By PAT CALL
For The Beachcomber

The American Lake Regatta last weekend presented good rowing conditions to participants from 30 area clubs in more than 50 events.

Vashon’s masters and junior crews had another strong showing with five first-place and four second-place finishes in eight events with three or more entries.

Head racing is challenging for the rowers since starts are “one boat at a time” separated by approximately 20 seconds per boat, and position in the field is not easy to determine unless passing competitors or being passed.  The course is a counterclockwise circuit of the lake keeping the giant orange buoys on the rowers’ right for the majority of the race. The races are also confounding for the spectators as boats are only easily visible at the finish line. Relative positions are tough to judge, and final times are delayed by about an hour, adding to the anticipation.

In an era of Vashon crew racing where the remarkable has become commonplace (20 years ago one first place finish at this regatta would have been cause for celebration), the depth of the team once again showed through.

First-place boats for the junior crew were the men’s varsity quad, which also had the second fastest time of the entire regatta; the women’s varsity four; women’s varsity double and men’s varsity double. The master women’s quad also took home a blue ribbon. Second-place junior finishers were a second men’s varsity double, a men’s novice four, the women’s varsity eight and the women’s lightweight varsity four.

Coach Richard Parr congratulated the team on a strong day at American Lake, emphasizing that each regatta is part of the year-long build up to Regionals and Nationals races in the late spring.

“American Lake provided some good competition in some events but not in all,” he said. “Several of our major local competitors did not attend so we have to be content with some excellent rowing form and times today.”

The men’s varsity quad was rowed by Patrick Hanson, Fletcher Call, Liam McConnell and Forrest Miller.      The women’s varsity four was rowed by Emily Milbrath, Virginia Miller, Maddie McEachern and Shannon Lipe.

The women’s varsity double was rowed by Riley Lynch and Rhea Enzian, and the men’s varsity double by Hanson and Miller.

The master women’s quad was rowed by Terese Smith, Su Dewalt, Marilyn Kleyn and Deb Jackson.

The Vashon crew is sending four boats, 11 junior and eight master rowers, to the fabled Head of the Charles race in Boston this next weekend.

— Pat Call is the father of a junior rower.