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Home News Race Reports 2007 Penrith (Race 2 Inc Points)
Home News Race Reports 2007 Penrith (Race 2 Inc Points)
2007 Penrith (Race 2 Inc Points) PDF Print E-mail
Written by Niki Watters   
Sunday, 04 November 2007 10:00

SIRC, Penrith. NSW


November 4th: 

Results
Women's Crew: Bronze (Major Final)
Mixed Crew (Blue): Bronze (Major Final)

Racing at the Penrith Regatta Centre always means a big race and an electric vibe. This race day was no different. With many teams braving the crazy weather that is not uncommon to Penrith, turning up prepared for rain, sun and incredibly windy conditions. Fortunately the rain held off, however, it made way for a massive head wind; which proved difficult for boat aligners to align, sweeps to sweep, and paddlers to……hear. Due to these contributing factors, racing ran late and consequently the organisers were forced to scratch various races so we would get home before darkness fell upon us.
Team DSA fielded 3 crews for this particular race day, a women’s crew, an opens crew and a mixed crew. Racing with depleted numbers meant that everyone got ample race practice. With only 10 guys racing, the girls were able to mix it up with the best of the best opens teams around. However, since none of the guys brought along their wigs; and didn’t dress particularly girly, they were unable to take to the water in the women’s crew, and subsequently, the women’s crew raced 4 paddlers short. Team DSA embraced this adversity and turned it into a challenge.
The mixed team was up first; hitting a high rate throughout, but still managing to take it home with a strong 3rd place. With the talented sweep Ewen, on loan from Tsunami, the women’s crew added a 4th place to the Team DSA tally.
The Open heats were held next, and with help from the oestrogen-producing members of Team DSA, the opens boat steamed home with another strong performance, notching a further 3rd place on the board.
Unfortunately, 2nd place eluded them by one hundredth of a Second.
The second round saw Team DSA hitting the right rates and sticking to their own race plan, and consequently achieving pleasing times, with the opens team clocking in at 2:22:61, DSA’s fastest time of the day.
With no expectations going into the second round, or the final depending on how you look at it. Team DSA women pulled together as a 16-strong unit, going all in, alongside the full crews representing: Sloths, Northern Beaches, Bei Loon SDB and a joint Coast Busters/Illawarra. With George at the helm, there was incentive to MOVE, and FAST! Surprising ourselves, and possibly the other crews with a massive 3rd place finish in 2:30:14.
Giving the national champs, the Northern Beaches a run for their money, with them pinching 2nd place in a photo finish, those hundredths of a second kill us! Imagine what we could’ve done with a full team, and a little less weight at the back of the boat, ahem!
As the day drew to a close and the presentations were upon us, Team DSA was genuinely surprised to receive a trophy for 3rd place in the Mixed B final, as well as the well deserved 3rd in the women’s A final. Wind swept, exhausted and two trophies richer, Team DSA refuelled at the revamped Peach Tree, sucking down a hard-earned beverage.
Well done and thank you to everyone who raced and all the effort that was put into organising the race day.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 January 2009 07:15
 

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