As this year’s rowing season draws to a close, two crews prepare to put in one final effort for the regatta that they have dedicated this entire year training for.
Long standing sports rivalries are not just for the boys. Just ask the rowing crews of Ladies’ College and Museaus College. The two schools are set to clash in the 11th Annual LCMC Regatta on Saturday the 11th of October at the Colombo Rowing Club. The regatta is one of the most anticipated and popular contests in the local rowing scene, whilst taking part in it is the pinnacle for an oarswoman in either school. This year is no different, as the two crews prepare to meet once more to fight it out for pride and bragging rights.
The regatta consists of eight races worked off for points, with a total of 52 points up for grabs. There will be two races each for the single sculls, doubles sculls, pairs and fours events. The distribution of points and the schedule of races (The fours carry the most points and are held last) means that the suspense and excitement is usually carried all the way to the end of the day, making each race vital.
Ladies College come into the regatta as defending champions after pulling of a ruthless 52 – 00 win last year – the holy grail for crews in this event. They will be captained by Anoushka Tissera who has in her charge a crew that is experienced and have already proven themselves under the pressure of this regatta. Only three girls have left the Ladies crew that swept all the races last year, and they will be itching to maintain the high standards that they set themselves last year. The crew has had a strong run this year so far, starting off by winning the “Head of the Beire” regatta and then going on to win the under 18 category at Nationals. They then proceeded to put on a show of strength at the recently concluded Schools Nationals Regatta, winning the under 20, under 18 and under 16 categories.
The girls themselves seem quietly confident, just days away from the most important day of the season. “We’re trying for another 52-00” says Vice Captain Thiranya Fernando, setting the bar high once more this year.
Ladies College are once again coached this year by Sharen Kannangara and Peter Christy, the architects of last year’s whitewash. Having gotten his tenure as head coach off to the perfect start last year, complacency is the biggest challenge that Sharen hopes to avoid. He also chalks up the experience of the crew as its biggest strength, and feels that they have a great chance of doing very well this time around. He doesn’t expect it to be easy though, considering the development he has seen in the opposition in the last few regattas and also being wary of the fact that some of his crew had to take time off from training due to exams, which he says could play a part in Saturday’s races.
On the other side of the coin, Musaeus College will come into this looking for redemption. Theirs is a crew in transition with most of the seniors from last year having left school. Considering how badly last year ended for them and the fact that they started this year with a very junior crew meant that they had to build from the ground up. Their captain this year Janethri Marapana is the first to admit that the start to this season was not great, but the crew has shown steady progress throughout the year eventually ending up runners up in the under 18 and under 20 categories in the Schools National Regatta. That they lost out to their competition on Saturday means that there is some more work to be done in the short time span between the regattas, but the development has been encouraging, and promises to make Saturday an exciting spectacle unlike the one horse race it was last year. They also strengthened by the motivation to avenge last year’s defeat, a strong factor in races that could ultimately be decided by who wants it more.
Musaeus have also undergone transition in the coaching department, with Mark Maurice taking over the crew this year. His influence on the crew has been apparent considering their improvements over the last few months, but it is his work off the water that is perhaps more important. “He’s been a god” was what Vice Captain Dilki Wijeyesekera said when asked about his influence. “He’s brought unity and ethics to the crew and really changed us.” ‘Unity’ is a strong point this year with the coach also listing it out as the main strength of the crew this year. In a sport that requires them to be in close proximity to each other on a constant basis due to the rigorous training schedule, it is no doubt an important quality to have. Mark also mentioned the importance of training the mental aspect of the crew, especially coming off last year’s result. He doesn’t put too much stock in the season’s performances so far, considering them mere stepping stones on the road to the ultimate prize: winning LCMC.
One of the strong points in Museaus crew is their fitness, which will be vital on Saturday as they have a smaller crew resulting in more people rowing multiple races. They will also have to overcome a slight equipment disadvantage as they row in boats meant for a weight class of around 70-80kg per oarsman while Ladies College will have boats more suited to their weight class.
This year, ThePapare.com will be the main sponsors of this feature regatta, and are dedicated to bringing you all the news from the CRC pier on Saturday. It promises to be a great day of racing, as pride and glory is put on the line for both schools. Regardless of the final outcome, there is no doubt that this regatta will be a great advert for the sport of rowing as a whole, and is one not to be missed.
Ladies College Crew : Anoushka Tissera (Captain), Anika Ahamed (Vice), Thiranya Fernando (Vice), Isabella Sansoni, Tarea Karunaratne, Tehani Walpola, Yellani Rasaputhra, Ishara Abbey, Ashmitha Gunaratna, Chanika Goonetilleke, Davina Koch, Dihanie Amerasinghe, Thiranya Abeyaratne, Nihara Waravita, Shannon Perera
Musaeus College Crew : Janethri Marapana (Captain) Dilki Wijeyesekera (Vice) Ranuli Wickramasekera, Malki Wijeyesekera, Janisha Ratnayake, Ashvini Jayatilake, Megara Wijemanne, Nathira Wijemanne, Isuri Kumarasinghe, Senuri De Silva, Ovini Paranagama, Binali De Alwis, Meedhini De Alwis, Anuki Hewamallika, Muthu Lamahewa, Mayanthi Weerakoon, Randini De Silva, Thanushi Perera, Niseni Hewamallika
ThePapare.com invites all its following to come witness this exciting spectacle.
