Last Updated: 28.Apr.2015

Spring is here for the rowers, even if it may not look like it on frozen Great Hosmer. The GRP squad finished a six-week training camp in Clemson, South Carolina before making the trip up to New Jersey for the first National Selection Regatta (NSR). The first NSR has World Cup spots on the line for the men’s and women’s heavyweight doubles, while Craftsbury also had competitors in the men’s heavyweight and lightweight single. Racing began on Wednesday with a time trial for all events that saw all Craftsbury boats advancing to the next round of racing. Thursday morning brought high winds that cancelled racing after conditions deteriorated during the early heats. Elizabeth Sonshine and Maggie Fellows braved the elements to finish 5th in their heat in the women’s double (the last race to be run that day before conditions were deemed unrowable.) The rest of racing for the day was cancelled, pushing the men’s double semifinal to Friday and cancelling the men’s lightweight single heats, seeding the semifinals off of time trial results from Wednesday. Friday brought more blustery conditions but saw John Graves and Ben Dann win their semifinal after posting the fastest time in the men’s double time trial. Peter Graves and Tom Graves joined them in Saturday’s A final after finishing third in their semi. Hugh McAdam led the charge for the GRP lightweight men, advancing to the A final with a second-place finish in his semi. Phil Henson and Phil Grisdela finished 5th in their semis and were sent to the B final. 

Saturday’s finals started off on a strong note for the GRP as Ben Dann and John Graves won the A final of the men’s double, ahead of Peter and Tom Graves in third place. Hugh McAdam was next to the line in the men’s lightweight single where he took 4th place. Craftsbury swept the top spots in the men’s heavyweight single, with Willie Cowles taking first place ahead of Erik Frid in second and Andrew Reed in third. Elizabeth Sonshine and Maggie Fellows were fourth in the B final of the women’s double and Phil Grisdela and Phil Henson were third and fourth, respectively, in the men’s lightweight single B final.

From here the GRP heads back north to continue the spring racing campaign. The second National Selection Regatta is back in New Jersey from the 12th to the 15th of May, and the trials for the Pan American Games are from the 17th to the 20th. Stay tuned for more fast racing from the group and a special thanks to our sponsors, including JL Racing who outfitted the team with their race uniforms for this season. Find full results here and Go Green!