One of these ships is not like the other ones......

T/V Liberator with Nuclear Ship Savannah for Maritime Day in Baltimore

Well Written Words from M/n Karen Gilkey, 4/c

There are moments in everyone's lives that will define them. For those of us at Kings Point, we have those, but I believe that there are also some moments that are not nessecarily defining as far as our lives go. These moments remind us why we go to this school. Why we go through the daily routine for so much of the year. Why we put up with everything in the regiment. Why we eat delano (mostly being poor college students). I believe that these moments are just as powerful as some others. Just when you think you can't take anymore of being here, and just when you think that every day just gets worse...there is a rare moment that makes you look to the future of when you will graduate and move on to your career. As a freshman I have not had many of these moments yet. How many I will have, I'm not sure. When I go out to sea perhaps. Definitely when I graduate and see the completion of all of my efforts. However, I get a feeling that most of these, I'll say clarifying, moments will come out of the waterfront. Never being on an actual sports team before, the offshore sailing team is an opportunity set out for me that I cannot even begin to describe what a blessing it is. Chris Branning always told the crew of Diana that what we have the chance to do, the boats that we are sailing on as freshman...it's almost unheard of. It's one of the things that makes Kings Point so unique. It's one of the things that gets me through the tough times here. I don't know what I would do if I did not have the sailing team to lean on. I haven't trailed off, I promise. I had one of these "clarifying" moments today. When I was sitting on Diana waiting to start on some work, A BEAUTIFUL boat came into the basin. It was breathtaking, it looked like a scene from a movie. Now, I don't even want to know how much that boat cost. It has to be ridiculous. That's when it hit me though, not for the first time, just how lucky I am to be here. I would never even have dreamed of seeing something like that if I had gone to a normal college, much less even been able to apreciate just how beautiful it was. Not to mention the other countless numbers of boats that are down at the waterfront, and the fact that I get to sail a Farr 40. When I first came on the sailing team, I had no idea how monumental it was that I would be learning how to sail for the first time on a Farr 40. So, after pulling up the cabin top and sealing it, as I was walking to delano I noticed for, I think, the first time...I was truly happy to be here. When any Kings Pointer says to another Kings Pointer that they are happy to be here, they might be sent to Patton for counseling. But I was, absolutely just happy with it. So, to all those people on the sailing team (especially the crew of Diana) I can't thank you guys enough. You make this place more than bearable, and I can't think of what it would be like without you.

Splicing Class Aboard Liberator, Underway in Delaware Bay

M/N Tamera Ruel This Year's Sussi Award Winner

Last night was the 2009 Waterfront First Class Dining In- a great event where we celebrate the achievements of our graduating Midshipmen. This years honorees-

Professional Achievement Awards-
Rowing- Brad Webster
Dinghy- Charles Bonner
Kings Pointer- Alexander Daye
Offshore- Pat Showell
Power Squadron- Joe Gaudiano

B-Split Award- Pat Lowe
Watchstander Award- Kyle Stearns
Special Operations Award- Chris Branning

A lift for the Saudi Royal Family

While serving as a Marshal boat for the Volvo Ocean Race in Boston, Kings Point's vessel Ambar 3 was tasked to transport a dignitary from the race course to Rowe's Wharf.  We welcomed Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al-Saud, Saudi Minister of Education aboard for a ride into town.

KINGS POINT FROSH FOUR FINISHES FIFTH IN THE NATION; VARSITY ROWING ENDS SEASON ON HIGH NOTE

 

The Men's Freshman Four finished fifth in the Grand Final of the Dad Vail Regatta on Saturday. This is the first time in a decade that a crew has made it to the Grand Final at this regatta. This is even more impressive when you consider that there were fifty-one entries in this rowing event.

 

Due to a swollen Schuykill River in Philadelphia, the preliminary races were changed to a 'Head-Style' time trial in order to assure that the race conditions would be fair for all crews. Just a day prior to the race, the race course which consists of starting platforms and 2000 meter long race lanes of buoys was ripped from the moorings due to the fast moving water and trees floating by. The second day which consisted of semi-finals and finals were run in the traditional 'six crews across' format.

 

After rowing through these makeshift qualifying trials in the first day of competition, the Men's Varsity Four of Coxswain Robert Kaldenbach, Stoke- Bradford Webster, 3- Erik Henden, 2-James Sanwald, and Bow- Charles Waters rowed strongly but just narrowly missed making the semi-finals by 1.3 seconds. The crew's fine rowing placed them 21st of 53 crews entered in that event.

 

While  the Women's Pair of Stroke- Anna Simons and Bow Kacey Rohloff rowed well and finished18th, they also failed to qualify for the second day of racing. Despite their Frosh - Novice status, Simons and Rohloff were required to race in the higher level of Open Varsity. Considering their victory at the New York State Championships last week and Metro Champs earlier in the season, the pair shows great potential for the future.

 

In action on Saturday morning, the Frosh Four of coxswain William Walls, Stroke Frank Osborne, 3- Connan Ingham, and Bow Thomas Gambill, had to row 'Head to head' with some of  the finest crews in the country. The crew followed the race plan to 'get out and hold a qualifying position' from start to finish; and they did just that.The University of  Ohio crew was just a bit stronger and able to hold the lead to the finish line.Excited to make the final and the prospects of winning a medal, the crew then set to work to laying some strategy for the Final Race.

 

The weather conditions changed throughout the day and by the time of the Frosh Four's race, the conditioned

worsened to the point of large swells crashing over the bows of the thin shells and soaking the coxswains who were tucked into the open bow cockpits. The crew rowed hard but the rougher conditions seemed to favor some of the other crews. Army won the event while Kings Point finished fifth. The crew finished fifth amongst the top fifty-one crews in the country and added forty-six more W's to their WIN column.

 

The fine performance of the Frosh Four seemed a fitting finale for the season since it was the best overall season for the team in many years. It was especially fitting since the team's graduating Seniors Webster and Henden were denied the possibility of rowing in the final in their Freshman year because of poor seeding that placed them in a heat with the ultimate 1st and 3rd place crews. Despite having recorded the fourth fastest time amongst forty-four crews in 2006, the crew unfortunately never got past the preliminary  heats.

 

This regatta marks the end of the Varsity Rowing season. It was a  fine season indeed!

 

 

On the Water in Boston for the Volvo Ocean Race

Dad Vail National Championships Results

Dad Vail National Championships Regatta
Men's Freshman Crew Qualifies for Semi's

The Men's Freshman Crew rowed a outstanding race on Friday and qualified themselves for a top seeded placing in the semi-finals on Saturday morning. By posting the 5th fastest time of 51 crews, the crew of coxswain William Walls, Stroke Frank Osborne, 3- Connan Ingham, and Bow Thomas Gambill is in good position to qualify for the final on Saturday afternoon.

Additionally, the Men's Varsity Four of Coxswain Robert Kaldenbach, Stoke- Bradford Webster, 3- Erik Henden, 2-James Sanwald, and Bow- Charles Waters rowed a great race in finishing 21st of 53 crews but unfortuanately failed to grab one of the top 18 spots in the Semi-finals. The Varsity Women's Pair of Stroke- Anna Simons, and Bow Kacey Rohloff rowed in rougher conditions at the end of the day and despite the conditions, rowed a good race but finished 18th and did not qualify for the top 12 spots.

The regatta was thrown into contingency mode when the race course buoys and starting platfroms were torn out by rising waters and floating trees. The usual race plan of having crews race each other in groups of six changed to crews rowing 'Head style' to determine which crews had the fastest times and qualify for the top spots.

The Freshman crew will race in the Semi-finals on Saturday morning and hopefully in the final in the afternoon.

30,000

So I started this Blog on a whim- hoping to let parents, alumni, etc. who were already interested in our program keep up with what we do...... Somtime last night we had our 30,000th visitor!  Now this is certainly not Facebook or Amazon, but thats pretty impressive, and a lot more interest than I would have expected.  I hope to keep up with more stories, more pictures, and more of what you all want to see, so let me know!

Chris

KINGS POINT ROWING TAKES TWO SILVERS IN FINAL DAY AT NEW YORK STATE ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS

In the final day of racing at the NY State championships, both the Varsity Men's Four and Frosh Four place 2nd in the Grand Finals. In tight racing and perfect racing conditions, both crews rowed their best races and fastest times of the season.

 

In total, Kings Point Rowing won medals in every event it entered.

Women's Pair 1st

Men's Pair 3rd

Varsity Men's Four 2nd

Frosh Men's Four 2nd

 

Sunday Results

Varsity Men results 

1st Colgate 7:02

2nd USMMA 7:09 Four

3 Marist

 

Frosh

1st Colgate 7:14

2nd USMMA 7:19

3rd Buffalo

 

Dinghy Coach Matt Allen Tries out a New Ride

Matt tries out the Puma Foiling Moth at the Volvo Race Village in Boston.

New York State Rowing Championships

WOMEN'S ROWING - PAIR CAPTURES GOLD AT THE NEW YORK STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEN'S PAIR FINISHES STRONG WITH A BRONZE MEDAL

Kings Point Rowing captued two medals and place two additional crews in the finals in the first day of competition at the New York State Rowing Championships. Both the Vasity Men' Four and Frosh Men's Four will battle for more medals on the second day of competition.
The Women's Varsity Pair of Anna Simons '12 and Kacey Rohloff '12 had a rocky start to their pair final when the steering wire broke in the first few strokes of the race. Without the steering device, bow-rower Rohloff had too rely on her rowing skills and the strength of this seasoned crew to go straight down the 2000 meter race course. The Kings Pointers battled with Geneseo for the first 1000 meters until Simons and Rohloff decided to put the hammer down and pull away from the competition. Gaining over 40 seconds in the final half of the race, the women rowed to a fast time of 9:12 for the mile and a quarter.

Although the Men's pair of Brad Webster '09 and Erik Henden '09 have not rowed the pair for weeks, they were still able to bring it home for Kings Point against tough competion. The winning crew of Rochester, was able to get a slight lead after 500 meters over the field. The Mariners were able to keep contact with the ultimate winner and 2nd place crew of Vassar but not able to gain the lead. Holding off a late charge by Geneseo, Kings Point was able to keep the Bronze medal placing and finish just two lengths off first place. Both Webster and Henden will battle for medals in the second day of finals as the stern pair in the Varsity Men's Four.

Additionally, the Men's Frosh Four will be held on the second day of racing. Kings Point shows great potential to win more metal for Kings Point.