Winds were gusting almost to 50 MPH yesterday, even in Boston. Apparently, not to be considered a big deal for rowers.
Fire Dept got to practice water rescue twice in a day. 
sing
Today while leaving the launch I see a car with two 8ft sot kayaks on the roof. The 15 to 20 mph winds were tough enough, but the 30mph gusts just stopped our seakayaks in our tracks. All 11 of our group made it back.
I stopped the truck at the car and told them about conditions. They were so young. I told them to not go out.
The university of MN rowing team was frequently out in april/may in frigid and fast flowing Mississippi river waters with only t shirts on with (2) 8 man sculls in the water and only 1 small zodiac chase boat. I always thought, ‘if one (or both) those boats capsized, getting 9-18 people out of the freezing water before hypothermia set in wold be really hard’. I figure 2-3 minutes tops before things start going south quickly. Plus in the fast spring current just recovering the 50’ scull sounds very difficult to me. I assume those arent cheap and a university would want to recover them.
The couple rowing teams I have seen practicing on very cold river water are quite nonchalant about the possibility of a capsize (i.e. no PDF’s, neoprene, splash, or immersion gear, no dry bags with clothes, high ratio of athletes to chase boats, etc),
Good to hear that no one got hurt
@MCImes said:
The couple rowing teams I have seen practicing on very cold river water are quite nonchalant about the possibility of a capsize (i.e. no PDF’s, neoprene, splash, or immersion gear, no dry bags with clothes, high ratio of athletes to chase boats, etc),
Yeah… survival of the fittest!!! LOL!
Good to hear that no one got hurt
So far. But if pushing it in near gale force winds is the norm…
sing
That happened about this time of year in the lake near where I live a few years ago - local high school team was practicing in conditions that I would say “Not today” if the wind was blowing away from the ramp. Coach got a good bit of yelling at.
In my youth one of the unit mates in the dorm was on Purdue Crew. It seems like they’d go jump in the water shortly after the ice broke up. We didn’t agree on a lot of things.
They paddle near me in the ice cold water with nothing on but shirts and shorts. BUT they all have there own small power boat coach? guy with blow horn screaming out stuff. with them. If they did go over the power boat could pick up a few of them BUT not all.