The boys, girls and masters all returned with medals from the Head of the Housatonic in Shelton last Saturday, winning four golds, one silver and three bronzes. With 550 boats entered from 83 clubs and schools, this regatta bills itself as one of the largest single-day regattas in the country. The cold rain in the morning made the return trip from the finish line of the 2.7 mile course quite chilly, but there was hot chicken soup, hamburgers and sausage and peppers waiting at the parents’ tent, which had been expanded with additional canopies and tarps and was even heated. Norwalk River Rowing brought so many boats to this regatta that a handy parent – Steve Polo – was called upon to build an extra boat trailer on just one day’s notice.
Norwalk River Rowing began the day with three medals in the singles: a silver in the masters men (27-39) and both a gold and a bronze in the men’s junior singles. Saugatuck took second and tied for third in that men’s junior single event, and those four junior men, the two from Norwalk River Rowing and the two from Saugatuck, faced each other again in the junior men’s varsity 4+, where Norwalk River Rowing took gold 11 seconds ahead of Saugatuck. The junior women’s varsity 4x won a gold and the final gold was won by the junior men’s second varsity 4+. Norwalk’s final two medals were bronze, with one contributed by the masters women in a 4+ and one by the junior men in a quad.
All three programs will be represented at the 50th head of the Charles this coming week-end. Norwalk River Rowing is fortunate to have seven boats entered in that regatta, probably the most well-known in the country. The regatta is expected to attract 2,252 boats from 776 clubs and schools representing 28 countries (including expected countries like Canada, Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands as well as more exotic countries like Japan, Kuwait, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, Croatia and Benin). Many of the boats are selected by lottery, so a bit of luck was involved in having so many entries. We wish we could bring all of our athletes, but if you are at home we are told you can watch the race live streaming at
http://www.hocr.org/the-regatta/live-webcast/
Norwalk’s Head of the Charles events are:
Saturday
10:46 8. Men’s Senior Masters 4+ [50+] (Bow #25)
11:07 9. Women’s Senior Masters 4+ [50+] (Bow #19)
Sunday
9:13 34. Men’s Youth 4+ (Bow #10)
10:08 35. Men’s Youth 8+ (Bow #81
11:02 38. Men’s Youth 2x (Bow #31)
11:54 42. Women’s Youth 4+ (Bow #32)
1:28 45. Women’s Masters 2x [40+] (Bow #8)
