Tufte at the Head of the Cork

Tufte was the winner over the 6000m distance on the Maranhao Dam in Avis, Portugal. Beginning with a mass start, the Norwegian won by 10 seconds ahead of local hero, Pedro Fraga of Portugal. Fraga has made his mark as one of Portugal’s best rowers ever through his success in the lightweight men’s double with Nuno Mendes. The duo rowed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and last year finished second at the European Championships.

Howard, who came to the single last year after competing in his country’s Olympic Champion men’s eight, finished third with Karonen finishing back in seventh behind Norwegian scullers, Kjetil Borch, Are Strandli, Svein Urban Ringstad and Kristoffer Brun.

For the women Norway’s Tale Gjoertz finished first and 20th overall. Gjoertz, an under-23 finalist, was followed by Lisbet Jakobsen and Lea Jakobsen, both of Denmark.

A total of 55 scullers from six nations (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Finland and Portugal) competed with great weather. Organisers, the Avizacqua Rowing Centre, have stated that they hope for this to become an annual event and they are hoping to attract double the numbers in 2012.

Tufte, Howard and Karonen have been training together in Portugal for the two weeks leading up to the Head of the Cork at their regular winter training retreat, the Avizacqua Rowing Centre. The centre is now a regular winter training centre for a number of European countries including Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Organiser Luis Ahrens Teixeira said the idea to hold the event came from regular visitor, Karonen. “Most of the international teams that come here on training camps hold a 5km or 6km time trial at the end of camp. One time Lassi suggested that we should turn this friendly race into a proper event. It was Lassi that named it, “Head of the Cork.”

This is the first time that a race like this has been held in Portugal, said Ahrens. “For us everything was new about it.”

Winners prizes were traditional artefacts made out of locally produced cork as the race took place in the biggest cork tree region in the world.