Capital Rowing Club

This past weekend, Capital made our way across town for the Charlie Butt Scullers Head of the Potomac hosted by Potomac Boat Club. With 28 entries across 17 events, we're proud to have placed top three in 13 of those events!

Men's Jr. 1x: Lucas Bockner - 3rd 🥉
Men's Veteran 1x: Bob Reichart - 2nd 🥈
Men's Veteran 1x: C. Michael Arnold - 3rd 🥉
Women's Veteran 1x: Susan Driano - 2nd 🥈
Women's Veteran 1x: Rebecca Hollins - 3rd 🥉
Men's Club 4+: 3rd 🥉
Men's Master 8+: 3rd 🥉
Women's Club 8+: 3rd 🥉
Men's Master 2x: Arnold/Rubini - 2nd 🥈
Women's Master 2x: Crowley/Heidmous - 3rd 🥉
Women's Master 8+: 1st 🥇 and 3rd 🥉
Men's Club 8+: 3rd 🥉

Congratulations to ALL Capital athletes that raced on the Potomac. Onward to Occoquan Chase!

📸 A CRC composite mixed 8+ rows by the KennedyCenter. Photo by Sun's Up Sweep member Sherri Sheu.

Our Capital Juniors Learn to Row program was recently featured in East of the River magazine. Fifteen year old participant Elijah Granby-Collins said "...it was fun to work together with everyone on the boat.” He says he’s already impatient to move onto the next level. “I would continue to try out to learn to row on different types of boats and participate in the race events.”

A Summer Well Spent: How DC Teens Worked, Learned, Created and Gave Back - East of the River Is it really true, as some local politicians and citizens have claimed, that not enough is being done to keep the District’s youth occupied during the warmer months? East of the River set out to meet and speak with a few local teens to find out what they got up to this summer. It turns […]

Did you know that boats get polished and buffed to protect the hulls from sun and pollutant damage? BIG thanks to the 50+ CRC members who came out across two recent weekend work days to polish and buff 17 sculling, five CARP, and five sweep shells. This is nearly half of the CRC fleet! You all got much needed work done on these shells! - Sujitra Pookpanratana, VP Operations

*NOTE: no boats were "waxed" as USRowing "discourages or restricts applying any substance like wax or polymers to a racing shell's hull that alters the water-hull interface or boundary layer..."

"I was in Las Vegas for work. I left on September 7 and didn’t return until the first week in October. I remember waking up and turning on the television and seeing the first tower on fire. A few days after I got a call from Coach Guennadi to make sure I was ok since I was gone. That kindness has always stuck with me."

- Christina Erling, member since 2001

"I remember September 11 was a gorgeous morning. I saw everything happening in real time on CNN while working out. After the second plane hit the WTC, I realized something was wrong and ran to my office, where I heard the third plane had hit the Pentagon.

At that point, cell phones did not work, you could only text, and all streets around GW campus were jammed with traffic like in nuclear war movie.

Next morning we had practice, although Anacostia was closed beyond 11st Bridge. Then, we moved for a couple of weeks to Bladensburg location and rowed from there. It all felt unreal in real time and we were shocked."

- Guennadi Bratichko, Head Sweep Coach since 1994

"On September 11, I happened to be up at Craftsbury with scullers from Capital, Potomac, and NYC attending a week long camp. So while I wasn’t a direct witness to the impact the events of that day had on DC, I can certainly attest to the impact it had on those of us visiting a very remote place, far from loved ones experiencing a horrific event.

Though shocked and unsure of what to do, the Craftsbury staff and coaches provided kindness and care, offering to support whatever our needs might be, in light of all the unknowns. They cancelled coached sessions for the day and encouraged us to scull on our own, in the hopes that it might help us process what we saw. I sculled up Lake Hosmer for awhile, sat quietly listening to birds, watching a few clouds in the sky, and thinking how wrong it felt to experience such peace and beauty in light of what had just happened."

- Karen Werth, member since 1996

"River access was closed for security reasons in the immediate aftermath (of 9/11). My memory is that Jim Connolly organized a relocation of the entire club, equipment and all, to Bladensburg (up river a few miles) so we could continue to have practices. I do not remember how long that relocation stayed in place, I don't think it was all that long. But emotionally, I will say that continuing to have access to rowing, and the team, was very comforting and provided some stability to many of us during that very uncertain time."

- Sarah Dunham, member since 1999

"I do recall that when we did go to morning practice after the attacks, it provided a sanctuary of fellowship and normality in a chaotic time. Guennadi and the other coaches were great providing all the rowers support."

- Jeff Loftus, member since 1993

People who don't live here often think of D.C. as being all about politics. But for those of us who call it home, the District is about friends, family, and teammates we can lean on.

We row just 5 miles from the Pentagon. Several current members were rowing with the club 25 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001.

"I recall I was regularly riding my bike to practice from Virginia back then. CRC held its regular AM sweep practice the next day, the 12th, and I rode past the Pentagon which still had a large column of smoke above."
- Mark Heslep, member since 1994

Sept. 11, 2001 was like any other Tuesday morning on the Anacostia River, with Capital Rowing Club practices taking advantage of clear, cool conditions. Just a couple of hours later it was exceptionally sunny with brilliant blue skies at 9:37am when Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon just five miles from our boathouse. The Potomac River was immediately closed to non-essential traffic. Capital hit the water the following morning, but were quickly turned back by the Coast Guard. The Potomac and Anacostia remained closed for days while D.C. was on high alert. Twenty five years on, members share memories of that time:

"I strongly remember coming down to row on September 12th, 2001. I think like many at Capital, I wanted a bit of normality after bearing witness to the horrible events the day prior. Seeing humvees in front of the Supreme Court and Capitol grounds on my drive to the boathouse let me know that things were not going to be business as usual. While we stretched prior to the workout, there was much chatter from rowers about their personal experiences. Many worked in the federal buildings nearby and had been ushered out of their offices by armed guards the previous morning. Oddly, there was a calmness - a relief to be together and going to do what we did every morning. Coach Guennadi addressed us as usual. We went out on the water for maybe 20-30 minutes before the Coast Guard caught up with us and told us to get off of the water. I think that we were off of the water for about a week. I want to convey the comfort that the club provided in the days following - even off of the water. So much camaraderie."

- Dawn Dubois Patti (CRC member 1999-2004 | VP of Membership 2003-2004)