the camToo project in the Cambridge Evening News (UK).
More about the breast cancer fundraising efforts on the Women's Eights Head website (UK).
Monday 13th February 2006
A press release about the Scullery Head (UK, PDF format).
The Northern Rowing Council (UK) has been awarded the Roger Hopson Governing Body of Sport Award at the North East Sports Awards this year.
Stories from the other side of the victory - 'The daily life and times of the St. Joe's Prep Crew Team at Henley Royal Regatta' (USA). Eton may find it particularly interesting reading.
From the same Community Boathouse messageboard as before (see 10th Feb), an eagle-eyed reader has spotted How to translate coxswain and sundry other insults (USA).
Results from the Henley Fours Head (UK) by division/time (HTML) and by division/event/time (XLS formatted as HTML).
While we're on the subject of amusing (not) rules organisations make up, Henley Women's Regatta (UK) have changed their qualification rules yet again. Points mentioned now apply to those held by 31st March 2006. But the qualification rules now ban entrants in the Intermediate events if they have won a Championship medal at BUSA. I'd understand this if it was in the _previous_ season, because such achievements usually precede successful seasons. But to ban people who may have just won their BUSA medals (the BUSA Regatta takes place only a few weeks earlier) seems nonsense. Winners from previous years can be pushed harder, but an up and coming crew should not be penalised for having started what they hope will be a fully successful season, with a win or two! It's as erroneous as their recent attempt to have that year's WeHORR results taken into account for qualification. Shame to see them making the same mistake twice.... The issue of whether or not BUSA is a high enough standard to bump up all Championship medallists (rather than just winners) is possibly also worthy of debate. HWR has in fact set up a working party to review the 2007 rules, and has a questionnaire, presumably to get input from others. You can get a copy of the questionnaire by emailing rulesworkingparty@hwr.org.uk.
A press release from Agecroft Rowing Club (UK, Word format).
Ben Reed lost a pen of great sentimental value at the ARA Coaching Conference on 28th-29th January (UK). It's a silver Cross pen with JBHR engraved on it. He would be 'incredibly grateful to get it back' - use email link above.
A cautionary tale about launch use from Ken Hastie on the NE Rowing newsgroup. The magazine mentioned, Practical Boat Owner, isn't published online, but its website has summaries of the latest issue and how to order it.
One goes, another comes back - Rowing will miss you, James and The return of rowing star Porter on FISA's website. Only inaccuracy (sorry Melissa) is that it has not yet been confirmed that Crackers and Ben Fogle won the Atlantic pairs event - in fact anecdotal evidence from other crews they talked to suggests it's unlikely since they had to use up most of their stored ballast water, which carries a stiff time penalty. Confirmation of the final ARR2005 results is expected when the last crew finishes in a couple of weeks time.
Sunday 12th February 2006
JC's finally confirmed he's giving up for good - 'Why I decided to end glorious career' (James Cracknell, Telegraph), yesterday (UK). Plus a bit on BBC News, and there's a (not online) piece in today's Mail on Sunday. Nice Valentine's Day present for Bev.
Crackers's daily TV series with Ben Fogle, Through Hell or High Water, starts this coming Monday, at 9:30am, with an extra programme on BBC 2 on Friday (UK).
GB senior trials results (UK) are on the Boston RC website - openweight and lightweight respectively. A huge number of sicknotes presented yesterday, the usual winter ailments.
Friday 10th February 2006
A cautionary tale from a rowing blog/forum site in the USA.
Details of Hammersmith Regatta (UK) on its very own website.
More UK notices.
An interesting fact just brought to my attention. The Head of the River (UK) has changed its trophies, shifting the University (BUSA) title to the BUSA Head of the River a few weeks earlier. So far so fair enough. But in a particularly charming move, the new HORR 'University Prize' is for the following (read 3/4 way down page in link above to see original): "to the fastest first crew of all university and college clubs affilaited (sic) to ARA, SARA or WARA, provided that this is the highest-status crew being entered and is of Senior 2 status or lower." Brilliant. So a genuine top university crew can't enter it. Durham, Imperial, UL and Brookes, to name but four, often have too many ex-juniors/ex-U23s/good rowers in their top crews to be able to go into S2. So the winner of this new 'University Prize' is pretty well guaranteed not to be the best university crew in the Head. You've got to wonder why they're bothering - better to ditch it altogether. By the way, for those in clubs not aware of this fact, university, alumni and school crews have always been ineligible for the Vernon (Tideway), Page (Thames non-Tideway) and Jackson (non-Thames) trophies _all_ other clubs are allowed to compete for. The only named non-status trophy students can now achieve is the Fairbairn (Headship). Seems a trifle unfair, n'est-ce pas? While we're at it, whoever gets the Fairbairn Headship prize is apparently not barred from also winning the Vernon, Jackson or Page - and must by definition win one of them as well unless a student, ex-student or overseas club.
Thursday 9th February 2006
A website for the Kenya Rowing & Canoeing Association (Kenya). Though I'm not sure the information has been updated since 2002.
Nick Ablitt has now finished sorting out his RateCoach software for mobile phones. It can be downloaded from this WAP link. Hiccups/problems/questions to Nick please, not the Rowing Service.
Wednesday 8th February 2006
FISA have gone all statsmeister and devised a top ten 2005 athletes table to show who's the best of the best still actively rowing last year. Interestingly, Italy wins out overall, with four men in the list, while Germany only has two women and one man. If countries were ranked by medals too that would change. Ebert and Boron are in pole position, of course. Uncharacteristically, there are what look like errors - surely the Evers-Swindells are 3rd= on the women's list, while Geisler/Sycz are 5th= and Basalini/Williams 8th= for the men? Unless non-medal results are also included, of course.
Bradford Council and Bradford Amateur RC (UK) are looking to appoint a part-time rowing community sports coach for the Bradford area to coach 11-16 year olds. 2-year temporary fixed term contract, part-time for the equivalent of 6 hours per week. Closing date 20th February. Details here via the Jobsgopublic.com website. The post was previously offered in October, this is a re-advertisement.
Details of the Reading University Head of the River (Sat 4th March, UK) on the club's website. Engraved hip flasks for category winners.
Details of the South Yorkshire Head of the River (11th Feb, UK) are here online, including the provisional start order (PDF format).
The Tideway Slug has published the PDF map showing the location of the two yellow cages being put in tomorrow at Syon (UK).
The ARA has modified the IA capsize drill - more information here including a downloadable PDF of the new procedure (UK). Note that existing IA holders still have valid awards but should gen up on the new drill.
Tuesday 7th February 2006
A poor injured/ill oarsman morosely wandering the bank at Peterborough Head (UK) last weekend took a bundle of pictures of racing crews which he's happy for anyone to use. See here for the gallery.
Actual results from the P'boro Head of the Nene are here in text and HTML formats (UK).
Maestro Biddulph has updated the 2006 skiffing calendar (UK).
And the Wycliffe Big Head results are online in their usual system (UK). I could wish there was an easy method of just printing off the full time-order results though - there is sometimes value in plain formatting.
The Scottish ARA is after a part-time coach to work to develop junior rowing in the Aberdeen area. See the ARA advert on the matter (Word format).
Hampton Head results in time order and by event (UK).
Results of the Aberdeen Eights Head (Scotland) are online here with notes on the conditions and some pictures.
I think the results on the front page of the Stourport BC website (UK) are from the recent Stourport Head, but they're undated, so it's not absolutely certain!
And we have results published for the Northampton Head of the Nene (UK) too.
Monday 6th February 2006
From FISA, Stephansen smashes indoor rowing record - again. Yup, if you're a junior lightweight man, you've now got to go better than 6:12.1 to hold the world title.
Team C2's response to the Atlantic Rowing Race ballast water issue is on their website (go down to Thursday 2nd February).
The Secretary of the HORR (UK) has converted the 'Coxing the Tideway Head' video to DVD format which can now be bought. Check DVD region before purchase if you're buying from abroad.
On the upper end of the Tideway on 9th February (UK) two yellow skip-cages will be dropped in in time for a low-tide clear-up on 12th February. They're going in near Isleworth Church just up from the Pink Palace. They'll be there for a few days, and obstructive at lower tides, so crews should watch out.
Concept 2 UK are offering a free return flight to America for anyone (in the UK) who buys a C2 Model D during February.
C2 are also advertising British entries for the World Indoors, better known the other side of the pond as the C.R.A.S.H-B Sprints (USA). The remarkable FES team from the UK are competing this time too. Note that the deadline for entries is 10th February, and that the CRASH-B organisers are still seeking volunteers to help on the day.
Results for the Durham Small Boats Head (UK) are online in PDF and Excel formats.
The powers that be in Cambridge (UK) are doing a questionnaire about the camToo project and one about the rowing clubs in the region.
The Nottingham City Regatta website has been updated with information for the Head of the Trent (UK).
And the Mirror (UK) reports, briefly: "A fitness-fanatic had to be rescued by firefighters after he got trapped in a rowing machine at home in Maidenhead, Berks." Anyone know any more details?!
Friday 3rd February 2006
The Port of London Authority (UK) are putting new red buoys on the Tideway (Word document). One by UL and six upstream of Kew Bridge, on Monday 13th February.
Henley RC (UK) have published a poster for the National Junior Sculling Head, the sculling equivalent of the Schools' (sweep) head the day after. PDF format at the moment, with a full event website planned shortly.
I've been asked by a reader about England (UK) team selection policies for the Commonwealth Rowing Championships (to be held in Strathclyde this summer after the main CW Games in Melbourne). I'm obviously not the real source of this info, but the Amateur Rowing Association hasn't yet apparently put it online, and all I have is a printout which was available at GB trials last December. To summarise, it won't include senior worlds GB or FISU team-members, interested athletes should register by obtaining a form from the ARA either at trials or by ringing the office, and return it by 28th February 2006. Coaches should already have nominated themselves (by 6th January). Classes include all able-bodied worlds categories, excluding M2+ and including LW2-. Final trials for the England team will be held on 8th-9th July 2006, and crews are encouraged to race at summer UK regattas to be announced in April. Talk to the ARA for more information.
Synchronicity or what. No sooner do I spot a reference to a club I should have known about before (but didn't), and investigate, than I discover that it has been profiled this very day by the Oxfordshire Magazine (UK). The article is Shallops and whistlers, and the club is the City Barge Club of Oxford, which specialises in Venetian-style shallops, gondolas and sambolos, and housed its boats in the Long Bridges boathouse, at least until the recent arson attack. The club's website is www.city-barge.org.
While we're on the history jag, an article on the old Oxford college barges from 2004's issues of Oxford Today (UK).
Thursday 2nd February 2006
Safety notes from the Northern Rowing Council Club Development Conference (UK) are on the NERN website, downloadable as Word and Powerpoint files.
Results of the English Indoor Champs (UK).
And there is now a Fish Game to give those erging with a PM3/PC set-up the chance to while away those knackering hours with something more fun than a split or watt count. Not great for those trying to do steady-split rows, though, as you move your playing icon by changing the intensity of the stroke. There's a thread on RSR for anyone who wants more detail.
Wednesday 1st February 2006
Tideway Scullers (UK) has decided not to run the TSS Scullers Head or Veteran Scullers Head this year, as it is not feasible given the resources they would need. They have lost money on the event in recent years. As yet they are undecided about future years.
Results of the Swiss Indoor Rowing Championships (Switzerland), which Andre Vonarburg won open men at in 5:52.8.
From FISA, World rowing masters regatta ready for business and FISA holds winter council meeting.
Following on from the first of those two stories, the World Masters Regatta website address this year is a logical http://www.fisamasters2006.com/, a neatly constructed site with plenty of downloadable information. No links page, though.
And on the second FISA topic, for those who don't want to read the FISA stuff in full, the highlights. The Council agreed to standardise the adaptive distances to 1000m for all classes, following some previous experimentation. They also agreed to create a European Rowing Management Board with the aim of holding a European Championships at some point soon. New FISA Commission members were Simon Goodey (GBR, Adaptive Commission), Paola Grizzetti (ITA, Adaptive), Lionel Girard (FRA, Rowing For All), Gwenda Stevens (BEL, Rowing For All) and Stephanie Palfner (GER, Umpiring). And they've postponed deciding the 2007-8 World Cup venues until the 3-4th March meeting in Britain. The Council was visited by Jacques Rogge (IOC President) who complimented FISA's TV coverage, anti-doping stance, and said rowing was "a very important sport in the Olympic movement." Cue much FISA purring.
A reminder that Star Club (UK) is holding a rather stellar raffle at the Bedford Fours & Eights Head on 12th February.
Kim Norris gets coaching recognition award (Rowing Canada Aviron).
