A Mighty Conclusion

An Insight Into The Intercollegiate Regattas For The 2023 Season

L. D. Banks

IN LAST WEEK’S EDITION I GAVE A REPORT ON THE HEATS AND SEMIFINALS OF THE INTERCOLLEGIATE ROWING ASSOCIATION (IRA) CHAMPIONSHIPS. With Princeton’s climactic and unexpected defeat of Yale in the semi-final, the Varsity 8 was geared up to be a tight field. Similarly, in the third Varsity division, there had been no clear frontrunner all season. California (Cal) had been somewhat dominant on the West Coast, whilst the Eastern field was exceptionally level. Furthermore, the day also recorded California winning in the Varsity 4+ division, an exciting beginning for a strong program.

The day began with the third Varsity. The start was fast, with a confident Harvard crew and California crew fighting for an early lead. In true Californian style, the Cal crew blasted out to an early lead at the 500m mark. This would have been an unfamiliar position for the equally fast-starting Harvard crew, but they had not given up yet and were not allowing Cal to make any further margin. Through the 1000m mark the field was dead level, with all of the crews within a three-second margin and Cal specifically having a two-second margin over Harvard, meaning the remaining five crews were packed into a one-second spread (which is about a third of a boat length). 

Through the third 500m, Harvard laid down their push, moving back on California, decreasing the margin to within less than a second, and crushing the spirits of the third-place Washington crew at the same time, pushing them out to a three-second gap. Throughout the final 500m, it appeared that the wheels of the Californian crew were coming off too soon. With 200m to row, it appeared that the Harvard crew were in the lead, but with one final lactic push, the Cal crew surged through the line recording an 0.38-second margin on Harvard. In 3rd place was a fast Washington crew, followed by Dartmouth in fourth, Yale in fifth, and Brown in last place.

In the second Varsity 8, the race was over at the 500m mark. California recorded a blistering 1:21 time at the 500m mark. In rowing, the notion of ‘breaking clear water’ is a nearly always irreversible margin. Clear water is determined by the point when one boat gains such a lead that the stern of the boat, and the bow of the boat behind are no longer overlapping when viewed from the side. Once a crew breaks clear water, it provides a significant psychological advantage over the opponent, and is very rarely overturned. Given California spent a ridiculous amount of energy in the first 500m, the mental boost from gaining this clear water advantage is what ultimately kept them striding out, and prevented the opposition from mounting any major pushes. As a crew who follows California, it is hard to tell if they are a significantly superior crew, or if they spent too much energy early on. Even if it is the latter, it is difficult to tell, and by increasing the margin, it only reinforces the idea that the leading crew is superior more and more. Coming through the middle thousand and into the final 500m, there had been very little movement. As the second-place Washington crew only made up 0.3 seconds from the 500m to the finish, the Cal crew won in style. 3rd place was recorded by Yale who mounted a large, but insufficient push to the line in the final 500m mark. 4th place went to Harvard, 5th to Dartmouth and 6th to Brown.

In the Varsity 8, there were no such theatrics, just as I predicted the Californian crew laid down the law. Being the former crew all season, repeatedly demonstrating their technical prowess and unmatched racing confidence and execution, the Cal crew walked out to an early lead. The positions hardly changed as all of the crews geared up a maximal effort to push through the line. The Washington crew began to make a small move in the last ten strokes, but they ran out of water before making enough ground to be within contesting distance for the championship. The final standings were Cal, Washington, Princeton, Yale, Syracuse, and Northeastern.

With victories in the Varsity 4+, third Varsity 8+, second Varsity 8+, and Varsity 8+, Cal became the first program to execute a clean-sweep in the men’s heavyweight division ever in the history of US Intercollegiate Rowing. This marks a momentous occasion for US Rowing, and the Californian Program, with back-to-back National Champs in the Varsity 8, going undefeated for two seasons. The second Varsity also went undefeated this season, and the Varsity 4+, who only races occasionally, also went undefeated. A very well-rounded season for Cal, and a promising season for some previously more dormant programs such as Princeton, and Syracuse.