After four weeks of hard training in Concord, and an additional week of work on the team's annual trip to Austin, TX, the Middlesex Boys' hosted Dexter for their first race of the 2014 season.  It was a beautiful 60 degrees on the Concord River, but a strong headwind prevailed all afternoon. 
 
In the 4^th Boat race, Middlesex got off to an early start, and for the entire 1500m, rowed a consistent and controlled stroke.  The boys came across the line 30 seconds ahead of Dexter. 
 
The Middlesex 3^rd boat – a mix of returners and novices – also rowed a strong race, which started out close for the first 500m, and then Middlesex slowly started to pull away in the middle 500, finishing 16 seconds ahead of Dexter.  The 3^rd boats were the only boats that didn't experience a strong headwind that afternoon. 
 
The 2^nd  boats had a very good race – tight all the way through the 750, when they started to open up water on the Dexter boys.  In the sprint the Middlesex boat effectively took up the rating and moved the hull faster through the water, resulting in an 8 second finish over Dexter. 
 
For the last race of the day the wind picked up and threw some whitecaps at the bows of the 1^st boats, but both the Dexter and Middlesex boys rowed long and strong into the headwind.  Dexter took a ¾ length over Middlesex off the start, and the boats remained that way through the first 500.  At 600 meters Middlesex had taken back a seat, and by the 1,000, the two boats were dead even.  The last 500 was a testament of wills for both teams, with bow balls exchanging the lead as they moved through the last 200m.  Middlesex gritted across the line only 1/2 a second ahead of Dexter – a great early season experience for both crews.