Alongside the Apia fautasi, newly installed rigs mark one of the biggest changes in the crew’s preparations for the 2026 Independence Day celebrations: adapting the boat for longer Olympic-style oars while teaching a young team how to race.
Crew leader Faualo Harry Schuster said the challenge is not only physical, but also about teaching discipline, timing and technique to many young rowers who have never competed at this level before.
“We’re doing our best, but with the majority of rowers, young new rowers, it’s taking our time to teach them quickly the technique of rowing,” Faualo said. “They haven’t been in a competition before, so it’ll be interesting to see how they react to a top-level competition.”
The $120,000 fautasi can carry up to 46 rowers, requiring strong teamwork, discipline and trust between the crew. Faualo said one of the most encouraging parts of the training has been seeing the older rowers pass their knowledge on to the youth, with the youngest being 16 years old.
“I’m excited about getting the youth together and getting the older guys to teach them the skill of rowing. It’s a nice challenge,” he said.
