Tip #1 : Dress warmly, but be prepared to shed clothing as the morning progresses. Most races start early in the morning (when the water is most still), and early mornings by the water can be bone-chillingly cold. Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses should also be in your race bag. A folding chair is a good idea for the those periods between races.

Tip #2 : Invest in a good pair of binoculars, without them you’re just guessing which boat your rower is in. Even with them, there’ll be times that you’ll find yourself cheering for the wrong boat. The worst is when you’ve found that you’ve just cheered for Marin’s women’ s varsity 4 when when you meant to cheer for the BHS novice mens 8.

Tip #3 : Get a race schedule before the race. These are available on the web-site a few days for the race, or they are usually posted at the race venue also. Remember that the printed race schedule is the best guide, but races do get cancelled or switched sometimes based on equipment or personnel issues.  Sometimes race schedules are altered when other boat traffic has to be accommodated on the waterway, such as ferries in Larkspur and freighters in the Port of Sacramento.

Tip #4 : Respect the rowers' food tables. In the early morning the primary purpose of the food tables is to provide nourishment for the rowers. Food table supervisors are authorized to chase away all others until the rowers’ food and liquid needs have been satisfied. Have breakfast before the race, so that you’re not tempted to pilfer a banana when the table supervisor isn’t looking.

Tip #5 : Before the race day, ask your rower what their seat number is in the boat. Note that the rowers sit with their backs to the direction of the boat, and that the front of the boat is known as the bow. The rower sitting closest to the bow is called the bow-man or 1-seat. The numbering system runs from bow to stern (1 thru 8) with the 8-seat also being referred to as the stroke. The stroke faces the coxswain who sits in the stern. The coxswain faces the bow. Next month we’ll tackle the mysteries surrounding why a port oarsman rows on his right side, and a starboard oarsman rows on his left side.

Tip #6 : The races during the spring season are approximately 2,000 meters long. The races take approximately 6 minutes.  For the first 5 1/2 minutes of the race parents stand near the finish line asking each other whether the race has started. The final 30 seconds are filled with the parents debating which boat is in the lead, and second-guessing the coach’s line-up. After you’ve viewed a few races you become qualified to say such things as: a.)      “They’ re late on their catch”b.)     “The rate looks about 35 strokes a minute”c.)      “They meant to hit the course marker” (This statement is reserved for parents of coxswains only)d.)     “Why’s the guy in 5-seat not rowing?”e.)      “Who’s son is the one with the blue hair?”

 Tip # 7: Don’ t stand in front of the air-horn at the finish line.  You may find that your coffee from earlier in the morning has exited unexpectedly.