Ready, Row! USA #30: Heading to the Charles!

Today, we’ll be learning from rowing camp coaches Jim Dietz and Mark Wilson who recently hosted their 2019 HOCR Camp in Boston for an international cast of scullers. There is no bigger or more spectacular race than the Head Of The Charles. The bridges, the basin, the turns, the excitement, the history, boathouses, and the crowds make the Head of the Charles a must for every rowing enthusiast. This is Mark & Jim’s second annual camp for the Charles (and Jim’s 54th time rowing it), so look for great guidance and some inside tips & tricks! We’ll be releasing some on-the-water video highlights later in the month.

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• Ready, Row! USA is part of the international RowingChat network. Subscribe at Rowing.Chat to receive notifications of upcoming shows, send in news tips, and join our community on this website and on our YouTube channel.
• The producer of Ready, Row! USA is Charlotte Pierce; associate producer is Tara Morgan; our senior correspondent is Mark Wilson; and our executive producer is Rebecca Caroe of Rowing.Chat international podcast network. Ryan Worth and Alison Pollini serve as regular contributors, episode producers, & hosts.
• Our director is behind the scenes, selecting your questions and comments for discussion by our panelists, so keep ‘em coming via the YouTube channel or our Club News or Gadgets & Gear submission forms! All these links and more are on these Show Notes and on our blog.
• SPONSORS: OarInspired, Randall Foils, Pierce Press, All-American Rowing Camp, Seize the Oar Foundation.

THE TOPIC AT HAND: 

The Event, The Venue, the Race!  You’ll find a discussion of all of these elements in relation to the Head of the Charles. Senior correspondent Mark Wilson, who just completed his All-American Head of the Charles Camp with AARC co-founder Jim Dietz, reminds people that some want to just row, some want to be competitive and others want to WIN!  Everyone has different goals and that is important to be safe, enjoy the camaraderie and have fun. If you are presenting a regatta, make it fun, make it memorable and give people a reason to come back!

Thanks again to our fabulous SPONSORS!

OAR INSPIRED: Thanks to Des and the team at OarInspired, we’ve got a special offer this month for RowingChat listeners. Get 20% off your purchase of a GoPro mount for a rowing boat using the coupon “rowingchat” There is nothing like a good video to help in training or crew debriefing, but getting the right camera position and angle can be challenging. Oar Inspired‘s new camera mount will let you position your camera at the level and angle to capture all the action.

“IN THE BOOTH”

Random thoughts on rowing, from the “In the Booth” Crew

• Mark, My Words:  The Head of the Charles is a magical rowing weekend where new rowers make friends and veterans reacquaint with old friends.  Remember the older you get, the faster you were.  

• Charlotte at the Catch: Keep training like you intend to race, even if you’re on the waiting list for HOCR! You could get “the call” like I did last year!

• Tip from Tara: Going to the Charles is the World Series of Rowing.  A great festival of every kind of rowers, boats, styles and passion for the sport. It’s definitely a “bucket list” rowing experience. Sometimes the trek from the West Coast can seem daunting for just 20’ (give or take) of racing, but it’s about the whole experience – from the vendor villages to cheering on the bridges to seeing your club on the official t-shirt and making new friends.  And if you can’t row it, volunteer for it!

Thanks again to our fabulous SPONSORS!

RANDALL FOILS: Digging deep under the water with your oars is a challenge for many athletes. Canny canny engineer, Ian Randall, has come up with a solution that both prevents digging and also makes a boat go faster. Launched during 2019, these ingenious devices are glued or taped onto the top edge of your oar.  They are a right angled attachment which helps the top of the oar remain near the water surface. You can see they are quite thick pieces of material. The design allows the same length foil to fit onto a sweep or a sculling oar. 

Episode Hashtag

• Watch or listen, and use it on social media for a chance to win rowing gear & services!

Upcoming Topics

• All about rowing clubs; our first-ever Wacky Wednesday! with some of the crazy stuff we love to do in rowing; Coastal Rowing, Fall Edition; and a special Gadgets & Gear.

Make It Your Show!

• Use our handy-dandy forms to submit your Club News and favorite rowing gadgets. No club is too small, too new, or too old; no gadget too cheap. Let us know if you’d like to come on the show and showcase your rowing club or demonstrate your gadget; or send in a photo or video clip! 

Submit news on our CLUB NEWS FORM and tell us about your favorite gadgets, gear & hacks on our GADGETS & GEAR FORM!

Podcast Production Credits

• Executive Producer: Rebecca Caroe, Rowing.Chat 
• Producer: Charlotte Pierce, Pierce Press 
• Associate Producer: Tara Morgan, Seize the Oar and Vashon Is. RC
• Senior Correspondent: Mark Wilson, All-American Rowing Camp
• Correspondent: Ryan Worth, UTC Rowing | Swift Boats and Accessories 
• Correspondent: Alison Pollini, Carnegie Lake Rowing