Folks …
Snow is almost gone, rivers are flowing and rowing racing season is in near full bloom. All Blue Squads are in action this weekend.
Eads Johnson Cup – On Saturday, the Eli will travel to Lake Carnegie in Princeton, NJ to meet the N150 from Navy. The Navy lightweights opened their season last Saturday against Princeton in a five-race matchup on the Severn River in Annapolis. The visiting Tigers took four of five races by open-water and repeated as Murtaugh Cup champions in the 1V. Navy closed out its day with a victory in the fifth varsity race as the Mids won by 0.8 seconds. Early morning conditions on the Severn were good with an 8-10 mph quartering tail wind. Water was smooth only turning choppy in the 2nd 1,000 meters, with slack tide for the 1V. In the top four events, Princeton had an effective start, moving out to a full length in the 1st 500. With these fast conditions the 1V margin was 6.1 seconds with Princeton winning in 5:48.5. Navy and Princeton have been traditional season-opening competitors since 1956. The Tigers lead the series 48-10. Competition for the Joe Murtaugh Cup began in 2008, with Navy winning the initial meeting. Princeton won the next 8 races.
Eads Johnson, Jr. (Yale ’34) attended Yale on a NROTC scholarship and was captain of the 1934 Yale lightweight crew that also rowed in the 1934 Henley Royal Regatta. The inaugural Eads Johnson Cup match race was won by Navy in 2004. Prior to the Eads Johnson Cup series Navy and Yale met in 1961, 1962, and 1976 match races, which were all won by Navy. Yale leads the match race series 8 – 7. Yale also leads the Eads Johnson Cup series 8 – 4, having won the 1V in each of the past 5 years. Last year, the Y150 swept, but the margins were close: 1V – 1.4 seconds, 2V – 2.9 seconds and 3V – 0.1 seconds. For those who are counting, and at the request of some, we have been informally tracking team results for the Navy – Yale races over the same period since 2004. Based on the formula used for the Vogel Cup in the annual competition between the lightweights of Harvard, Yale and Princeton, the record is Yale 7, Navy 4 with 1 tie.
The Eli are anxious to test their speed over 2,000 meters in opening competition. For Navy, crews in this league get better week to week, and this is very early in the season. Competition on Lake Carnegie begins at 4:00 pm with subsequent races every 20 minutes. Yale will enter 4 eights with Navy adding a 5V in the 4V competition.
Results of Other EARC Lightweight Racing
- After taking all but the 5V and winning the Murtaugh Cupat Navy, Princeton traveled to the Potomac River on Sunday and swept Georgetown in 4 races. Margins in each race were “easily”, with Princeton retaining the Fosburgh Cup in the 1V by 14.7 seconds.
- The spring season for Colin Farrell’s PennLightweights began with a win over Delaware and MIT on the Charles River. The Quakers won both the Varsity and Second Varsity, also adding a win in the 3V. Delaware won the 4V and Varsity Four. The First Varsity win was by 1.1 seconds over Delaware. Penn hit the line first in 6:06.1, while the Blue Hens were second in 6:07.3. MIT was third in 6:16.7. Penn’s 2V was dominant in its race. The final margin of victory was 8.8 seconds as Penn touched the line first in 6:16.7 while Delaware was next in 6:25.5. MIT was a distant third.
This Week in Other EARC Lightweight Racing
- Georgetownvs. Delaware, Potomac River, Washington, DC
- Columbiavs. Princeton, Overpeck Park, Leonia, NJ
National Polls –
According to row2k, The lightweight varsity men’s and USRowing Collegiate Poll scheduled for this week was cancelled due to lack of participation.
Yale Heavyweight Crew
Fast starts that led to big wins highlighted the first race of the Spring for the #2 ranked [US Rowing Collegiate Poll] Yale heavyweight crew, Friday on the Housatonic, as the Bulldogs beat #6 ranked Brown for the Albert Cup, while also winning the second varsity and fourth varsity races. Brown won the 3V. The 4V set the tone for the day, grabbing a lead of roughly eight seconds by the halfway point and finishing in 6:12.1 to Brown’s 6:20.6. After Brown came back to win the third varsity, the Yale second varsity resumed the Bulldogs’ trend of fast starts and big wins. The Elis had open water on Brown within the first minute en route to finishing in 5:54.7 to Brown’s 6:01.4. In the varsity race, Yale also took a big lead quickly. The Bulldogs, rowing out of lane two like the 2V, once again had an open water lead on Brown within the first 500 meters. They were through the halfway mark in roughly 2:43, eight seconds ahead of Brown. Yale finished in 5:44 to Brown’s 5:53, earning the Albert Cup for the third year in a row.
Yale will now send its varsity and second varsity to the San Diego Crew Classic, 2-3 April. The 1V will be among eight entries in the Men’s Collegiate Varsity Copley Cup Invitational. The field includes #3 Cal-Berkeley, #14 Stanford, #16 Oregon State and #20 Michigan. The Yale 2V is entered with 13 other crews in Men’s Collegiate 2V Sharp Memorial Cup. Full coverage is available at http://www.row2k.com/crewclassic/
Navy Heavyweight Crew
Following last weekend’s scrimmage with George Washington, the Mids open their Spring season, Saturday on the Severn in Annapolis against Princeton in the 84th competition for the Navy-Princeton Cup in its 103rd year awarded to the winner of the 1V and the Navy-Princeton (Smith) Trophy awarded since 1974 based on overall points of 1V, 2V and 1F. Racing will begin at 0720 on the lower Severn course. Pre-season in the USRowing Collegiate Poll, Navy is ranked 11th and Princeton is tied for 3rd.
An audio broadcast of our home races is provided. There are two options to listen in on the broadcast: Call-in Phone Number or an Internet Link. The phone number is 213-493-0221. You can also listen on-line from your home computer or smart phone at: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/navy/
Last Saturday in a scrimmage over 2,000 meters on Lake Carnegie Princeton swept Georgetown by open water in each race.
| USRowing Collegiate Poll March 24, 2016 The University of Washington ended its 2015 season by sweeping all five Intercollegiate Rowing Association grand finals and winning its ninth-straight team points championship. Washington starts the new season as the coaches’ choice for the top program in the country in the USRowing preseason varsity men’s poll. With five first-place votes to its favor, the Huskies race the university’s 115th Class Day Regatta on Saturday as the team to beat in 2016.Voted second by the 12 men’s coaches that participated in the preseason poll was Yale University (three first-place votes). Yale lost to Washington in the IRA semifinal, but came back to defeat them at the 2015 Henley Royal Regatta in the final of the Ladies’ Challenge Plate. Princeton University and the University of California (three first-place votes) tied for third place. Harvard University rounded out the top five. Men’s Varsity Eight
Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Hobart College 16, College of the Holy Cross 11, Drexel University 9, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3, Oklahoma City University 1. |
Yale Women’s Crew
On 19 March, in its first race of the spring season, the Yale women’s crew showed it is right there with the nation’s best. The Bulldogs, ranked #6 [CRCA/USRowing Coaches Poll], gave #4 Virginia all it could handle on a cool and wet day on the Rivanna Reservior. The varsity four turned in the most impressive performance of the day, winning with a time of 7:11.4, nearly eight seconds faster than UVA. In the varsity eight, Yale had an early lead, but Virginia rallied to edge the Bulldogs 6:28.4 to 6:29.7. Virginia’s second varsity won by a little more than four seconds, 6:35.1 to 6:39.7.
In the morning opener of a double header last Saturday, the Eli women rolled to victories over Columbia and Penn, on Overpeck Creek, Leonia, NJ. Rowing into a 15 mph headwind and chop, the Bulldogs won all five races by open water. In the varsity eight, Yale retained the Connell Cup with a convincing victory. The Bulldogs finished in 7:13.1, 11 seconds faster than second-place Penn (7:24.1). Columbia was third in 7:39.1, after experiencing an 8 second full-stop overhead crab with 250 meters to go.
The Yale women more than held their own against three-time defending NCAA champion Ohio State late Saturday afternoon on Lake Carnegie. The Bulldogs’ second varsity eight and varsity four both knocked off the Buckeyes, while the varsity eight fell. The second varsity eight was especially impressive, defeating Ohio State by 2.5 seconds. Yale crossed the line in 6:38.5, while the Buckeyes came in at 6:41.2. Yale’s varsity four remained undefeated on the young season with a nearly three-second win 7:20.2 to 7:22.8. Ohio State’s #1 ranked varsity eight edged the #7 Bulldogs 6:34.1 to 6:38.0. The Buckeyes also won the second varsity four and third varsity four.
The Bulldogs are back at Gilder Boathouse when they host Cornell on Saturday in completion for the Cayuga Cup.
Navy Women’s Crew
The Navy women opened their 2016 spring season with a solid showing at the 34th Annual Murphy Cup Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia on Saturday. Participating in three events, Navy crews claimed victories in two, the junior varsity eight and varsity four.
The Mids first victory came in the varsity four as Navy A and Navy B placed first and second, respectively. Navy A won with a time of 7:38.60, while Navy B came in second at 7:49.23. The Mids’ second boat held off a game Drexel crew (7:50.53) to complete the perfect finish.
The 2V was next to claim a win as Navy A won the grand final with a time of 6:47.45, good enough for a 9.8 second margin of victory over second place Temple. Navy B competed in the petite final and came in fourth in a time of 7:02.05.
After posting the fourth-fastest time of 6:44.40 in the preliminary heat earlier in the day, the Navy 1V came out in the afternoon grand final and finished fifth overall with a result of 6:51.03. Though a bit behind the winner, Fordham (6:43.92), Navy had a chance to finish top-three until the end as third-place Bates and fourth-place Temple finished less than a second ahead at 6:50.08 and 6:51.01, respectively. Amongst Patriot League competitors in the field, Navy was the top finishing varsity eight as Holy Cross and Lehigh finished in fifth and sixth respectively in the petite final
Navy returns to action on Sunday, April 3rd when they head to Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs, NY for the Doc Hosea Invitational. Open to invited DI Womens Programs only, this regatta is designed as an early season cross conference opportunity. Un-ranked Navy is among 10 entries in 1V8+ including #19 Syracuse and Ivy League/EARWRC squads from Boston University, Cornell, Dartmouth, Northeastern and Penn. Navy will also enter 2V8+, V4+, 2V4+ and 3V8+.
| CRCA/USRowing Coaches Poll – presented by Pocock Racing Shells March 29, 2016Women’s NCAA Division I Rankings
Others Receiving Votes in Alphabetical Order: Duke University, Michigan State University, Northeastern University, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, University of San Diego |
Navy 2016 Spring Racing Schedules
N150
| 4.6 | |||
| 04/02/16 | vs. Yale (Johnson Cup) | Princeton, N.J. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 04/09/16 | vs. Columbia (WIT Cup) | Overpeck Park, N.J. | 8:00 a.m. |
| 04/16/16 | vs. Georgetown (Forster Cup) | Annapolis, Md. | 7:00 a.m. |
| 04/23/16 | vs. Harvard (Haines Trophy) | Annapolis, Md. | 7:00 a.m. |
| 04/30/16 | at Penn (Callow Cup) | Philadelphia, Pa. | 8:00 a.m. |
| 05/15/16 | EARC Sprints | Worcester, Mass. | All Day |
| 06/03/16 | IRA National Championships | West Windsor, N.J. | All Day |
| 06/04/16 | IRA National Championships | West Windsor, N.J. | All Day |
| 06/05/16 | IRA National Championships | West Windsor, N.J. | All Day |
Navy HW
| 04/02/16 | vs. Princeton (Navy/Princeton Cup) | Annapolis, Md. | 7:20 a.m. |
| 04/08/16 | George Washington Invitational | Washington, D.C. | All Day |
| 04/09/16 | George Washington Invitational | Washington, D.C. | All Day |
| 04/16/16 | Cornell, Syracuse (Goes Trophy) | Annapolis, Md. | 7:45 a.m. |
| 04/23/16 | Harvard, Penn (Adams Cup) | Cambridge, Mass. | 7:00 a.m. |
| 05/01/16 | Columbia, GW, Hobart (Stevenson Cup) | Princeton, N.J. | TBA |
| 05/15/16 | EARC Sprints | Worcester, Mass. | All Day |
| 06/03/16 | IRA National Championships | West Windsor, N.J. | All Day |
| 06/04/16 | IRA National Championships | West Windsor, N.J. | All Day |
| 06/05/16 | IRA National Championships | West Windsor, N.J. | All Day |
NWC
| 03/26/16 | Murphy Cup | Philadelphia, Pa. | 5th of 19 |
| 04/03/16 | Doc Hosea Invitational | Saratoga Springs, N.Y. | All Day |
| 04/08/16 | George Washington Invitational | Washington, D.C. | All Day |
| 04/09/16 | George Washington Invitational | Washington, D.C. | All Day |
| 04/22/16 | Dale England Cup | Bloomington, Ind. | All Day |
| 04/23/16 | Dale England Cup | Bloomington, Ind. | All Day |
| 04/30/16 | vs. Temple | Philadelphia, Pa. | All Day |
| 05/13/16 | Patriot League Championship | Worcester, Mass. | All Day |
| 05/27/16 | NCAA Championship | Sacramento, Calif. | All Day |
| 05/28/16 | NCAA Championship | Sacramento, Calif. | All Day |
| 05/29/16 | NCAA Championship | Sacramento, Calif. | All Day |
Other Good Rowing Stuff
- In the 162nd edition of The Boat Race, the Light Blue of Cambridge led from the start and defeated the Dark Blue of Oxford by 2.5 lengths over 4 miles 274 yards [6.8 km] on the Thames on Sunday. Conditions were tempestuous, challenging and the water rough, particularly in the latter portions of the Tideway course. In the Women’s Blue Race, Oxford won by 24 lengths with the Light Blue of Cambridge nearly sinking. As predicted, the conditions worsened significantly towards the half way mark of the Championship Course. On the Middlesex station, Cambridge were presented with the worst of the water and slipped back to a length behind the Dark Blues. Both crews slewed across the Thames in an attempt to find the calmest water, but failed to find much leeway as Oxford maintained a lead of just over a length. It was the latter, who finally appeared to adapt, stretching their advantage to eight seconds as Cambridge stagnated in the rough conditions. As the Surrey bend ran its course, it was Oxford who emerged as clear leaders. The Dark Blue cox made the brave decision to head for shelter, cutting across the stream towards the Middlesex bank; a breath-taking coxing maneuver, which paid dividends as Oxford regained their rhythm to draw away from Cambridge. The Light Blues, looked in serious trouble as they wound their way to Barnes Bridge, passing underneath the landmark with their hull barely visible. The Umpire red-flagged the Race, but the Cambridge cox implored her crew to finish regardless. To their great credit, Cambridge continued to battle through the final 1,000 meters although Oxford’s lead was unassailable by this stage. Indeed, the latter continued to row away towards a decidedly Dark Blue horizon, crossing the line over a minute ahead of their Cambridge counterparts. Oxford women are coached by Chris Wilson, Yale ’83, and former coach of YWC. In reserve races for the men, Isis [Oxford] defeated Goldie [Cambridge] by 2 lengths, and for the women, Blondie [Cambridge] led Osiris [Oxford] by 3 lengths at the Mortlake finish. For full coverage go to http://theboatraces.org.
- With relations between the US and Cuba thawing (and the international statute of limitations run out), the story of the real Cuban missile crisis can finally be told! ‘The Boys on the Roof’: http://www.row2k.com/features/966/The-Boys-on-the-Roof–or–The-Real-Cuban-Missile-Crisis-/#.Vvmavqvp2lI
Go Blue … Go Yale … Be One With The Boat!
Cheers!
Coach