the official email address.
The North-Eastern Rowing News (UK) has added some handy suggestions and photographs for how to rescue scullers in distress on their safety page.
First day of Oxford Torpids today (UK). Results should be out online in the early evening.
Tuesday 22nd February 2005
UK Tideway announcement: "On Saturday 26th February at 11am approximately 15 VIIIs from Putney Town, Cygnet, Barnes Bridge Ladies, Sons and Peterborough will be taking part in a timed piece from the Pink House/Lodge to Barnes Railway Bridge. Crews will be started fastest first to minimise overtaking and several
safety launches will be on the course. All the clubs mentioned would appreciate it if rowers could keep a good eye out and launch drivers could cut their washes as we power majestically past between 11:00 and 11:30. Many thanks in advance, Mike Collier, captain Cygnet RC."
UK general announcement: CULRC are holding their annual boatrace dinner at Leander Club, Henley-on-Thames, on 26 March (after the Henley Boat Races). All alumni of the club are very welcome to attend, with partners. Tickets can be booked by contacting Rebecca Dowbiggin on rmd36@cam.ac.uk.
Nottingham Head of the Trent results are up (UK).
And those from the Tyne Head (UK).
Advance (men's) Boat Race information (UK) - the Challenge is at 10:30 for 11am on the Putney Embankment on Monday 28th Feb. Fixtures upcoming are on Sunday 27th Feb (13:45, 14:00, 14:30), Saturday 12th March (13:40, 14:00) and Sunday 13th March (14:10, 14:20).
In fact, the upcoming CUBC versus Bydgoszcz Academy (POL) fixture has its own website in Polish and English. Scroll right down on the News page for the poster about the race (PDF download). Watch out Cambridge, the Polish boys are taking it seriously...
The Schools' Head website (UK) has been updated with this year's information.
Start order for the Reading University Head (UK), with Leander chasing Isis again.
A nice story about Ken Howland's Birthday Adventure (UK).
Monday 21st February 2005
A link for Cahersiveen Rowing Club (Ireland), which uses traditional wooden boats, including Four Oars (4+) and Seine Boats (14+). The site's very sparse at the moment, but includes the Traditional Boat regatta calendar for Ireland, after the dates were fixed last week.
Results of the FISA Team Cup on the Andalusian rowing website (Spain). The Telegraph didn't have space to put my full piece in today so here it is in full including the GB-centric results with British crew names for those who made the finals. If my maths is right, Spain won the overall cup followed by Britain, China, Russia, Netherlands and Germany. I expect FISA will have a full report later today.
Sir Matthew Pinsent's getting his suit wet doing some corporate rowing today at Dorney Lake (UK).
Burway Head results (UK) - eights division and fours division.
Provisional results from the Tenon Ltd Inverness Eights & Small Boats Head (Scotland, PDF format).
Results of the weekend's GB junior trials (UK): open Junior men/women and J16 results.
Tyne Rowing Club is planning to change the format of its May "At Home" regatta to four-lane 1500m racing, and to offer 'Championship of the Tyne' trophies for the top men's and women's open single sculls, amongst other prizes.
Archival but fascinating material - a transcript of a pre-Athens interview with Drew Ginn and Jimmy Tomkins for Australian ABC.
CoxMate produce in-boat electronic comms systems. Australian outfit, but with distributors in other rowing countries.
Poster and information for the Ponteland Junior Head (UK) now online.
Saturday 19th February 2005
Tomorrow Superstars is back on TV - this time the Olympic rower is Katherine Grainger, up against heptathlete Denise Lewis, kayaker Helen Reeves, pentathlete Georgina Harland, badminton player Gail Emms, runner Sonia O'Sullivan, and last year's joint winners, snowboarder Lesley McKenna and swimmer Zoe Baker. The top nine men and the master's men's winner go in the overall final on 27th February. Set the vids for 17:45 to 18:45 GMT, BBC1.
Friday 18th February 2005
Tickets can now be bought for the Dorney World Cup 2005 (May 26th-28th, UK).
News from Holland - On Wednesday the funeral service for 71-yr old former boat-builder and boatsman of USR Triton of Utrecht, Netherlands, Willem Heuvelman, was held. He was born in the old Triton boathouse as son of Cor Heuvelman, boatsman from 1924 to 1961. 'Wim' followed in his father's footsteps in 1961 and expanded the boatbuilding business both for Triton and other clubs. He retired in 1997 but always kept a watchful eye on the club, its boat house and ever changing student rowers' population. Some of his boats are still in good use. He is survived by his son Michel, now caretaker of the boathouse.
Draw and information for the Women's Head (UK) is now up.
Warning to boaties around the Tideway in London (UK) - there's been a theft from a car outside Scullers (window bashed in) and three thefts from near The Ship further downriver, as well as instances of over-curious passersby at clubs in the area. Don't leave stuff visible in cars, or hide valuables in lockers at clubs.... (thanks JH).
A new website for the Henley Boat Races - Oxford vs Cambridge women and lightweights, on Saturday 26th March this year (UK).
The Bermuda Rowing Association has its own website. Some tantalising pictures in their gallery section.
Wednesday 16th February 2005
It emerges that the ARA (UK) statement about J14 categories at the Nat Champs was slightly misleading. The revised statement reads: "After a lengthy debate at their meeting on Saturday 12 February, members of ARA Council voted against the recommendation to replace J14 events with new under-23 and lightweight events at the National Championships for this year."
Start order (MS Excel), marshalling instructions (MS Word) and maps of the course (MS Word) and finish area (MS Word) for Tyne Head (UK). Note that division 2 has been moved to 2pm.
Draw for Cork Head of the River (Ireland, MS Excel).
An obituary for Reginald Minor (Newsday, USA).
Hotel plan chosen for Riverfront (Delaware News Journal, USA).
With Torpids bumps coming up (touch wood), a reminder of the History of Oxford College Rowing by Anu Dudhia (UK).
Tuesday 15th February 2005
The stranded Palestinian coaches have managed to return to Gaza (from FISA).
IARU and Old Collegians member Dave Gannon (Ireland) has died. More on the IARU website.
Results from the Lagan Head (Ireland) - race 1 and race 2 (Word downloads).
Draw for the Head of the Trent (UK) is out. There is also a parking announcement - Nottingham Forest FC is performing too well this season so use of its car parks is restricted.
Provisional draw (PDF format) for the Tenon Ltd. Inverness Eights and Small Boats Head next weekend (Scotland).
A report on the GB team performance at CRASH-Bs (UK).
Auriol Kensington (UK), who are holding their annual Trivial Head of the River Quiz this Thursday, has a new URL for the Auriol Boat House Company Ltd, which supplies medals, pots and trophies for rowing events.
Monday 14th February 2005
Results from CRASH-B's (USA) - the World Indoor Rowing Championship. Main categories won by Belarussian Pavel Shurmei (Open Men in 5:43.2), Kiwi Georgina Evers-Swindell (Open Women in 6:33.2, 7 seconds ahead of her sister Caroline), German Eric Knittel (Lightweight Men in 6:08.6) and American Lisa Schlenker (Lightweight women in 7:09.6).
Domestic bias - a reminder to any Brits who think London should get the IOC vote that they can help support it by visiting the bid website and voting to back the bid. The London IOC inspection visit begins tomorrow, and public support is something the inspectors will be particularly looking for.
FISA has the first 2005 athletes' newsletter online and a PDF advert for an elite coaching position in New Zealand - deadline 25th February.
The Greenwich Fours and Eights Head (UK) was also cancelled due to bad weather.
Results from the Bedford Eights and Fours Head (UK).
And from Avon County HORR (UK).
And from the Molesey Veteran Head (UK).
From last weekend, the results of the Oxford Schools Indoor Rowing Competition are available here (UK).
The web address of WRK Argonauten (Austria) has shifted to www.argowien.at.
Saturday 12th February 2005
British senior trials (hwt and lwt) cancelled by wind this morning - conditions too blustery for safe marshalling (UK).
Friday 11th February 2005
Desperately sad in South Africa - rower and UCT sports buildings supervisor Keith Hart from Zeekoevlei drowned on Monday after capsizing in a double scull and vanishing below the water. His body was found by police divers on Tuesday aftenroon, and the funeral will be on Sunday morning at 9am in Cape Town (details here on the RowSA website). A memorial service may be held after the Buffalo Regatta. Messages of support should be sent to the Wemmer Pan Rowing Association (details on the link above).
And another tragedy in the UK - ex-Shrewsbury oarsman Charles Kershaw from Sheffield University killed in a car-crash. More from the Wilmslow Express (UK).
Tributes to Jack Webster, the 87-year-old Olympian killed in a train accident last Sunday (Australia).
Canada's Olympic silver medal M4- has been shortlisted for the 32nd Annual Canadian Sports Awards 'Partners of the Year' trophy, which will be announced on 29th March. More on Rowing Canada Aviron.
Weybridge Veteran and Junior Head details are online (UK). The event is using OARA, although postal and email entries are also accepted, and competitors should specify which division they want to row in. Results of the private match Hyne Cup between Weybridge and Walton last weekend are also on the club website.
From FISA, Canada's top coxswain to return and Greeks take to the indoors.
Last chance to buy tickets for the Tideway Scullers prize raffle (UK) - the draw takes place on 25th February with a top prize of a Filippi single.
In March Russian twin brothers Alexander and Sergei Sinelnikov will attempt to row across the Indian Ocean .
Thursday 10th February 2005
Note that due to international rugby, there is no BBC Superstars programme (UK) this week - the next one is the women's heat (including Katharine Grainger) on Sunday 20th February.
If anyone is looking for copies of Martin Cross's book Olympic Obsession, he has arranged with the Borders store in Kingston on Thames (UK) to hold a stock and fulfill specific mail/telephone orders at the RRP. That Borders outlet can be telephoned directly on 0208 974 9444 and will do mail order by letter too, though they haven't put the stock on their website. Olympic Obsession currently goes for £80 on Amazon, isn't listed on Barnes and Noble, and Blackwells claims to have copies for £18.99. If you're very nice to him Mart might agree to sign it for you....
Chris Anton has posted the ARA Council papers for the upcoming meeting (Sat 12th Feb, UK) to his website.
Details from the UK Parliament of a question and answer in the House involving sewage discharges into the River Thames.
A letter from a South African junior rower looking to do a gap year teaching, coaching and assisting in a rowing school in Britain during 2006.
Wednesday 9th February 2005
Rudern1 (Germany) have an excellent scoop on the naming of the Cambridge Blue Boat (UK). Of course, the rest of us are expected not to say anything until the Challenge, on Monday 28th February.
The Dewar Shield Head Race, an annual private match between Sons of the Thames, Furnivall and Auriol Kensington (UK) will be held at 10am on Sunday 13th February from Chiswick to Hammersmith Bridges. 18 eights in line, marshalling on Middlesex above Chiswick Bridge. The Hammersmith clubs would be very grateful for the cooperation of other river users. Any queries contact Alice Blair via the Sons of the Thames website.
RowPerfect UK are running their annual seminar, this year on "Technique, Training and Racing planning", by Paul Thompson. Details on their website.
Some thoughts on elite rowing from Colleen Orsmond, ex-RSA international.
An unusual site on our sport - Rowing - The Legacy of Renforth, part of the Rothesay Living Museum (Canada). The site is historical in perspective, but the accounts of past rowing in the 'Stories' section are more like fireside tales than dry recitations of facts about the Kennebecasis river and its crews. Extra educational material is linked to each era for teachers to download and use, including many photos, video clips and newspaper articles, all impeccably credited and with copyright permission. [It is no surprise to find Ed Winchester, editor of the Rowing News, as one of the many contributors].
Tuesday 8th February 2005
The (very reasonable) ticket prices for the 2005 BearingPoint Dorney World Cup (UK, May 26th-28th) have been published - ticket sales start online on Friday 18th February, and car parking information comes later. Those wishing to get involved with the organisation can volunteer here - they're particularly after those with IT and network installation skills at the moment, but many pairs of hands for staffing the venue on the day are also needed. For those fretting about other events happening on the same days, note that the top-quality finals take place on Saturday morning and will be finished by 2pm (GMT+1) so there may be time to get to another regatta afterwards.
Rock The Boat's founder/designer Annabel Eyres is having a sale of her limited edition original rowing artwork prints (UK).
A doctorate student at the University of Leeds (UK) is running a study into the confidence/trust between regular pairs or doubles partners (and their coaches, if they have one). If you're in such a crew and would like to fill his questionnaire in, please read about it and then drop him an email.
Details of the Tideway Scullers Head (UK) are now up (link altered from that given to me last week, now on the main TSS site). They're using OARA and it's open for entries.
Sporting writers get ready to splash out (Hold The Front Page, UK).
Monday 7th February 2005
There's a report on the FISA Congress on their website. Specifically lightweight weigh-in limits remain unchanged, the LM8+ has been restored to the Worlds programme, and the World Under-23 Regatta is now a World U23 Championship. Buoyancy update - the new proposal requiring boats to be built from 1st January 2007 onwards with a minimum standard of buoyancy when full of water was passed unanimously. The bye-law as passed applies specifically to Rule of Racing no. 31, but refers to "FISA's Guide to Minimum Flotation", which is part of the FISA Safety Bulletin intended to act as a standard for rowing equipment in general. The existence of such advice would likely be brought into any court cases or inquests involving rowing boat buoyancy, because FISA is the acknowledged international federation for the sport. On two lighter notes, Germany won the FISA Team Trophy for combined results from Athens and Banyoles 2004, and Mike Sweeney has been voted to become "Honorary Chair of the Events Commission", which is probably both a compliment and a way of making him continue to work for FISA despite retirement! Oh, and FISA has gone all PC: Congress decided it will replace Chairman with Chair across the board.
Australian 87-year-old Commonwealth Games champion and Olympic rower Jack Webster died yesterday after being hit by a train. More from the Melbourne Herald Sun.
It's been a difficult weekend in Australia - Rowers jump as cruiser hits (syndicated, AUS).
ARA members (UK) whose membership is about to run out are urged to renew online if they can - online renewal is instantaneous, while postal renewal is currently taking 7 days. Which club you're listed as being a member of is becoming more crucial now that online entries are being made (which is extremely dodgy since there is nothing in the ARA Rules of Racing to prevent someone from being a member of two, three or ten clubs).
Results online from Wycliffe Big Head (UK) - plus photos from here and here.
Entries for Reading University Head (UK) close on Feb 19th.
Sunday 6th February 2005
Results from Durham Small Boats Head (UK) are out. Three changes have been made since the prizegiving, including a correction to the time of crew 143, who ended up winning their division. Pictures here and here.
Saturday 5th February 2005
Tomorrow's BBC Superstars (UK) is a juicy one well worth setting the videos for - Steve Williams finds himself up against swimmer James Hickman, boxer Amir Khan, sprinter Iwan Thomas, rugby colossus Doddie Weir, cricketer Michael Bevan, cyclist Bradley Wiggins and skier Alain Baxter.
I discover that Northampton RC have moved their website to www.northamptonrc.org.uk (UK).
Friday 4th February 2005
Coverage from FISA on the Extraordinary Congress currently being held in Dubrovnik (CRO).
Adi Dolo's junior squad at Wycliffe Sculling Centre (UK) have set a mark of 324 km for the junior world 24-hour-erg record: there was no previous time in this category. Details from FISA, though no report yet on the Wycliffe site itself.
Postal entries for Bedford Head (UK) close on Tuesday 8 February, or sooner if oversubscribed. Entries can also be made by via OARA facility, though payment must be posted to hold a place in the draw.
Also from FISA, Studying the effect of culture on training, about American oarsman Paul Guthrie Jr.
The Thames Upriver Division (UK) is holding trials for the Junior InterRegional Regatta at Dorney Lake on 20th March. Anyone interested should contact Chris Boothroyd. JIRR itself is on 17th April in Nottingham.
Poster for the North of England Head (March 12th, UK) is up - PDF download from the Royal Chester RC website. Note that this year it's a single division of 110 entries, due to tide.
The Tideway Slug (UK) has got its slimy mandibles on pictures from the Fours Head anniversary reception.
Much more amusingly, it has also published the innovative Thames Rowing Club men's squad fines list, designed to raise booze money for parties and encourage the unregenerate neanderthals of TRC towards civilised behaviour. My personal favourite was the poor guy docked a pound sterling for "creative, but utterly pants boat-tying". Others conjured up equally snigger-worthy visions but I prefer not to quote them before the watershed on a family website...
Thursday 3rd February 2005
British rowing's budgets from Sport England and UK Sport, which have a combined strategy, have been increased following the success in Athens. The UK Sport share is up by £1.35 million, largely targeted towards developing medal prospects towards Beijing 2008.
Jacques Rogge's quote of yesterday while visiting Vancouver - "I think the Games are very important for sports. You have very fine Olympic championships in rowing in Canada, they don't make money. We have a duty to support all these athletes." Wonder why rowing's on his brain at the moment - have they been debating Athens, or changes to athlete quotas?
Sadly the US Olympic men's eight lost out to the US Olympic softballers as the USOC Team of the Year.
The Amateur Rowing Association (UK) is backing the UK's Amateur Swimming Association campaign "Get Safe For Summer" which encourages water safety skills.
Godfrey Rowsports (UK) are holding a walk-in sale at their factory from 7th-11th February. Plus, their database of >2500 embroidery designs is now searchable, and they will put club logos on non-sports clothing orders too.
The Saratoga Rowing Association (USA) has not yet been given a decision on its application for a site plan review for a 6560-sq-foot boathouse and 68-slip marina. Local residents object to the plans, which would create a less congested zone for the rowers to row through than they currently do now (in another location).
Wednesday 2nd February 2005
Rowing Canada Aviron have appointed Alan Roaf to their High Performance Director position, as part of their reshuffle following Brian Richardson's departure. The HPD will be in charge of national team activities but also advise and teach coaches at all levels. Al Morrow, Mike Spracklen and Terry Paul continue to head the women's, men's and development coaching teams. More about Roaf on the RCA website.
The Boat Race (Ox-Cam hwt men) has signed a new sponsorship deal with business facilities outsourcer Xchanging. The deal is for up to £2mill to cover the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Boat Races - since this year's race is so far advanced they will follow Aberdeen's pattern for now, and then look at how to further tailor their support for the event after the Easter Sunday show-down. There has been a verbal agreement in place for over a week and specific contract details are now being finalised.
Outsiders might be amused by the Oxford (University) Crewdate League, which acts as a forum for ten-on-ten (including coaches) dates between different college crews. St. John's women are currently top of the league (albeit scores apparently not updated since May 2004), though Jesus hall and bar score best as actual date venues. Some of the comments are particularly choice....
Tuesday 1st February 2005
Results and pix from last weekend's Swiss Indoor Rowing Championships are on www.rowingindoors.ch or www.fridaycrew.ch (Switzerland).
The Tideway Scullers Head (UK) will take place at 4:30pm on Saturday 9th April. Nothing yet on the TSS website (though it does have details of its fund-raising raffle) but they will probably go up soon.
Details of Leicester Regatta (UK), which is offering secure overnight parking for boats. Note that the club website address has shifted to www.Leicester-Rowing.co.uk.
