Monday 31st December 2007
- Happy Old Year to the Rowing Service readers. Apologies for the break - been doing family things over Christmas. Back to normal now.
- Congratulations to Thames RC (UK) pillar of the community Pauline Rayner, awarded an MBE for services to sport in the New Year Honours list.
Friday 21st December 2007
- Pictures from Caversham (GB training, UK).
- Team Crew Bath have surpassed their fundraising target for 'Stroke for Stroke' day (UK). Their effort appears to have set an unofficial mixed BUSA team 100km record - four hours, 59 minutes and 14 seconds. Since this is on Concept2 UK's record page we can probably assume it has been ratified.
- FISA were at the 2007 World Conference on Doping, which has agreed to tighten the WADA Code after the 2008 Olympics. Changes include doubling the maximum ban time for some particular substances, from two to four years. The full text of the accompanying 'Madrid Resolution', a statement of intent, is here.
- The North West Rowing Council (UK) is hosting a seminar on Muscle & Nutrition at Agecroft from 1-4pm on Sunday 13th January 2008. Click on the linked Word file for the poster (speakers Tim Donova and Graeme Close). Local clubs with coaches who would like to attend should send numbers to Val Edwards by Tuesday 8th January.
- The rescheduled Wallingford Head (UK) is now open for entries on OARA only. Crews due to race previously have priority but many cannot make it so there are spaces for new entries. Entries close 4th January or when the limit of 260 crews is reached. Crews who were due to race on 9th December but have not yet contacted Rachael Haycock to say whether they want to race or not should do so immediately or will risk losing their slot.
- Entries are open for the first Tideway event of 2008 (UK), Quintin Head on 26th January. Entries can be made by email, snailmail or OARA, and close at 6pm on Sunday 19th January. There is a limit of 90 boats since there is no river closure.
- Results from the European Indoor Championships (Concept 2 Germany).
- A weird one - Famous faces bring good cheer to the wise customers of Heathrow Express this Christmas (Businesswire press release). There's an accompanying YouTube clip - look at the subclip which starts at 20 seconds gone.
- Headlines - The ins and outs of a blistering challenge (Nicholas Roe, Telegraph, UK at the start of December). And Jurgen Grobler facing tough choices over Britain's flagship boat (a slightly off-beam piece by Patrick Kidd, The Times, 19th December). For those who don't know, the Times has just changed its policy on minor sports, and from now on will be using only full-time staff to cover them, not the 'sport specialist freelances' who have done it for many years. A particular casualty of this approach is rowing, as it means veteran rowing reporter Mike Rosewell will no longer be covering the sport for the Times. Other news: The timing of when to name members to an Olympic team (Alison Korn, Toronto Sun, Canada), Ann Landy Diamond dies at 94 (San Francisco Gate, USA), 2007 Westpac emerging finalists named (TVNZ, NZ), $400K to help Council, ACOLT conservation plans (Aiken Standard, USA), GAA grant set to cost other Irish sports dear (Irish Independent, Ireland), Young athletes up for Halberg scholarship (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Longwood Cove dredging could begin next month (Access North Georgia, USA), Munich sets stage for Olympic glory (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Single-minded rower concentrates on Beijing (Dominion Post, NZ), Record sweep at Euro Open (WorldRowing, FISA), Neykova wins Balkan sports personality of the year award (Reuters, UK), Award for young Beccles rower (Beccles and Bungay Journal, UK), Opinions divided over clash of rowing champs (Stuff, NZ), Glory days (Dominion Post, NZ), Graiguenamanagh man Eamonn Foley was a much-loved character (Carlow People, Ireland), Hunt for sporting memories (Stevenage Comet, UK), SEA Games winners to get cash gifts (Manila Times, Philippines), Pairs success boosts Tom's Beijing bid (Flintshire Standard, UK), Grainger and Purchase shine at trials (Maidenhead Advertiser, UK), Kohler graduate shines for UW crew team (Sheboygan Press, USA), It's fantastic, says Atlantic Angel (This is Lancashire, UK), Rowing group proposes boathouse (Hamilton Journal News, USA), A surge of their own: Iraqis take back the streets (Guardian, UK), Purchase proves to be hot property (Worcester News, UK), James in frame for Beijing Olympics (icWales, UK).
Thursday 20th December 2007
- A head coach job is going at Queen's University Belfast (Ireland). Closing date 4th January 2008.
Wednesday 19th December 2007
- Results of the Dutch indoor rowing championships (Netherlands), using the old FISA abbreviations Senior A/B etc.
- A page of history of the boathouse for the Societe Nautique de la Marne of Ile Fanac (France, but in English), including links to lots of old pictures.
- Today's headlines - Rowers do Bay proud (Hawke's Bay Today, NZ), 'Tis the season - for inspiring stories (Seattle Post Intelligencer, USA), Jurgen Grobler facing tough choice over Britain's flagship boat (Patrick Kidd, Times Online, UK), Sparc - it's all about the people (Stuff, NZ), Asian rowing medal winners Manjeet, Kanav, Parmod honoured (Punjab Newsline, India), Last night on TV (Telegraph, UK).
- From last week, Rowers in bid to save woman (Molesey News & Mail, UK).
Tuesday 18th December 2007
- Lots more pictures of Waddell and Drysdale from the Karapiro Regatta (NZL), courtesy of Rob Bristow. He says he'll also put up some of the NZ double and quad later in the week.
- A job going at the ARA (UK) - community sports coach in Chester. Closing date 21st December.
- The Rowing Service noticeboard has a number of UK coaching positions still open - Head of Rowing at Imperial (closing date 19th Jan), two positions at Canford School (closing date 4th January and coach at Bryanston School (no closing date), as well as a couple of college coaching positions (one Oxford, one Cambridge) and various items for sale or wanted.
- While I'm at it, can people who have posted on the RS noticeboard recently take a look and see if their advert needs to come down? If you had a free post, a one-week account, or if I posted your notice back in September when the board started, and it is now not needed, please let me know which number advert it is and I will remove it. Or if you have full account facilities, take it down or mark it SOLD yourself. Thanks very much.
- From FISA, Waddell sets Rowing New Zealand abuzz, Adaptive rower Madsen in Atlantic race, Britain help develop Afghan rowing, Masters rowing a benefit for juniors.
- Other rowing news - Local teen gets athletic grant from McDonalds (CD98.9, Canada), a brief in the Times Online (UK), Rowers see bronze at sprint championships (Orange Central Western Daily, Australia), Battle for Olympic spot has a way to go (New Zealand Herald, NZ), The race for full fitness (Chronicle Live, UK), Scotswoman seeks to step up from silver (Liz Wray, Sports Journalists Association, UK).
Monday 17th December 2007
- The BBC (UK) is featuring the GBR M4- in a series called Olympic Dreams, showing this week on BBC 2 from 2pm-2:45pm Monday to Friday. The first three programmes - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 2pm - all feature segements on the men's four. More later in 2008.
- Walton Small Boats Head results (UK) can be downloaded as a PDF from the Walton website or seen as HTML in various arrangements on the Mikrotime website.
- Following Sunday's news (NZ, below), the New Zealand Herald has an excellent article - 48 hours: Head to head and toe to toe - the battle of the titans. Other Waddell vs Drysdale headlines - Drysdale worried about trials (TVNZ, NZ), Scorching comeback by Waddell thrills crowd (Waikato Times, NZ), Intense rivalry rekindles Waddell's fire (Waikato Times, NZ), Waddell clash could hurt NZ medal chances, says Drysdale (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Who should represent NZ in the single sculls in Beijing? (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Room for dynamic duo in Beijing (Stuff, NZ), No Waddell vs Drysdale selection showdown (Newstalk ZB, NZ), Drysdale concerned over Waddell battle (Newstalk ZB, NZ), Champions in Olympic showdown (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Waddell wins opening salvo in epic clash (Stuff, NZ), Waddell beats Drysdale by two boat lengths (TV3 News, NZ), Drysdale upbeat (NZ City, NZ), Waddell wins first big clash (Sportal, NZ), Waddell victory over Drysdale signals return to action (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Waddell notes tougher battle (Newstalk ZB, NZ), Waddell deadly serious (Newstalk ZB, NZ), Two into one (Dominion Post, NZ).
- And further rowing headlines - Clifton women's four dominates rowing regatta (Tarankai Daily News, NZ), Bundy strides ahead of state (Bundaberg News Mail, Australia), Quaid-e-Azam rowing championship from 29th (Daily Times, Pakistan), Debbie Tanner and Storm Uru join Pinnacle programme (Scoop, NZ), Paul Attalla solves Spirit of Fernie leak (BYM News, Spain, with more on the BYM headlines page), 2009 SEA Games to reduce number of Olympic sports (International Herald Tribune, France), Local paddlers stretch their lead (Dispatch Online, South Africa), Hook's titanic challenge sunk (the Belfast Telegraph, Ireland, demonstrating its complete lack of understanding of rowing by describing a Woodvale ARR boat as a 'canoe'), UC Davis honors I-80 victim (Sacramento Bee, USA), MacGregor continues Marlow tradition (This is Local London, UK), Tom a hope for Beijing (icWales, UK), Alex Partridge pairing still troubled in trials (Rachel Quarrell, Sunday Telegraph, UK), Alone on the eternal Nile (Rosemary Mahoney, The Observer, UK), Duo aim to impress for Beijing (Southland Times, NZ), This is what it means to row the Atlantic! (Fortnightly Tenerife News, Spain), Bray rower makes waves (Bray People, Ireland), Force be with Sally (Herald Sun, Australia), CRPF leading medal tally in All India Police Water Sports contest (Indian Muslims, USA), Rescued Atlantic rower tries again (News Wales, UK), Cop, Boraska, Stojic proposed for IOC Athletes Commission (WorldRowing, FISA), Four Long Island men trying to be fastest to row across Atlantic (New York Daily News, USA), Bengal and Colombo RC to the fore (Hindu Times, India), Up the channel with fewer paddles (The Province, Canada), EMU to pay slain student's family $2.5 million (Ann Arbor News, USA), Tasman Sea adventurers cross paths (The Age, Australia), Setback for Scott chances (Worcester News, UK), Can history repeat? (Daily Examiner, Australia), Crews take on best from Queensland (Northern Star, Australia), County rowers aim to boost GB hopes (Worcester News, UK), Kiwi duo to set out on Olympic campaign (TV3 News, NZ), Record attempt under way (Lowestoft Journal, UK), Lay Down Sally bravely picks up oars again (News.com, Australia), Robbins aims to build bridges (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia).
- A bit (at the bottom) about the Tony Blair Sports Foundation (The Times, UK).
- In my trawl in the news, I also note that Tideway Slug Liz Wray won a case of beer at the SJA raffle last week. Wonder if La Slug is going to make it a prize on her website?
- The Slug has however linked PDF files of graphs of the 2007 and 2006 Scullers Head results (UK), plotted with finish time against start position, for the uber-geeks to mull over.
Sunday 16th December 2007
- NZL stop press - world champion beaten. Rob Waddell beats Mahe Drysdale in near world-best time - link is to a press release just issued on the NZ Rowing website.
- Saturday's GB trials results - open M/W and lightweight M/W (UK).
Friday 14th December 2007
- Katherine Grainger gets the UK Sport Champion of Champions award (SJA press release, about halfway down, UK).
Thursday 13th December 2007
- Walton Small Boats Head (UK, this Saturday) has had to relocate to Dorney Lake at very short notice due to the river conditions. The first division will go off at 10am prompt, the second at 11, the third at 12 noon and the fourth at 1pm. More information will be put up on the club website, and the club say registration on the home page will give entrants email bulletin updates of further details today and tomorrow.
- Oxford trial eights - report on the official website.
- Press links - County rowers aim to boost GB hopes (Worcester News, UK), East London rowers lead world race by 13km (Dispatch Online, South Africa), Rowers pushing each other to Beijing (Fox Sports, Australia, redefining the word 'rowers' a bit), Success for Pirie sculler at Renmark (Port Pirie Recorder, Australia), Tomkins 'anxious' ahead of Olympic qualifiers (ABC Online, Australia), Rowing club seeks county support (Orangeville Citizen, Canada), Clash of the rowing titans (Waikato Times, NZ), Shot man's surgery today (Waikato Times, NZ, about Matt Purchase, a former Reading University student over in NZL. Matt rowed for Reading at least as a novice in 2005-6), Sisters in arms rowing to big future (Times Online Auckland, NZ), Salute to Bay's rising stars (Rotorua Daily Post, NZ), Uru sets his sights high (Sportal, NZ), Thailand tops SEA Games rowing (WorldRowing, FISA), CME (Pune) loses both events (Hindu Times, India), Crash victim to receive posthumous degree from UCD (Daily Democrat, USA), Drysdale set for showdown with Waddell (Newstalk ZB, NZ), Champions face off in single sculls showdown (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Scott in boat race trials (Malvern Gazette, UK), Will oar-inspiring nude pics raise boat club's profile? (Wimbledon Guardian, UK), Ben's Atlantic bid hits hitch (Bradford Telegraph Argus, UK), A designer who broke the mould (Scotsman, UK), More seniors are ageing actively (Miami Herald, USA), New chairman appointed to Wm Inglis & Son (Thoroughbred News, NZ), ARAE regatta from today (Hindu Times, India), Rowing Canada 2007 award winners (Row2k, USA).
- For lots more updates on the Atlantic Rowing Race, see the BYM news index and the Ocean Rowing Society. The official website for the race is here.
Wednesday 12th December 2007
- OK, here's a really clever idea. Squadlist is an online squad management system which has been in use by Twickenham RC (UK) for the last two years, allowing athletes to put in online when they are available, and allowing coaches to see everyone's availability, points, etc. at a glance. It's offered free for use by anyone under certain conditions, and to begin using it with your club, a coach should start by subscribing to an account.
- Paul Thompson's DVD 'Rowing and Sculling' is now stocked by New Wave UK, and orders up until next Wednesday will be despatched to arrive in time for Christmas.
- Two weeks ago Windsor Boys' School broke the 100,000m team erg record (video clip and report, UK). The team involved was: Michael Hanniford, Matthew Hart, Joshua Deeley, Sergei Kleshnev, Ed Fousett, Sean Corbett, Sam Tyrrell, Toby Johncox, Ashley Towne, and Jack Jarratt, being supported by Ross Gilmour and Jon Sowter. The new record time was 4 hours 45 minutes and 48 seconds, more than 2.5 minutes faster than the club's own previous record, set last year. The boys did it in public just outside Windsor Castle and got themselves onto the local news. (Thanks TW).
- Trial eights news - Cambridge savour early test (BBC Sport, UK), True Love lost in early engagement to win Cambridge hearts (Times, UK), and a report from the official Boat Race site. Mine was a bit paraphrased. Crew lists here.
Tuesday 11th December 2007
- From mid-November, an update on the future of Holme Pierrepont (UK) from Nottinghamshire County Council.
Monday 10th December 2007
- Results of Rutherford Head (UK) online.
- The date of Ponteland Junior Head (UK) has been confirmed as Saturday 29th March 2008, which is as it happens Boat Race Day as well.
- Date change for Tyne Head of the River (UK), now on Saturday 16th February 2008.
Saturday 8th December 2007
- Yet another cancellation (UK) - Maidstone Small Boats Head, due for Sunday 9th, will not be going ahead.
Friday 7th December 2007
- Friday evening updates: (UK). Another casualty of the weather - it will be no surprise to those who heard last night's rain in Oxfordshire that Wallingford Head, planned for Sunday 9th December, is off. They have provisionally rescheduled it for Sunday 13th January 2008, with details yet to be confirmed (check the Head page next week). The organisers will be in touch later with details about refunds.
- Since wind is also expected to be a problem this weekend in much of the UK, those having outings instead please be very careful while on the water, and consider alternative training if conditions are bad on your stretch.
- Saturday's Head of the Float in Liverpool has also been cancelled because of the winds (UK).
- And another one - Monmouth Winter Head (planned for Sunday too, UK) has been cancelled due to flood-water conditions on the River Wye. Organisers are planning to try and reschedule it for Sunday 20th January 2008.
- It has now been confirmed that the two-leg Head of the Mersey (Warrington RC, UK) is to go ahead on Saturday 2nd Feb 2008, to avoid school half term locally.
- Carla Beekman of Enjoy Rowing is once again running summer sculling weeks in Ratzeburg (Germany) next year - see the link for details and dates (five different options, May, June and August).
- GB supporters cast your minds forward: would you like to be involved with helping the GB Rowing Supporters' Club? It's an independent body which organises trips to the various world regattas (mostly championships), setting up good travel packages and tickets for the GB crowd en bloc so that they can cheer together for their crews. Kept going for many years by Brian and Heather Foster, Tim Foster's parents, it's now evolving to bring in more and more friends and relatives of the GB team. Anyone who would like to know more, and perhaps get involved, either by joining the club or by helping organise, should contact e.rowbotham@ukonline.co.uk.
- Thursday evening update: (UK). Burway Head has, I gather this evening, just been cancelled. There is nothing on the club's webpage yet but no doubt that will follow. Those involved in the organisation, including umpires, have been informed that it is off.
Thursday 6th December 2007
- More competition in the world of UK rowing photography: RowPhoto are offering 3 for 2 on all images (not just rowing) up until Christmas.
- An interview with NZL lightweight Duncan Grant on Rating40.
- A great YouTube rowing clip from the days when Henley Royal Regatta made the news, you could drive up and park beside the course, and HRR didn't overlap with the final week of Wimbledon, so anyone sensible went to both. Includes UL beating Cornell in the Grand, Thames losing to Auckland in the Prince Philip, and Alan Campbell's coach Bill Barry, a Quintin sculler, narrowly losing the Diamonds. Thanks DF.
- No new stewards for Henley Royal Regatta yesterday, nor any rule changes. However the Men's Quadruple Sculls finally has a name - the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup - so the rules have been modified in name only to take account of this (no change in how the event runs). Also from the HRR press page, the re-election of the Committee of Management and a press release about the Regatta accounts, finances and charitable giving.
Wednesday 5th December 2007
- Walton RC website (UK) has had an overhaul, with information on the imminent Walton Small Boats Head (15th December) online. Entries close at 10pm on Saturday 8th December, and telephone entries are not accepted.
- Online forum Rating40 (NZL/global) is offering a competition to find the best rowing blogger during 2008. To enter, start a new blog on the site.
Tuesday 4th December 2007
- Sad news from Scotland (UK) - Graham Duffy of St Andrew BC died yesterday. Keep an eye on the Scottish Rowing pages for funeral details.
- Details of the Weybridge Winter Head, a new event which replaces the Weybridge Veteran and Junior head (UK), are now online. Date is Saturday 19th Jan 2008, entries close a week earlier.
- Rutherford Head results (UK) can now be downloaded as an Excel file.
- The Wycliffe Small Boats Head results (UK) are once again available in their usual multiple files (PDF format for by-event and by-division).
- Wonders will never cease - not only a report on the BUSA head (UK) less than a week after it took place, but also the results in Excel format on the BUSA pages.
- Lake Lanier in danger? (USA) - Is Atlanta at risk of running dry? (BBC News, UK).
- Not to be outdone on the cheap snaps front, PhotoShop online photographers (UK) are offering free postage on all orders made before Christmas. Their A4 prints are also reduced by 20%, to £8 per print. This applies to all 21 rowing events they have covered this year, including Nationals Schools, Nat Champs, and 'all the Tideway Heads' (though I note the Veteran's Eights Head isn't included). See here for a direct link to their rowing albums.
- A website for No Limits Rowing (USA/Mexico), which offers professional coaching in Ohio, but also runs camps and tours in Mexico City which combine rowing with visits to Aztec pyramids, Mexican cathedrals, museums and a tasting jaunt to the Corona beer factory.
- On FISA, National Olympic Committee place for Palermo, and Junior rowing moving forward with masters rowing.
- New jobs at the ARA (UK) - publications officer and a community sports coach. Plus orders are being taken for the 2008 Almanack.
- 'Maximising the Longridge Magic' scoops TV vote and lottery cash (Big Lottery Fund, UK).
Monday 3rd December 2007
- Provisional results for the Scullers Head (UK) are now linked online in proper format and available by time, by club, by event and by surname, plus pennant winners.
- Head of the Float (UK) - competitor instructions and draw (both Word documents).
- Victor Images (UK) is running another offer on their Scullers Head pictures. There is 50% off for category winners, 25% off for 2nd and 3rd place finishers, and a general 15% discount for any reader who enters ROWSERV in any of their photo galleries from midnight last night onwards for 7 days. VI are also operating a profit return scheme to Vesta on Scullers Head photographs, to help towards race funds.
- From 24th December 'Weekend' magazine in the Guardian (UK), Dinghy sailing vs rowing, a comparison of the two sports. Sadly the online version doesn't show it, but the rowing section was illustrated with a choice picture of Alan Campbell (GBR M1x) just after the catch, looking v. powerhouse.
- An early heads up that the Head of the Mersey (run by Warrington RC) hopes to move from its advertised date of 9th February to one week earlier on 2nd Feb 2008. It hasn't yet been confirmed by the ARA but regular competitors please keep an eye out for further news.
- Northwich RC (UK) are asking people to vote for the connect 2 project, which will fund the rebuilding of their local footbridge (Riversdale Bridge), which finally fell down last year after long neglect. The rebuilding will stop the majority of club members having to cycle five times the distance home after training. Visit this link to vote and make the club members very happy...
- FISA's current Athlete in Focus is Amber Bradley.
- More FISA news - Ebert boosts Danish lightweight four. Plus full details of the FISA annual awards.
Sunday 2nd December 2007
- Dutch rowing photographer supreme Sybrand Treffers has put up 766 pictures of the 2007 Heineken Roeivierkamp from March (better late than never, says Sybrand, who promises 'the 2004 Marlow Regatta later this winter".) Lots of international crews present.
