Courses
Row2k had an interesting blog post on the big race courses around the country a while back - I just stumbled upon it today.
I've only been to four of the courses listed - Harsha, Dexter, Natoma, and Oak Ridge - so I can't offer a lot of insight with the rest of the list. However, I thought I'd take a few moments and list my favorite/least favorite places I've raced.
Favorites
Lake Natoma - There is current on the lake, which does seem to benefit lanes 1-3. And you do seem to be the odd man out if you draw lanes 4-6 unless you have unbelievable speed. Still, this is a fantastic race course. It's always buoyed which makes for great training - spring break haven, along with the miles of water - and there's rarely any wind to deal with, or that I've experienced. The sight lines aren't bad either and you can watch the final 500 meters or so as the boats come to the finish line. My biggest complaints about the lake are of course the disparity between lanes 1-3 and 4-6 and that there's almost always a boat traveling toward the start line in the safety lane which is there to protect lane 1 from the launch area.
The Cut - I've been fortunate enough to be at Montlake Cut several times, and been able to race it twice. It remains my favorite race course, having not been to the Henley yet. If you've been to the Cut during a regatta, then you know of what I speak. If you've yet to experience it, I suggest you get there. I've raced there in the Head of the Lake, and at Opening Day, and both are experiences that I cherish.
Redwood Shores - This Henley style race course is an odd one. It's a thin slice of water in the Bay area where the race can start three boats across, but inevitably will end with only two. The first time I coached there, the race organizers stressed that in a three boat race, the trailing boat must yield at the bridge since only two boats could pass under the bridge safely. The other interesting aspect of the race course is that immediately after crossing the finish line, the crews must drag down or they will crash into the large rocks - watched this happen twice in 2005.
Humboldt Bay - This place was fun simply because you never knew what you were going to get, and that of course is the chance you take when you row on tidal waters. One race might zip along, and another might drag out for what seems like hours. My first race there was interesting. We'd lined up well behind the start, but by the time the starters were satisfied with the placement, we'd drifted to nearly the 500 meter mark. I can clearly recall the looks on the faces of my guys when I called out the 1000 meter mark.
Long Beach - The old Olympics course is a great course. Granted it's tidal like Humboldt, but you can watch the races all the way down the course. You also get that historical sense watching the shells streak by. It might not have the punch that a lot of other places do, but it still remains a favorite.
Least
Dexter Lake - I've never been a fan of this lake. Despite the claim, every race I've been to on this lake has had cross winds, never head or tail winds. It's nearly always been white capping. It's nearly always been pouring down rain either on race day, or the days leading up to it leaving the entire launch area a quagmire. And nearly every time, a few of of the anchor points have broken or drifted meaning there's a swerve at some point in the race. It's a beautiful setting, but I cringe every time I see this on the schedule. The launch/recovery area is a real mess too with boats launching having to cross boats coming in, along with crossing the course.
American Lake - I liked it when I was coaching for UPS because of the "unlimited water," but as a coach for a race, I'm not a fan of it. The winds can make docking a complete mess, and with concrete docks, you're always wondering when a rigger will be driven through the hull of your boat. The course is odd with it starting very close to shore, but finishing out well away from the spectator area which plays hell with trying to figure out who is ahead or behind. And like Dexter, the weather is usually the most difficult opponent you have to deal with.
Vancouver Lake - Never mention weather or water at this lake. Inevitably someone does, and a picturesque lake setting quickly becomes the open ocean. The wind blows from shore in the morning, and from the lake in the afternoon...or vice versa. The launch/recovery area are near the finish line and cross each other worse than Dexter, and the finish line tent means a prime area for doing both is completely off limits. There's also a very rocky spit that juts out directly in front of the launch area, and I'm betting there's enough broken skegs in the water there to supply a boat house for life.
These are my favorites and less than favorites. I've not been off the west coast much - something that will need to change - so I don't feel that I can give Harsha or Oklahoma City much of a thumbs up or down having only been there once. I've yet to go to the Crew Classic, something that I am itching to do, and I don't recall the Davis course or Western's home course well enough - though Western does have that narrow, short bridge you have to row through to get to the main course.
I've only been to four of the courses listed - Harsha, Dexter, Natoma, and Oak Ridge - so I can't offer a lot of insight with the rest of the list. However, I thought I'd take a few moments and list my favorite/least favorite places I've raced.
Favorites
Lake Natoma - There is current on the lake, which does seem to benefit lanes 1-3. And you do seem to be the odd man out if you draw lanes 4-6 unless you have unbelievable speed. Still, this is a fantastic race course. It's always buoyed which makes for great training - spring break haven, along with the miles of water - and there's rarely any wind to deal with, or that I've experienced. The sight lines aren't bad either and you can watch the final 500 meters or so as the boats come to the finish line. My biggest complaints about the lake are of course the disparity between lanes 1-3 and 4-6 and that there's almost always a boat traveling toward the start line in the safety lane which is there to protect lane 1 from the launch area.
The Cut - I've been fortunate enough to be at Montlake Cut several times, and been able to race it twice. It remains my favorite race course, having not been to the Henley yet. If you've been to the Cut during a regatta, then you know of what I speak. If you've yet to experience it, I suggest you get there. I've raced there in the Head of the Lake, and at Opening Day, and both are experiences that I cherish.
Redwood Shores - This Henley style race course is an odd one. It's a thin slice of water in the Bay area where the race can start three boats across, but inevitably will end with only two. The first time I coached there, the race organizers stressed that in a three boat race, the trailing boat must yield at the bridge since only two boats could pass under the bridge safely. The other interesting aspect of the race course is that immediately after crossing the finish line, the crews must drag down or they will crash into the large rocks - watched this happen twice in 2005.
Humboldt Bay - This place was fun simply because you never knew what you were going to get, and that of course is the chance you take when you row on tidal waters. One race might zip along, and another might drag out for what seems like hours. My first race there was interesting. We'd lined up well behind the start, but by the time the starters were satisfied with the placement, we'd drifted to nearly the 500 meter mark. I can clearly recall the looks on the faces of my guys when I called out the 1000 meter mark.
Long Beach - The old Olympics course is a great course. Granted it's tidal like Humboldt, but you can watch the races all the way down the course. You also get that historical sense watching the shells streak by. It might not have the punch that a lot of other places do, but it still remains a favorite.
Least
Dexter Lake - I've never been a fan of this lake. Despite the claim, every race I've been to on this lake has had cross winds, never head or tail winds. It's nearly always been white capping. It's nearly always been pouring down rain either on race day, or the days leading up to it leaving the entire launch area a quagmire. And nearly every time, a few of of the anchor points have broken or drifted meaning there's a swerve at some point in the race. It's a beautiful setting, but I cringe every time I see this on the schedule. The launch/recovery area is a real mess too with boats launching having to cross boats coming in, along with crossing the course.
American Lake - I liked it when I was coaching for UPS because of the "unlimited water," but as a coach for a race, I'm not a fan of it. The winds can make docking a complete mess, and with concrete docks, you're always wondering when a rigger will be driven through the hull of your boat. The course is odd with it starting very close to shore, but finishing out well away from the spectator area which plays hell with trying to figure out who is ahead or behind. And like Dexter, the weather is usually the most difficult opponent you have to deal with.
Vancouver Lake - Never mention weather or water at this lake. Inevitably someone does, and a picturesque lake setting quickly becomes the open ocean. The wind blows from shore in the morning, and from the lake in the afternoon...or vice versa. The launch/recovery area are near the finish line and cross each other worse than Dexter, and the finish line tent means a prime area for doing both is completely off limits. There's also a very rocky spit that juts out directly in front of the launch area, and I'm betting there's enough broken skegs in the water there to supply a boat house for life.
These are my favorites and less than favorites. I've not been off the west coast much - something that will need to change - so I don't feel that I can give Harsha or Oklahoma City much of a thumbs up or down having only been there once. I've yet to go to the Crew Classic, something that I am itching to do, and I don't recall the Davis course or Western's home course well enough - though Western does have that narrow, short bridge you have to row through to get to the main course.
Comments