Archive News from June 2004

Snippets of news and events from earlier months, as shown originally on the Rowing Service News Page.
Standard results/events/etc not shown.

There is a full Rowing Service archive index online.

Friday 25th June 2004

Canada goes hooded while Dutch stay cool - news on Athens anti-wind strategies from FISA.
FISA have sent through to national federations the new Late Athlete Replacement Policy (PDF file) for the Olympics.
Thursday 24th June 2004
The Northern Rowing Council website (UK) has added a set of rowing safety notes recently taken by John Mulholland at the ARA Safety Committee meeting in Peterborough on June 6th. Interesting reading.
For the Rowing Service, a report on the new British team outfit for Athens.
Win a single scull from Lola-Aylings.
More about "Simply The Breast" and the Aberdeen Inter-Company Regatta (see yesterday) on the Scottish Rowing news page.
Wednesday 23rd June 2004
This year's Aberdeen Inter-Company Regatta takes place on Saturday 26th June (Scotland), from 10am to 5pm and involving 40 crews. One crew, representing Sparrows Offshore (a crane management company) is called "Simply The Breast" and has Emma Garrow, Kerry Hendry, Fiona Nicol and Lucia Dambruoso, a novice women's four coached by Martin Worth, rowing in their first race after just 2 weeks training and sponsored by colleagues to raise money for breast cancer charities. For more about the event talk to Carol Wallace of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Tuesday 22nd June 2004
Freelance Andrew Unwin took photos at Durham Regatta (UK) this year.
Montevideo Rowing Club in Argentina are on the beg. They say: "We dont have money to buy new or used boat since 1991 when we bought a single and a pair (double) in Uruguay. As you can imagina our boat fleet is a very old one. My question if you can investigate if there is any English Rowing Club, who could give us a donation of old boats and rowing material (oars, riggers,.....). Sometimes happens thet the old boat are a problem because the space they need and for us will be great to have them. If the boat have some problem, we can repair them. In Uruguay we have people with experience to repair, both wooden and plastic boats. Apology my English. My best regards, Jorge Douglas." If anyone can help, or has suggestions, please email Justin Roberts at justin_a_roberts@yahoo.com. I'm sure they would be delighted to hear from other countries as well, not just Britain.
A bunch of veterans from Hollingworth Lake RC have set up www.veteran-rowing.org - a website aimed at veterans of all levels. It's an introduction at the moment, but they are after information and links to add, and keep to encourage veteran rowing of all types.
Dart Totnes (UK) are online at www.darttotnes.co.uk.
Sunday 20th June 2004
NLRoei (NED) has up galleries of pictures from the Lucerne World Cup and, earlier in the week, the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta.
Friday 18th June 2004
The GB canoeing team are after some help from British/English rowers - apparently last weekend at Holme Pierrepont one of their new canoe sprint racing trailers went missing - it had been parked in the field opposite the water users' entrance. If anyone has been offered a suspiciously new trailer (or has any other information) then please tell Gordon Burton (ex-rowing), phone 0115 982 2094 Ext 1. The trailer is apparently twin-axle, with 4 vertical frames plus front/rear cantilevers on top (for long boats), 4 horizontal layers including the top, the top layers all padded with black foam, 4 corner ladders, a spare wheel near the front, and 8.0m long by 2.24m high. It was manufactured by the Hayling Trailer Co., no. 40427, plated weights 590kg/1500kg, and went missing between the evening of Thursday 10th June and the morning of Monday 14th June. Thanks in advance for help.
The second round of fund-raising for the Harry Mahon Cancer Research Trust has started - round one managed to raise £20,000 towards a laser dissecting microscope for Prof Vincenzo Cerundulo in Oxford. This round is to raise £20,000 to contribute to a cell counter/analyser to help the research, and is headlined by a new website at www.hmcrt.org.uk, which includes donation forms and all the HMCRT information. If you knew Harry and can help, please do - he was a spirited fund-raiser for the cause himself, before his own cancer took its final toll.
Wednesday 16th June 2004
Qualifications for the Olympics at the final Q-Regatta in Lucerne -
W1x = USA, NED and SWE - W2x = BUL, FRA - W4x = RUS
W2- = BUL, NZL - W8+ = NED, CHN
LW2x = POL, DEN
M1x = BUL, BEL, GBR - M2x = GER, NOR, POL - M4x = UKR, USA
M2- = GER, ARG - M4- = CZE, CRO - M8+ = NED, POL
LM2x = USA, CZE, SVK, BEL - LM4- = SCG, AUT
Germany are the only country to have competitors in every single category at the Olympics.
FISA have announced that BearingPoint are to continue sponsoring world rowing (the World Cup and World Champs regattas) for 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Xeno Muller announces that he will become the European sales agent for Kaschper Racing Shells, who are expanding from North America (Canada). The first scheduled shipping will be in October 2004 and information about it will be posted on www.kaschper.com in due course.
Monday 14th June 2004
Results from the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta in Lucerne via FISA. Racing is mostly taking place in the late afternoon.
Final results from the Cambridge May bumps (UK) are in the final chart (PDF) - Caius rowed over the men's headship and Emmanuel took and then held the women's headship. Amongst crews getting blades were Churchill and Pembroke men's I, and Girton and Magdalene women's I. Reports can be found on the Cambridge Evening News website.
Saturday 12th June 2004
(UK) Queen's birthday honours list - Di Ellis (Chairman of the ARA) is made CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for her services to rowing. Full sporting honours list here.
Friday 11th June 2004
This year's Annual Women's Rowing Lecture (UK) is Guin Batten's story of rowing the English Channel (PDF file, 461 kb). It's a quite amazing story - I was on the chase boat helping her make the crossing - and well worth listening to. (Mind you, as official timekeepers we had the time at 3 hrs 14 - it was her support sculler Bob Gullett who crossed in 3 hrs 22 mins.....) More details and booking from the River and Rowing Museum - the lecture is on 15th June at 6:30 for 7pm.
Thursday 10th June 2004
Palestine Rowing has launched its own website, to connect the national (mostly ergometer) activities with the international team (mostly ex-pats at the moment). The site will have English, French and Arabic sections, although at present only the English area is up and running.
For results of the Cambridge May bumps, best option is to look at their bumps chart (PDF format) as that shows who did what to whom yesterday. Prize for the most impressive rise so far has to go to Hughes Hall men, who got what looks like a triple overbump on Corpus Christi II in the men's fourth division.
Belatedly, coverage of the IRA's from Row2k (USA).
Wednesday 9th June 2004
It turns out that the Guernsey crew mentioned 10 days ago did manage to break the Westminster to Paris record, taking just over 10 hours off the record held by their Jersey predecessors. Read about the Guernsey competition society (very good idea), or "Rowers rose to challenge", an article in their local paper.
A reminder for UK rowers who have opinions about the ARA Competition Review that the ARA Council will meet on 15th June, and that if you have strong feelings you should make them known to your Divisional Rep asap so that your views can be represented. While the change in competition structure has been put back until after the 2004-5 season, there is much that needs input from club-level rowers of all types. Don't complain about nobody listening if you haven't tried to tell them what you think....
The Rabbit's Guide to Henley Royal Regatta (UK) has been updated for 2004.
Details of the Cambridge May Bumps (UK), which are on this week. The "comments" links allow you to leave good-luck messages for crews even if you're no longer at Cambridge.
Tuesday 8th June 2004
The Durham City Archers are also reintroducing a 190-year-old tradition of holding an archery tournament for all the event winners during Durham Regatta. According to them, "The Lady and Gentleman who win on each day will win a trophy at the prize-giving. Entry is free, the shooting range is by the race start and closes at 6:30pm. All ages welcome, and even non-event winners can go down and have a go...."
Warwick Boat Club (UK) are doing a 1-mile competition in aid of BBC Sport Relief this year. The "Do A Mile" competition allows you to cover the mile in any way you want - so of course they are doing it on ergs (1 mile = 1609 metres). Contact James Lee (tel 01789 295575) or download the entry form (Word document). All entries welcome.
Monday 7th June 2004
The Société Nautique de Genève (Switzerland) holds an annual 160-km international "Tour du Lac à la Rame", which is a full clockwise circuit of Lake Geneva in 4+ and 4x+ boats. The distance generally takes 12-17 hours, and the race is open to all crews including those from outside Switzerland. This year's Tour is on Septmeber 18th-19th, and the entry deadline is August 15th. The organisers have given me details, the invitation and the entry form, while interested rowers can email admin@nautique.org - their website is not yet updated. Note that the entry restrictions are clearly limits - senior men don't have to have a 19-year-old on board - it's just a minimum age!
Dundee University Boat Club is doing a 24-hour nonstop marathon for charity. More details on the club's website (UK).
Friday 4th June 2004
Oarsport (UK) are bringing in the new Concept 2 oar sweep adjustment system - a demo set can be viewed and new orders supplied in the next few weeks.
The British (BIRO) Supporters Club are running an organised trip to the Junior and Non-Olympic Worlds in Banyoles, from 27th-31st July. Details by email from BritRowSupport@aol.com or by telephoning Heather on 01234-268568.
Dutch club AASR Skøll (a student club) is looking for a new head coach - initial position available for one year with option/intention to renew. A Dutch/EU work permit is required, and the club has a high level of national-team involvement. More details here (PDF file) or contact Ms. Claar Wierink.
Australian boatbuilder Jeff Sykes has started an Australian rowing history section on his website. The first bit already published is on the history of AUS at the Olympics, with photos. A quite incredible resource already - it will be even better when more sections are finished.
Thursday 3rd June 2004
ED points out a friendly salute from the Swiss F1x at last weekend's World Cup regatta. Wonder what that was all about?
Joan Lentini has two new rowing prints out - see her website for details (the new ones are "Hands On" and "Pushing The Limit".
Tuesday 1st June 2004
The National Rowing Foundation (USA) is holding a raffle (direct link here) to support the US national team, to which the NRF has recently given $450,000. First prize is a Resolute single, second a Concept II model D, and third an NK coxbox. The draw will take place on October 28th this year at the Mystic Seaport Museum.