The Hobart rowing team is in England to compete in the Henley Royal Regatta. The Statesmen traveled with an eight and two fours and begin competition on July 1. Throughout the trip, the coaching staff will post regular updates on the team's racing and sightseeing.

N.B. Finding a reliable wireless signal in Henley is proving to be every bit as challenging as the competition on the water. The July 2 report on racing didn't arrive stateside until the early morning hours of July 3.
 

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June 29 | July 1 | July 2 | July 3 | July 10

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Greetings from Henley-on-Thames!

The Statesmen have been in England for almost a week! So much has happened and we are excited to send you our first update. Updates will be more regular once racing begins on Wednesday. 

Travel 

The team departed JFK last Monday evening and arrived in Henley on Tuesday morning. After moving into our new homes and meeting our gracious host families we went to the race course to rig boats and row over the Henley course for the first time. The squad was pretty jet-lagged, but the enthusiasm for the event carried us to solid first rows. That night we had a team dinner at a traditional English pub, The Row Barge, and at the end of the meal the squad was happily surprised with the delivery of their Collier and Robinson Henley Jackets. Purple and orange has never looked so good!

 

Early days and training

It took a few days for everyone to get truly acclimated to the time change and the logistics of getting to and from the venue each day, but that didn't stop us from pursuing two-a-day sessions. We spent early days fine tuning the rig of our new Hudsons and working on finding rhythm and speed in our new hulls and on this most unique of race courses.

 

Qualifying

On Friday both of our fours entered in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup had to go through a qualifying race. Simply paying the entry fee and arriving in Henley is not a guarantee that you will be allowed to compete. Fifty boats entered the Prince Albert event while only 24 earn the privilege of racing in the regatta. Twelve of the entries were automatically selected to compete, meaning on Friday our boats were two of 38 crews competing for 12 spaces in the regatta. Both boats had strong races and demonstrated that they were worthy of racing in the Henley Royal Regatta. We are proud to say that both boats qualified. This means that racing will begin Wednesday, July 1, with our entry in the Temple Cup (the varsity eight), and all our crews will race on Thursday July 2 when the Prince Albert Cup begins.

Dinner at the Leander Club

Many rowers are familiar with the world-famous Leander Club in Henley that is home to many Great Britain National Team rowers, and countless Henley and Olympic Championships. Following qualifying races on Friday evening the team was fortunate enough to eat dinner at Leander and celebrate their qualifying crews thanks to members, James and Melissa Robinson, who also hosted the team's Leander meal during their 2011 visit.

The team had a wonderful evening celebrating the fours and looked forward to an exciting week of racing. It was also Coach Bugenhagen and his wife, Amy Jo's, anniversary! 
The team got dressed up in their Henley attire for the first time and looked beyond sharp and stylish! Thanks again to Collier and Robinson for the blazers! 
 

The Draw 
 

After the qualifying races on Friday, everyone gathers at the Henley town hall on Saturday afternoon for the official announcement of The Draw. According to the Henley Stewards (the people who run the regatta), a record crowd was on hand this year to see the racing brackets released.

As mentioned, the fours will race for the first time on Thursday and have some strong competition in their event from the IRA Champion Washington Huskies, Cornell lightweights, two entries from Cambridge University (under Goldie Boat Club) and other international entries from the United States and Netherlands. The draw for our crews in the Prince Albert Cup can be seen by CLICKING HERE.

The Hobart varsity eight is entered in the Temple Challenge Cup (CLICK HERE to see the draw) and was one of the eight selected crews in the 32-boat field, which is why they were not required to qualify on Friday. The Temple Cup has its fair share of challenges with a number of talented Dutch crews, University de Lyon from France, Kings College from Australia, Trinity College from Ireland and last year's champion, Oxford Brookes University. Additionally, there are a number of talented crews from the United States: IRA Champion Cornell lightweights, Columbia lightweights, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia. 

The first race for the Temple Challenge Cup is Wednesday at 5:40 p.m. local time. That is 12:40 Eastern time. The race will be webcast by the regatta on YouTube. Results will also be on Twitter at @HenleyResults. 

Our next update will be after racing Wednesday. Thank you very much for all of your support! We can feel you pulling with us from afar, and we certainly couldn't have gotten here without you all. You can find more team updates via Twitter @HobartRowing and Coach Bugenhagen is putting photos and video up all the time on Instagram via his account B_TheHammer. 
 
Until our next update, Go Statesmen!

The Coaching Staff 
 

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Greeting from the Henley Royal Regatta,

Today was Day 1 of racing, and it was hot! Today marked just the fourth time in the past 39 years for gentlemen to remove their jackets in the Stewards' Enclosure. Today was hot enough to literally melt the oars as one crew's stroke-man apparently lost the blade from the end of his oar's shaft because the glue welding the carbon fiber pieces together melted. So, while the day was hot we focused on staying cool.

Our race in the Temple Challenge Cup wasn't until 5:40 p.m. so the varsity eight spent most of the day relaxing in our home away from home watching the racing via the regatta's live stream on YouTube. During the midday break our crews in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup practiced on the race course while the varsity eight started readying for the race back at the house with a dynamic stretching session in the backyard.

Once our preparations back at the house were complete, we headed down to the race course. The town was thick with crowds from the regatta, and the energy was high as we arrived.
 

 
As soon as we arrived we began preparing the boat for racing with a final wash and review of the hull. While I worked on the boat, the guys got ready for their first race vs. Edinburgh University of Scotland. Everything leading up to the race went according to plan: the warm up on land was effective, the chaos of the boat traffic and crowd was managed well, and when it was time to race the crew was ready.
 

 
Coxswain Sam Zuckerman recalled the race like this: "We had a great start to the regatta today facing the University of Edinburgh, we gained a boat-length lead at about 200 meters into the race. We were fortunate enough to maintain control of the race the rest of the way, while conserving as much energy as possible. A major part of getting far in a multi-day regatta that's single elimination is energy management, in order to be as fresh as possible for each race, and especially because the races get harder and faster as you progress. Tomorrow we go up against our friendly rivals from the University of Virginia, who are a very good crew and are extremely well prepared. It will undoubtedly be a great race all the way to the finish line."

The final results today's race were:
Hobart College, U.S.A. beat Edinburgh University, verdict 2 3/4 lengths
race                 day                  station            barrier            fawley             finish
63                    Wednesday    1 - Berks         1.51                 3.14                 6.55
 
Day 2 will see all three Hobart crews in action as the varsity eight returns to the water at 2:05 p.m. here in England (9:05 a.m. ET) and the fours begin their racing in the evening. The "A" entry will race at 6 p.m. (1 p.m. ET) and the "B" entry will race at 7:15 pm (2:15 p.m. ET).

Every day is a great day to be a Statesmen! Thank you to everyone back home for your support, we are receiving everyone's notes and messages, and each of you is making every day here in England even greater with your energy and enthusiasm.

Coach Bugenhagen

 

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Greetings from the Henley Regatta,

Today was Day 2 of racing and all the Hobart crews were in action. We are enjoying raucous crowds and loud cheering sections due to the strong support we have from our parents, family, friends, and our alumni who traveled to England with us to participate in the 176th Henley Royal Regatta.
 

While the weather cooled down today, the racing definitely heated up! Our fours in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup were matched up against strong English competition. Hobart's B entry raced Newcastle University down the course finishing two lengths behind. The official results of the race are:

Newcastle University 'B' beat Hobart College 'B', U.S.A. verdict - 2 lengths
race   day         station     barrier    fawley    finish
66     Thursday    1 - Berks     2.04      3.33      7.27
 
For those new to reading Henley results, the station is the lane the winning crew raced in. The stations are "Berks" (lane 1) and "Bucks" (lane 2). Another nuance of the race is that rather than breaking the course into standard distances like 500 meters, the regatta continues to use the original landmarks from 176 years ago. These landmarks are the "Barrier" and "Fawley," which is just past Lord Fawley's court/home from long ago.
 
Coach Keller's assessment of the race was, "The guys did a great job of playing to their strengths and sticking to the race plan. They threw down a powerful base rhythm and ate into the Newcastle lead in the body of the race. Unfortunately, the Newcastle boat had a strong sprint and was able to open up the race in the last 1/4 mile. I'm proud of the guys for racing with guts, intensity, and for trusting each other."
 
The Hobart A entry was in one of the "races of the day" as they battled an English crew from Oxford Brookes. Brookes, as they are known more commonly, is a deep and impressive team. Unfortunately for the Statesmen, they proved the better crew today. "The guys pushed Oxford Brookes down the race course from the first stroke to the last. The margin was never greater than 2/3 of a length. Watching the race was like two boxers delivering body blow after body blow to each other. Neither crew relented and neither crew quit. The guys raced exactly the way we ask Hobart oarsmen to compete: tough, aggressive, and courageous. I think the Oxford Brookes guys had to go to the very bottom of the well to win and in a race like that there are no winners or losers because each man gave every ounce of effort to succeed. I've never been prouder of a boat and the guys delivered a compete race," Coach Keller said.
 
The complete results of this barnburner are:

Oxford Brookes University 'A' beat Hobart College 'A', U.S.A. verdict 2/3 length
race   day         station      barrier    fawley    finish
79     Thursday    2 - Bucks      2.02      3.26      7.05
 
The excitement of these races isn't just due to the high standard of performance. The knockout format lends added pressure and urgency to the racing unlike any other regatta we've participated in. Our varsity eight was acutely aware of what was on the line as they prepared for their second race of the regatta.
 
Our Temple Challenge Cup eight raced against a familiar friend today in the University of Virginia. We annually scrimmage Virginia at the end of our spring training camp, and we knew that we were going to have to go deep within ourselves to create an advantage against such powerful racers. I'm pleased to say that the crew continues to improve every day and that today, we bested Virginia to progress to Day 3.
 
 
August Wherry said, "It was an exciting race that yielded the fastest time of the day. Racing such a good crew like UVA meant we had to get out hard and fast, so we focused on improving the start of our race. We were able to post one of the quickest times to the barrier with a 1:48. We jumped to an early lead and held off the Cavaliers by a length the rest of the way and concluded with a length victory. Despite the disappointment for our friends, the sportsmanship from both sides of the race remained high as smiles and hugs between crews ensued back on the docks."
 
The official results of the race are:

Hobart College, U.S.A. beat University of Virginia, U.S.A. verdict 1 length
race   day         station      barrier    fawley    finish
37     Thursday    1 - Berks      1.48      3.05      6.25
 
So, Day 2 ends with heartbreak and exhilaration. Such is the nature of competitive sport, but sometimes even in the swirl of emotions of racing we are lucky enough to find friends and support in the most interesting places. I was lucky enough to run into one of the original coaches, Boris Rankov, who is now a Steward of the Royal Henley Regatta. We got to share some stories and laughs, and once more I was reminded of how great it is to be Statesmen!
 
The varsity eight will race Columbia University in the quarterfinals on July 3 at 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).

Until tomorrow,

Coach Bugenhagen
 

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Fourth Henley Update

Today was the third day of racing and Friday serves as the quarterfinals for all of the events. Friday and Saturday at Henley are the hottest tickets of the week because of how fast and competitive the races are.
 

The team had great racing weather today; conditions were favorable to all crews and some regatta course records fell or were equaled over the course of the day. ASR Nereus, one of the Dutch crews in our event, broke the course record by an astounding 9 seconds earlier in the day.

The Statesmen faced off with the Columbia lightweight crew at 6 p.m. local time. The Columbia team won its first two races comfortably and is coming off silver medal performances at the Easter Sprints and the IRA National Championship. This was a well prepared and competitive crew. The Lions took a slight lead off the starting line and were able to withstand multiple pushes from the Statesmen, who drew as close as a canvas (which would place our bow ball on their bow seat) but won by a margin of  3/4 of a length. The official results of the race are:

Columbia University, U.S.A. beat Hobart College, U.S.A. verdict 3/4 length
race   day      station      barrier    fawley    finish
59     Friday   1 – Berks      1.48      3.03      6.19

Coach Bugenhagen had this to say about the race: "The race was as tough as it looked. There are a lot of variables at play on every race course, but the Henley race course is arguably the most unique and today our best wasn't quite good enough to come across the line in front of Columbia, which is a fine crew that is expertly coached and trained, so we tip our hat in congratulations to them because they withstood our best effort and won."

Making it to the quarterfinals in this event is quite an accomplishment, and once again this group of oarsmen added another benchmark in their chapter of the program's history book, as this is Hobart's deepest run into the regatta in all five of our appearances. For the seniors in this boat, and throughout the program, we say thank you and job well done. The Class of 2015 raised the bar every year and each year set program best performances.

For our returning athletes, they've done the work side-by-side with these seniors and they are intimately aware of the standards required in our process and have a model of leadership they can refer back to as they steward the program to the next great achievement.

The day was capped off with a team dinner. Three of our families, the Letorneys (Austin '17), the Sylvans (Matt '17) and the Mullers (Davis '16), invited the team over and had a wonderful cookout with alumni, parents, and the students. It was a great way to end the day and a firm reminder that the Hobart rowing family is always there to support us in our endeavors. Thank you to all of our wonderful fans, friends and families at home and abroad, we could not have had this experience without your support.

Our last Henley update will be posted upon the team's return to Geneva.

As always, it's great to be a Statesmen!

Hip Hobart!

Tom Keller 
 

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Greetings from Geneva!

We have successfully returned to the States, and the team has filtered back home or off to the next summer adventure. Our return home also marks the end of Coach Keller's tenure with us. He, along with our seniors, have left an indelible impact on the program, and we will be forever grateful for the friendship and quality of their time here in Geneva. Thank you Tom, you were an outstanding teammate!

The Henley experience was everything we expected and more than we hoped. It is a spectacle in every sense of the word. The crowd is enormous and stretches for better than a mile and a quarter down the entire length of the race course.

The history (176 years worth!) and the pageant of the event can only be experienced to be understood, and the fellowship with teammates, alums, family, and other rowers from abroad fills the spirit.
 It is a remarkable event in every way imaginable, and I hope you all get a chance to compete or spectate at this event at least once in your life.

As mentioned in the last update, our defeat to Columbia University was a tough race against a mature and seasoned crew. It was gutting to lose, but the men gave a tremendous effort and they will certainly remember that effort with pride for the rest of their lives. As with all losses, we will tear it apart, learn from it, and get better because of it. This moment, however, does not capture the event and why it was so special and successful.

We have enjoyed a run through the history book at Hobart these past few seasons here at home. Henley represents the highest level of international competition for student teams from colleges and universities across the world. To make it through the bracket into racing on Friday-Saturday-Sunday takes tremendous strength and skill. These weekend races pit the best against the best from all over the world and from some of the most prestigious schools in their countries. In the final eight of the Temple Challenge Cup the crews were Hobart College, Princeton University, Cornell University, Columbia University, The University of London, Oxford Brooks University (UK), eventual finalist from the University Of Lyon (France) and the eventual champions from Netherlands, the Amsterdam Student Rowing Club Nereus. Truly elite company, and indicative of the rarified air our program now finds itself in so routinely. My final impression from this event was that it will take a special crew, but this is a race that we can win!
 Within our team, we had a remarkable year of training and performance from each individual. As often as possible I remind myself, and our teammates, how lucky we are to share this time in our lives together. From the strongest team in our program's history, 19 athletes revealed themselves to have the quality required to race with the best of the best from across the world. I'm confident this experience will help us continue to value each other, push each other, and to keep reaching for more!

Thank you one last time to the SAA, our parents, alumni, and friends who made this trip happen with your enthusiastic support and generous donations. You have created a meaningful experience that will last a lifetime for the young men and women from the Colleges. With your continued support we can continue to expand the opportunities and experiences for these student-athletes in ways that complement the world-class education received in the classrooms, and truly create lives of consequence.

With deepest gratitude,

Coach Bugenhagen