Sunday, April 20, 2008

Winning Streaks ( 下 )

Maybe the chorus of the song "karma" by Alicia Keys will well depict this post and its "pre-lude".

"...what goes around, comes around.
What goes up, must come down.... "

it was indeed an awesome winning streaks yesterday, and things turn around today...
No doubt we were disappointed with the results today, but at least we know we are definitely better than what's on paper...


Well, probably thats what you get in "Drift Start" race.
You win some , you lose some.....
How's how the "Drift Start" Logic Works...
It was quite an unusual "starts" used, and its really one that test your luck and techniques...

A distance starting 50m before the 300m start point is called the "Drift Zone".
I.e., When all Boats report at the start point, they will be called to go into this "Drift Zone", and supposed to drift in to teh zero point, where teh command for "Are You Ready " wil be given.

So its totally opposite of teh normal stationary "bouy" starts in Regatta/Sava, etc.
the problem or rather, the "opportunity" lies here.


If you are slow in "drifting" to the zero point, and if the "starter" decides to call for "Are you Ready" based on the first boat that touches the zero point, this means whichever boat that is slow and have yet to "hit" the zero point (but inside the 50m 'drift zone' will lose out by that distance!


Apparently yesterday, the "start" rule was somewhat difference.
The "starter" will ensure all boats are almost in line near the zero point before giving the command to start. And if any one is too much ahead, he wil call all boats to "manual" drift back (read: back paddle)

In this case, it means if you are the last boat to enter drift zone, it gives u the "momentum" advantage that when u are gliding near the zero point and the command given, you have a better start.


But in today's context, doing that totally turns the table around. if you are the last to "hit" the zero point, then you will be one or half boat away from the very first boat that "hit" the zero point first.

And that's where we perished, using all our might to catch up a full boat length before been thrown behind 3rd place, just less than half boat from the 1st runner up...
No one's to blame for this, as we never expect such a change from yesterday's drift start and today's drift start.

Of cos, we can;t protest that we are behind while the others start first, afterall, we are already in the 50m "drift zone".

on hindsigt, if we were the boat that had the so-called "head-start", would we mind?
Well, thats competitive sports. Luck and techniques play a part.

It would be a case of "miscalculation" on our end.

But I seriously think we did a good one by cathing up at least 1 and a half boat from the 2nd boat.
Maybe that has turned our fury into power?
At least we know we have the ability to "chase" from behind.

All is not lost team, we still have more competitions to show what we can achieve.


The 20-men mixed didnt deliver a fantastic results either as per yesterday, and we were down by 4men, as we had 2 teams of 10 men event racing right before our 20men event.
Further, the contestants in this race line-up were no doubt, powerful teams, likes of PA team who trained reall hard and frequent. So we loose to indeed stronger opponents.
And the scene that all 6 boats were breathing down one-another's neck at the finishing points was a great showdown and encouragement to us.

At both our Senior Citizens Baat (the boat ony needs 50% of senior citizen in side, and remainin above 30years old) clinched a good 2nd and 3rd placing in the same race event.

Well done!
Pasir Ris East Didnt go back empty handed!
(all of us got a race singlet and Shirt, lol...)
Oh yah, and the combined GRC race, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC clinched a first placing too!
Truly brings out the meaning, - 姜还是老的辣!


Kudos!


Our next race, June Race ( Dragon Boat Festival)
and Corporate Challenge Games (CCG) in July.

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