Dear Rowers,

This is it! CSSRAs are here. Thank you to everybody at today’s St. Kitt’s practice for unloading the trailer, rigging the boats, and assisting with blade & pin measurements. We had an effective 2 hours on-water and all crews should be ready for tomorrow’s (or Saturday’s) races (depending on your crew). Please find the information you need for tomorrow’s races, including arrival times, racing times, and important road directions.

1) NEW Directions due to construction:

-From the QEW Niagara: Drive PAST 7th Street Exit (the exit normally used) and take the Ontario St. Exit instead (due to construction).
-Turn LEFT at Ontario St. and continue until you hit Lakeport Road.
-Turn LEFT onto Lakeport Rd. and follow it through the town of Port Dalhousie (it’s a bit windy & you’ll see the race course to your left-hand side).
-Turn LEFT at stoplights (near the Tim Horton’s & Regatta Sport store) onto Lock St., and turn LEFT at the first stop-sign onto Main St. (shortly after the stoplights).
-Turn LEFT onto Henley Island Drive
…or just click this google link for directions from WSS to the island: https://goo.gl/maps/689dY

2) Arrival Times (including Weigh-Ins for coxswains & rowers):
Please arrive 2-3h before your race, unless told otherwise by your coach. Please remember your PHOTO ID STUDENT CARD. Failure to bring the student card photo ID will result in your race being scratched. Coxswains & rowers weighing in (Jr. Women’s 4+ coxswain & Sr. Men’s 72kg 2x) must weigh in BEFORE 11am, because weigh-ins close at 11am. Weigh-ins must occur in full unisuit & racing gear (no extra clothing) and you must have your student card/Photo ID. Weigh-in rules can be found here: http://www.cssra.ca/#/weigh-in-rules/4564679539

***YOU MUST COLLECT A WRIST-BAND FROM ME OR MIKE IN ORDER TO RACE, AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE***

In order to make things easy for everyone, I’ve included arrival times beside the boats racing on Friday. For those of you with TWO races (i.e.: Jr. Men’s 2x, Sr. Women’s 1x, Sr. Women’s 2x), I’ve only listed your earliest race because that’s the earliest time you need to arrive by. Here are your arrival times, by the (earliest) boat you race:

Jr. Women’s 4+: arrive at 8am (race at 10am)
Sr. Women’s 63kg 1x: arrive at 8:45am (race at 10:45am)
Sr. Women’s 4x: arrive at 9am (race at 11:06am)
Sr. Men’s 72kg 2x: arrive at 9:55am (race at 10:55am) – UNLESS you want to weigh-in early, in which case arrive earlier
Sr. Men’s 1x: arrive at 10:51am (race at 12:51pm)
Sr. Men’s 4x: arrive at 12pm (race at 2:08pm)

***Please note: The Jr. Women’s 59kg 4+ and the Jr./Sr. Women’s 8+ will race their first race on SATURDAY, not on Friday.

3) Must-Bring Items:

-YOU, UNINJURED & READY 🙂
-Student ID (with photo – must be photo ID)
-Unisuit & racing gear (socks, sandals/shoes, etc.)
-Extra clothes to stay appropriately warm OR cool
-Food (the Parents’ Tent will have food, but please bring some extra HEALTHY food for snacking between races or before a race)
-Water bottle (the Parents’ Tent will have water, courtesy of Mr. Castellana, but you should bring a water bottle to fill up & some extra just in case)
-SUNSCREEN (please wear it…)

***QUICK NOTE FOR PARENTS RE: FOOD: Please sign-up for three food items (if possible) on the google document, if you haven’t already by clicking here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HVJfTu3LJp4X3Od6rgN8oKqDBn2-lmUedm1yyW_xy7I/edit?usp=sharing

4) A little message before your CSSRA race(s), and some homework…

As a Westdale coach, but more importantly as a former Westdale rower, I’d like to share two videos that have become ‘tradition’ to a certain extent in the rowing community (particularly at Westdale and Leander Boat Club). Before I share these videos, I’d like to start by saying that I realize I’ve only coached some of you on-water. Despite that fact, I’ve had the priviledge of seeing both those that I coach regularly AND those that I don’t normally coach improve SO much this season. You’ve all come so far from where we were during the indoor season. It’s been thrilling to see you learn and push together as athletes. Now’s your time to “drain the tank” and “leave it all on the race-course”. We’re at our final race(s) of the season. Enjoy every minute of this weekend. Every minute of your race(s). Have fun. Row hard. Leave everything on the water. And, of course, take a moment to watch these two videos tonight before you arrive at Henley Island tomorrow.

Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fmZmKsL5eE

Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LccxeBMLibY

I will miss coaching you all so much, but I know that it’s time for you folks to take this season & make it your own on the water this weekend. You CAN do it. Just believe.