Heroes for three days, Germany’s Canal Cup

The top men’s eights from Germany, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands received receptions worthy of heroes over the three days of competition in Rendsburg as crowds of cameras swarmed and spectators pushed and shoved to try and get close to these rowing gods.

The E.ON Hanse is in its 11^th year and enthusiasm in the event continues to grow. Over 100,000 spectators came to watch and the main head race was broadcast live on television.

Piggybacking as part of Rendsburg’s annual harbour festival, the rowing events are held over three days with day one featuring an evening of indoor rowing. The 500m Erg Challenge had each team member race for 500m with the total wattage of each eight then tallied up. Australia, at the E.ON Hanse Cup for the first time, won the Ergo Cup with a total of 666 watts. That equals an average of 1:20.7 /500m split.

The United States followed just behind in second with 656 watts, with Newlin the hero of the team after averaging a 1:17.9 /500m split. Germany finished in third with 618 watts while the Netherlands were fourth on 567 watts.

The second day of competition featured an on-the-water 400m sprint in the eights. In a two-boat race scenario, the United States and Germany made it through to the final. Germany just beat the United States to the line in a time of 1:02.40.

Raced on the Kiel Canal, one of the busiest waterways in the world, coxswains had the added job of watching out for big ships and the ensuing wash. As events were broadcast live on television, there was no opportunity to delay races in the case of ship traffic, so the strategy and skill of the coxswains became vital.

The final day of racing was the grand finale, the 12.7km Canal Cup head race. All four eights lined up together in a fixed start arrangement. With media launches following the race, cameras in helicopters and spectators crowding the start and finish lines, the Canal Cup was a spectacle of noise and excitement. Germany, the United States and Australia tracked each other closely through the first 2000m of the race with the United States holding a slight margin.

The Germans then gained a small lead at about 2500m, but there was still a lot of rowing to go. The United States and Australia stuck closely together, challenging each other. The two crews, however, could never catch up again to eventual winners, Germany. Making the most of tail wind conditions, Germany, at the finish, had recorded a new course record time of 35:43 with the United States coming through in second at 36:26. Australia was right behind on 36:44. The Dutch boat, with just one member remaining from their national team eight, dropped off the pace early and finished four minutes down on the winners.  

Canal Cup website: http://www.eonhansecup.de/