In the morning, the Schuylkill River can be a peaceful place.

This year, the flag was a new addition to the racecourse.

We arrive at 5:30am. There's a lot of time to kill.

Tericke, Therese, and Chris.

Jerra and a blinking Sloan (sorry!).

Pass the coffee, and hang out.

Bill Donnelly's Psych Sheet, the 2007 Edition.

Michael Gregor and Arturo Guillen.

Me, and Beth Savage.

Who are we? It's who we are.

Linda Letts contemplates the day ahead.

Dave shows his allegiance to the Phils. Too bad they didn't return the favor.

Denise Paniconi is a morning person.

Therese Stephens is also a morning person.

Patrick Conboy is trying to be a morning person, but he forgot to open his eyes.

Therese and Bill check out the racecourse.

I have never taken a sad picture of Nanette.

Brad Fusco is ready to go.

Tericke flexes for the camera just by sitting still.

Denise counter-flexes!

Patrick is now awake!

Tericke and Jack Tierney show us how to chill during the morning prelims.

Dave Lehman watches a race head down the river.

Beth has been here before, and knows how to relax.

Brad and Arturo stand tough. Dave just stands. Mary Kay has a 4th cup.

I promised Dave I'd take a better picture of him this year, so there you go. Jerra approves.

This year the festival supplied name cards for the boats.

Michael and Sloan watching from the Wyvern Shoreline HQ.

Coach Chris when I asked him to smile. Almost.

Mary Kay and Sloan.

Me, after 5 cups of coffee.

Lou cooks. Lisa supervises. Therese contemplates seconds.

Bill, Therese, and Coach Chris.

Brad and Don think about the Pharma Race.

Results from the Pharma Race. Dangit.

The Wheels of the Wyverns, at rest.

It's siesta time.

Patricia takes over where Arturo left off last year (and in 2005, 2004).

Dave and Don check out the start docks.

Dave and Joey thinking about the Pharma Race.

After getting beat by GSK, there was a lot to think about.

Make some noise for the Wyverns!

Billy (steerer) is an intense guy. Can you tell? This is Billy resting.

Joey debriefing Mary Kay after the "A" Semi.

Pharma Race, the start.

We're in Lane 5, yellow shirts.

GSK already has half a boat.

Uh-oh. This isn't good.

Our timing is good, but GSK's was better.

Under power at 300 meters - 200 to go.

Reach, bury, reach, bury!

We had a decent race, but not a good or great one.

It looks like we're ahead here...

...but this picture tells the story.

With GSK Fire Dragons, went the Pharma Cup.

This is what the starting line looks like, pre-race.

These are the loading docks. All 8 boats load up at the same time - 176 racers, in about 6 minutes.

There are always 24 boats on the water: 8 racing, 8 returning, 8 loading. The docks are always busy.

The Starter: The Voice of God, as far as you know.

The volunteers waiting for the next race to roll in for lineup.

With 3 minutes to go, the boats are called to the line by the starter.

"Two minutes to start. Bring your boats UP."

The starter has a mic, an amp, and the right attitude.

To bring all 8 boats into alignment takes patience, force, and command.

Some boats are there, some are not. "Come on, Lane 7 - we're waiting for you."

"All boats HOLD! ATTENTION!" That means the starter likes what he sees, and you'd better be ready to...

"GO!" When he hits the horn, you better go.

And just like that, you're gone.

After our race in the morning, we were seeded #3 overall. Second in our Semi-Final, next to GSK again.

Cheers from overhead. "Paddles up! Attention! Go!"

"A" Semi-Final, 100 meters in.

We would have a chance to race GSK head-to-head.

In the Pharma race, they got off the line ahead of us.

Given a second chance, we didn't let that happen again.

There were 8 boats in this race, but only one that mattered to us.

GSK is to the right in Lane 4, dead even with us in Lane 5.

Joey and the GSK drummer knew the story at halfway.

When the drummers are even, so are the boats.

Dragon Head to Dragon Head.

That's why you train for 6 months.

You train so that when you have 2 minutes to make your year...

...you can do it.

300 meters in. 200 to go.

The timing is a bit ragged, but the power is there.

THAT'S how you bury a blade.

Joey was drumming so hard, she almost broke the stick.

150 meters to go - almost sprint time.

We have a slight lead...

...maybe a foot.

When a race is this tight, you have no idea.

You just bury your blade, bury yourself...

...and hope you surge at the right time.

"3...2...1..."

"...SPRINT!"

I'm glad I didn't know it was this close.

GSK hits the sprint, and gets a Dragon Head. They would win the "A" Semi-Final by 0.28 seconds.

Returning to the docks from our second in the "A" Semi.

We had reason to smile; Even though we'd been second, losing by a head beats losing by a boat length.

Paddles up, Wyverns! One race left to go.

We'll see you later!

0.28 seconds from the win, but in the Championship Race for the 4th time in 4 years.

A day in Philadelphia isn't complete without some Mummers.

Grand Final Start, from the docks.

The next two minutes determines the entire day.

500 meters to go.

From the Wyeth tent, this is how the Grand Final looks at the start.

8 Boats, 3 medals, 1 race.

For the Grand Final, we were in Lane 6.

The Final is always the closest race of the entire regatta.

The fastest 8 boats out of 140 always put on a good show.

To be in the middle of this is loud, and crazy, and painful, and beautiful.

You think you're going to die, but there's nowhere else you'd rather be.

Wyeth Wyverns, Main Line Health and Fitness, GSK Fire Dragons.

Main Line has raced us tightly for 3 years.

This year, they wanted it all.

With 200 meters to go, they were right there.

So was GSK.

150 meters to go, and the Wyverns are right there.

The angle is misleading; GSK and Main Line are head-to-head, and we're third.

But not by much!

With less than 100 meters to go, it was still a wide-open race.

By now, Joey's voice was stratospheric.

The louder your drummer, the closer you are to the lead.

This is how it looked from our tent.

We're somewhere near the lead...

...heading directly into the sun!

Back to the front...here comes Main Line.

Finish Line - GSK Wins!

Main Line is Second.

And not by much. About 0.25 seconds.

The Wyverns finish in third...

...but what we couldn't see were the River Runners...

And GSK Spitzfire...Charm City...and just how close we were to getting pipped at the line!

Post-race, waiting for the judges call.

"Hey! We got third! Bronze again!"

Five years, four medals.

Paddles up, one last time.

Dave and Jerra show off the hardware.

Maria French (official training coach for the Wyverns), sent champagne!

"Cheers!"

Bill makes sure everyone gets a sip of the good stuff.

Maria must have known we'd do well.

Denise Paniconi, post-race. Smile, D!

Eileen Kampf shows off the hardware.

Bill Donnelly and the Bronze.

This year, the races finished early. We could actually stay and enjoy for a bit.

Nice to savor the podium finish!

I'm there in the back - camera in one hand, champagne in the other.

A toast to the Wyverns!

The Festival isn't complete unless Therese puts on this hat.

Joey and Bill, at the end of a long day.

"See you next year, Billy?" Hey - Billy can smile!

Nanette and Patricia, with Patricia's son.

Team Photo.

"Who are you guys?"

Wyeth Wyverns, 2007.

See you next year.