The men's lightweight crew team begins competition in England tomorrow at the Henley Royal Regatta, the world's oldest and most prestigious amateur crew competition.
The men's first and second varsity crew, along with two alternate rowers, arrived in England two weeks ago and have been practicing twice a day to prepare for the regatta, lightweight Coach Dick Grossman said.
In May, the lightweights won the Eastern Sprints Championships for the first time in history. The Eastern Sprints are basically the equivalent of a national championship, Grossman said.
However, this 154-year-old regatta, which is held on the Thames River approximately 30 miles outside of London, attracts some of the best crews in the world, according to Grossman, giving the Big Green some stiff competition to anticipate.
The format of the competitive regatta also leaves Dartmouth's team at a disadvantage, according to the coach.
"There is no lightweight crew here," Grossman said, which means the rowers will compete against teams that would normally be considered in the heavyweight division.
On average, Dartmouth's rowers average between 160 and 165 pounds, Grossman said, in comparison to other teams in the regatta, whose average weight is 190 pounds.
In addition, the races are approximately 100 yards longer than those the team is accustomed to rowing in the United States.
"The chances are never particularly good for American college crews coming over," Grossman said.
Tomorrow the Big Green begin the single elimination regatta with races against two English crews: the Molesey Boat Club in the morning and the Lea Boat Club in the afternoon.
If the lightweights survive the first round, the first varsity will face a crew from London and the second a crew from Cambridge, two teams with considerably more weight and experience than the Big Green. Grossman said many of the rowers on the English teams are in their late 20s.
Grossman said the College frequently competes in the regatta but added that he only recalls one time, in 1990, when a Big Green team advanced beyond the first round.
"We're at a disadvantage but we're rowing pretty well and hopefully can beat some of [the teams]," Grossman said.
Last week, the crew won the Reading Regatta, which Grossman downplayed as a minor victory, defeating Colgate University in the finals.
In addition to Colgate, American crews from Harvard University, Brown University and several high schools will compete in the Henley Royal Regatta.
