Yesterday (June/27/2023) marked the first day of racing for Syracuse Crews at the Royal Henley Regatta. The Men's Crew, racing in the Temple Challenge 8 category had a competitive race against the University of London A. Although the University of London initially took the lead, the Orange managed to pull ahead and maintain a length lead by the halfway point. However, the water conditions became challenging in the second half, causing some distractions. The margin between the teams remained relatively stable until the University of London made a sprint towards the finish line, narrowing the gap to about half a length. Overall, it was a good start, but there are areas that need improvement for tomorrow's race. The team sees defeating a "selected crew" as a positive start to the racing week.
Today (July/28/2023), the Men's 8 had a successful start to the day by defeating Colgate and securing a spot in the quarterfinals on Friday. Longtime Orange Coah, Dave Reischman, expressed concerns about these types of races, as the previous day's times indicated their crew was better. However, the team showed maturity and focused on their performance rather than becoming complacent. They had a strong start, an area they had been working on, and took an early lead. With tomorrow being an off day for the Temple event, they decided to maintain a high intensity until the Fawley point before the guys brought their pace down to conserve energy. It was a well-executed race, and their next challenge will be against Nereus, a top Dutch club, in a highly anticipated battle for a spot in the semifinals.
In the Visitor's 4- race, where there is no coxswain and rowers steer and make calls, the team competed against University College, Dublin. Reischman highlighted the importance of awareness and steering in this boat category. Three of their rowers had their first race in the 4- and the focus was on developing their awareness and rhythm. The team started well, maintained good steering, and built a solid lead. Although the Dublin crew made an effort to catch up, the team remained composed and executed their rhythm, ultimately winning by three boat lengths. The next round will be a challenge against home team Leander Boat Club, an experienced 4- man two crew with two former British U23 National Team Rowers, but the team is excited to test their speed and has a nothing-to-lose mindset.
Both crews will have an off day tomorrow, and their next races will take place on Friday in the quarterfinals. The coach is pleased with having two crews in the quarterfinals and aims to push both teams through to the semifinals.
The Syracuse Women's 8+ team made Syracuse history as the first Orange Women's Crew to compete in the Henley Royal Regatta. In their first race today, they faced Oxford Brookes University 'C' in the Island Challenge Cup. Despite a strong effort, Syracuse lost to Oxford Brookes University by three-quarters of a boat length. The regatta follows a knockout format, with each race featuring two crews competing side-by-side on the Henley course. It is a single-elimination draw.
The Women's four will compete on June 30 in the Town Challenge Cup against the winner of the race between the University of London & Leander Club and Strathclyde Park R.C. & Aberdeen Schools R.A.
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