Issue No. 7: July 2019
Broadcasting Henley Royal Regatta | Coaching and Culture in NCAA Division 1 Rowing | The King's Cup, 100 Years Later
Scaling the Henley Experience
How the Henley Royal Regatta video broadcast is setting a new standard for rowing coverage online
Talk to Henley Stewards, and broadcast masterminds, Neil Chugani and Matthew Pinsent about how it all began, and it’s obvious that this was no straightforward journey. How do you take a regatta that is one of the most storied in the world, and yet also one of the most egalitarian (virtually every level of rowing is represented, from high schoolers to Olympic champions), and create a broadcast that captures the experience in a way that resonates with the most hardcore of the rowing community, as well as people less familiar with the sport? What are the elements you need as guide stars? And, finally, how do you measure success?
What was clear, from the outset, however, is that there was not only an opportunity, but people with the right kind of preparation and knowledge on hand to take full advantage of it.
Some people might call that ‘luck.’ We just call it the best rowing broadcast in the world.
“I was made a Steward in 2012, and I have a background in media,” explains Chugani. “Fairly immediately after being made a Steward, Mike Sweeney, who was Chairman at the time, asked me to dust down the proposals that we’d had in the past, and once again investigate the idea of going out live. So, I started with a blank sheet of paper, and ultimately came to the conclusion that what would make the most sense for Henley in the first instance would be to self-produce, so that we could retain complete editorial control, and live stream on YouTube to maximize reach. And so, we went through a process of getting responses to an invitation to tender from a range of production companies. In the end, we decided to go with Sunset & Vine, because they had a lot of experience with open water production—they’ve done a lot of sailing, including the America’s Cup.”
This was immediately following the London 2012 Olympics, of course, where, at a cost of over a million dollars, the broadcast had rigged a cable above the rowing course, stretching the entire length of the 2k race. It provided compelling overhead shots of the rowing, and was innovative in terms of the Olympic broadcast, but was cost-prohibitive for any other regatta.
And yet, at that same time, the idea of drones providing live coverage was also beginning to take flight.
“It was only about six weeks before that we’d gotten the idea that the drone would be practical,” says Pinsent. “It came out of some pre-event build up that Sunset & Vine were working on—Steve Peters was in Henley doing some filming with a little drone, over the top of the racecourse. Sunset & Vine had said, look we’ve got to do some pre-race stuff, and we’d like to bring a drone down—we said, great! It was Steve Peters, who’s now our primary drone operator, and, Neil, Steve [Redgrave], and I, all happened to be there.
“Neil commented something about how we loved the idea of using a drone for Henley, and how long would it be before we might be able to use one, and Steve [Peters] just said, ‘well, you can have that now if you want.’ It was like a moment of whiplash for all of us! We tracked down Steve [Redgrave] in about 30 seconds flat, and he immediately got it. He was like, ‘absolutely, this could be a game changer. Let’s try it, let’s see what we can do.’
“We had been inspired by the way that the coverage of the America’s Cup in 2013 had transformed the presentation of sailing, and decided that what we had to do something equally special for rowing,” Chugani says. “Deploying a drone was absolutely fundamental to that. We did a lot of research—at the time, there was only one drone pilot in Europe who was qualified to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle within 10 meters of people ‘not under his control.’ That was perfect, because the Henley course is 14 meters wide, so we knew that we would therefore have a safe channel of flying, four meters wide, and a total flying envelope of 1,000 meters. We also knew that the speed of the drone was very consistent with the speed of rowing crews—we knew that the footage would be transformational. We’d already seen drones deployed in surfing competitions, and in skiing and other winter sports. So, we knew it would be perfect for our sport—because, as you know, so much coverage of our sport is from fixed cameras that pan left to right, or right to left, and there’s a fraction of a second at which the camera is perpendicular to the course and to the boats. So, there’s only a fraction of a second when you actually know the relative position of the crews. We knew that a drone would give us that perspective for far longer.”
Even with everyone buying into the idea, and all the preparations happening apace to make sure that the fledgling video broadcast idea would be a hit, there was still plenty of nerves leading into the final week—mostly because of the impracticality of doing much live testing before the main event.
“We had a very nervous Wednesday morning, that first year [in 2015],” Pinsent recalls. “I’m not sure how Neil remembers it, but the rehearsal on that Tuesday afternoon was pretty close to a shambles. It was awful. It was like they had turned up with cameras that had vaseline on the lens, or something. Nowadays, the Tuesday production meeting is sort of a staple, but this was the first year, and we had assembled Steve [Redgrave] and members of the Committee for this rehearsal, and we had launches, we had umpires, we had crews on the course. It was a full-on rehearsal for the Regatta—we had a race timetable. There were seven races to go down the course. And it looked...amateur.”
To an athlete, having a terrible dress rehearsal can be confidence crushing. But television production is an entirely different...ballgame (sorry).
“My experience of TV, of course, is that the rehearsal is a sort of shake down,” Pinsent says. “It’s more, okay, it’s the first time I’ve been here, I’m not sure this lens is quite right, I might need this or that. So, they were sort of in shakedown mode, whereas if you talk to sports people about a rehearsal, and it’s the day before the race, it’s like, you make sure your kit is straight, you’ve filled up your water bottle, you leave your shoes in the right place, you get to the start line on time. It’s a rehearsal—there’s no point in doing it less than 100%.
“Everyone was gathered around looking, and thinking okay, I see the potential. We were just sweating bullets. And then, 9am the next morning—it just worked.”
For the first year of the new approach, the drone was only available for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Now, not only is the drone flying throughout the Regatta, but the drone, cameras, and coverage have all been enhanced.
“I think we decided to do this at just the right time, given the advances in technology, and the opportunity that it has offered us to present the sport in a compelling, new way,” says Chugani.
“The advance made with the new drone this year is a good example. For the first four years, we had a drone operated by Flying Pictures—a Vulcan Raven octocopter—that weighed about 25 kilos, flight time of about seven minutes. This year, we upgraded to a new drone with SP Films, flown by Steve Peters—an Alta 8—that is seven kilos lighter, which means two things. First, it’s got a longer flight time of about 10 minutes, which means it can comfortably cover a full race, come back, land and switch batteries, and be airborne for the next race. It can also carry a heavier camera rig—we had a 20x zoom camera on it this year, as compared to a 4x zoom over the previous four years. I’m not sure if you noticed, but a lot of the overhead shots this year got much tighter on the crews—there was a lot more close-up detail from within the boat. It’s also quieter, and hasn’t cost us any more. We caught the wave at the right time, in terms of the combination of technological advancement, as well as consumer behavior. People expect this kind of stuff to be available now.”
If Meghan O’Leary’s recent review of rowing media (tl;dr—“you’re not doing enough”) is any indication, Chugani is right. People just expect this kind of thing now.
There’s a lot of Meghan’s piece that I disagree with (for starters, let’s be honest—baby animals are always going to be much, much more popular than rowing), but something that does resonate is the importance of how the sport is presented. And that’s always at the forefront of Chugani and Pinsent’s minds, not only in terms of the broadcast itself, but also how it affects the experience of Henley as a whole.
“When the sport is presented well, people really want to watch the racing,” Chugani says. “One of the things that maybe is less obvious is that the behavior of the crowd in the Stewards’ Enclosure has changed. Just to illustrate my point: On any one day at Henley, we may have something like 25,000 people in the Stewards’ Enclosure. And previously, frankly, there was little interest in the racing. Of course, you’d see it flash by—maybe you’d see a few seconds of it. To watch a race from start to finish, you had to be very intentional—go up into the grandstand, look at the signal boxes as they changed up the course. Now, we see that people are much more engaged with the racing in the Stewards’ Enclosure.
“We have screens in the grandstands, so people can go up and watch the racing. You see people watching it on their mobile phones, because those who have a good enough network can stream it directly, and what I’ve also observed is that as the drone gets closer to the Enclosures, people are then drawn to the riverbank—the presence of the drone indicates that there’s a race coming.
“I think that the kinds of things that present the sport well are being able to get close in with the athletes (we have a Cineflex on one of the launches, a gyro-stabilised HD camera, that can give us really tight shots, very close into the boat—I think that’s unique to our coverage). Also, having a drone at low altitude—it takes courage to do that. We had conversations with the Civil Aviation Authority, our insurers, insurers of the production company. But if you want to innovate, you have to be courageous. And these are the things that really make a difference to what makes it onto the screen.”
That experience of the race, bringing you inside the boats with the athletes, is something that Henley Royal Regatta is taking ownership of through this approach. While in the past, Regatta Radio offered insights into the crews, and still photography, or the odd video clip, gave a glimpse of the action, the HRR YouTube broadcast is allowing the Regatta to take total control of the narrative, which means it can at once be respectful toward the athletes and the historical nature of the event, while also scaling that experience for a worldwide audience.
“Before broadcasting, on occasion, we’d have a British newspaper, or usually tabloid come to the Regatta, and bluntly, all they were interested in were the dress code, or someone trying to break the rules, or someone getting drunk and falling in the river, or whatever,” laments Pinsent. “And it was just like we had to live through this thing, again, and again, and again. Every couple of years, this story would just be rehashed. So, we thought, if we do broadcasting on our own terms, it’s a chance for us to tell our story, in our way.
“The way I described it to people then was that we were going to flip that on its head. Everyone imagines that Henley is all about the blazers, and the hats, and socializing—and of course, that’s a huge part of it. But in a lot of that coverage, the rowing was a complete backdrop. What we wanted to do was the opposite—the rowing would be in the foreground, and all the blazers and the hats and the socializing and the flowers and the band, that is going to be the backdrop to the racing. I think that is the simplest way of describing what it has done—we now tell our own story. It might not take the greater sports world by storm, but to the rowing audience, they love it.
Chugani echoes this idea: “We think that there is a direct correlation between the fact that we’ve now been broadcasting for five years around the world, and the fact that almost every year, we’ve seen a record number of entries, including a record number of overseas crews. This year, we had 660 entries, which beat the previous record by, I think, 34—and we had 159 crews from overseas. And we know from talking to those [overseas] crews that one of the key reasons why they were inspired to come and race at Henley is that now they can now actually see what Henley is like on YouTube. For us, this has been the most powerful marketing that the Regatta has ever done—those very close to the sport know and love Henley, but previously the only way they’d only been able to see it, if they were unable to attend, was through still imagery. Now, being able to see it up close, in high-definition video, hopefully presented in an innovative way, has inspired many crews around the world to want to come and race.”
As far as analytics regarding video viewership—those numbers look very positive as well.
“For us, success right now is making sure that our audience is growing quite considerably (our YouTube live stream viewership was up 61% year-on-year, and the total channel viewing during the Regatta was up 30% year-on-year), and the fact that interest in the event, both domestically and internationally, is growing all the time. And we do attribute that to the fact that now people can consume it in a way that reflects the way people engage with large-scale events. Large-scale events have to have a compelling, powerful, video-based online presence now to maintain share of mind, and relevance.
“And that’s something that we’re very glad that we started on five years ago.”
You’re not the only ones. //RR
Thanks very much to Neil Chugani and Matthew Pinsent for taking the time!
Coaching Culture: How Yaz Farooq and Washington Rowing Set a Rhythm that Everyone Can Follow
We recently caught up with 2019 NCAA Champion head coach Yaz Farooq of Washington on how she and the Huskies continue to build for culture, cohesion, and success in a constantly evolving field.
Bryan Kitch:
As the NCAA Rowing field continues to grow deeper and more competitive, how do you adapt both as a program and as a coach to stay at the top of your game?
Yaz Farooq:
Every year the field is unpredictable, and every year there are insanely close finishes at the NCAAs. This year five programs had boats in all three NCAA finals, which is such a positive sign for the strength and depth of collegiate women’s rowing.
That said, we can only control our own culture, mindset and speed.
I’m passionate about our sport, and I think making boats go super fast is fun. I felt that way as a coxswain, and I still feel that way as a coach. That’s what we focus on—the pure joy of making boats go as fast as we can make them go.
Of course that takes focus and effort. Fortunately, there are many kindred spirits here—on our men’s team as well. Conibear Shellhouse is an amazing place to train—it’s always buzzing with energy, and the alums are genuinely invested. It’s a cutting edge training center with an incredible history—and a positive place where you know that great things can happen if you put your mind to it.
The plan each year is tailored to the strengths of our current student-athletes with an eye towards identifying specific areas that can be improved. The athletes need to trust us and we in turn need to trust them. We are in it together. It is truly a collaborative effort. We view every year as a new journey and an opportunity for them to add to the legacy.
Bryan Kitch:
You have a very strong personal resume of international success—how do you view the competitive level of today’s NCAA ranks as compared to your own racing days?
Yaz Farooq:
In my time there were far fewer programs. I was a cox at Wisconsin in the mid ‘80s. Nearly all of us learned to row in college. There were no scholarships. We were fighting for access to facilities and equipment—also to be recognized as athletes who could compete with the same determination and passion as our male counterparts.
This was a time when women were definitely second-class citizens in the boathouse. I didn’t like how that felt, and I wouldn’t wish that upon another person, male or female. I feel fortunate for the scholarships we have today but it’s sad to see how many men’s teams have lost varsity status since then.
The common thread between the past and present for women’s rowers is our solidarity as female athletes. Today more women than ever enter college with access to athletic scholarships. Not only is it “accepted” to be a strong athlete AND a woman, it’s considered an asset. Thanks to the increasing competitiveness of the NCAAs and also the amazing legacy of the 3x-Olympic champion USA women’s eight, women’s collegiate rowing is a destination for many young athletes. More high school girls than ever before aspire to pursue rowing in college—from the US and around the world.
We are still fighting for equality when it comes to pay and promotion in careers but these women are in a great position to to take that stand. As a coach, I am here to support them and teach them that they deserve to demand that equality.
Bryan Kitch:
Given the level of international recruiting, how do you build a cohesive culture and approach to technique, in light of the diverse array of rowing experience across your program?
Yaz Farooq:
We are always focusing on development—for every person in this boathouse. It doesn’t matter what level you come in at—as a rower or athlete—in our program you will have people around you who will help you become a better rower—and teammate—in a really positive, constructive way.
For technique, there are a lot of ways to go fast. But, if you follow international rowing at the highest level—those who are successful emphasize optimizing leg drive. We start with that. Then we build the rest of the stroke around the way our best rowers row, and build rhythm from there. Obviously, the sustainability of sound technique is directly correlated to fitness.
Bryan Kitch:
At the Division I level, talent is always going to be a top priority—but how do you balance ensuring that talent is given the best opportunity to succeed, while at the same time developing athletes in the lower echelons of the squad?
Yaz Farooq:
It’s all about commitment to improve. Some people have more rowing experience. Some people are exceptional athletes with little experience. We are very hands on as coaches in helping people identify how they can improve, but also how their strengths can help their teammates get better. Opportunities are earned every day. Plus, conference and NCAA championships are not based on the result of a single boat. It takes an entire team. Everyone here recognizes and embraces that.
Jen Wren (Class of ‘19) is a great example. She’s a local Seattle kid, who worked her way up from the third varsity eight as a sophomore, earned an NCAA championship last year in the second varsity eight, and capped off her senior year with an NCAA victory in the first varsity eight.
Jess Thoennes learned to row at Washington, won two NCAA Championships and is now training with the senior national team in Princeton.
Both worked their way up from the bottom, demonstrated what was possible with consistent effort, and and elevated their teammates around them.
Most of our international rowers have typically taken many, many strokes by the time they get here. They know how to feel and move boats and they play a key role in helping develop some of our great athletes into effective rowers. They are also among our best students.
I think the heart and soul of the program is that everyone recognizes that they can contribute in a meaningful way and that we are invested in each of them, as students, athletes, and people. We’re all trying to operate at our true potential. It’s a four-year experience that they only get once in this lifetime. It’s also an experience that for many Washington rowers—experienced and walk-on—has helped them become Olympians and Olympic champions.
That’s another legacy we’d like to add to. //RR
Thanks very much to Yaz for taking the time in the midst of coaching the US women’s pair in preparation for the 2019 World Rowing Championships! Photo courtesy of Washington Athletics.
Video of the Month: The King’s Cup, 100 years later
This year’s Henley Royal Regatta featured a renewal of the King’s Cup, harkening back to the first Henley after the Great War
From the King’s Cup website:
In commemoration of the centenary of the 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta, military VIIIs will once again compete against each other at Henley Royal Regatta after a one hundred year hiatus.
The King’s Cup at Henley Royal Regatta will be a race between eight military forces which honours the past, cements and contributes to the Alliances of today and builds towards the future; The King’s Cup will see crews from the original six nations that raced in 1919, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the UK and the USA, joined by Germany and the Netherlands. They will compete in a knock-out format over the final three days of the 2019 Henley Royal Regatta and for the first time at an elite rowing event, men and women will row in the same boat.
This year’s final, posted above, was an exciting, close contest between Germany and the United States—no spoilers, but it does feature a lead change. //RR
A note to subscribers from the editor
Dear subscribers,
First, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks again for your readership. You’re why we do this, so it’s much appreciated. Second, I’d like to announce that, based on a combination between feedback and bandwidth, we’re going to focus more resources on the monthly, paid newsletter, and shelve the ‘Video of the Week’ series for now. (We know that you get a ton of email, and rather than inundate you with more, we’d like to give you something you can focus on, and take time to read.) Instead, we’ll include a video feature each month, like the one above.
And, of course, our previous Video of the Week posts will still be available via our archive here on Substack, as well as the previous seven years of content housed at our official website, rowingrelated.com.
Thanks again and all best,
-Bryan
This Month’s Links 🔗
The best of the rest.
Henley Royal Regatta announces that it will extend to six days — Henley Royal Regatta
Video: History was made this year as China celebrated their first ever Henley victory in The Princess Grace Challenge Cup (1 min) — Henley Royal Regatta [Twitter]
[Photo Galleries] Images of Henley 2019: Student and Junior Events, Intermediate and Club Events, Open Events — Hear The Boat Sing
Greece strike World Best Time pace in under-23 semifinals — World Rowing
The best under-23 rowers take on Florida’s heat to become world champions — World Rowing
Full results from U23s — World Rowing
World Rowing Junior Championships in Tokyo doubles as Olympic and Paralympic test event — World Rowing
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