Living Root had an amazing weekend of racing at the 2010 Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival and once again showed the world what to expect from us.
Living Root Red

• Time Trial:  2:44 and 2:45
• Heat 1:      2:42.61
• Semi:        2:47.48
• Final:        2:49.49

The timing on the Red boat was beautiful!   Don’t believe me?  Check out the photographic evidence.  Sure, there were some timing wobbles during the finish, but generally, it looked outstanding.  Watching the Red boat cruise down to the start reminded me of watching hardcore teams out of Canada.  Everyone was rotating, all paddle angles were the same, and everyone was hitting the water together.  It was a thing of beauty.  Our helmsfolk, Chris and Ashley, made steering look easy.  I was really proud of how well they handled the pressure and all the challenges of getting a boat to where it needs to be.  Caroline proved herself to be a stellar drummer, and stories are already circulating about how she kept that boat focused, on task, and hitting hard.  The Red boat battled its way into B Division (Major) by winning its semi final in an extremely tight race.  It was awesome to watch them go screaming down the river.  I’ve never been so happy!

Living Root Blue

• Time Trial:  2:34 and 2:38
• Heat 1:      2:31.70
• Club:         2:34.33
• Semi:        2:40.37
• Final:        2:39.12

Blue Boat had a hell of a weekend.  They pulled excellent times and came within a whisker of beating some really good teams that, historically, have been out of our league.  They also managed to walk away from some really good teams that have usually beaten us easily.  Timing was excellent, power was consistent, and everyone pushed really hard.  Blue got ambushed by secret, ninja Heat 24 which sprang at them from the darkness.  We’ve never done well enough to get included in the Club Challenge where the fastest 3 boats race each other right after lunch for no obvious reason.  That sapped some strength and didn’t help much as we prepared for the semi finals.  In the end, it all came down to racing Two MAD in the finals.  Jade, an excellent team from Canada that usually is out of our reach, was never an issue.  MAD got the jump on Blue out of the start, but Blue never quit.  Stroke after stroke they just inched up on MAD, and the finish was too close to call.  MAD ended up winning by .4 seconds.  And then everyone–including MAD paddlers–started singing Happy Birthday to Teresa….again!
I can’t express enough how pleased I am with our results.  Although the times themselves may have been slower than previous years, our proximity to really good teams says a lot.
I am so proud of the team and how well we performed both on and off the water.  What you all do is unique and beyond compare.  You make Living Root a team that everyone wants to join, you treat your teammates like family, and you freaking kick ass when the blades bite the water.
See you at practice.
-Captain P.