Andover boys dominated the regatta this weekend, winning four of the five races against Brunswick and Salisbury. Andover’s first boat took the lead as soon as it settled after the start, and it continued to gain ground throughout the entire race. Andover finished with a six second lead over Salisbury. The boys’ second boat started the race down by a few seats off the start and stayed about a half a length down during the first thousand meters. It was the first time this season that Andover’s second boat was down to another school at any point in a race, but the team overcame this challenge with perseverance. Each time the other boat made a move, Andover held on and stayed with it. Finally, with 500 meters to go, Andover powered its final move and neared the Salisbury boat with each stroke. Andover’s second boat finished with a solid four-second victory. “It wasn’t our prettiest race, and we certainly took some bad strokes,” said Charlie Walters ’10. “But our will to win was far greater than theirs. There isn’t a person on our boat who has or will take an easy stroke.” Andover’s third boat dominated its race, gaining a quick lead off the start and separating from the pack the entire way. The team made a move after each 500 meters to increase its lead, and finished with a sweeping win by more than fourteen seconds. Both of Andover’s fifth and sixth boats competed in the same race, placing first and second over their competition, respectively. The race opened with a shocking start as Andover and Salisbury crashed boats right off the line. The race restarted, however, and Andover’s fifth boat immediately took the lead. Following close behind was Salisbury in second and Andover’s sixth boat in third. The tides turned when Salisbury caught a crab going into the final 600 meters and Andover surpassed its rival to steal second place. Andover’s sixth boat maintained its position and beat Salisbury by 11 seconds.
