Varsity rowers back in town
South Africa’s university rowers take to the Kowie River Thursday 15 September for the RMB Universities’ Boat Race in Port Alfred. Crews race either 4km or 6km down the river.
The regatta will be held over three days, with Women’s and Men’s Heads races on Thursday and finals on Friday and Saturday.
Teams are being hosted in various accommodation establishments across Ndlambe.
Friends and fans will also camp or just hang out at the event’s riverside base, with the Varsity Boat Race Festival on the Kowie a drawcard.
Modelled on the prestigious Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, the RMB Universities’ Boat Race involves all of the South African university rowing clubs and offers something different than the traditional 2000m Olympic style racing.
The crews have to navigate their eights around a variety of 90 degree corners and avoid numerous sandbanks to complete their 6 km (men) and 4 km (women) races.
Thursday sees all crews racing a heads race (started in the order of the previous year’s placings) which places them for their finals which are raced over the following two days. Each final consists of two boats racing side by side and an umpire whose major role is keeping the crews apart as each fights for the best racing line.
Racing programme (all on the Kowie River)
Thursday 15 September
8.30am Men’s B Heads Race 10.30am Women’s B Heads Race 2pm Men’s A Heads Race
4pm Women’s A Heads Race
Friday 16 September
Midday Men’s B Finals 3+4+5 12.50pm Women’s B Final 3+4+5 1.40pm Men’s A’Finals 7+8 2.30pm Women s A Final 7+8 3.20pm Alumni Race
Saturday 17 September 8.30am Men’s A Final 5+6
9.20am Women’s A Final 5+6 10.10am Men’s B Final 1+2 11am Women’s B Final 1+2 12.30pm Men’s A 3+4 13.20pm Women’s Final 3+4 2.10pm Men’s A Final 1+2 3pm Women’s A Final 1+2 4pm Prizegiving