7 June 2024

By Göran R Buckhorn

Göran Buckhorn goes to the Coast Guard Academy to be fed and listen to rowing.

A couple of days before the annual Yale–Harvard Regatta, there is a Boat Race Luncheon held in New London. Since 2023, the Luncheon has been held at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy as it was this year, when close to 100 guests had gathered at the CDR Merle Smith Consolidated Club (the former Officers Club) yesterday.

Leeland Cole-Chu, who is the organizer for the Luncheon, welcomed everyone as did Michael Passero, Mayor of New London, Fred Allyn, III, Mayor of Ledyard, and Dr. Dan Rose, Coast Guard Director of Athletics. Thereafter, Cole-Chu introduced the Yale and Harvard coaches and assistant coaches.

And what would a rowing luncheon be without some singing? Both Harvard and Yale have a long tradition of “fight songs”. How about Yale’s Down the Field:

March, March on Down the field, Fighting for Eli
Break through the crimson line their strength to defy
We’ll give a long cheer for Eli’s men, We’re here to win again.
(etc)

or Cole Porter’s Bull-dog, Bull-dog (Bow Wow Wow):

Bull-dog! Bull-dog! Bow Wow Wow, Eli Yale,
Bull-dog! Bull-dog! Bow Wow Wow, Our team can never fail.
When the sons of Eli break through the line, That is the sign we hail
(etc)

And Harvard’s Harvardiana:

With crimson in triumph flashing, Mid the strains of victory,
Poor Eli’s hopes we are dashing into blue obscurity.
Resistless our team sweeps goalward, With the fury of the blast,
(etc)

and Ten Thousand Men of Harvard:

Ten Thousand Men of Harvard want victory today.
For they know that o’er old Eli. Fair Harvard holds sway,
So when we’ll conquer old Eli’s men,
And when the game ends, we sing again…
(etc)

After jolliness singing, it was time for more serious business when the coaches were invited to talk about their crews’ season.

Yale’s Craig W. Johnson ’68 Head Coach Mike Gennaro, who has his first season as head coach after Steve Gladstone retired last June, talked about how hard the season had been, which Harvard’s Bolles-Parker Head Coach Charley Butt agreed upon in his talk. In the Eastern Sprints in May, Yale finished third and Harvard fourth.

Next-up speaker was Derek Johnson, who gave an entertaining talk about his time as a rower at Yale. He joked and said it wasn’t always easy as his father had been one of Harry Parker’s oarsmen (together with Lelland Cole-Chu!). But Derek also found fame outside of Yale rowing becoming both junior and senior world champion. He was also successful at Henley Royal Regatta, winning the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup and the Grand Challenge Cup.

But tragedy struck the Johnson family when Derek’s older brother died in an accident. Derek told the audience that his world came tumbling down and he took a year off from Yale. When he came back to Yale and was in the boat again, it was rowing and his crew mates who helped him find his footing again. It was a very touching end to Derek’s talk.

The last item on the agenda for the day was the so-called lane selection. Which crew was going to be on the west side (New London) or the east side (Groton/Ledyard) on the Thames River.

Invited to draw from the Varsity Sexton Cup were keynote speaker Derek Johnson (4th Varsity; Yale-west), Commandant of Cadets [his name escaped me, sorry] (3rd Varsity; Harvard-east), Mayor of Ledyard Fred Allyn, III (2nd Varsity; Yale-west) and Mayor of New London Michael Passero (1st Varsity; Harvard-east).

The races will run upstream on the Thames, all races ending just passed “The Rock”. The first race in the regatta will be tonight when crews race the 2-mile 4th Varsity (combi race). The winners have the right to paint “The Rock” at the finish line. On Saturday, 2-mile 3rd Varsity starts at 9:45 am, 3-mile 2nd Varsity starts at 10:30 am and 4-mile 1st Varsity starts at 11:30 am.

There will be live radio coverage on WICH 1310 am, as usual reporting from the water are Andy Card and Gregg Stone. Live video on ESPN+.