On Sunday May 4th, the Wayland-Weston Varsity Crew team hosted its first crew regatta at the Town Beach. They faced opposition from Belmont Hill, Community Rowing Inc., Windsor, Groton, Brooks, Deerfield, and Derryfield. There was a total of 53 crews competing. The race format was 1500 meter sprints, which is about a mile, in fours (four people and a coxswain). The race itself consisted of two heats, and the top two of each heat advanced to the final, with the exception of the 5th squads which raced only at the finals. There were about 3-4 boats per race. While the Crew Team had only a few days to prepare for this race, other teams prepared in fours all season. Belmont Hill even had won the national rowing race last year. Despite the tough competition, it was a learning experience for all crew members that competed.

The racing conditions were nearly ideal, with water like a mirror and the rain stopping just before the race. The temperature was warmer than most of our previous races, and the sun even poked its head out for a few minutes. On the shore, the food tent was set up with the usual staples, but this time the parents had been generous enough to bring out the grill in anticipation of the relatively pleasant weather. Varsity squad even got hamburgers and hot dogs for its hard work. I’d like to thank all of those who were involved with the planning of the event, managing the food tent and supporting the crew team.

The Crew Team’s next event will be on the Charles River on Sunday.

For results, you can go to this website:

http://www.regattacentral.com/regatta/results/28.pdf