Regatta News & ReSults

On Saturday, May 1, BIAC was represented by 18 athletes at the Open Ocean Regatta hosted by Open Water Rowing Club in Sausalito. Three athletes rowed the shorter (but still long!) Strawberry Course in Richardson Bay and the remaining athletes competed on the longer Diablo Course which takes you under the Golden Gate Bridge, over to Belvedere Point and back. Using a coastal quad, two coastal doubles, flyweight singles, a surfski, and the four new Maas Aeros and new Maas 2x purchased this year, BIAC was well-represented across multiple boat types. It was a glorious day out in the San Francisco Bay. Click here to see decriptions of the courses along with results and more information.

"The rowing season starts here" is the official slogan for San Diego Crew Classic which took place March 26 & 27 on Mission Bay. For masters, this regatta is 8+s only and BIAC entries included the Women's Masters A and Men's Masters A racing Saturday morning and the Women's Club Champ and Men's Club Champ who competed in heats on Saturday and finals on Sunday. Conditions were challenging but BIAC crews are used to a little wind and wake. Congratulations to all athletes! Full race results are here.

On March 12, BIAC competed at the Pacific Invite held at Lake Merced in San Francisco. Rowers went down the ~1800m course in 6 events, with a total of 13 boats racing, drawing from all teams of BIAC athletes. Women’s and men’s 8+s, quads and adaptive 1xs took part, sometimes with multiple entries per event. The race was a huge success, with BIAC placing first in every event we entered.

Thank you to coxswain Mike D. and rowers Robin, Nataliya, Christine, Christine, Jack and Samson who pinch hit and made sure we had a full boat for several races. Director/Coach Chris Flynn was prepping the trailer till late the previous evening and on race day made sure everything was taken care of. Thank you, Chris, and thank you to Coach Chuck and Coach Jen for their coaching and guidance. More pics from the regatta can be found here.

On Sat., Dec. 18, BIAC held it's 15th almost-annual Corkscrew Regatta. This fun event benefits the Second Harvest Food Bank and the 2021 participation fees plus donations totaled over $5000. We had 37 boats participate, a total of 78 athletes, including a visiting W8+ from Sacramento (Best Costume Winner) and a Mx2x from Lake Merritt (Best Costume Runner-Up). From teens to septuagenarians, all ages, experience levels and boat types took part. It was a wonderful comeback after cancellation for COVID safety in 2021. For a gallery of photos, result times and a map of the course, click here and learn all about the regatta.

Head of the Lagoon in Foster City is the closest and most well-attended race for BIAC athletes. On Nov. 13, BIAC was represented in 13 events including 1x, 2x, 4+, 4x, and 8+ by both men's and women's crews. Top finishers included (full results here):

• First Place: Men's Masters 4+
• First Place: Men's Masters 2x (composite with RCRC)
• Second Place: Men's Masters 2x
• Third Place: Men'a Masters 8+
• Third Place: Men's Masters 4x
• And though technically competing for Twin Donut not BIAC, husband and wife duo, Greg Klingsporn and Janet Bellantoni, finished 1st and 2nd respectively in their singles races

After taking a break for 2020 like everything else, Head of the Charles was once again the place to be for fall racing. BIAC was represented by:

• Jon Carlson – Men's Grand Master 1x
• Kass Young – Women's Veteran II 1x
• Renata Perry – Women's Veteran I 1x
• Nadia, Sharon, Janet, Athena, Amanda, Rochelle, Fiona, Frances and Marjorie – Women's Senior Master 8+

Several BIAC entries re-qualified to compete again next year! Full results here.

Recently, the competitive rowing team, along with a few novices, derigged boats, loaded them onto a trailer, and raced as a BIAC team at Head of the Port for the first time since Fall 2019. Rowers competed in the Women's 4x (1st place), Women's 1x (4th & 5th places), Men's 2x (1st place), Men's Novice 2x (1st place), Men's 4+ (1st place), Women's 8+ (3rd place), Men's 8+ (2nd place). Congratulations everyone and many thanks to Mike Verdone and the Serra Crew for making space for us on their trailer and all their help.

Braving international travel, multiple COVID tests, huge swells and a challenging cross-current, a team made of former and current BIAC members raced in Portugal at the World Rowing Coastal Championships, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. This regatta featured racers at a high-level of competition and many recent Olympians. Check out footage of the crazy buoy turns (buoy #1 took down many a boat!), beach runs and insane waves on the World Rowing Coastal YouTube channel here. The A-finals on day 3 are especially exciting! Get inspired and then sign up for Coastal classes at BIAC in 2022 if you'd like to try out coastal rowing.

While it seems like the rest of the world has been racing all summer, we on the west coast have been left with limited opportunities to ply our oars in competition. Recently, however, River City Rowing Club in Sacramento hosted its annual small boats tournament, River City Rebellion, where all competitors race 3 x 1k races round-robin style. BIAC members Vicky Bialas, Warren Morningstar, Jesús Serrano Cendejas, Juan Jimenez, Greg Klingsporn, Janet Bellantoni, Rachael Perry, and junior members Dorin and Maddock Flynn all took to the water in what turned out to be a windy but also fun-filled day of racing.

On May 8, 2021, something wonderful happened: BIAC attended a live regatta, trailer and all! We brought home hardware and happy memories of exhilarating racing at the Open Ocean Regatta. Open Water Rowing in Sausalito hosted the race, which offered two courses: 10K in protected Richardson Bay or 15K in wilder waters outside the Golden Gate Bridge and back. BIAC boasted nine entries (11 rowers), the most of all but the host club, with many top places. See full results here.