| The Tale of the Lake |
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| Written by Karen Pruett | |
| Sunday, 09 October 2005 | |
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Sunday, October 9, found Vashon's Rowing Club on the 5:35 am boat
headed to Lake Union for the "Tail of the Lake" Regatta sponsored by
Holy Names Academy and Lake Union Crew. Everyone was sleepy but excited
for the fist race of the season. Participants included adults and teens
with Masters, Juniors, and Novices rounding out the team effort. The
weather started out good, cloudy with little wind and calm waters on
the Ship Canal and Lake Union. However, later in the morning a stiff
southern wind and light rain made occasional appearances. We took it in
stride, as good Washingtonians always do. The race started from Seattle Pacific University's crew dock, proceeded east to Lake Union and then turned south and wrapped around the lake, ending at Gas Works Park. Participants then rowed back to the crew dock. We spectators drove back and forth for each Flight to cheer on our team. It was an impressive sight to see so many boats on the ship canal for the start of each race and the excitement built as each boat crossed the finish line. The crowd yelling for their teams as the coxswains yelled at their team members to pull every bit of strength out of the rowers and get them across the line in the best time possible. The Flights were smooth, even when the wind kicked up, except for one instance when a single rower cut off our Novice 8+ boat for some unknown reason. Our kids were able to stop dead in the water and avoided skewering him, but it cost them time. They were upset, but knowing that the Seattle Police boat 'escorted' the rower off the lake helped. We think the guy was a dumbass or working for the other team and are thankful that the ‘new kids’ were able to keep him and their boat from serious damage. Funny, shortly before the near-accident, I wondered if the Police ever got bored watching the races, then the little blue light started flashing. Guess not. The First Flight consisted of Men's Masters 8+ and 2x, who took 1st and 7th respectively. Men's Junior 4+ and Novice 4+ took 2nd and 3rd respectively. Women's Novice 8+ took 5th as an Exhibition boat, meaning that the coxswain was an experienced competitor, but the rowers were not. In the Second Flight the Women's 4x placed 6th and the Men's Junior 2x placed 4th. The Third Flight, last of the day, included Women's Junior 8+ who took 6th. For some great pictures of this event, visit our website at vashonrowing.org and click on pictures and then 05-10-09 Tail Of The Lake. Not a bad showing overall, especially for the Men's Masters 1st place and for our Novices, many who were participating in their very first races. These kids were up against big clubs with a lot of support, impressive practice facilities, and a large rower base to choose from. So a big congratulations to our fine Rowing Club. We know who to call upon if the ferry system breaks down. |
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