Having joked about it, let me quickly say that the people who went on this trip were, almost to a man and woman, good company, into rowing and fun to be with. Many were wildly over my level – two guys had rowed in teh Navy eight together, many years ago, and one was in the national eight in 1975 – but they were all cordial and helpful. The lake was perfect for rowing and the food was…decent. Perhaps most important, there’s nothing like having a little coaching to make huge gains in your sport. I learned SO much. Wish I had done this fifty years ago. So there’s a tip: if you have a sport you like some, think about going to "camp" for a week; it’ll crank up your game radically.

One of the best things about the week was that it was the magic – and all to rare – combo of fitness and community. There was a huge emphasis on fitness, God knows, but people got very cozy, too. Including the assassin, who turns out not to be an assissin after all…and to have a wonderful sense of humor and to know an awful lot about how bodies work.

And the race on the last day – everyone raced – turned out to be great fun. I had dreaded it but it was actually neat. Whether for the obvious stars – like the erg strar and the Navy guys – or the novices. We all did "our best" and felt great about it. Great kedge. Try it.