Alright it’s time for the Docklands Head 2021 Crew Announcements! We’ve entered a sporkmillion boats (11) so I’ve had to split this post into two with our Vets Squad post coming later. Given the number of boats entered I will just offer a few quick mentions of notes. First is a shout out to those racing in Curlew colours for the first time.
For the women we have Katie Hillman (who I have such a rowing crush on, she is so powerful) and in the Men’s squad we have the similarly powerful and *ahem* very tall Callum Taylor! Also racing for the first time with us is Ben Owen, and sitting in stroke seat no less in one of coxless fours and an eight! Making waves boys. Daniel de Lisle is joining them for a first race with Curlew in our Dev Squad boat.
But perhaps most special about this head is that we have a large number of people entering their very first race ever! All of them graduates of our pandemic Learn to Row and very much my favourites. We have Johnny (he of the impressive Burt Reynolds stache, free speed if ever I saw it), the lovely combo of Johnathan Poole and Ed Warrington, and then Clayton Daniels and Steve Matthews bringing a lot of heart and determination. They’ll be racing with some of our more experienced folk, including Club Captain John Adcock and Ben Owen, who will induct them into what it’s all been building up to: RACING.
But wait! Yoda voice: There is…another! This will also be Gediminas Stasaitis’ first race. Being the overachiever that he is, he’s doing it in the first eight! What an accomplishment. But the boy is boasting very buff erg scores, quads4dayz, and most important of all, an amazing work ethic. Well done!
As their former Learn to Row coordinator to say I’m proud is an understatement. Congrats 
to all selected and have a great race tomorrow. I’ll be cheering you from Beirut! If you live closer than me you should be cheering in person. Go down tomorrow and show love for the crews! This is home turf so what possible excuse could there be not to be there? Maybe bring them some flapjacks and snacks. No one hates snacks.
