Bubbly Creek Rowing Foundation

UPDATE: Due to high flood waters, the MACRA has been relocated to Bass River Quarry in Ottawa County. This new location is approximately 15 minutes west of the Grand Valley State University. The links below have been updated to reflect this new information.

After weeks of practicing and a very successful home race, NU Crew is preparing for a month full of championship regattas!

The first of three championships will be the 45th Annual Mid American Collegiate Rowing Association (MACRA) Championship Regatta (link) held this Saturday, May 2nd, 2009! The MACRA will be held on the Grand River (Comstock Riverside Park) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. See below for the MACRA program (which includes information concerning the race and a racing schedule), directions, and parking information.

If you will be in the area and are interested in bringing any food or drink for the team (which is greatly appreciated!), please email Kristin Behrmann. The team hopes to see you there!

NU Crew’s annual home race will be taking place this Saturday, April 18th at the Dammrich Rowing Center in Skokie, IL (last year’s location for the Alumni Row). North Park University, the team with whom NU Crew shares our boathouse, will be co-hosting and racing against the University of Chicago and Wheaton College.

Unlike past years, this year’s home race is the last race that the team will have before the regional and championship regattas - the Mid-America Collegiate Rowing Association (MACRA) championships, the Dad Vail, and the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) championships. As such, we hope to make our home race both an exciting and true racing experience for our novice and varsity teams.

This year, the home race is also particularly important for the novices. Because of very poor weather, only a portion of the novices were able to race in a limited slate of races at the team’s first race, the Clemson Sprints (those that were able to race - two men’s fours and a women’s four - did very well, being awarded silver and gold medals, respectively, based on their showing in the heats). The novices did not travel to the Marietta Invitational. As a result, for most of the novices the home race represents their only chance to race before the bigger championship regattas.

The Varsity is seeking to build on their good showing at the Marietta Invitational. It is also, obviously, an opportunity to establish bragging rights among the Chicago area collegiate crews, an opportunity the team would like to capitalize on. North Park is a Division III school which has proven itself quite competitive in the past few years. Chicago has also improved over prior years. Wheaton is a bit of a wild card.

The team loves to see alumni at every race, however, your support at the home race is integral to our success both at the home race and later in the season. The team would not be where we are today without your legacy and, again, we ask you to please support and cheer on your crew. We know that you remember how much of a difference hearing supporters and friends cheer at the start, in the third 500, and in the final 250 meters makes in the race. With that, we hope you will be able to find the time to come and cheer on your team.

If you have any questions on race day, anyone in a purple and white or black and purple uni can help you (we should all be around the dock and boathouse) and find you a great place to watch the race from - for those who are not familiar with the course, it is narrow with a number of great locations to sit on the bank and watch the teams compete up-close! As always, please do not hesitate to contact team Alumni Chair Kristin Behrmann via email with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in Skokie.

Additional Information on competing crews:

• North Park University
• University of Chicago
• Wheaton College

Estimated race times:

7:30     Coaches and Coxswains Meeting (meet under the flag pole)
8:00     Launch Flight 1 (launch in reverse order of event)
9:00     Women’s Varsity 8 (Heats) NU/U of C/Wheaton/NPU
9:16     Women’s Novice 8 (Final) NU/U of C
9:24     Men’s Varsity 4+ (Heats) NU/U of C/NPU/Wheaton
9:40     Men’s Novice 4+ (Final) Wheaton/U of C
9:48     Men’s Novice 4+ B (Final) NU B/Wheaton B

10:00    Launch Flight 2 (launch in reverse order of event)
11:00    Women’s Varsity 4+ (Heat) NU/Wheaton/U of C/NPU
11:16    Women’s Varsity 4+ B (Final) NU B/Wheaton B
11:24    Men’s Novice 8 (Heat) NU A/U of C/NU B/Wheaton
11:40    Women’s Novice 4+ (Heat) NU/U of C/NPU/Wheaton

12:00    Launch Flight 3 (launch in reverse order of event)
12:40    Women’s Varsity 8 (Final) Winner 1/Winner 2
12:48    Men’s Varsity 8 (Final) NU/U of C
12:56    Women’s Novice 4+ (Final) Winner 1/Winner 2

1:10     Launch Flight 4 (launch in reverse order of event)
1:40     Women’s Varsity 4+ (Final) Winner 1/Winner 2
1:48     Men’s Novice 8 (Final) Winner 1/Winner 2
1:56     Men’s Varsity 4+ (Final) Winner 1/Winner 2

Spectator Parking & Viewing:

Spectators should park in the shopping plaza lot (Starbucks and Sam’s Club) which is located on Main Street directly behind the boathouse and the dog park (marked with “Enter Parking Lot” on the map below). There are several areas along the course for race viewing. The bridge crossing Main Street is closest to spectator parking and is located near the finish of the course. The western shore of the river includes a bike trail that follows the course and allows for viewing in several places.