The Head of the Beira, which is a prestigious annual Club regatta, will kick start the rowing season for 2014 with an event on the 22nd February at the Colombo Rowing Club.
The regatta comprises a four event and a scull event in the Men’s and Women’s categories and is unlike any other regatta. The race is two miles long and the spectators get to see the race at its outset, from near the Rowing club pier, until the boat disappears towards the St. Joseph’s side of the Beira and then reappears on its way back down to the finish line. This race demands both skill and endurance as the oarsmen and oarswomen must maintain their style and power during the entire two miles. The race has another unique element to it as is also requires the participants to turn their boat around at the Mile. The turn is as much a part of the race as the rowing is and crews spend a lot of their training time trying to perfect the fastest possible turn. Despite the Beira’s strange shape, crews can find a straight course to row down on when the race is a 1000 metres or less. However, a two mile course requires the crews to turn a little on their way up and make a sharp turn on their way down. Coxes and Scullers must learn to navigate their way to the mile and back on the best possible route in order to ensure that they do not have to row any extra distance.
In addition to all of this, each boat is started off at a different time due to the particular course that must be taken and the turn at the mile. As a result, it is difficult for crews to gauge how well they are doing in comparison to other crews as they are not side by side with their competition. Therefore they must keep their eyes on their stopwatches as they race against the time.
While the Head of the Beira is an open event, this year the Rowing Club has also included a junior event so that the young oarsmen and oarswomen can participate. This event will be up to the thousand meter mark and back.
To be the champions of the Head of the Beira is no easy feat; only the most skillful crews have a shot at this title. It is an open category which means that it will be a fierce competition between all the institutions in the rowing circuit. Therefore, scullers, coxes and their crews must be at the top of their game. They must know how to pace themselves out over this long hard course and must also focus on their course at all times. No other regatta demands as much all-round talent from the crews as this one does.
The regatta will commence at 6.00 a.m. So drop by the Colombo Rowing Club at any time this Saturday, to witness each institution fight to claim that they are, and will continue to be, the best crew to row on the Beira this year.
