The Boys in the Boat

I've started reading Daniel Brown's book The Boys in the Boat, the story of the Washington men's 8 that won gold in the 1936 Olympics. It's a compelling read and I recommend it. Here's a short passage as he describes the physical demands of rowing:

     "When you row...your body burns calories and consumes oxygen at a rate that is unmatched in almost any other human endeavor. Physiologists, in fact, have calculated that rowing a two-thousand meter race --the Olympic standard -- takes the same physiological toll as playing two basketball games back-to-back. And it exacts that toll in about six minutes."

Watch the short trailer and be ready to start erging on Monday!

Winter project - wakeless launch

I'm presently building a wakeless launch to use as a coaching platform. Shown above is a similar boat from WinTech (that costs ~$9000). The hulls I'm using are from a donated Hobie 17 catamaran. I narrowed the beam from eight feet to six and a half feet, removed the centerboards and plugged the wells. I struck a tentative waterline and applied an epoxy barrier coat. The aluminum cross beams were sistered with pine timbers to accept a ply deck. Next up will be the deck and a helm steering station. Stay tuned!

Also, expect a recruiting push this coming week. I've hung a single in the cafeteria as a focal point.
For those who want to get an early start on erging, this year's HRRC erg pull is slated for February 8th at Waterside. Pull hard, crusaders!