Windsor Rowing Club takes eight-member team to OARS Youth Invitational

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Windsor Rowing Club, which is fast becoming a household name to reckon with from the Bahamas on the international scene, took an eight-member team to compete in the 2024 OARS Youth Invitational in Orlando, Florida, over the weekend.

The team participated in six events in the singles, doubles and quad for both the men and women in sculling events against 514 athletes competing from 28 different rowing clubs.

The team’s best showing, according to head coach Rob Gibson, was by Isaiah Ellis, who had personal best performances after winning his heat in a time of 6:05, placing him seventh out of a field of 27 rowers.

“We think if he was in another heat, he would have performed higher,” Gibson said. “But he had a fantastic race to win his heat.”

Last year, Ellis competed in the same regatta and he improved tremendously on his overall performance.

Alessandra Callender raced in her first ever 1x single race in a field of 25 racers. But an unfortunate collision with another rower caused her finishing time to not reflect her potential and ability.

“The competition was good overall,” Gibson said. “We had a very good time. In one of the biggest regattas held in South Florida. We are looking at making it an annual stop for the sprint racing for the Windsor Rowing Club.

“What we realised is the biggest area we have to work is our starts. It’s a very important aspect of rowing. There is a common saying that you can’t really win the race in the first five strokes, but you can lose the race in the first five strokes.

“So I think our attention has to be placed on the approach and how we prepare to start the race.”

High winds in the afternoon caused the regatta officials to change the course direction, which meant the finish line became the start line. The course was also reduced from 1,500m to 750m.

Windsor now plans to put on a racing event at the Lake Cunningham Classic regatta site in April with athletes from the Nassau Rowing Club. More information will come shortly.

Additionally, Gibson indicated that Windsor also plans on competing again in the United States this year at one or two more regattas, possibly in North Carolina and Virginia and maybe even in Canada to close out the season in early June.