At Home on the Water

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Recently I chatted with the President of the Virginia Boat Club (VBC), Mark Willis.

Mark has been a friend of the blog, on several occasions explaining what would possess a sane man to row on the James River at an ungodly hour. He and his wife, Therese, moved to Sky Line at Rocketts Landing two years ago.

(Below is an edited transcript of our chat)

Captain’s Blog:  How long have you been the president of the VBC?  

Mark Willis:  Since January 2008

CB:  The club has been around for a long time. What's it like being the president of an organization with such longevity?  

MW:  It is an honor.  The Virginia Boat Club's origins date back to 1888.  In the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, rowing was a very popular sport on the lower James.  The club's boathouse on Mayo Island was the hub of quite the social scene.  In the last couple of years, we have seen resurgence in rowing.  My goal for the club is to capitalize on this interest and the great rowing waters that we have here in Richmond. 

CB:  How does someone join the VBC?

MW: First, check out the VBC web site at http://virginiaboatclub.org/.  This will give you some basic information about the club and our programs.  Next, just send an email to me (mark@virginiaboatclub.org) or one of the officers letting us know of your interest. Members have access to all of the regular programs, facilities and equipment owned by the club.  We are also having an open house at the downtown boathouse (4400 E. Main St.) at 9:00 am on Saturday, May 2.  The spring session of classes will begin the following Saturday.

CB:  How long has the VBC been operating out of Rocketts Landing?

MW:  Since 1986 

CB:  Why Rocketts Landing?

MW:  The club has always had a boathouse on the lower James.  We are a part of the city and want to be a part of all of the development along the river. 

CB:  How did you get interested in rowing?

MW:  Three years ago, my wife, Therese, and I took the VBC Learn-to-Row class.  We had a great instructor and met a lot of new and interesting people.  Rowing was a great complement to the other sporting activities that we were involved in, so we joined the club.

CB:  What do you like most about it?

MW:  As a fitness activity, rowing is quite beneficial.  You get the aerobic conditioning of running or biking, the strength training of weights or machines, and core and balance training all rolled into one activity.  

Rowing is also very relaxing -- being out on the water in the early morning or evening is serene and calming.  There's nothing like gliding along the glassy surface of the river with the sun coming up over the trees.

In addition, the social aspects of rowing are great. Rowing crew develops teamwork and camaraderie. We like to party after getting off the water -- whether it's the Wednesday evening "Row-and-Poe", a summer picnic or holiday get together.    

CB:  How did the Rocketts Landing Collegiate Regatta go?

MW:  Even though the Rocketts Landing Collegiate Regatta had to be called off midway through the event due to high winds and waves, I think that the race showed its potential for the future.  We had good attendance from teams in Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland.  The athletes and coaches loved the venue and said that they would return next year.  We also had quite a few spectators and media coverage. 

Photo / Virginia Boat Club