For Coaches: The Perfect Pre-Race Email
Hello Rowers!
The Time is here. Time to show our competitors that we are faster since [last regatta]. Focus on your boats, row together and go out there and have fun.
Attached you will find a PDF of our race lineups complete with updated race times and lane assignments. The full heat sheet can be found HERE [link to Regatta Central or other race management site].
Take a good look at the lineup and lane assignment sheet. Know when your boat and oars are being used before and after you. Be prepared to rig the boat if you are the first crew to use it and de-rig it if you are the last. Get back to the dock quickly if you see a crew using your shell or oars less than 1 hour after your race.
Address for GPS: Eliot Bridge, Boston, MA
Parking: Our ability to accommodate parked cars at the regatta site parking lot is severely limited. All cars will be required to find space on the nearby streets.
Arrival: 3 hours before your race. Plan for that and if you run a little late, you should still be ok. At a bare minimum, arrive 2 hours before, but be prepared to move quickly if you arrive that soon before your race.
Departure: Once all boats are back on the trailer after the last race. Last time was pretty good but there were a handful of rowers who went missing when it was time to do the hard part: putting the trailer back together. We can clean that up this time and move 2x as fast.
Forecasted Weather: High of 67 Degrees, 20% chance of precipitation, Winds 8-12 mph.
Course Map: Attached as a JPEG or found HERE. Study it and know the traffic pattern when you are out on the water.
Racing Uniform: The most recent clothing order from JL will be arriving today and will be at the course tomorrow morning. It will be with the truck near the trailer, talk to me, Stella, or Emily before taking anything so we can mark that you received your gear.
During the regatta: Fully warm-up on land before you get hands on the boat. We will have 4 ergs at the site, understand there will be a lot of demand for the ergs so plan ahead and use them quickly and with consideration of your teammates. Stay off your feet as much as possible. Please help out teammates in need. You are responsible for coercing a teammate into carrying oars, help with slings, getting boats off the trailer, etc. Coach Alex and I will be there and help as much as we can.
Like always, slings will be a valuable commodity. We will try to keep as many boats off slings as possible that have awhile until they race. We simply do not have enough slings for every boat. Use the wood T’s to put boats down near the ground, or put them on the trailer. Put a strap on a boat that you are not directly interacting with so we avoid the chance of it falling off the trailer, etc.
I will bring a large cooler with ice and water/Gatorades again. I can’t bring enough for everyone so try to bring some for yourself and use the big cooler as a backup.
Private Singles: Keep your boat on the trailer and off slings unless you are about to launch. Please take your boat off the trailer after the regatta or at least before 8:30am Sunday morning. The junior team is using the trailer afterwards and will be moving things around. Don’t subject your single to the abuse that will come from distracted teenagers. Communicate with Paul and myself if you need us to do anything with your 1x.
If possible I would like to talk to each boat before you launch, but there are a lot of races so Paul and I may not get to each boat. 5 minutes before hands on have a meeting with your boat to talk about the race plan and things to focus on.
Motivation Talk: We have put a lot of training under our belts. We are not peaking yet and still have plenty of boat speed to gain this season, but we are fast now. Don’t over think these races. Go out and race harder than you do in practice every day and we will be fine. 5k goes quickly, cross the start line at full pressure, find a strong racing cadence and don’t settle for a sub-par performance, go out there and own your. Fully commit to the boat and your teammates and be prepared to find the pain and experience more of it than your opponent is willing to endure.
Let me know if I am missing any important Information. Otherwise, see everyone tomorrow!
Go Team!
