ROWING / HENLEY REGATTA : OCC’s Heavyweight Eight Crew Gains Semifinals

Orange Coast College’s heavyweight eight crew advanced to the semifinal round of the Temple Cup in the 153rd Royal Regatta with an easy victory over Worcester-Balliol on Friday.

It marks only the second time in nine tries that OCC has reached the semifinals in the regatta, which is considered one of the most prestigious in the world. The Pirates have never made the final.

Despite rowing in heavy rain and a stiff wind on the Thames River outside London, OCC’s effort was called “(the school’s) most technically perfect race ever,” by Coach Dave Grant. The Pirates won the 2,300-meter race by five boat lengths over the team from Oxford.

“We took the stroke rate way down over the final 500 meters,” Grant said. “After three days of racing, we want to be as fresh as possible for (today).”

OCC meets Trinity College of Ireland in one semifinal. Imperial College of London rows against Tufts University of Boston in the other. The championship race is Sunday.

“The British really turn out for this regatta,” Grant said. “There were well over 100,000 in attendance, and they were very loud and enthusiastic. As we rowed the final few hundred meters, they gave us a warm and long ovation. We rowed beautifully.”

Grant, who is also the president of OCC, announced Thursday that he would be stepping down as rowing coach for at least a year. He has headed the program team for 29 years.