SECRET CITY HEAD RACE – OAK RIDGE, TN

RCRC youth programs competed in 10 events at the Secret City Head Race in Oak Ridge, TN this weekend and put in respectable performances. Since competitors have to row up to the start from the finish line, the 10,000 meters of rowing to complete the 5,000 meter race was the longest single stretch of rowing the novice rowers have done since they started rowing this summer. Some of them did it more than once! This regatta also was the debut race for the RCRC Middle School program. They rowed a competitive race on shortened course against boats from Atomic Rowing (Oak Ridge, TN) and Asheville Youth Rowing (Asheville, NC), demonstrating a lot of promise for the future. Congratulations to our rowers and coaches!

CHATTANOOGA HEAD RACE – CHATTANOOGA, TN

It was medals all around for Rocket City Rowing Masters at our inaugural head race of the fall season, 2 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medal which gave Rocket City Rowing 3rd place in club team points for the regatta.

George Wheeler started off racing for RCRC in the mens veterans 1x with a silver medal. The women’s 4+ crew of Elysa Jones, Peggy Collins, Diane Winters, and Betsy Bock with coxswain Carla Bossard had a solid row on an optimal course to win the Masters Women 4+ on the fastest scratch (un-handicapped) time over boats with much younger crews and promptly hot-seated the entire crew for the Master’s Womens 4x. In a test of competitive technique and fitness, the RCRC boat placed third with a scratch time 1 minutes 15 seconds off the winning time. That is over 20,000 meters of rowing inside of three hours

James Robinson with his Nashville Rowing partner Elizabeth Theiss had the fastest scratch time in the mixed masters 2x, winning silver. To round out the medals for RCRC, RCRC masters men won gold and silver in the Mens 2x. George Wheeler and James Robinson rowed to gold in a strong performance followed by the newly formed men’s 2x crew of Joe Della Silva and Alex Rutberg with silver. Both RCRC crews triumphed over much, much younger teams from the University of Georgia, University of the South and East Tennessee Rowing.

Kevin Cardno, RCRC assistant junior coach, rowing for UAH won gold in the Championship 1x with a margin of 11 seconds over an Atlanta Rowing Club boat.

It looks like “Go Rocket City” paid off!