Day Two (race day):
We had to meet the rest of the team in our hotel lobby at 9:30am. LOVE the late start!! The hotel had told us the db teams couldn't have the free breakfast voucher that regular guests got but we all kept asking for them anyway and eventually they gave them to us. Unfortunately, the restaurant wasn't very good (we didn't go back the next day). I gave my voucher to Katy because she didn't mind the food and Alyson gave hers to a distressed russian guest when the front desk wouldn't replace the one she'd lost.
Since a lot of our regular crew couldn't be there, we had paddlers joining us from all over. As women drifted in we heard a familiar loud voice and noticed the group of women from the subway last night. Oh man, they were part of our group - on Peter's team. We looked at each other uncomfortably, glad we didn't do subway olympics. We would have looked like such a-holes.
Our busdriver Donald was waiting for us outside in the schoolbus. We loaded up and were at the racecourse in minutes. The water looks exactly as I remember - flourescent green and poisonous. Even on gglurth the water is significantly greener than the grass around it.

Doug went to 'Command Central' (no kidding, that's what they called it) and got our tent number along with a few free cases of Zico coconut water - plain, lemon-lime and pomegranate. Coconut water is supposedly the best new post-workout recovery drink so we were all interested in checking it out. It was warm so not completely appealing but we figured it would taste better chilled. I thought the pomegranate was really good but ending up drinking quite a bit of the plain at the end of the day when I ran out of water. And since we didn't have any spares, the organizers also provided us with drummers for the 2 crews from MCC. Our drummer was Lily, a paddler from one of the Flushing junior crews.

Our first race was a 250m at 11:48 but they were already behind schedule. We sat in the marshalling area for ages but finally got out on the water. Without exaggeration it was the most brutal 250m I've ever done. The water is incredibly shallow - maybe 1m. The boat just plowed the entire time. We only had 18 in the boat (it's the rules at this event) and there is no describing what a struggle it was. We won by a boat length.

We changed into dry clothes and went into the festival market to check things out. There wasn't a lot there, mostly insurance companies and telephone service providers with long lineups of asian people patiently waiting for a free giveaway fan or spin at a wheel of fortune. This is the scene at every db festival I've been to and I never understand it.

We got some great bbq'd chicken on a stick and watermelon spears and sat on a curb in the shade watching kite flyers and skywriters advertising Geico.

Soon it was time to get ready to race again. We were all pretty grateful there was only a 500m left. None of us could imagine doing, say, a 2K on this lake!

We loaded the boat and got onto the water before the other crews so we could try out a different setup. The plug was out on the front air pocket and water poured from it into the boat as we warmed up. So much water that someone in the middle started bailing. We were set up back heavy, hoping to lift the bow during the race. It was worse though, it still plowed but now with the broader part of the hull, so we did one more start to empty the hull and then had the back benches shift forward. No more water came out so I put the plug back in and secured it with a twist.

This race was even worse than the first and not just because it was twice the distance. I can't even explain. It felt like we were driving the boat through mud and we couldn't raise the stroke rate above 51-53. While 2/3rds of the boat would have been able to sustain it, a higher rate would have thrown the other third for a loop. The force of water in the hull must have forced the plug out because I looked down at one point and water was once again pouring out of the front.

We won by half a boat. Based on the 250m, I was surprised we didn't drop the other boats more but when reviewing the race in my head, I remembered seeing our wash spreading in a flat line from our bow waaay out across the lanes on either side. Another result of the shallow water.

Later, someone told me we had the 2nd fastest time of the day for all divisions but I just went to the nyhk website and the results just show standings, not times. I guess posting those plodding times would be bad publicity for the event.

This was a money races so while we changed and packed up our gear, Doug went to find out about the awards. He came back with our medals and a promise from organizers that "the cheque is in the mail."

We don't even know how much we won. The website was a little vague.

Did we win $500 + $500 + $1500 or just  $1500? Plus the "subject to change" line.

Well, the whole thing is sketchy. I don't mean to be cynical but I've raced at this event before - in 2001 - and when the Canadian mixed crew won (seems to me it was $3000 that year) we were told, "Oh sorry, you should have read the fine print. Only American crews are eligible for the cash". The coach was pretty pissed because he'd discussed this with the organizer several times on the phone before planning to travel to the event and was always told there was no problem.

We didn't mind. We were sponsored by Continental Airlines and they'd covered our flights, accommodations & uniforms. On top of that one of the directors (who paddled with us) took us to really fab restaurants the whole time we were there. After the races he was very excited about our win and promised we would be Continental's corporate crew and could expect many more paid trips to events around the world (they had recently announced the first non-stop flight between New York & Hong Kong). We were all pretty pumped about that but you can understand why we were not at all upset when it never materialized. A month later 2 airplanes flew into the Twin Towers. The airline industry flatlined and Continental had more important things to think about.

Anyway, you can see why we were a little sceptical about receiving our prize money. Again though, it was all good. We'd had a fun time so far with still one night and one full day to ourselves.