Head of the Port, Sacramento – October 9, 2011

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On Sunday, October 9, the Berkeley High School Crew Team started their 2011-2012 season, participating in the “Head of the Port” event in Sacramento. The start time was delayed by a bit of fog, but that didn’t mean it was disappointing. We’ll get to that in a moment!

This race was unique in a couple of ways. For our rowers, normal season races consist of mass starts, where the first boat across the line is the winner. But in a “head” race (often held in the Fall), the boats race against the clock. Boats in each category rowed to the start line and did a rolling start, crossing the line at 10 second intervals. At the end of the 5K course, the time for each boat was recorded.

The other unique thing about this race was that it was not limited to Juniors. In fact, we were able to cheer on boats with BHS parents, coaches, former coaches and collegiate level rowers (including recent BHS grads!) who were out there participating as well. It was a great day for a reunion as well!

So, what about the Berkeley High team, you ask??? After an hour delay waiting for the “cotton candy” fog to dissipate (as one person put it), racing commenced. Limited to varsity rowers, BHS entered 3 races on the day, two boats in the Mens Jr. 8+ race, three boats in the Womens Jr. 8+ race, and one boat in the Mens Jr. 4+ boat.

It was our first race of the year and results were mixed. Recall that these are 5K length races, so the kids are at 95% for a lot longer than the standard 2K races. (Of course, the coaches expect them to be on the verge of going anaerobic for the last sprint!!). The first race was a bit disappointing with the men bringing up the rear with 10th and 12th places out of 13 boats. In our next race, the women’s 8+ showed great promise for the year with 3rd, 6th and 11th places in their field of 14 boats! Finally, the men’s 4+ placed very respectfully with 3rd out of 6 boats. It’s great to be back in competition!

The next race for Berkeley High is set for November 12th at JLAC (the Fall Regatta in the Estuary). Stay tuned to the website for more details. With a record number of novices on the team this year, this will give them a chance to perform for the first time. We’re looking forward to many BHS entries on the race leader board!

Complete results from the “Head of the Port” race are posted online…..

http://www.row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=2190098&cat=6

(Photo credits - John Grodin, Mike Gill)