The Tribune

BAHAMIAN rower Ethan Stanhope and the Brentwood College School (Mill Bay, British Columbia) coxed youth men’s quadruple scull crew earned a top half finish at the 54th Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR).

This year’s regatta hosted over 11,000 athletes from 35 different countries over the two-day event October 20-21 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Stanhope, accompanied by Karl Draper, Axel Ewashko, Yannick Hillier and coxswain Erika de Asis Chan, formed Brentwood College School’s first HOCR entry since 2011. None of the athletes had ever raced the course before.

HOCR features a time trial style of racing, with one boat sent off every 10 seconds. BCS was seeded at the bottom of the division but finished the three-mile-long course in a time of 18:56 - roughly one minute behind the first place finisher New Canaan Crew - earning them a guaranteed entry into next year’s regatta, one of the most prestigious and competitive in the world.

“To jump into a foreign boat on an unfamiliar, three-mile winding course and perform as well as they did, was a great way for the ‘Boston Project’ to finish the regatta,” said coach Brian Carr.

“Qualifying for next year’s regatta and starting in 11th place will give next year’s crop of athletes a better shot at one of the top 10 spots.”

Stanhope is one of a long line of Bahamians from the Nassau Rowing Club to compete in the regatta since 2012. The regatta wraps up a breakout year where Stanhope represented the Bahamas on the international stage at the Youth Olympic Games Qualifying Regatta and at the World Rowing Junior Rowing World Championships in the men’s single scull.

Most notably, he won the men’s club quadruple scull at the US Rowing Club National Championships with his brother, William, in July.

“It’s been a great year to grow as a rower and a competitor,” he said. “I’m looking forward to training hard to race in some of Canada’s most prestigious regattas next year, but my real goal is to represent The Bahamas at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”

The HOCR is challenging both in terms of level of competition, as well as navigation of the course which includes seven bridges and five critical turns where boat collisions at race pace are common.

Coxswain Erika de Asis Chan’s steering was key to the crew’s success.

“There were so many crews fighting for the optimal line, I had to encourage the crew to be more aggressive so we could overtake them,” she said of the key to the crew’s success.

“After an overwhelming first outing, I got a sense for the river and felt more comfortable guiding the guys.”

Because of the prestige associated with the regatta, a lottery entry – which is how the Brentwood crew entered – is highly coveted. Senior Yannick Hillier called the experience “crazy,” saying that the crew “rowed well given the strong head wind conditions.”

Karl Draper encouraged the crew to “keep pushing hard” and “have a stronger and more controlled rhythm” as they entered the final mile, even with the 42 degree Fahrenheit weather.

Axel Ewashko remembered long training sessions in Mill Bay and how it helped them pass six crews.

“We rowed our best through rough water and strong cross and headwinds, but faith in each other, our coach, and our coxswain helped us have the best regatta experience we’ve ever had,” he said.

Stanhope’s participation in the regatta bodes well for the future of both the Nassau Rowing Club and the new generation of rowers currently training on Lake Cunningham.

“We are so fortunate to have this first wave of Bahamians pave the way for the younger members of Nassau Rowing Club,” said head coach KariAnne Kulig. “They have set the bar high, and we are excited to have strong role models for our newest rowers.

“The Head of the Charles is one of the most exciting races in which to compete, and the Brentwood crew rowed brilliantly.”

The Brentwood crew wishes to thank coach Carr, the BCS rowing programme and teammates Laryssa Biesenthal and Debbie Sage for their support over the past several months to make their HOCR experience memorable.