morning, but dry and warm enough. Good start! One of the regattas I competed in was at Ross-on-Wye, at the end of the Summer. It was cold and there was a persistent drizzle. No matter what I did, I could not get warm or dry. It was horrible. Plus I as stepped into the river to get out of the boat (because not all boat clubs have nice dry landing stages), I misjudged the depth of the water and found myself knee deep with wellies full of water. Not a pleasant experience.
Anyway! When we got to Northampton boat club we re-rigged our boat and then we went for a walk along the river to check out the course. The river Nene is so nice! So long and wide, which is a real treat after rowing at the lovely Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club with its short stretch of river. Once we'd familiarised ourselves with the shape of the river, we headed back to the boat club and wait to be called down to the landing stage. And that was when the sun made an appearance and set the race off to a great start.
Head Races vs Regattas
Head races are nothing like regattas and not really spectator events, although spectators are welcome. There's a lot of hanging around, and rather than racing to get across the finish line first, you are racing against the clock. The team with the best time, in their category, wins. As I am writing this article, the winners have not yet been announced.
Division 2 was quite small, not many entrants, so once we'd rowed downstream to the start, we didn't have to wait long to be sent off. The race was 1800m in length, but bear in mind that we had to row up there to start with, so that was 3600m in total. In our boat was Amy at stroke position, Simone at 3, Lucy at 2, and me at bow position. Amy and Simone completed their learn to row course in the Summer (2015), and Lucy has been rowing for a couple of months. I learned to row in September 2013, and I started training for competitions in May 2015. Our cox, Jen, is very experienced, having coxed for roughly 8 years, and she is fantastic!
Team Work
As a crew, we have only been rowing together for about a month, but the boat felt amazing! So balanced, and in sync. We were all so pleased (albeit tired) at the end of the race!
In my experience, rowing in a double or in a crew is like a good friendship. You have to be patient, forgive each other, and like each other! You can then trust each other and work together on rowing technique. If you don't have a good relationship, it is still possible to work together, but there will be resistance and slow progress. Either way, there has to be some give and take.
When we got the boat off the river, we de-rigged it and put it back on the trailer because no other crews from our club needed it. We had some really good feedback from our coaches and the other club members who had been watching, which was really reassuring. The girls headed off home, but I had to hang around for my second race at 14:45pm in Division 4. Racing in a double with Emily. We'd only had a few outings together (maybe 4 or 5) and it just worked, so I was feeling confident.
The Second Race - Division 4
Our double had already been used in an earlier division, so it was rigged and ready! I'd already rowed the course in Division 2, so I was ready to steer. Emily was at stroke and I was at bow position. This time, however, there were loads of boats in our division! It was an experience. Because there was a mad rush to get all the boats onto the water, the helpers from the boat club were practically pushing us into our boats and away from the landing stage. My wellies were wedged firmly on my feet because my socks were wet, so one of the marshals very kindly prised them off my feet for me whilst I hoped around!
Parallel Parking...
On the way down to the start of the race we had to 'park' our boats in the riverbank as we waited to be summoned. It was an interesting situation... Normally when rowing you avoid the banks at all cost! There was a bit of a queue to get started, so there was a lot of sitting around. The sun had disappeared, so it was a little bit chilly.
Emily and I were so pleased with how things went! Because it's still early days for us, we focussed mainly on our technique and making every stroke count as opposed to getting a higher rating (i.e. a number of strokes per minute). But we still managed to build up some good speed! Our fellow club members were cheering for us from the bank. It makes such a difference to have people cheering you on.
At the end of the race, we de-rigged our boat and I got changed. One of the perks of being at bow position is that you get splashed. So although it hadn't rained, I was soggy. And then home!
So, will I be doing another head race?
I feel like I was a bit spoilt with the nice weather today. It is Winter, and it would normally be a lot more wintery. You can't predict the weather, but you can prepare and do your best regardless. In future, I'll probably just enter one division instead of two (although the socialising in between was fun), but yes, I will be entering more head races next year.
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