Hi {{first_name|JRN Community}},

It's that time of year. The spring racing calendar has well and truly arrived, and this week it’s arriving everywhere at once: collegiate championships across the US, the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia, Poplar Regatta on the Thames, Trinity Regatta over in Dublin and Westerlijke Regatta in the Netherlands. Wherever you are in the rowing world, chances are something important is happening near you this weekend.

At JRN we've been doing our best to keep up, pulling together coverage from all of it so you don't have to go looking. That's the whole point of this newsletter, really: one place, every week, for the stories that matter in rowing.

Thanks for being here. There's a lot to get into, so let's go.

The Editor

The conference championships are in full swing, and spots at the IRA National Championship and NCAA Rowing Championship are on the line. Eastern Sprints, the Big 10, Big 12, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, and ARCA Championships are all on the water this weekend - here's what to watch

Billed as the largest high school regatta in the world, the Stotesbury Cup returns to the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia this weekend for another year of fierce scholastic competition. Thousands of young athletes, dozens of schools, and one very busy stretch of water.

One of the Thames' most beloved fixtures, Poplar Regatta brings another lively day of racing to East London this weekend. Clubs from across the country have made the trip, and all eyes are on what promises to be a cracking day on the water.

Over in Dublin, Trinity Regatta draws a strong field to the River Liffey this weekend for high-quality club and collegiate racing. One of the highlights of the Irish rowing calendar, and one well worth following from afar.

Sasha Castel-Branco stumbled into rowing commentary by accident at Durham Regatta in 2022. Within three years, she was behind the mic at The Reserve Boat Race and writing for JRN. We sat down with her to talk preparation, the difference between head and regatta commentary, and why she thinks anyone who enjoys talking about racing with their mates could give it a go.

Tight hamstrings are one of the most common (and most overlooked) limiters in rowing. Sophie explains why hamstring mobility is so central to the catch position and power transfer, what goes wrong when they're stiff, and shares her go-to stretches to help you move better on the water.

Robbie Tenenbaum with Robbie Consulting assists athletes and parents in navigating US university recruiting. He previously spent over 30 years coaching at top NCAA programs and a decade with the US Junior National Team.

He has recruited athletes from over 25 countries and maintains an outstanding reputation amongst recruiters at top US institutions.

Robbie will be in the UK between the 19th and 24th of May for National Schools’ Regatta, and between the 16th and 24th of June for Henley Women’s Regatta.

Robbie will be available at both events to meet in person or online.

Kick-start your American rowing career with Robbie Consulting.

Want to get in touch? Reach out to us via [email protected].