Despite the challenges of a new year, the outcome of the women's A race at the USSA Boat Rowing Regatta on the Kowie River in Port Alfred remained unchanged this past weekend.

Tuks' women's rowing team are the champions for the eighth consecutive year. Chloe Cresswell has contributed to four of these victories, having won a silver medal in lightweight women's single sculls earlier this year at the World Under-23 Championships.

Given Sir Isaac Newton's adage, "What goes up must come down," it's understandable to question how the Tuks women's team consistently achieves success. Eight consecutive victories are a long stretch in any sport. So, what is the key to the Tuks women's success?

Cresswell's answer is simple. "Trust, absolute trust"

"There has to be trust for everything to go right. Trust that the other seven girls will pull just as strongly to propel the boat down the course. The Boat Race is long, so you can't have any doubt that anyone in your crew is going to let you down. We must also have complete trust that the coxswain will make the right decisions at the right time. The coxswain's skill in identifying the correct 'lines' can potentially shorten the race by 200 metres or more.

As to what makes the USSA Boat Race unique, Cresswell said it is the fact that it breaks from traditional rowing.

"Normally, we compete over 2000 metres. The Boat Race takes place on the Kowie River and covers a distance of over 5.5 kilometres. The fact that we race on a river makes it unpredictable. Every race is therefore unique."

According to Cresswell, the women’s crew gained in confidence after the Thursday elimination races.

"We demonstrated our strength in the boat, but it's crucial not to become overconfident or arrogant, as the final offers a fresh start." Anything can happen.

"In the final, we made sure to go hard to get away from the other crew. It is essential to do so because early on, there is a real chance of the two boats clashing. Towards the latter stages, it was all about putting enough distance between our boat and the other crew. We never went 'soft' out of respect for opponents."

As to her role in the boat, Creswell said, "I sit in the stroke seat, which means I look directly at the coxswain who is steering the boat. My job is to set the rhythm. All the other girls must follow me. In a race spanning 5.5 kilometres, rhythm is important. It must be consistent and sustainable. I am also the one to decide when it is time to go for the final sprint."

The Tuks men's crew was second in the A-race. Both Tuks men's and women's crews were victorious in their respective B-races.