Continuation

Good news, rowers!! The powers that be at Popes Island have told me that we don't have to leave right at the end of the month! That means that we can stay and row for as long as we want. I'm thinking that another 2 weeks or so on the water would be good, as we start to really lose daylight and it will eventually get really cold.

The coaches are up for continuing to coach and so far several rowers have said they'd like to. This is great! In the meantime, I'm meeting with some great women at the New Bedford YMCA to figure out what we can do for the winter season. There are lots of indoor racing opportunities so whether you want to train for fun, or to compete, we'll have an option for you. Teaming up with the Y would be great because they have so much to offer and hopefully the deal would include a discounted rate for all of you to join.

Heading into the Spring season, we should be fit, strong, and raring to gooooooooooo!!!!!!

Last Week!

Yes, it's getting to be that time. The time of year when the water and air conditions start to be more unpleasant than most would like. So far the weather hasn't been bad, but this week is the last of our official fall season. If the weather stays like it has been and we don't have to remove our equipment from Popes Island, we may stay on the water for a week or two longer. There are at least a few interested rowers so you could see us out there for a bit longer.

However, even if we do wrap things up as far as on-the-water training goes, never fear that we'll let you fall victim to boredom! We will have winter training set up soon and start to really crack the whip! We've got kids trying to get into college that will need erg data (those rowing machines actually give useful information) to submit to coaches so we'll definitely be focused on training them. We've got lots of adults that want to train through the winter months and be ready to hit the water fit and strong and ready to win some races. Stay tuned - the details will come to light shortly!

Great weekend

The weekend was a busy one, but of course a great one. Rachel Eisenhaure did a fantastic job running the table at the DA's Office Volunteer Fair! She had Maria and Andrew Pereira there to help and they ran a great event. They identified several possible tutors for the kids, several people interested in volunteering with us, and several people that want to row! There were also some great ideas on ways to move forward this winter and set up for the spring. Great job guys!

The Head of the Charles Regatta was this weekend and it saw some great weather and amazing racing! Several of the NBCR rowers were on hand volunteering and even a few of them were racing! Anne Eisenmenger rowed in an 8+ with Cambridge Boat Club and Margaret Ishihara was volunteering for CBC as well. Several other NBCR rowers were there to watch and I hope they got bitten by the bug...we'll be going for entries next year so start training now!!

Strong Weekend Ahead!

While a few of us are gearing up for the Head of the Charles Regatta (either to participate, spectate, or volunteer) there are also a few other things going on this weekend.

The DA's Office is hosting a Volunteer Fair at the Dartmouth Mall on Saturday from 11am-3pm. We've been invited to set up a table there and try to recruit volunteers to work with us. It's a fantastic opportunity for us and thanks to Ken Clark and Rachel Eisenhaure who were able to connect us.

Rachel will be working the table tomorrow but will need a few extra hands - go join her! It's also a great opportunity for us to recruit more rowers!

Article from the Boston Globe today about CRI

Veterans find rowing disarming

Time on Charles is all about solace

By John Powers

Globe Staff / October 21, 2010

When Matt Williams was an infantryman in Iraq, each sunrise brought a devastating anxiety.

“We used to do the death walk every day at 6 a.m. looking for IEDs [improvised explosive devices],’’ the Billerica native recalled. “Our company alone found 973. One split my vehicle in half.’’

So it’s a joy for him now to paddle along the Charles, where a floating branch, a disoriented goose, or an errant coxswain, is the most hazardous object.

“It’s calm,’’ said Williams. “Very therapeutic.’’

Among the novices of all ages who turn up at Community Rowing Inc.’s Harry Parker Boathouse in Brighton is a diverse group of veterans of both genders. Some served in Iraq and are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders. Others attend Bunker Hill Community College on the GI Bill.

What they’ve found on the water is both what they loved and what they lacked in the military.

“One of the biggest benefits of rowing is the camaraderie and the tranquility,’’ said Lindsey Kirchhoff, a Missouri native who is serving in the Air Force and attending graduate school in the area.

CRI, whose motto is “Rowing For All,’’ has been welcoming neophytes to the river for a quarter-century and from the beginning was a leader in adaptive rowing for people with various disabilities. Veterans are merely the newest wave of curious who become converts.

“CRI is doing an outstanding job of supporting veterans,’’ said Kirchhoff. “It’s incredible what they’re doing. It’s such a productive way to show appreciation.’’

None of the veterans who come for the programs conducted by coaches Patrick Carpenter and John Sisk ever shoved off a dock until they turned up at the boathouse. Kirchhoff was a competitive college swimmer. Williams played football and basketball. Paul McEuen will be running track and cross-country at UMass-Boston. Kevin Cadieux played baseball.

What they discovered is that moving an unstable boat along a lumpy river is tipsy business, especially for a rookie.

“It’s a little bit of a challenge,’’ said the 49-year-old Cadieux, who lives in Lowell and, like Williams, is affiliated with the Veterans Administration facility in Bedford. “It’s not like you’re rowing and you’re sightseeing. You have to pay attention or you can have an unexpected swim.’’

Krystal McEuen, Paul’s sister and a fellow Iraq veteran, nearly went over on her first outing.

“It scared me,’’ she said. “I crabbed, and I thought I was going to fall out.’’

While flipping is an inevitable rite of passage for rowers, the lure of the river usually proves irresistible.

“A lot of guys end up in the water,’’ said Joe Grimard, a recreational therapist for the Bedford VA. “But they enjoy it anyway.’’

For Gabriel Sanchez, a soldier who was stationed at Fort Leavenworth and now attends Bunker Hill, just coming to the Charles is a treat.

“Having served in Kansas,’’ he said, “I’m just happy to be on the water.’’

For the veterans who are undergoing therapy for combat-related injuries and issues, the boathouse provides a welcome getaway, if only for a few hours a week.

“Just getting outside, getting back to a physical activity,’’ said Grimard, a Navy veteran. “They can be at the VA for several months, so it’s nice to come here and not have bricks and ID tags around them.’’

The Bunker Hill students row twice a week, arriving at the boathouse around 5 a.m.

“You’re finishing in the dark,’’ said Calder Reardon, a CRI volunteer who learned to row there. “You’re looking at the Orion constellation.’’

Yet there’s an undeniable pleasure to be gliding along the river while the cities on either side still are asleep.

“Iraq was go-go-go and it was 24/7,’’ said Paul McEuen, an Army sergeant who served two tours there as well as one in Kosovo. “Here you have a job but it’s very serene. Everything is flowing evenly.’’

The Zen quality of rowing, the delicate but essential balance between force and fluidity, is a novelty for veterans accustomed to all-out action and adrenaline.

“The first time out, they wanted to shred it,’’ said Carpenter, who also coaches the combined Arlington-Belmont high school boys’ program. “Every time the oar went in the water, it was full pressure.’’

Dialing it down was a new concept for veterans, but they’ve made the adjustment.

“We’re so adaptable,’’ said Paul McEuen. “The military has taught us to go with the flow.’’

If only six people turn up for a workout, those present will recruit a couple more for an eight. If there only are four, they’ll row in a four.

The skills and values that McEuen and his seatmates learned in uniform have translated well to a sport that is defined by both regimentation and unpredictability.

“Their discipline,’’ said Carpenter. “Their ability to learn. Their ability to take constructive criticism. Their ability to solve problems. Their competitiveness. They want to be the best.’’

What the veterans enjoy, besides the pleasure that comes with messing around in boats and the sense of achievement of getting one moving smoothly after beginning awkwardly, is the comfortable familiarity of a group endeavor.

“I heard one young man say, ‘I’m just happy to be in the community,’ ’’ said Reardon.

Community Rowing, which prides itself on being inclusive, has ample dock space for newcomers who are accustomed to a milieu of sand and rock as well as plenty of support and advice from coaches and volunteers.

“These guys are great,’’ said Cadieux. “Every one of them has gone the extra mile.’’

The boathouse, which is named for the legendary Harvard coach and Olympic oarsman who also was a veteran, is happily free of camouflage and the stressful uncertainties of military life.

“You’re rowing in a whole different world,’’ said Williams. “You’re on a different planet. You don’t feel restricted. You’re out there by yourself.’’

John Powers can be reached at jpowers@globe.com.

Paul Milde and boat repairs!

Just to keep you all in the loop, we've been very lucky to have Paul Milde (rows in the morning group and has helped us with some boat work before) offer his professional services to us! He runs Peinert Boat Works in Mattapoisett and is the guy who is letting us use his 2 singles. The yellow boat is a pretty sturdy fella because it's actually not in that bad of shape from the kind of fall it took and Paul feels confident he can repair it to the point where it'll be as good as new. Thank you Paul!

Head of the Charles Regatta

www.hocr.org

This weekend brings us the world-renowned Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. Racing kicks off at 8am on both Saturday and Sunday and runs through about 5pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday. Many world class athletes come from all over the world to compete in this prestigious regatta. You'll also find many local rowers racing their hearts out along the 3 mile course. There are lots of great spots to watch, most notably from either Anderson Bridge or the Weeks Footbridge. This area is known for its very difficult turns and often sees crashes (yes, crashes. rowing is usually a non-contact sport, but the Charles brings lots of 'extras' into the mix).

It's a great weekend to be in Boston. Plenty of exciting races to watch, the beautiful foliage changing color, and enjoying the fall season before winter comes. I hope to see many of you out there along the shores of the great Charles River!

Mayors' Arts Challenge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XemkaZwqys&feature=player_embedded

Watch our Mayor Scott Lang in the 3 minute video. Vote for New Bedford!

"Recently, Mayor Lang and the city of New Bedford put together a video showcasing how arts and culture make New Bedford a better places to live, work and visit. In my opinion, no other city on the list comes close to New Bedford. There are 16 other cities that have submitted short videos describing how the arts improve life in their communities, enhance their local economies, and contribute to the education of local youth. Mayor Lang and the city of New Bedford need YOUR YouTube vote to ensure we finish in the top three. Vote by Oct. 29, 2010 by “liking” New Bedford’s video! Share this article or the video on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else you can!

Once voting closes, the three videos with the most “likes” on the Mayors’ Arts Challenge YouTube channel will be reviewed by an in-house panel at MCC. The video that speaks most effectively to the impact of arts and culture on a particular city will be determined the winner. MCC will announce the winner of the Mayors’ Arts Challenge in that mayor’s town soon thereafter. The winning video will also be showcased at the State House in February 2011 as part of the Commonwealth Awards, the state’s highest honors in arts and culture. It will also be shown by the national advocacy group Americans for the Arts at its annual presentation at the U.S. Conference of Mayors."

Sad Day

Well, I suppose we were due for some less-than-great luck after so many things have been going so well. The winds from a few days ago unfortunately blew one of our 8's off the top rack of our outside home. The 8 that blew off not only was damaged, but it hit another boat on it's way down, and also damaged that 8 as well...and the rack the second 8 was sitting on.

We've made it a point to be sure that all of our equipment is being strapped down correctly and tight enough, and we're all going to make sure that we take a second to double check things as we wrap up after practice.

While this is very unfortunate, we do have 3 other boats to row and our season is just a few more weeks. We'll be fine, and eventually so will our boats. I know a couple of great repairmen!

Note to all of you rowers out there - remember to take a second and care for your equipment that you rely on to be there for you...or it won't be.

Wow I'm behind!

Many apologies folks. I'm sure you're just dying for the latest and greatest from New Bedford. It's not that there hasn't been lots of exciting things happening down here - it's that there's been so much I've not gotten to blogging!

Friday we were still trying to figure out our racing situation for the weekend since we were not able to get entries in for the NH Champs Regatta before they filled up (before their deadline, to boot). However, in the end, we were able to set up a great scrimmage with Tom Tiffany's crews from the Newman School and Sarah Jones' crews, Gentle Giant. We all met at 7am up at the CRI boathouse (where I had to explain to our rowers that this is truly an amazing boathouse and not to expect to find others quite like it). We had 2 eights, 2 girls fours, and 2 boys fours. Only 3 of our adult rowers made it up there (Julie Thatcher, Margaret Ishihara, and Peter Hawes!) so we mixed them in with some of the Gentle Giant kids in the 8+.

CRI let us use their wakeless launches one of which is humongous and we could fit all of the parents on it with the coaches. It was a rare treat for us in several ways. For a bunch of novice rowers whose club is less than 6 months old to be able to row the Head of the Charles course a week before the actual regatta is incredible. The generosity of CRI and the equipment they loaned us (including the launches) made it a very fun morning for all of us. The parents were finally able to see what their kids *actually* do and hear the coaches interact with their children. They got to ask questions and see other boathouses along the Charles. We also learned that Margaret, Dylan Maciel, and Justin Medeiros are awesome at coxing! They all navigated a tough river with LOTS of traffic very well and most importantly, very safely.

After the scrimmage the kids, parents, and coaches went to iHop and it was good to just sit and chat with all of them. We have an incredible group of kids and their parents are very happy that they're rowing. Several parents have also commented on how great they think our adult rowers are and love that the adult team is so supportive and inclusive with the juniors. I'll admit - this is the best dynamic I've seen of rowing teams. Perhaps because we're still new and no one has gotten all curmudgeon-like yet, but I hope it stays this way! It makes for a really fun time all around.

Jonathan Haisman

He's one of our (very good) rowers and often teams up with Paul Milde to do some work on the boats and oars. He's a kind and generous man that has offered to sponsor one of the kids for their fall season. Many of the kids' families have requested either full or partial aid for their fall team dues and Jonathan is the second adult rower to sponsor a youth rower.

It warms my heart that the people here in New Bedford (and surrounding areas) are so willing to lend a hand, volunteer, chip in. I love this place and the people here. New Bedford Community Rowing is going to be an amazing place for so many and we're only getting started!!

Thank you to all who give in so many ways.

More Photos!

Check us out on Facebook - here are some photos taken by a friend of one of our rower (Nancy Durfee). If you have photos from the regatta, post them on our Facebook page and tag us (and yourselves) in it!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19075&id=100001177851495&l=0a850a6c29

Some great links from the regatta:

Charis Anderson's dad (Alan) took this video of the NBCR Women's Novice 8+ as they were coming through the swing bridge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji96VzDBTug

And these are the photos that Steve Hopkins took - LOTS there!

http://shoppix.zenfolio.com/p1000054792

Regatta Time!!

http://boatinglocal.com/news/new-bedford-rowing-regatta-this-saturday.html

It's happenin' folks

Things here at NBCR are in high gear as we prepare for our first ever home regatta. And I'd have to say, it's sayin somthing when the club is less than 6 months old and we're already hosting regattas! We couldn't do it without the amazing volunteers that are too many to name. The rowers, the coaches, the families and friends are all what make this possible and I can't thank them enough. Let's have a great regatta and start a wonderful tradition for NBCR and New Bedford!!

Nancy Durfee

Nancy is one of our rowers on the adult team. She just began rowing with us this summer and has really done well. This past weekend she raced with the experienced women in the Master Women's Four and did a great job.

When writing her check to NBCR for her program fees, she added in an extra $125 to sponsor some of the kids that requested scholarship aid. Thank you, Nancy - every bit helps and these kids are getting to do amazing things because of people like you!

For those of you out there that want to sponsor a kid to row, please can contact us - any amount helps. www.newbedfordcommunityrowing.org

Bridge Closure - FYI (from Southcoasttoday.com)

New Bedford-Fairhaven bridge closed

October 06, 2010 9:03 AM

The bridge is closed to traffic in both directions. MassDOT could not give an estimate on how long the bridge will be shut down.The New Bedford-Fairhaven swing bridge is closed due to an electrical problem, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation District 5 office.

Race Prep!

We've got all hands on deck getting ready for the New Bedford Popes Island Regatta. The HDC is working really hard to help us get the waterway set and they even changed the dock around for us. CLE Engineering in Marion is helping us with permitting and getting maps/coordinates down. We have lots of volunteers taking on multiple tasks and because of all this amazing support, we're going to have a fantastic event!!

Results

http://www.textileriverregatta.org/2010/trr_2010_results.pdf

Textile River Regatta

While the official race results aren't posted on Regatta Central yet, we did get some finish results at the venue yesterday. The Textile River Regatta is one of the largest regattas in New England, and there were hundreds of boats racing. Normally the TRR is a very well organized and well run regatta but I have to admit that I found it not to be this year. Despite that, as well as the chaos within our own little world of sharing and borrowing equipment (Thank yous to CRI, Wayland/Weston, and Newman School!) the races ended up all going off, with hulls and oars for all! [there were a few times we wondered if we'd get everyone in a hull!]

The junior boys went out in their 8+ first. It took some serious teamwork just to get them launched as the boat we were borrowing from CRI was on the very top of the largest trailer (of 3 trailers) that they brought, and it was parked next to a telephone pole with wires staking it to the ground. So it was great to have many bodies helping to get it down and into slings so it could be rigged. We were lucky they started the race 30 minutes behind so that we could do the rigging and so that the amazing Brent Bode could do some boat repair on it's skeg (the fin on the bottom of the boat that helps keep it balanced and helps with steering). The parents and their coach, Briana Blood, said that they finished 22nd in a field of over 40 boats!!! Some of the kids in the boat learned to row less than 2 weeks ago!! Fantastic job, fellas!

The Men's Novice 4+ ended up being scratched, but Peter Hawes made the trip up anyway and was super helpful with all of the crews. The plan is to get the Men's Novice 4+ racing this weekend at Popes Island Regatta!!

Next up was the Women's Master 4+ and they were great. I can say this from first hand experience because I coxed this boat. From where the trailers were parked, we had over 6000 meters to row in order to get up to the start, and this was going against a rather strong current. They were constantly focused and made changes as needed. We got passed by a couple boats, but the women never gave in. They pushed hard the entire 5800 meters of the race and should be proud of themselves!

There was a HUGE delay while the Master 4+ was waiting to start (race time of 11:30 and we didn't go until about 12:30 or later) so I never got to see the Open Women's 4+ launch. Dylan - one of our junior boys coxed that boat and from what I'm told, they had a good race until the last 1500 meters or so when the winds were the worst and the water was roughest. They struggled, but fought together and had a good race!

As soon as I docked with the Master 4+, it was time for the Women's Novice 8+ to launch, so I hopped in the coxswain seat of that boat (taking with me the borrowed cox-box from Isaac Karasin - thank you!) and thank GAWD for that! It took us over 50 minutes to row by 6's all the way up the course and that's more rowing than these women have done in any of our practices. Then they still had to race! But they were ready and off we went. They held a solid stroke rating which was impressive since we don't have cox-boxes at home and haven't been able to do a lot of work with ratings. They raced for about 30 minutes straight which is probably twice as long as any pieces we've done in practice!! They were all amazing and I'm so proud.

Finishing off our day of racing, we launched our Junior Girls 8+. We only have 5 girls all season, so we weren't sure how we were going to fill the 8, but Mikayla Martinelli (who rowed with us all summer) filled a seat as well as 2 CRI girls that row for Brent Bode. We had our 8+!! They had never rowed their lineup before and had just met a few of the girls they were racing with, so they had a tough task ahead of them. I hear that the timing was tough to keep together, and it was windy but they're strong girls. Not just strong in power, but also in mind. They raced with heart and should all be proud of themselves. I know I'm proud of 'my peanuts'!

Great job by all that were there - coaches, rowers, parents, siblings, friends. It was a great learning experience for the rowers, coaches and parents as we prepare for the next two regattas. Come out to Popes Island in New Bedford this Saturday the 9th and see us race again!!

Saturday was prep time

Saturday's practice was a good one. We staggered the times of each lineup so that we could get the race lineups out and we had several people offer to cox those boats in order to help. It was great to see such support of each other. We had the Women's Novice 8 and the Master Women's 4 out early, and then the 4 came in and a second 8 came out. Both 8's did some short pieces and I think the Novice women felt a lot better about the upcoming race. It was a great practice!

Winds Winds Go AWAY

Lately we've been plagued with strong winds in the afternoon and evening and it's been wreaking havoc on our practice time! The kids have had to do more land workouts than Coach Briana would like and the adults have had to flat-out miss practice a few times. Last night the adults did get out in a four, but it was tough. Tonight we're hoping to get both the kids and adults out again, but someone needs to turn the darn fan off already!!