Richmond turned out in force today for the first club races of the historic 150th season. Over fifty rowers raced in eights and quads over the boathouse drive course in cool and slightly blustery conditions. Plenty of new faces on show for the start of the new season, and the racing didn’t disappoint, with a number of close races firing up the members on the banks of the Yarra.
First up were the eights, and the first heat produced the closest race of the day, with the crew on North station winning by a bow ball. North station triumphed again in the second heat, fending off a fast finishing centre station crew by a meter.
The eights final was a three boat affair, with an invitational ‘ring-in’ crew taking on the winners of the two heats. The result was extremely close, with the centre station crew of Dennis Beck, Karen Doggett, Alena Leonardi, Charlie Burke, Nick Kaissidis, Dylan Nicholson, Cat Hardy, Emily Dunn and cox Karin Bouvin taking out the race by one metre over the ring-in crew on the North station and the crew on South a half a boat length further back.
The quad races were regulated to first and finals due to a shortage of time, and both races produced close and exciting racing. The first race was the tighter of the two, with the North station crew of Corrine Renshaw, Michael Gehling, Charlie Burke, Nick Kaissidis and cox Linsey Brown taking the honors by a metre.
The second quad race nearly produced a boil over, with hot favourites Martin Foster, Mike O’Neil, David Micallef, Edith Hamilton and cox Lindsey Brown narrowly beating a crew featuring three girls and one male. Brawn just managing to win out over finesse.
The highlight of the day was undoutably the number of development squad rowers that featured in all of the races. Club racing is a major feature of the Richmond calender , and the first experience of racing for the majority of our members. It’s great to see so many new faces at the club and the older members jumping into boats to give them invaluable race experience.
Judging by the talent on show today, the 150th season looks to be shaping up to be a memorable one in the history of Richmond Rowing Club. Thanks to all of the organisers and the cooks for a great day.