By Nick Curcuru
GLOUCESTER¬¬ Coming into yesterday's women's senior seine boat championships, it looked to be a two boat barnburner between defending champion All Jacked Up and 2006 and 2007 champion Oar'Dacious.
This race, however, was over early. Oar'Dacious was aided by a strong start that gave them an early lead, and all they did was extend their lead throughout the mile long race to take home their third women's seine boat championship in four years by a five-boat margin. Inseine Oars finished in second place, 1/4 of a boat ahead of All Jacked Up.
"We were awesome today," Oar'Dacious coxswain Joanne Frontiero said. "It was very impressive, everybody clicked and everybody rowed as hard as they could. We jumped out of the box with a good lead and we never looked back."
Oar'Dacious' start was so good that they had a half-boat lead by the time the boats hit the greasy pole. Midway to the flag, which sits 1/2 mile off of Pavilion Beach, Oar'Dacious extended their lead to a boat and a half. With All Jacked Up and Inseine Oars making a push just before the flag, Oar'Dacious made a push of their own, holding their sizable lead and extending it thanks to a great turn from scuttler Joe Balbo.
From there on in Oar'Dacious extended their lead from two boats to five by the time they hit the beach.
The race for second, however, came down to the final stroke as Inseine Oars and All Jacked Up went push for to the beach with Inseine Oars edging them by a quarter of a boat.
Ironically, coxswain Frontiero was no slated to participate in this year's races but when a rower for Oar'Dacious was not able to row, Frontiero stepped back into her coaching seat, where she was when Oar'Dacious won their last two championships in 2006 and 2007.
"I jumped at the opportunity," Frontiero said. "I was going to retire but when I found out they needed somebody there was no doubt in my mind that I was jumping in. These girls are awesome and I am glad I was apart of it again."
With three titles in the last four years, Oar'Dacious is turning into a women's seine boat dynasty.
"This is an awesome crew," Frontiero said. "They stack up with any women's crew who has ever raced. They worked so hard and they earned it."
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The women's junior seine boat race was up for grabs for the first half-mile, but the True Few had other plans, as they pulled away for a dominating victory yesterday at Pavilion Beach.
The True Few dueled with On the Rise the entire way out to the flag. It was a back and forth battle with both crews gaining their share of small leads. To top it all off, both crews went into the turn at the same time.
The True Few, however, came away with a slight lead thanks to a slick turn from scuttler Joe Balbo. A few strokes later, The True Few built a boat lead, another 100 yards further, the eventual champions extended their lead to three boats. By the time they hit the beach, The True Few turned the championship race from a deadlock at the halfway mark, to a resounding win of more than five boats by the time the race was finished.
Oar'Dacious
Coxswain- Joanne Frontiero
Scuttler- Joe Balbo
Rowers- Tobin Arsenault, Nikki Parisi, Victoria Prince, Vanessa Prince, Leah Daghl, Emily Pecoria, Ashley Rose, Bobby Owens, Leanne "Sleepy Jr." Pallazola
