How Many Buoys to the Finish? – Day Two Lucerne World Cup

The sound of cow bells along the scenic Rotsee
© Getty Images

Athletes on the six lane buoyed course raced in the morning to the sound of cow bells, the beating of their heart, the splash of blades and the call from supporters. This would be the third race for crews that had gone through yesterday’s repechage and the pressure was just as great.

Racing started with ‘C’ and ‘D’ finals, which included a number of up-and-coming rowing nations. A three-boat photo finish highlighted the closeness of top racing in the C-final of the men’s double. The fast starting crew from the United States maintained a fraction of a lead from Belgium and Norway, but a fraction of a second put them into the third spot.

The intensity of the sport and difficulty of lightweight racing was highlighted by a number of crews pulling out for medical reason and some athletes not making the required weight to race as a lightweight.

Racing for top lanes in Sunday’s final began with the women’s four. In season debuts China One and Two battled Australia One and Two with Australia One keeping their nose in front to cross the line first from the two Chinese crews.

Less than two seconds separate the three lightweight men’s eight crews who will race the final with Germany in the favoured lane. Germany also won the men’s coxed four but had to race from behind after leaving the starting holder in last position.

In the next race for lanes the non-Olympic event, the lightweight women’s quad, was won by Great Britain who raced neck and neck with the Netherlands and Denmark from first buoy to the end. The lightweight men’s quad, also a non-Olympic event, had Spain taking line honours and therefore the best lane in tomorrow’s final.

The format for semi-finals has two races in each event with the top three boats of each race qualifying for the A-final and position four to six making the B-final.

Two German boats made it through to the A-final of the lightweight women’s single and they will be joined by Romania, Croatia, China and Kirsten McClelland-Brooks of Great Britain who qualified with the fastest time.

Current World Champion, Sam Lynch of Ireland, will have his work cut out in the final after recording the second fastest time in the men’s lightweight single. Steve Tucker of the United States won his semi-final in the fastest qualifying time. Also up there in the ‘A’ group is Japan, Germany, Hungary and France.

Irish lightweight men’s pair followed their country’s strong lightweight tradition by winning the semi-final comfortably from Italy and Romania who will go through to the A-final. Great Britain, China and the young Australian crew of 18-year-old Tom Nicholls and 20-year-old Ross Brown will join them.

Racing will continue in the afternoon with semi-finals – 168 buoys for each crew to push past.