The Second Annual Gardner Cup Class Day Regatta and alumni dinner kicked off the fall season in style, with the Class of 2010 (seniors) soundly defeating the class of 2012 (sophomores) to win in the four-mile event on Saturday afternoon. Last year's champions, the Class of 2011 (juniors) won the petite final.  

New to this year's racing was the actual Gardner Cup trophy itself, donated by Aindriu Colgan '07 and his father Sean, who rowed for Pete on several national teams. Inspired by a trophy from the Mercantile Rowing Club in Melbourne, Australia and commissioned by Sean and Driu for our Class Day racing, the trophy now has a proud and permanent place in the Friends of Dartmouth Rowing Boathouse. 

About 90 rowers, parents, and alumni packed the boathouse for Saturday evening's celebratory dinner honoring the 60th anniversary of lightweight rowing at Dartmouth. Eastern Sprints champions Chip Davis '92 and Dave Smith '08 spoke eloquently about the past and recent champion Dartmouth lightweight crews and the Friends welcomed new head lightweight coach Dan Roock, who inspired the crowd with his plans for Dartmouth's next lightweight champions. 

This year's dinner also celebrated the Class of 1979, which raised $61,050, as the inaugural Gardner Cup Class Day Alumni Giving champions. The Class of 1996 was also honored for having the highest number of donors in 2009 (11), with the Class of 2004 winning the young alumni contest by raising $1,340.  

Almost two dozen Friends convened for the Friends of Dartmouth Rowing Meeting preceding the dinner for updates on the rowing programs, more detailed analysis of 2009 Friends giving, and a projection of 2010 fundraising needs. Several new Friends initiatives were discussed and refined, including the ongoing effort to develop the dedicated Friends of Dartmouth Rowing web site (dartmouthrowing.org) and the critically important class captains fundraising initiative. If you're interested in learning more about the Friends' fundraising efforts and helping out with the class captains project, please contact Eric Cesnik '94 (eric.cesnik@gmail.com). Alex Stein '06 has been spearheading the effort on the website; if you're interested in helping her out you can reach her atamr.stein@gmail.com. 

Finally, Dartmouth Rowing is now on Facebook and Twitter! Search dartmouthrowing on Twitter to sign up there and Dartmouth Rowing on Facebook to become a fan of the page. We will use Facebook to help rowing alums reconnect and to share news and photos. Sign up to follow Dartmouth Rowing on Twitter to receive race results and other important pieces of program news immediately after they happen and well before they hit row2k or dartmouthsports.com. We hope the Twitter account will be especially useful to parents following races. 

Best,

Topher, Wendy, and Dan