The rowing club from Lekeitio is embarking on a new phase in the technical direction of its senior men's rowing team. Last September, Osertz Alday concluded a ten-year tenure at the helm of the Lekittarra, while also serving as a rower in the front bank. The management of Isuntza has now appointed Markel Akarregi Bengoetxea, a new coach from within the club with many years of experience as a rower, to lead the Biscayan squad.
The Lekittarra faces its eleventh participation in the top division and eighth consecutive season since achieving promotion in 2018. The initial years proved challenging, marked by the need to secure their position in the standings, and in 2022 the Lekeitio trainera finished eleventh, forcing them into a play-off for permanence, which they successfully navigated. Since then, results have improved in the Eusko Label Liga, with two seventh-place finishes in the last two editions.
Last year, Isuntza led the second tier of the classification, securing seventh place, comfortably away from the relegation zone. The Lekittarra kicked off the league with an excellent sixth position in the time trial regatta held in Bilbao. However, hours later, they dropped to last place in the Sestao flag race. After dominating the first heat in the following three races, the coastal crew narrowly missed causing an upset in Orio, where winning their initial series unexpectedly propelled them to second place in the final standings.
These eleven points allowed the Lekittarra to make a significant leap in the rankings, establishing a notable gap from the bottom two teams. Nevertheless, a poor performance in the subsequent race in Castro saw them slip to second-to-last place. From that point on, the Lekeitio team demonstrated a degree of consistency, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in Boiro on the twelfth league day. In total, the Lekittarra finished among the top eight in eleven out of twenty league races.
In addition to the aforementioned change of Markel Akarregi replacing Osertz Alday as technical director, the squad sees few other significant alterations. There are three departures from the starboard side: Osertz Alday, Iñigo Menichetti, and Mikel Juanes, who have been replaced by young rowers from the club's youth system. Consequently, Akarregi commands a very young squad, featuring numerous local rowers in their first and second years of senior competition. "There are hardly any changes on the port side, but on the starboard side, we will see lads from the academy who have just debuted in the senior category," explained the coach.
The strong results achieved in recent regattas fuel optimism for the upcoming season. Isuntza secured fifth place in the Mutriku flag race, finishing ahead of four Eusko Label League teams: San Juan, Zierbena, Ondarroa, and Santurtzi. The Lekittarra ignited their fans' excitement during the Bizkaia championship, snatching second place from Zierbena in the final sprint after a spectacular comeback. Their fourth-place finish in the Lekeitio flag race, just four seconds behind the second-place finisher, confirmed the positive momentum from the previous week.
In the most recent competition, the Euskadi championship in Getaria, Isuntza concluded in a modest seventh position. "The assessment is positive. We stood out in the Bizkaia championship, but I believe we delivered a good performance in the other regattas, rotating the entire team. I think we are at the level we expected to be," stated Akarregi with satisfaction.
At Isuntza Arraun Elkartea, there is a clear understanding that the season's primary objective is to secure permanence as early as possible. "The first goal is survival. I believe we must be clear about that. From there, we will aim for a strong start, and if we can escape the fight at the bottom, even better. Thinking about the second tier would be interesting, but I don't want to set it as a firm objective. If we do our job well, we will be in that contention."
The Lekittarra's coach is preparing his team to be in peak condition for the competition's start. "It is crucial to start well. Previously, the focus was on peaking in mid-August. That approach is outdated, as points earned in July are worth the same as those in August," stated Akarregi. "If things don't go well initially and you start falling behind, doubts can arise, which is dangerous," he added, predicting a tough battle among about half a dozen boats to avoid the last two positions in the standings.
