vs. Serra, Pacific Rowing Club, River City Rowing Club. The coaches and coxswain meeting will be at 7:20 and racing will start at about 8. The racing is scheduled to end around noon, although the times might get pushed back a bit as the morning goes on. After that, the rowers will load the boats, travel back to JLAC, and unload the boats there.
The drive takes about 30-40 minutes in the very early morning and can take over an hour in the afternoon. Parking at Lake Merced is tight and you may need to drive about a quarter-mile beyond the turn off for the race course to park and then walk back. Drivers can drop rowers off at the entrance to the race course.
Parents: look for the yellow crew banner which will be on the tents by the food table. Food will be provided only to the team at the food tents so families should bring food and drinks for themselves. It can be very breezy at Lake Merced so be sure to dress in layers and have hats. There are a couple of viewing spots and binoculars help. Bring your cameras and share your photos with the web site!
A note of advice: Much of the area is grass and you can expect that it will be fairly long and wet. Even if it doesn't rain, the fog usually leaves a good amount of water on the grass. Spectators usually end up walking through wet grass, so plan to wear shoes that will protect your socks and feet.
ABOUT THE PICK-UP AT THE END OF THE RACE: The boats will be loaded on the trailers as they are finished for the day and the trailer will be ready to leave soon after the race ends. The coaches need be able to leave with the trailer so they can be at JLAC when it arrives and so they cannot be held back by a late parent. Under BUSD rules, the coach must be the adult to wait with a student until their ride arrives, so please be on time. Drivers should go straight back to JLAC so the team members can meet the trailer and unload and derig the boats. Please plan to wait at JLAC while the boats are cleaned and stored, and the coaches hold brief team meetings. Everyone will be anxious to head home, so please don't leave your rower waiting. Thanks!
More information:
- A limited selection of crew merchandise will be available for sale at Sunday's race, if there is something in particular you would like, please email Thea Daniels at merch@berkeleyhighcrew.org.
- The food committee has contacted food table volunteers. Questions: contact foodcommittee@berkeleyhighcrew.org
- If you take photographs at the race and would like them posted, please contact Eric Carlson or Rick Jaffe: sendphotos@berkeleyhighcrew.org. Please remember that we are trying to keep the photos in a central location and accessible through the website.
- If you need carpool assistance, please contact Gloria Yim Burke: carpool@berkeleyhighcrew.org
- Novice parents with additional questions can go to Rosa Luevano, novice_coord@berkeleyhighcrew.org, for assistance.
- Because of the layout, spectators find themselves crossing paths with teams carrying boats frequently at Lake Merced, much more often than at a place like Bair Island. Families and friends should be aware of this, and be listening for calls that a boat is coming. Make sure you give the boats plenty of room.
Best of luck to the team and coaches on Sunday!
