GAME ON

Thursday morning, June 29th, 2017 -- Henley-on-Thames

The past few days, nay the past 24 hours has been a whirlwind for Williams Men's Crew.

Monday and Tuesday saw the boys of the 8 hunker down for some final efforts on the water to solidify the rhythm and boat unity they had been building the entire season. After a restful Sunday off, Monday featured a "scrimmage" vs Riverside Boat Club of some 1 minute start pieces. Since our 2x2112m scrimmage with them way back on Onota, the gentlemen of the senior 8 of Riverside Boat Club have been nothing but great friends of Williams Men's Crew in this Henley campaign. We also had the pleasure of racing them at the Reading Regatta last weekend. Their 8 is of a similar speed to ours, yet is entered in the Thames Challenge Cup, a club 8 event. Mutual encouragement is always shared all around, as well as their recruitment tactics to get those of us living in Boston to join their ranks next year.

After brushing with RBC Monday morning, we retired to the house for R+R before an afternoon practice of a simple lap to swing it out. Both Monday and Tuesday, the 4 had the pleasure of keeping the use of their boat, through the help of the Henley Rowing Club, going out for final rows these two days to take in some final strokes on this hallowed water. Just before afternoon practice, the team had a visit from one of the most illustrious rowers in contemporary US rowing, Michael DiSanto, outgoing president of Oxford University Boat Club. Olympian as well as Oxford University rower. Through some connection of Coach Ed's, Mike dropped off his prize oars with us to take back to the US, which were won through wins in the historic Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge. These are painted with a beautiful design of the crests of the two colleges, with the names of the oarsmen in the winning Blue Boat, and the details of their race, including time and margin. Among the oars were also those of former Oxford oarsman and Canadian Olympian, Malcolm Howard. Dinner that night brought us back to The Rowbarge for some delicious chicken and beef pie. Afterwards, the squad rolled out to the River and Rowing Museum just upriver of the Henley course for a special gala for international crews. The boys enjoyed walking around the museum, admiring memorabilia ranging from the bow of the first boat to win Henley, to an Empacher single scull with sliding riggers. Most of the other international crews were their in their packs of interestingly-patterned blazers, with us Ephs of course stealing the show in our purple and gold. We were also graced with the presences of Sir Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent, two of the most decorated British rowers in history and some of the primary organizers of the regatta, with a speech by female steward and English Olympian Sarah Winckless. Winckless delivered some powerful remarks on the whole experience of Henley, the angst of sitting at the starting line, the emotion of the race, and the commotion of the surroundings that make racing here so special. The crew then retired to the house for an early night.

Tuesday saw the weather become ever drearier and windier, with some rain coming later in the day. The 8 only went out for one row, going through the motions of what they would do Wednesday for their race. Launching 45 minutes before their start time of 12:15, they went for an extended lap with some short pieces to solidify race rhythm. Rest assured, afterwards the boys felt ready and excited for the battle, basking a little in how far they came, how far the team has come to this point, on the cusp of race day. And indeed it has been quite the journey, with 3 coaches over the past 10 months, countless meters rowed on the machines and on the water. It is always amazing how so much time goes into this sport for some 6.5 fleeting moments of racing. 6.5 minutes to prove you are faster than the other man, the other men. After seeing some early-arriving parents at the boat tents and some R+R at the house, the boys sat down to another lovely dinner cooked by our host mother Janine, with delicious chicken, pasta and potato salad, and focaccia bread. With so much uncertainty and energy in the air, it felt like a last supper of sorts. Would we get a chance, the privilege to write our names in history, and extend our season, for some their careers, just one more day, and then another? Only Wednesday would tell.

Everyone was up by 8 am in the house the morning of race day. Mother nature thankfully was holding off the rain that every weather app was telling us should have been happening all day. Coach and the men of the 4 went down early to pack away their boat and help out around the boat tents. The 8 arrived an hour before launch time, at 10:30 with a glimmer in their eye. There was camaraderie and there were smiles as the boys enjoyed the final moments of calm in the boat tent before the warm up, Coach Slater milling about doing final adjustments on this or that, as coaches are wont to do. After the crew goes off, it is every coach's experience that they really can do very little to alter the fate of their crew, for it is only in the hands of the 9 in the boat once they push off. While Devin and Coach talked and made final preparations in the tent, with parents starting to gather around the boat bay, the boys went on their pre-race land warmup of a jog/erg and dynamic stretching. They emerged sweaty, as they should be, and chomping at the bit to take on University of London 'B'. They then rallied around Coach for a final pre-race huddle, taking a final breath before the plunge, the hopes of a season, a year, a coach, a team, a whole extended family, and generations of Williams rowers resting on this moment. They took to the boat and with gladiatorial conviction marched to the water, parents and spectators cheering them on.

With strict warnings against any type of verbal or physical encouragement, Coach Slater generously bestowed a ticket to ride in the race launch with him to me. We set off in the sleek wooden Ariadne to the start, taking in the crowds, the course, and the majesty that is Henley from the water. As we floated up to the starting line, with the crews already aligned and in place, I couldn't help but get choked up seeing the boys there, seeing my fellow seniors, we who have bled, sweated, and cried together for this sport for 4 long years that seemed then to pass by in 4 minutes. In that moment, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else on earth. Coach and I readied our respective cameras, and we were off! The race started out close, though the angle from the launch was unforgiving in terms of reading margins. Both crews had very strong starts, but by the end of Temple Island it was clear that London had started to move out, and that it would be very difficult to restrain my cheers of encouragement. Praying the boys wouldn't let them walk away, as so many Wednesday races play out, coach and I settled in to watch one of the closer races of the day play out. Indeed the boys did not let London simply walk away, for one does not simply walk on Williams Crew. We executed our race plan, with Devin steering a good line in the choppy water and the boys responding well to his calls, made with focused energy. By Fawley, the half-way mark, the boys had put up a fast time in the whipping tail wind, but it still wasn't enough. They were sitting a half-length down and needed to walk. Just before the final stretch of the course after Upper Thames Rowing Club, they made another move, but London began to push out again. The boys were starting to empty the tank as the energy was palpably building in the boat going into the last 400 meters, but London just seemed to have more in the reserves. Though we went to the well in the last 400, with Williams supporters cheering us on, on shore, London ended the race about a length up. The umpire, pleased with the race, congratulated Coach and I on a hard-fought race, saying it was one of the most exciting of the day, certainly for a Wednesday. Tired, some teary-eyed the boys took it all in once they had a chance to breathe after putting the boat away, with parents guests gathering to congratulate, console and support. The 8 went back to the house to rest and recover, some going for a long lunch in town.

With some of us staying to watch more racing at the course, we all gathered again at the prestigious Leander Club for a delicious 3-course dinner that night. After taking in all the hundreds of years worth of rowing memorabilia and socializing a bit at the bar area, the Williams Crew family enjoyed enjoyed a starter of a delicious chicken pate, followed by steak and fries, and finally dessert, split mostly between cheesecake and a mousse like substance made from Pimms. The dinner also featured speeches by both senior captain Andrew Rondeau, reflecting on the long day, the season, and the 4 years we seniors have worked for this. Coach Slater finally delivered remarks on this whirlwind season with us, how far we were able to come, but that there is still work to be done for future generations. This year, this trip has been a watershed moment for the program. We have a new head coach coming in next year, and a strong returning class of sophomores, with a fantastic recruiting class of freshmen coming in as well, on top of the small, yet strong senior and junior classes. It is the hope, the expectation that this trip will be a jumping off point to a more consistent cycle of Henley trips for future generations, built on much more programmatic success.

Much more on the regatta experience to come!