RowingRelated

National champions will be crowned at Lake Natoma (Photo: RR) We had to do it. While the NCAA Championships are now in the rearview (with our top five teams all finishing in...the top five), IRAs are just around the corner. Time to crank the banter up to 11.

Time to dance (Photo: RR) Because we had to. Below is our take on the front runners for the 2017 NCAA Rowing Championships at Mercer Lake this weekend. Beware: Opinions to follow.

It's nearly time... The second year of Sir Steve Redgrave’s tenure as Regatta Chairman has seen a record entry of 629 crews, including 165 foreign crews—in itself a record, and up 45% on last year’s figure of 114.

Crossing the finish line at Lake Natoma (Photo: B. Kitch) The 2016 NCAA Rowing Championships kick off tomorrow just outside Sacramento, California, and suffice it to say, we're amped about it.

Crews to keep an eye on this spring at the junior level The following is our look at the best junior sweep teams across the country, with a view toward who will be gunning for the top of the podium at the national level in June.

Which Blue is your pick to win the Boat Races this year? This year's grudge match on the Thames marks another historical move forward for the event, as it's the first time that both the men's and women's races have had the same name: The CRUK Boat Races. And, it just wouldn't be us if we didn't shoot our mouths off about what we think is going to happen. Here's our take on who'll be tops on the Tideway this weekend.

#HOCR51 Resources (Photo: Pete Biro)  The 51st Head Of The Charles Regatta is now just over a day away! While the rowing world descends upon that narrow stretch of the Charles River, we'll be on the scene to cover the regatta on social media and in print for ROWING Magazine . And, before the fun gets started on the water, it just wouldn't be us if we didn't throw a few picks and predictions out there for the weekend—read on for resources around the web, as well as our take on who'll be in the winners' circle on Saturday and Sunday.

No shortage of boats at the course at Lac d'Aiguebelette (Photo by Cam Girdlestone ) The 2015 World Rowing Championships are nearly upon us at Lac d'Aiguebelette, France, and the conditions couldn't be nicer for a contest between the world's best rowing athletes. This being an Olympic qualification year, there's still more at stake, and we're expecting a host of impressive performances as rowing federations jostle for position with a view toward Rio.

Things are already heating up in Henley-on-Thames (Photo: B. Kitch) While the first day of racing at Henley is nearly over, there are many events that have not yet begun. Wednesday was a hot one, both in terms of the weather and the action on the water, and we don't see any reason what that should change (in the case of the latter, at least) throughout the week on the Thames. Here are a few choice picks and predictions for the racing to come, thanks to the RR International Research Department.

Newport Aquatic Center blades at Nathan Benderson Park (Photo: A. Mihaylo) Nathan Benderson Park may be getting more than its fair share of rain lately (can you send some out to California, please?), but that's not going to slow down the fastest juniors in the U.S. this weekend at the 2015 USRowing Youth National Championships.

The 2015 ACRA Championships are set to begin tomorrow morning on the 1996 Olympic course at Lake Lanier, Georgia, and, well, it just wouldn't be right if we didn't take the opportunity to shoot our mouths off and throw some picks and predictions out there. Feel free to use them as motivation—anything to fuel the fire. Warning: Opinions will follow. Started rowing in Georgia this morning on the 1996 Olympic course #ACRA2015 A photo posted by Bucknell Men's Crew (@bucknellcrew) on May 21, 2015 at 12:02pm PDT The men's varsity eight event this year will be a barn burner, with more heat coming from teams out West than in previous seasons. As evidenced by San Diego Crew Classic and later Newport Regatta (see video below), both UCSB and the UC Irvine Anteaters are looking strong—the Anteaters got the better of the Gauchos at WIRAs , as did Washington State , and UC Irvine followed up that performance with a victory in Newport Harbor (a first for the program...

Pac-12 bling (Photo: B. Kitch) Championship Weekend is here in the U.S., and there's no shortage of fantastic racing from coast to coast at this very moment. Here's our breakdown of the action, plus resources to stay on top of all the racing.

RR junior rowing rankings Here at RowingRelated, we're all about knowledge. And, what better way to put a little of it to use than to make some brash picks and predictions? So, for the first time, we're putting together the official RR rankings for junior men's and women's rowing programs, based—for the most part—on sweep rowing results in the big boats, following the college model. This will naturally change and adapt in the future—it's not a perfect system. But it's a start. Here are our picks for Spring 2015. Attention, go.

The buildup to this year's Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races has seen the bookmakers heavily favor  Oxford for both the men's and women's events, and, given the results from the Tideway Fixtures and the indirect comparisons to be made, that seems a logical conclusion. On both counts, Oxford has had arguably stronger results, and a side-by-side comparison of the athletes seems to show that the Dark Blues have the experience and talent edge in 2015. Finishing touches. A photo posted by Rowing Photography (@rowingphotography) on Apr 9, 2015 at 12:01pm PDT However, all of that is out the window as soon as the flag drops and the races begin on Saturday, and Cambridge will be keen to prove the doubters wrong.

Washington hoists the Pac-12 varsity eight trophy, 2014 (Photo: B. Kitch) The 2015 IRA field looks very familiar, though the power struggle at the top may just yield different results this time around. The margins were slimmer last season for the Washington Huskies, but the Ten Eyck results were just the same. Can anyone stop the Huskies this spring?

The calm before the storm in Putney (Photo: B. Kitch) What is supposed to be the annual statement of winter training for most UK clubs has been missing something vital for the past two editions: a completed race! Not deterred by the recent cancellations, 345 crews are scheduled to take to the championship course on Sunday—a figure well down on the 420 who used to fill the entry, however. The fickle nature of exchange rates are thought to be an additional factor in this reduction, as seen by the reduced overseas entries, further to the uncertainty that the recent cancellations have brought.

Early morning at Conibear Shellhouse (Photo: B. Kitch) The 2014-2015 season is already shaping up to be every bit as interesting as last year, and we can't help but be excited about all that's to come. So, just because we all need something to read over the Thanksgiving holiday, we're kicking off the rowing 'hot stove' league with a look back at the fall, and the teams that made an impression heading into winter. Disclaimer: This contains opinions, and this is in large part based on fall results, which can be tricky to interpret, or downright misleading, depending on how coaches and programs approach the longer distance racing, and which teams show up at what races. Let's take a look, shall we? Heavyweight Women The Virginia Cavaliers are coming off their fourth straight Head Of The Charles victory as fastest collegiate eight, and have another talented roster, including Sam Casto (who just pulled a big erg at East Coast Fall Speed Order, and finished in ...

Eliot Bridge, Charles River (Photo: B. Kitch) The 50th Head Of The Charles is, well, a big deal. That much is obvious from looking at the entries in the Championship events—rowing stars and Olympic medalists abound, not to mention a host of the top collegiate programs from across the country, and across the pond. So, naturally, we feel obligated to shoot our mouths off about what's going to happen over the weekend—here's hoping we're better at predicting the outcome in rowing than ESPN is at picking winners in baseball . Here we go.

The first day of the 2014 Henley Royal Regatta is history, and what better time to celebrate the release of Jack Carlson's new book on rowing blazers? Our friends at Hear the Boat Sing recently reviewed Carlson's work, and it's well worth a read. Everyone lining the banks in Henley-on-Thames is donning their colors and supporting their schools and clubs, but as is always the case, the field has already been reduced by half. Let's take a look at how things played out today, shall we?

The 2014 USRowing Youth National Championships are getting underway in Sacramento, and it just wouldn't be us if we didn't shoot our mouths off about what we think is going to happen this weekend on Lake Natoma. While we can't cover every event this year—given the tremendous talent spread across a host of boat classes—we have a few ideas that we think you might find interesting. Shall we? Women's Single Despite the fact that Elizabeth Sharis is doubling up in the women's quad, Sharis—last year's silver medalist behind Cicely Madden (who has switched to sweep this year, racing for CRI in the pair and the eight)—is looking like the favorite to win the single this year, and could wind up on the podium twice. We are looking for Simone Framson of Seattle RC (also doubling up in the quad) to take the silver, with Emily Kallfelz  of Narragansett rounding out the podium finishes. The latter two athletes went one-two in yesterday's heats, and had the first an...