Jericho Iron Race

Wow, what a difference a year makes!  The VI Va'a women have something to be proud of.  Dedication to training, working as a crew on technique and blend has paid off in spades.  Last year the women's team was was placing a substantial distance behind the top False Creek women's team...more than 8 minutes!  This year, under cloudy skies and only a hope of summer on the horizon, we were about a minute and a half off the top team and were in a true race to the finish line with the other team hedging out a mere 10 seconds ahead of us.  This was the first race where I felt as though we truly "raced" the whole race.

Using the conditions to our advantage was critical to the great start at the Jericho Iron.  A error by the first and second teams around the first turn left the race wide open for us and the team that would push us to have our best race thus far.  At this point we stood one and two but we knew the other teams were fighting hard to regain their lead.  And so it began... the hedging out of each of us as one boat would catch a wave and gain boat lengths on the others.  At one point three boats lined side by each pushing and fighting for every bit of distance... In this proverbial "neck and neck" race was great to be in the company of those who left us watching their backs right off the start line last year.

Into the bell can turn we knew we needed to dig deep if we wanted to keep in this race; the other teams had pulled ahead.  At this point last year, no matter what we did, the boats would have just kept pulling away.  Changing direction and conditions, we were into what the VI Va'a women seem to do best...headwind.   After settling into the new rhythm we slowly, but surely, gained what we had lost.  Had there been another kilometer could we have taken them?  Oh that 10 seconds!  this is the stuff our coaches talk about.  Over the course of an hour a solid "hoe" stroke could mean a boat length or a different place at the finish line.  Lots of work to do, but lots to be proud of ladies!