Support PBC’s National Team athletes!

 

Every little bit helps … and it’s all tax deductible!

• Click HERE to go straight to your donation options!

In less than a couple of weeks, our Brendan McEwan will represent the United States in the Men’s Single Sculls at the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Brest, Belarus (July 22 - 25).  Brendan won his event at trials in June by 3.41 seconds, crossing the line in 6:59.294. He will be joined by Coach Reilly Dampeer, who has done a tremendous job helping him get ready.

And, hey! We’re proud to report again that Rob Rasmussen and Nader Al-Naji are on the Junior National Team roster!  Joined by Coach Deb Dryer, Rob and Nader will be racing in the double at the 2010 World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice, Czech Republic (August 4 - 7).

Crazy kids.  All that energy.  Makes you want to take a load off, doesn’t it?  Well, while you’re sitting there, you’re gonna earn a chance to feel like you’re right there next to the guys when they step up to the winners’ podium … all without leaving your computer!

The charitable foundation created to support our National Team athletes, the Potomac River Sports Foundation (PRSF), figures our team still needs about $7,500 to fund our World Championships effort this year.  Basically, each boat costs about $1700 to rent and transport. The USRowing fee is $1,625 for each athlete. Add another $1300 for coach’s room, board, gear and flight. Well, you get the picture. Being an elite level rower ain’t cheap, folks!

Since we’re pretty sure none of us can cover the entire amount today, tax deductible or not, how about we do this thing together?  Fiddy from her.  A hundy from him.  A couple Gs from you.  And so on.  That way, we’ll all feel like we’re part of it when Brendan, Rob and Nader take those winning strokes across the finish line!

(Of course, if you do throw down the entire $7,500, just don’t tell us, so we’ll all still feel like we did something.  Thanks.)

Okay, so.  Got your credit card ready, PBC?  (Come on!  They need you!  And it’s tax deductible!)  To give using PayPal, click here.

If you would rather pay by check, just make it payable to “Potomac River Sports Foundation,” and then mail it to Paul Knight at the following the address:

Paul Knight, Treasurer
Potomac River Sports Foundation
c/o Nossaman LLP
1666 K Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20006

By the way, you can give to the PRSF all year long!

Best of luck to Brendan, Rob, Nader, Reilly and Deb! GO, PBC!!!

Stay tuned for a charitable group hug mid-August.

We LOVE the IDR.

Funny. We used to dread the Independence Day Regatta (IDR) in Philadelphia. Nothing against the regatta itself, of course. It’s expertly run. It’s scenic and historic. And, yes, we admit it … we kind of dig the “old skool” style of some of the Philly refs. (We can’t help it.)

It’s really just everything else that bummed us out. Fighting the holiday weekend traffic on the way up there. The parking (or lack thereof) once we got there. Phillies Fans (just kidding; we’ll keep baseball out of this). Driving all the way back to DC with bellies full of meat (cheesesteaks) after a million races.

Anyway. You know what we’re talking about.

So, why would we love the IDR so much now?  Because darn if they (… and we’re guessing ”they” are the Schuylkill Navy’s Carole and Clete Graham) didn’t go make it SO easy for us to find every single Potomac Boat Club athlete signed up to race this weekend! All 45 or so of you!

Below is the list of the PBC folks you’ll want to root for - or watch out for - this weekend up in Philly.  See the numbers by each name?  Those are event numbers. Links to events and race schedules are below the list.

We just hope it’s as easy to get the big medal count next week after the regatta.  Row hard, PBC!

Potomac B.C. Competitors - IDR 2010

Al-Naji, Nader 13, 45
Bates, Philip 13, 17
Bryant, Virginia 29
Buffkin, Beverly 29
Calabro, Rosemarie 2
Capps, Cheryl 2, 29
Caraher, Hanne 29
Casey, Alex 13, 17
Chambers, Mary Beth 2, 29
Charles-Chisholm, Debbie 2, 29
Conzemius, Cory 2, 29
Desautels, Denise 29
Durfee, Camilla 31
Farber, Courtney 2, 29
Flanders, Joanna 2, 29
Fry, Kathy 2
Gellatly, Gordon 17, 27, 38
Hanlon, Joe 17, 27
Holland, Nick 58, 72
Kandell, Ellen 2, 8, 29
Kelleher, Elizabeth 29
Krawczyk, Lissa 44
Lacey, Patrick 17, 37
Landauer, Kathleen 2, 29
McCullough, Joani 2
Meade, Elliot 17, 27
Means, Marilyn 2, 29
Moncton, Jonathan 51
Myers, Tip 17, 27
O’Connor, S. A. 2, 29
O’Keefe, Catie 2, 29
Petrisko, Nancy 29
Pietra, Peter 59, 72
Rasmussen, Rob 13, 45
Richhart, Will 17, 38
Ryan, Ed 58, 72
Stainken, Katherine 44
Sternbach, Sally 2, 29
Sutliff, Cal 31, 58
Thom, Daniel 13, 38
Vihstadt, Ben 13, 38
Young, Giorgio 12
Young, Neal 58

Race schedules and other reports (yep, lifted right from the Boathouse Row IDR site at http://www.boathouserow.org/rega10/idr10.html):

Friday	html	pdf	Condensed race schedule	Coaches report
Saturday	html	pdf	Condensed race schedule	Coaches report
Sunday	html	pdf	Condensed race schedule	Coaches report

Watch Potomac at National Championships now!

It’s not too late to catch our PBC Open scullers slug it out at the 2010 USRowing National Championships!  Watch live streaming video at http://rowing.teamusa.org/live.

Those left to race include Nicole Dinion and Brittany Robinson in the women’s lightweight 2x at 9:40!  (Like, really … you have four minutes. Git.)

Finally, Matt Madigan reminds us that PBC’s Open Scullers can’t do this without our support. Watch for tax deductible ways to donate through the Potomac River Sports Foundation to help these talented athletes continue to meet their elite rowing goals.

We are so proud of all of you!  Way to go, PBC!

WeCanRow DC

Potomac Boat Club is very proud to host WeCanRow DC, a volunteer-directed, not-for-profit, educational and support organization offering breast cancer survivors an introduction to sweep rowing, and ongoing recreational and competitive rowing opportunities.

Below is our WeCanRow DC photo gallery! If you have WeCanRow DC photos to share, please send them to Penelope at editor@potomacstar.com.

For more information about WeCanRow DC, please visit their web site at http://www.wecanrowdc.org.

PBC Men go for a cuptastic Henley 2010

From June 30 – July 4, Potomac Boat Club’s Men’s Sweep Team will compete for the Thames Challenge Cup, the prize awarded to the winner of the Men’s Club Eight event at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta.

The regatta, first held in 1839, takes place annually on the River Thames near the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. More than 500 crews from 20 nations will compete this year, including our own.

PBC men last competed at Henley in 2007. They were the only U.S. crew to make it to the Thames Challenge Cup quarterfinals. A few of the guys from 2007 are returning this year and hope to better their result. We think they will.

The 2010 crew includes Apollo Nguyen (cox), Chad Jungbluth, Paul Holland, John Forrest, Mike McCarthy, Bob Price (PBC President), Brian Wood, Nick Davies, and Tom Brock.

Each event at Henley is a single-elimination competition; in other words, you could be one and done, or get to play all week.  Boats race two at a time down a 2,112 meter-long course so narrow, there are only a few meters to spare when side-by-side. Adding to the potential drama (and undoubtedly, the regatta’s popularity with spectators), the course is lined by floating, unforgiving wooden bars or “booms.” Steering into the boom is known by onlookers as a “Henley Royal F[oul]-up,” and offending coxswains must wear crowns emblazoned with the same for the remainder of the regatta. (Just kidding about that last part. Maybe.)

On Saturday, June 26th, if all the guys make it into town on time, PBC will tune up and shake off the jet lag at the Reading Town Regatta.  Once racing starts at Henley, you can follow the guys as they battle through the competition by signing up for Twitter, Facebook or any of the other Henley results services offered at http://hrr.co.uk/pdisp.php?pid=316.

In the meantime, below we’ve included an alphabetical list of the clubs PBC will have to beat to advance, followed by a list of past PBC winners at Henley.

Safe travels and best of luck to Apollo and our crew. Row hard, guys!

~

The Thames Challenge Cup
Current holders: Molesey Boat Club A

1829 Boat Club
Abingdon Rowing Club
Agecroft Rowing Club
Broxbourne Rowing Club
Carlow Rowing Club, Ireland
Combined Services Rowing Club
Curlew Rowing Club
Durham Amateur Rowing Club
Galway Rowing Club, Ireland
Henley Rowing Club
HSBC Rowing Club
Kingston Rowing Club
Lea Rowing Club
London Rowing Club ‘A’
London Rowing Club ‘B’
Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club
Molesey Boat Club ‘A’
Molesey Boat Club ‘B’
Potomac Boat Club, U.S.A.
Putney Town Rowing Club
Reading Rowing Club
Runcorn Rowing Club
St. Michael’s Rowing Club, Ireland
Sons of the Thames Rowing Club
Staines Boat Club
Star Club
Thames Rowing Club ‘A’
Thames Rowing Club ‘B’
Thames Rowing Club ‘C’
Thames Tradesmen’s Rowing Club
Twickenham Rowing Club
Upper Thames Rowing Club
Vesta Rowing Club
West End Rowing Club, New Zealand
York City Rowing Club

~

Past Winners of the Henley Royal Regatta - PBC and Washington & Lee High School

1964

Washington-Lee High School

Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup

1969

Washington-Lee High School

Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup

1973

Potomac Boat Club

Silver Goblets & Nickalls Challenge Cup

1975

Potomac Boat Club

Stewards’ Challenge Cup

1980

Potomac Boat Club

Silver Goblets & Nickalls Challenge Cup

1996

Potomac Boat Club & National Training Ctr.

Double Sculls Challenge Cup

Henley 2010 - Men’s Sweep Practice

Below are some random photos taken of Potomac Boat Club’s Men’s Sweep practice, on Thursday, June 3, 2010.  This year, the men return to the UK, to compete in the Henley Royal Regatta (June 30 - July 4).

We hope to have more information on the lineup and race schedule soon.  Stay tuned.

Watch a replay of the 2010 Boat Race!

If you missed the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race live yesterday on the BBC, you missed a good one!  But no worries!  Click here to watch the blow by blow replay on the Theboatrace.org!

Safety lesson learned the hard way

A couple of weeks before the ice set in, but after PBC’s winter rowing rules went into effect, senior member Nick Holland and his single had a run in with a log.  Upstream without a personal flotation device (pfd), with a water temperature below 45F, Nick would be the first to tell you that he was lucky to make it back to the dock alive.  Below is his story.  Sharing it with you is his penance for breaking the rules.

Before we get to Nick’s story, at the bottom of this post you will find links to Hypothermia and Cold Water Immersion - Information for Rowing and Coaches and Clubs by Jane Blockley of the Leo Blockley Memorial Campaign. Leo Blockley drowned on December 29, 2000, in the River Ebro while rowing with the Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club during winter training camp in Amposta, Spain.  About fifty meters from the dock, Leo disappeared as he attempted to swim back to the boat. He was 21.

Please visit the Leo Blockley Memorial Campaign web site linked here for information that could save your life.

And now, a few words from Mr. Holland ….

* * *

As many of you know, I had what can only be called a lucky escape a few weeks ago when my single hit a large submerged log up river near the Hens and Chicks. Had it not been for some fortuitous circumstances, I might have ended up with a very cold swim to the Virginia shore.  I want to let you know what happened and hopefully draw out some valuable lessons for you all.

Following the collision, my boat was still afloat, so I elected to try to get back as close to PBC as I could.  Assisted by wind and stream, I started to row with one eye on my bow as the boat took on water.  When I could see that the bow ball was about to sink below water level, I spun the boat around and continued down river by backing down at the compressed catch position in order to keep the bow up as much as possible and to keep my weight as close to the stern as possible.  As I passed Three Sisters, the water came pouring over the gunwales and I was no longer able to row.

Knowing I could get very cold and wet - or worse - I took out my feet and got as far to the back of the boat as possible. After a second or two, I realized that maybe I could “surf paddle” the hull closer to PBC.  I wedged my scull handles under my stomach with the blades flat to hopefully steady the boat a bit more.  At that point, only my legs and lower torso were wet.

Straddling the hull with one leg on either side and lying forward on the tracks and foot stretcher, I was able to paddle the boat okay, but the wind blowing against the stern made it difficult for me to get to shore. I headed to a point up river of the Canoe Club, so that if I passed out, the wind and current might move my boat down onto the Canoe Club dock. As it turned out, I remained conscious and was able to paddle the hull all the way to the PBC dock, where some very nice people got me and my boat out of the water.

The lessons I learned are as follows:

1. It doesn’t matter how good I think I am, ACCIDENTS CAN AND WILL HAPPEN, when I least expect them.

2. DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR THE CONDITIONS. I had on decent clothes which helped to minimize my heat loss a bit, especially the superb under armor beanie, which looks stupid, but certainly kept my head warm. Pogies kept my hands warm, but eventually they were lost in the ordeal. In retrospect, I should have had on a pfd or wetsuit, or both. I would have increased my buoyancy, retained more body heat, and bought myself a little more time should I have needed it. And you never know when you’re going to need it.

3. DON’T PANIC. Assess the situation and make a decision. Obviously, the best decision is the one that will get you out of the water and on shore soonest. My boat was still afloat and rowable for most of the time, but every situation will be different. Try to have a plan before you go out. If it comes down to saving the boat or you, just make sure you do what it takes to save yourself. You can always replace a boat.

Nick Holland

* * *

So, folks, once the ice has melted and those of us who simply must row - no matter what - are back on the water, please remember to follow the winter rowing rules and take basic precautions. Cold water rowing is an inherently dangerous activity. We don’t want you to do it, but if you do, don’t make us have to explain to your spouse/parents/kids that you didn’t make it back to shore because you were simply too stubborn to wear a pfd or wetsuit.

• Hypothermia and Cold Water Immersion - Information for Rowing Coaches and Clubs (ENG) (132KB - MS Word)
• Hypothermia and Cold Water Immersion - Information for Rowing Coaches and Clubs (ENG) (314KB - Adobe PDF)

Brrrr … 4-Oar Rule starts today!

Fall Speed Orders complete, PBC’s Sam Stitt grabs third

USRowing’s East and West Coast Fall Speed Orders ended today with PBC’s Sam Stitt among the top three finishers in the men’s single sculls.  More details follow in the official USRowing news release below.

To see how Margot, Morgan, Katie, and the rest of the Potomac Boat Club team did, visit the Powerhouse Timing results page here.

Great job to Sam and the entire team!

---

2009 USRowing Fall Speed Orders Complete

Sunday, November 15, 2009

PRINCETON, N.J. – Racing at the 2009 USRowing East and West Coast Fall Speed Orders is complete. The regattas, which are opportunities for junior and senior-level athletes with national team aspirations to test their speed, were held on Saturday, November 14 in Oakland, Calif., and Sunday, November 15 in Princeton, N.J.

On the east coast, racing took place in eight events. In the women’s single sculls, USRowing Training Center’s Ellen Tomek (Flushing, Mich.) clocked the fastest time, completing the 6k course in a 17:35.61. Gevvie Stone (Newton, Mass.) of Cambridge Boat Club crossed in 17:46.00, followed by USTC’s Kate Bertko (Oakland, Calif.) in an 18:03.70.

In the men’s single sculls, GMS Rowing Center’s Michael Sivigny (Londonderry, N.H.) clocked the fastest time in a 16:33.91. USTC’s Glenn Ochal (Philadelphia, Pa.) finished second in a 16:42.98, followed by Potomac Boat Club’s Sam Stitt (McLean, Va.) in a 16:48.90.

In the men’s pair, the USTC duo of Josh Inman (Hillsboro, Ore.) and Henrik Rummel (Pittsford, N.Y.) finished 4.92 seconds ahead of teammates David Banks (Potomac, Md.) and Charlie Cole (New Canaan, Conn.). Inman and Rummel clocked a 15:35.38, with Banks and Cole in a 15:40.30. The University of Wisconsin duo of Ross James (DeKalb, Ill.) and Grant James (DeKalb, Ill.) crossed third in a 15:42.19.

Hillary Saeger (Dedham, Mass.) of Riverside Boat Club won the lightweight women’s single sculls race in an 18:36.90, followed by Union Boat Club’s Catherine Infantino (Boston, Mass.) in an 18:57.27. Vesper Boat Club’s Jeannette Daley (Cohasset, Mass.) crossed third in a 19:00.08.

Union Boat Club’s Steve Tucker (Mooresvillle, Ind.) clocked the fastest time in the lightweight men’s single sculls with a time of 16:49.46. USTC/Malta Boat Club’s Shane Madden (Ambler, Pa.) finished second in a 17:05.98, followed by Riverside Boat Club’s Peter Morelli (Cambridge, Mass.) in a 17:10.91.

The USTC duo of Will Daly (Vail, Colo.) and Nick Lacava (Weston, Conn.) won the lightweight men’s pair by nearly 20 seconds. Daly and Lacava clocked a 15:36.05, followed by Riverside Boat Club’s Andrew Diebold (North Wales, Pa.) and Greg McKallagat (Andover, Mass.) in a 15:55.66.

In junior events, racing was contested in the men’s and women’s single sculls. New Canaan High School Crew Club’s Andrew Campbell (New Canaan, Conn.) won the junior men’s single by 42 seconds. Campbell clocked a 17:16.09, followed by Saugatuck Rowing Club’s Max Meyer-Bosse (Westport, Conn.) in a 17:58.10.

New Canaan High School Crew Club’s Marianne Hoeft (New Canaan, Conn.) won the junior women’s single race by 16.9 seconds, clocking a 19:47.10. The Ursuline School’s Alycia Daloia-Moore (Bronx, N.Y.) crossed second in a 20:03.95.

Racing in four events was completed yesterday on the west coast. In the men’s single sculls, USTC/California Rowing Club’s Warren Anderson (Paso Robles, Calif.) won in an 18:05.0. USTC/CRC’s Will Miller (Duxbury, Mass.) crossed second in an 18:22.0, followed by Dolphin Rowing Club’s Michael Perry (Ann Arbor, Mich.) in an 18:30.0.

In the women’s single sculls, Lindsay Meyer (Seattle, Wash.) clocked the fastest time in a 20.14.0. USTC’s Erin Cafaro (Modesto, Calif.) crossed second in a 20:36.0, with USTC’s Susan Francia (Abbington, Pa.) third in a 21:08.0.

Tyler Otto (Burke, Va.) and Blaise Didier (San Francisco, Calif.) won the men’s pair race by three seconds, clocking a 17:27.0. The USTC/CRC duo of Silas Stafford (Santa Rosa, Calif.) and Mark Murphy (Madison, Wis.) crossed second in a 17:30.0, followed by Alex Syverson (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Aaron Frankl (Chevy Chase, Md.) in an 18:15.0.

Racing unopposed in the men’s lightweight single sculls, Erik Brakebill (Sacramento, Calif.) completed the course in a 20.27.0.

For complete results visit www.powerhousetiming.com and www.usrowing.org.

USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing’s Official Supplier is Boathouse Sports; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing; and its Preferred Printer is Sport Graphics Printing. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation.

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