2025 VCB Youth Regatta

This year's VCB Youth Race saw 10 crews from VCB, Harbor School, Rocking the Boat, Ledyard Rowin', and Sound School competing in the Basin Heats, Nautical Mile, and Head-to-Head Sprints. After a breakfast featuring bagels from the #2 bagel store in the country (thanks Frank!), and much prep work, we gave a quick overview of the day's races.

First up was the Basin Heats. In this fast paced race, crews get a running start and are timed for one lap around the basin. We go through the order three times, and the slowest time for each crew is dropped from consideration. In the Seasoned category Harbor School's Kekamamakalilkanilealani (#2) zipped past the competition with a total time of 6:30, followed by VCB's Wet Sox (#1) at 6:50. In the Novice category, Harbor's Aquaholics (#16) at 7:46 narrowly bested VCB's Stroke of Luck (#13) at 7:47.5.

We made good time with the basin heats and were ahead of schedule so our volunteers started the grills and began to feed the hungry masses. After the lunch break next up was the river race, north against a strong ebb a half mile, around the chase boat, and back to make a nautical mile. Kekamamakalilkanilealani (#2) again flew fastest with a time of 10:21.5. That's a staggering 5.8 knots average speed. The novice category saw Harbor School's Aquaholics (#16) emerge victorious with a time of 12:10.  

The last race of the day was the head-to-head sprint. This featured four crews racing, at the sound of the cannon, from one end of the basin to the other. In the first race, Kekamamakalilkanilealani (#2) came in first, followed by the Wet Sox (#1), then Harbor School's Fantastic Oarsome (#7), with VCB's The Stroke Society (#3) suffering a starting issue and a resounding defeat.  In the seconds race, Sound School's Swaggy Slicers (#14) slipped into first, followed by Ledyard's River Rats (#5), then Rocking the Boat's Renegades (#15) and bringing up the rear Sound's CT Blitz (#11). In the Novice head-to-head race, the Aquaholics (#16) edged out VCB's Stroke of Luck (#13).

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the day possible, our MC Michael Anton, Sally C for bringing the food, Frank, Jackie, and Sally B for getting it grilled, Emily, Cindy, and Richard for handling the dock, Ruth, Lee, and the other timekeepers, and Ingo our chase boat captain and videographer. Also a big shout out to the coaches without who we wouldn't have the 50 young rowers to make this such a successful event - Sean, Neil, Andrew, Reem, Nick, Russel and anyone else I've forgotten!

See you on the water,
-Marcel