Rowing: Newport Autumn Rowing Festival set to go Sunday

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - The water will be as crowded as the freeways Sunday

morning as the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival kicks off its annual

competition.

Races begin at 8 a.m. and recommended spots for public viewing include

the Newport Dunes and Castaways Park.

With 25 events and schools from all over the country participating,

the NARF looks to continue to get stronger and more popular with each

passing year.

The Newport Aquatic Center’s Junior Crew team, led by coach Rachel

Rose is set to host the event, as well as defend a couple of titles.

The NAC won the men’s and women’s junior novice eight events last year

and look to successfully defend their titles against some of the best

teams around.

Assisting the junior crew teams have been ex-U.S. national team and

Olympic competitors Chip McKibben, Paul Prioleau, James Martinez and Xeno

Mueller, who are all actively involved with the NAC Junior Crew program.

The boys varsity teams features students from Corona del Mar and

Newport Harbor high school, who have put aside their own school rivalries

to team up and take on the rest of the competition.

Some of the schools participating in this annual event include

colleges like Stanford, USC, Berkeley, UCLA, UCI, UCSD, the University of

Washington, Oregon State, among others.

At the junior level, joining Newport Harbor and CdM will be Santa

Margarita, Mater Dei and other Orange County, Bay Area and other west

coast schools.

The race course begins just north of the Lido Bridge, travels around

Lido Island, then continues under the Pacific Coast Highway bridge to the

finish line near the NAC facility, across the Back Bay Channel from the

Newport Dunes.

Awards will be given out after the conclusion of each event in the

form of commemorative medals given out for the winners.

One of the biggest differences between this race and others is that

it’s not a straight race. With curves abounding throughout the course,

coxswains must be alert at all times.

For more information on the races, contact the Newport Aquatic Center

at (949) 646-7725.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND THEIR TIMES:

Men’s Open Eight - 8 a.m.

Women’s Open Eight - 8 a.m.

Men’s Master Eight - 8 a.m.

Women’s Master Eight - 8 a.m.

Men’s Junior Eight - 8:30 a.m.

Women’s Junior Eight - 8:30 a.m.

Men’s Master Four with Coxswain - 8:30 a.m.

Women’s Master Four with Coxswain - 8:30 a.m.

Men’s Open Single - 9 a.m.

Men’s Lightweight Single - 9 a.m.

Men’s Master’s Single - 9 a.m.

Men’s Lightweight Master’s Single - 9 a.m.

Women’s Open Single - 9 a.m.

Women’s Lightweight Single - 9 a.m.

Women’s Master’s Single - 9 a.m.

Women’s Lightweight Master’s Single - 9 a.m.

Men’s Lightweight Eight - 9:30 a.m.

Men’s Frosh/Novice Eight - 9:30 a.m.

Women’s Frosh/Novice Eight - 9:30 a.m.

Men’s Junior Novice Eight - 9:30 a.m.

Women’s Junior Novice Eight - 9:30 a.m.

Men’s Open Four with Coxswain - 10 a.m.

Women’s Open Four with Coxswain - 10 a.m.

Men’s Junior Four with Coxswain - 10 a.m.

Women’s Junior Four with Coxswain - 10 a.m.