From left: Rowers Tola Myczkowska Caroline Hart, Olivia MacLean, and Molly Hart. (Courtesy photo)
Four Bromfield rowers competed in the international Henley Women’s Regatta at Henley-on-Thames, England, this past weekend, winning their first race but losing their quarterfinal later in the day under difficult conditions.
Caroline Hart, Molly Hart, Livvi MacLean, and Tola Myczkowska, all from Harvard, competed in the four-rower 4X category, otherwise known as the “quad” event, on June 22-23. Though the girls won their first head-to-head race against Saint Edward’s School of Oxford, England, and advanced to the quarterfinal heats later in the day, they were bedeviled in their second contest by gusts and headwinds.
After taking the lead in the first five strokes, a crosswind blew the Bromfield-Acton-Boxborough boat directly into the lane markers. The crew lost precious time as they worked to get back on course and into the race. By then the Kingston Grammar School boat had moved out to a three-fourths length lead. The girls battled hard but could not find the solid, strong style they had shown in the morning race and now needed to mount a real challenge.
The rowers were disappointed by the result, but are already looking forward to their next training venue, the famous blue and white boat tents of Reading, England. There they will have a full week to make a complete transition from their usual sweep style competitions to sculling in the quad. They will take advantage of the time to find out what they need to improve, to learn about steering this very fickle race course without a cox, and to gain confidence in this technically challenging boat.
On Saturday June 29, the girls will race in doubles and join four girls from Maidenhead Rowing Club at the Reading Town Regatta in a composite eight. The following weekend, the crew intends to earn one of the coveted eight slots in the Junior 4X event at the Henley Royal Regatta, the only junior girls event that competes in the July 5-7 event. There are 20 crews in contention.
