Other people are seen diving into the water. The celebration at the rowing club has suddenly become very quiet. So quiet in fact that a keening female voice can be clearly heard across the water - a sound that no one will soon forget. War stories about motor boats must be common in the rowing world. Anyone who has ever spent any time in a racing shell must have one.
Some stories draw a laugh over a couple of beers.
Others aren't funny. Motor boats are part of the daily life of the sport. Rowing clubs need them to maintain their programs. Crews training on a river or lake have to cope with traffic. During regattas, there are always complaints about officials and their boat wakes.