Although CBC runs year-round rowing programs, the crew seasons are distinctly different from one another. The official racing season consists of the Spring 2,000 meter (~1.25 miles) “Sprint” races, culminating with the Youth National Championships in mid-June. Competitive rowing programs like CBC, however, also compete in the Fall and Winter. CBC also runs developmental and advanced summer camps.
Fall
During the Fall, CBC usually competes in four “head” races, such as the Head of the Charles regatta. Head races are generally 2.5 to 4 miles long and are run against the clock. As many as 80-90 boats may row in a single race. They start one after another (usually ~ 15 seconds apart) and speed down an often winding river. Their finishes are clocked and the boat with the fastest time wins. For competitors, the most exciting moments often come as one crew overtakes another on turn, through a narrow stretch of river, and/or when three boats run neck-and-neck toward a bridge with room for only two! Given all of the variables at play, although these races are hard-fought, the final outcomes are often determined by external factors (such as the speed of the boat in front of you). Depending on the weather, we usually continue to practice on the water until mid-November.
Winter
In crew, the Winter is all about training! We practice indoors 3 days a week at Dynamic Athletics in Darien (for weight and conditioning workouts) and 3 days a week at CBC in Norwalk (on the rowing machines).
We also practice in the rowing “tanks” at Yale University.
To keep the competitive juices flowing, our athletes also compete at a couple of indoor rowing competitions, including the CT Indoor Championships and the C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints.
Spring
Spring is the peak of our racing season. CBC competes in 5 – 7 regattas, culminating in the Youth National Championships. In these events, the boats races side-by-side for 2,000 meters. In 2016, CBC won the National Championship in the 2- and finished 3rd in the 8+.
Summer
CBC runs several rowing camps throughout the summer. Separate camps are geared for beginners and experienced rowers.
Additionally, there are CBC rowers and/or coxswains who are invited to attend one of USRowing’s Development, High Performance, or Selection camps. In 2016, CBC’s Kaitlyn Kynast won Bronze for the United States in the 2- at the Junior World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands while Olivia Luther won Gold in the Women’s 4- and Gold in the Women’s 8 at the international regatta CanAmMex in Florida. Also, Ella Petreski won Gold in the U-17 Women’s 8 and Casey Batson and Ella Petreski won bronze in U17 4x (quadruple sculls) as part of the USRowing High Performance team at Club Nationals in Ohio. In the 2015 Worlds, Kaitlyn’s boat (coached by Liz Trond) won Gold in the 4- and Julia Cornacchia helped power the US 8+ to the Bronze medal.
