From the Launch

Week four: six medals, whole team

What a weekend. First, congratulations to everyone on a tremendously successful Head of the Passaic. We came home with six medals: gold in the MS 4x+, and bronze in the 1V8+, the 2V8+, the Novice 4+, the Novice 8+ and the MS 4+. We also had a 4th in the 1V4+ and a 6th in our second Novice 8+. It was our first club-wide regatta of the season, and it was wonderful to have the U16s out there racing, many of them for the very first time.

The tent. Thank you to every parent who came out to support, and a huge one to the parents who ran the Parent Association tent. Everybody was delighted with the food and everything on hand, and the cheering carried all day. It was also great to have Coach Katie with us at her first CIR regatta, and as always, thank you to Mr Convery for all his help trailerside and with launching.

The day itself. I should say something about it, because it was frustrating. Events ran out of sequence and were split up. Athletes were called to the launch dock, held back, sent to the start, and races were broken apart, and what happened to each crew was wildly different. That is unusual for a regatta that is normally so well run, and it led to a run of frustrations. Thank you to our athletes for taking it in stride, and to the parents for your patience. I am sorry for the frustration.

The Frosh Novice C8. What a series of unfortunate events. A skeg blew off and they could not race, in what was the first race for so many of those girls. We were all so excited for them, and I know how much that stings. Here is the thing about our sport, though: things can go wrong, and it cannot swallow us up when they do. It is one of the best parts of rowing. We send our athletes off, and from there it is up to them to navigate the difficulty and take responsibility, unlike so many sports where athletes are shepherded and handheld every minute. Sometimes, like this time, that ends in disappointment. In the long run it builds extraordinary capability and character.

A blown skeg is not common, but it is far from unheard of. A few years ago at States, our heavily favored U17 boat, the one that was supposed to qualify for youth nationals, lost its skeg and came last in the A final by a long way. At the Head of the Charles one year, we had one go while rowing up to the start. It is unlikely to happen again, but not impossible. Thank you all for understanding.

The week leading in. Before the regatta we got back on the water, and varsity and the U16s rowed some gorgeous long pieces. We spent a lot of the week in mixed boats, side by side, racing each other, swapping people and trying everyone in different seats, which was absolutely tremendous. And everyone looked spectacular in their hi-vis. Please keep it up.

Testing, round two. The U16s tested again, this time over 15 minutes, 50% longer than the first test. You would expect the average split to get slower over a piece that much longer, and instead about two thirds of them went faster than they did in the 10-minute test. That does not mean they got fitter in a week. They paced it better, they understand the test now, and I think they found some deeper courage too, which is the other half of it. We will do the 15 every week and I hope to see everyone get a little faster each time. You can see how you match up against your peers, especially athletes of a similar size, and start working your way up the rankings.

Sister groups. On Saturday the team found out who their sister groups are, one of my favorite events of the whole year. Every senior takes on five to seven younger athletes, and they form their own little family inside the CIR family. Your big sisters are a resource all year: racing, 2K tests, blisters, fatigue, balancing homework, all of it. It is wonderful to have a role model to help guide you. If you could not be there Saturday, you will find out who your group is during the week.

Looking ahead. No regatta this weekend, so Saturday, October 10 is practice as usual. Saturday, October 17 is a combined practice, 8:30 to 10:30 am, and then on Sunday, October 18 our 1V8+ heads to the Head of the Charles. That one is the 1V8+ only. Sunday is meant to be apple picking, and that needs its own paragraph.

Apple picking: my mistake. I owe you an extraordinary mea culpa. I had been keeping tabs on when Harvest Moon would open ticket sales, and somewhere in the last ten days it slid off my radar. Then I found out the tickets were already sold out for Sunday. I dropped the ball, plain and simple, and that does not change the outcome. I have left a voicemail and emailed them to see if I can buy a group ticket that I could resell to families. We have never bought up front, because we never know who is coming. It is athletes, parents and siblings, and it varies every year. But I am working on it, and I am sorry for the frustration. I will tell you the moment I hear anything, and if it does not work out I will tell you that too.

On the website. Sunday's blog, Coachability and Seat Selection, is worth a read for athletes and parents alike.

Photos. I have added a few to the Passaic folder, and I would love to see yours: your favorite photos and videos from the weekend. Pick the best frame, not ten of the same moment, and we will all get to enjoy them. The Your Photos folder has a Passaic folder inside.

See you at the gate.
— Coach Guy

Week three: five medals, in the rain

Week three was an incredibly encouraging week. With everyone now in the swing of their routine, practice ran a great deal more efficiently, and having Coach Katie with us means far more attention for every athlete and a much smoother changeover between varsity and the U16s.

The U16s. The biggest change of the week is in that group. They are launching, getting away and moving really, really well. We are past the stage of rowing half the boat to keep it stable for the new girls: they are rowing all eight, beautifully and fluidly. We lost a good part of the week to weather, just when we wanted to mix the boats up and get a real sense of who can do what, but the indoor sessions were very rewarding. And I was tremendously impressed by how many city girls fought their way through the General Assembly gridlock to get to practice. Well done.

The tent. Before the results, a huge shout-out to the parent association, who ran the food tent this weekend. It looked fabulous, it was well provisioned, and everyone was in great spirits. The viewing spot gave spectacular views of the last 600 metres, and the yelling, whistling, cheering and cowbells carried all the way down the course. Our athletes were very well taken care of. And a sincere thank-you to Mr Convery for all his help launching and landing crews; it made a long, wet day run smoothly.

The dock. A heartfelt thank-you to Andrew Pisano and Chris Klonaridis. While we were in Schenectady, at the height of the storm, one end of the singles dock broke free and we were at real risk of losing it. Without hesitation, Andrew and Chris went down to the marina and secured it with several ropes, in the storm. Thank you very, very much.

Mohawk. The varsity first and second eights had exceptional practices on Saturday, first in small boats and then in the eights on what turned out to be an oddly calm, gorgeous late afternoon on the course. It set us up beautifully. Sunday reminded us that a tropical depression was passing through. I don't think there was a dry patch of clothing anywhere, and yet all day the athletes and the parents were upbeat, positive and full of can-do energy. The results were a direct reflection of that.

A big shout-out to our veteran rowers, who helped the newer rowers in so many ways, and a special one to our captains. So much happened exactly as it should without anyone needing to be told, never more obviously than when it was time to pack the trailer. Well done, everybody. A great first regatta, and thank you to everyone who helped and supported in any way.

Next Sunday: the Passaic. The Head of the Passaic is next weekend, and every single person in the club will be racing. We will be busy, we will have fun, and I can't wait to watch this team take the Passaic by storm. For that to be a great experience we need to be at practice, on the water or on land, whatever the weather brings, training our hearts out. Every bit of work we do this week lands on next Sunday's result. As I say to the athletes: you are already racing.

On the website. Which is the perfect segue: Sunday's blog is all about head racing, for athletes and for parents. If you haven't read it yet, this is the week. And there is a new card in the Team Room, Your Photos, for sharing your shots from each regatta: racing, launching, landing, life around the tent. Upload your five to ten favourites from the day, and over the season I'll curate a best-of for everyone to enjoy.

See you at the gate.
— Coach Guy

Week two: strength to strength

Week two is in the books and the program is moving from strength to strength. Two developments this week that matter for every family.

Welcome, Coach Katie. Katie McNamara has joined the team. Katie is a recent graduate of Iona University, deeply passionate about rowing and about passing that enthusiasm on to the next generation of rowers. Coach Katie takes responsibility for the U16 group and will assist with the U17s and U19s. Having her on board meant we could split the groups this week, and everyone got more concentrated coaching attention as a result. You'll see it in the boats.

Our captains. The team voted, and I am delighted to announce that Elizabeth Barnes, Josie Leddy and Maya Mincak are our captains for the 2026–27 year. The club is in exceptional hands with these three leading the way.

Show your colours. Everyone received an assortment of CIR stickers and a car magnet this week. We hope you'll show your CIR pride. If you weren't at practice Thursday or Saturday, there are plenty to go around.

First test on the erg. Saturday brought the first round of testing. This is a base measurement, the point we measure improvement from over the course of the season, so not too much should be read into a first test. We are far more interested in how you progress. Results for the standard tests are in the Fall spreadsheet. And I was delighted to see the U17 and U19 group at the diner for a team breakfast after practice. The team that eats together…

On the website and on your phone. This morning's blog is up and it's all about the power of hello. Please take four minutes to read it, and pass it to your athlete. A new post comes out every Sunday; next week's is all about head racing, timed for Mohawk. We've also been busy on Instagram and Facebook. Check in daily, and if something makes you smile, like it, comment, share it. Every share pushes our content out to families just like yours, and that is where the majority of next year's Learn to Row athletes will come from.

See you at the gate.
— Coach Guy

The U16 squad on the ergs this week, twenty faces, some familiar, some brand new. Watch this group, old and new, come together into something special.

Week one, in the books

What a week. We were handed gorgeous rowing conditions almost every session, and there is nothing quite like watching everyone come back through the gate, find their crews, and get on with it. Week one was tremendously positive, and I want to tell you why.

U17 and U19. The upper squads are already showing very strong technical rowing, earlier in the fall than I'd normally expect. So on Thursday afternoon we started adding a little intensity to it, and this morning we did several long pieces that were, frankly, stunning to watch from the launch. The Wednesday sunrise row was one of those mornings you row for.

U16. The U16 program is coming together very well. I want to be clear about my plan, because it shapes what you'll see this week and next: the best thing I can do for the U16 squad as a whole is to spend as much time as possible with the younger and newer athletes, bringing them up to speed so that we can fold everyone into crews together. Once that's done, every boat moves efficiently and smoothly and I get to coach everyone side by side. That's the goal, and we're closer to it than I expected after five days.

We all owe Chloe Pisano and Georgie Marquez-Miles an extraordinary debt of gratitude. They are U17 athletes, and they've been turning up to U16 practices on top of their own to keep the new girls and the experienced ones moving together. Every practice has been better for it.

Pass it forward. Which brings me to a tradition that goes back many years here. Every U17 and U19 rower is asked to sign up to help coach the U16s for one day this season; seniors, two days. There's a section for it on the U16 tab of the spreadsheet, and the need is greatest right now, in these first few weeks. Every one of you was helped through your first year exactly this way, by the athletes ahead of you. This is our mentor and mentee philosophy in action, and it's one of the reasons this club feels the way it does.

The website has grown. If you haven't looked recently, please do. The Team Room is now open behind a password. The password is HudsonandHoney, capital H's, one word, and once you've entered it on a device you won't be asked again for ninety days. Inside you'll find this journal, the College Recruiting Guide, and the new Guide to Rowing, written for anyone who's ever stood on a riverbank wondering which boat is ours. And tomorrow morning on the public blog, Sally covers blisters and how to look after your hands. Every athlete should read it this weekend.

The week ahead. Regatta season will be on us before we know it. I'm asking everyone to come to every practice you're down for with one intention: walk through that gate ready for a positive session, and walk out of it a better rower and a better teammate than you walked in. That is our one standard, every single day.

U17s and U19s, your on-your-own workouts become mandatory this week. U19: two 30-minute UT2 cardio sessions, heart rate between 145 and 165. U17: two 20-minute sessions. Screenshot each one and post it to the City Island Athletes Facebook group. If you're not in the group, ask a senior to add you.

See you at the gate.
— Coach Guy

Preseason was great — and Week One is well underway

Preseason was a fantastic success, with some of the best morning rowing conditions we've had all year. It was so great to see so much of the team together again, with nearly everyone back from their summer adventures — and the Summer Olympics on Friday was its usual ridiculous fun, and the fastest way ever invented for everybody to learn everybody's names.

Now the fall season is officially underway, and it's time to get serious. The U19s and U17s are straight at it. This week has been completely technique-focused, and I am delighted with how well the squad is rowing for this time of year — the summer work is clearly paying off. Next week the intensity starts climbing significantly, and with it comes the expectation of the additional OYO (on-your-own) workouts. With this week being re-entry into full-time rowing and school, I'm waiving them — but from next week, they're mandatory.

For the U16s, this week has brought everyone together all at once, and that means a large and wonderfully varied range of abilities: athletes who have been rowing for a full year, athletes who have been rowing most of the summer, and athletes who have literally had one or two days in a boat. This is exactly how our system works. We run a mentor–mentee relationship where the more experienced girls bring the newer girls up — it's the quickest way for everybody to advance. By the end of next week, the girls taking their very first strokes will be comfortably into a rhythm and the boats will be moving smoothly and free-flowing. Everybody who was here at this time last year benefited in exactly the same way. And a huge shout-out to the girls who are being so patient and encouraging with the new rowers this week — I see it, and it matters.

The bigger picture: having a U16 group this size means everybody is going to have a place. We have a fantastic community with a huge amount of energy, and we're going to be able to put multiple boats side by side — which is the best way there is to build speed, passion, and a real sense of a team within a team. What we have in our U16 program is incredibly special. I look forward to everyone bringing the positivity and enthusiasm to keep it that way.

— Coach Guy

Welcome aboard

This page is new, and it exists for a simple reason: email gets read once, skimmed, and forgotten — and half of what makes this club special never fits in an email anyway. So this is where I'll write it down. What actually happened on the water this week. Who moved up, who dug in, what the river gave us and what it didn't. The things you'd hear if you were standing next to me in the launch.

There's no fixed schedule. Some weeks you'll get one note, some weeks three, and occasionally a quiet week will go by — the trigger is having something worth telling you, not a calendar. The pinned box above will always hold the three things every family needs right now, so if you read nothing else, read that.

And since you're here: this morning we had one of those sunrises that explains why your daughters keep setting alarms most adults wouldn't tolerate. The photos went straight into the Gallery — including one of the launch's most loyal crew member, fast asleep on the gear bags before the first piece was done.

See you on the water.
— Coach Guy