Archive News from June 2005

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

Thursday 30th June 2005
• Absolutely brilliant - an article about the UScull, a human-rower-powered shallow-depth submarine. Superb - I hope he makes one soon so we can give it a try.
• Row2k's Ed Hewitt's here in Henley (not yet looking too bleary-eyed from overwork) and zealously doing news, photos and updates from the Royal Regatta.
• There's a new boat club in McHenry County, USA, called Crystal Lake Rowing Club. A bit about it in the Northwest Herald's round-up.
• A piece about photographer Peter Spurrier on NLRoei (in Dutch) - Pete was made BARJ Journalist of the Year on Tuesday night for his work for rowing.
• A press release from the River and Rowing Museum (UK) about their refurbishment.

  Wednesday 29th June 2005

• Henley Royal Regatta begins today - timetable, results, pictures etc. on the official website. Stephen Benjamin's done a report on the Jesus College Spare Pairs Race at Henley.
• News from Yarra Yarra Rowing Club (Australia).
• Carrick-on-Shannon regatta (31st July, Ireland) has a website up.
• Marian Wait Walsh has Saratoga Rowing Association photos from several big USA regattas and heads.
• Hertford College Oxford (UK) is offering rowing bursaries. What the online information does not yet say is that, to quote Paul Mattick, "this Hertford bursary scheme isn't actually for blues rowers, its to promote rowing at Hertford (not Oxford) and hance blues rowers could not receive the bursary in the year that they rowed for Oxford". This is to preserve the Joint Agreement between the OU and CU boat clubs which bars rowing-related scholarships which would turn the Boat Races into financial arms races. Potential applicants take careful note.

  Tuesday 28th June 2005

• Active Tools (UK) are launching a new range of coxed/coxless rowing electronics at Henley Royal Regatta, including custom graphics, impeller options, heart-rate measurement and a patent-pending way to time rolling-start pieces. Their stand is near Upper Thames on the towpath bank.
• A press release from Wycliffe Sculling Centre (UK) about their Henley crews (MS Word).

  Monday 27th June 2005

• An important development on the Scott Laio story (USA) - Dehydration fueled Dad Vail rower's death (Philadelphia Inquirer). As the very useful site Bugmenot knows, you can log in to the Philly Inquirer using the account name 'bgates@hotmail.com' and the password 'password', if you don't want to register (thank you to Alex of the rec.sport.rowing newsgroup).
• The South Australian Sports Institute (based in Adelaide) is offering two coaching positions (MS Word, 916 KB).
• A progress newsletter with details of the Southampton ARC attempt to break the round-the-Isle-of-Wight sculling record, due to start in a month's time.
• Video from the Bosbaan regatta this weekend.
• Pictures from the Holland Beker Regatta from NLRoei (NED).
• News from the Ukrainian Rowing Championships, at which selection to the senior and junior national teams were made. The Olympic M4x and W4x were confirmed as continuing into this year's national team, along with Kostyantyn Zaitsev (M1x), Natalya Guba (W1x), and Olexander Serdyuk (LM1x).
• Graeme Robertson (UK) has developed a "ratemeter" (he actually means ratewatch) application for mobile phones. More details here.
• Members of the 1998 London RC (UK) Thames Cup crew will be hosting this year's "Caps & Ties" drinks party in the car park outside the Stewards' Enclosure at HRR, after racing on Saturday evening. Anyone who has rowed for the club is invited (even if you didn't make it to a Henley crew).
• The Slideway Tug's friend Rabbit has updated his guide to Henley Royal Regatta - required reading for anyone going for the first time.
• A bit of biased coverage - Curlew cream the Aussies (UK).

  Saturday 25th June 2005

• A plain format HTML version of the Henley Royal Regatta draw. The official site should have its by-event versions up soon.
• More UK notices. If you're not seeing the latest version of any page, clear your browser cache.

  Thursday 23rd June 2005

• Debbie Flood was named BUSA Sportswoman of the Year at the annual dinner last week (UK). Natasha Page and Alex Gregory were also shortlisted in the awards.
• A short press release about the European University Sports Associations (EUSA) Regatta, to be held in Cardiff in a month's time. And the latest information update (Word format) on the regatta, including entries and general timetable.
• The Oxford college coaching bulletin board has a number of adverts up from colleges needing part-time coaches from next term (UK). Be prepared to have to give a CV and references, and some colleges will also interview. Note that different clubs are after varying levels of expertise/commitment and not all have big budgets.

  Wednesday 22nd June 2005

• A reporter's tribute to Sam Le Compte from ABC in Tasmania (Australia). And there is a description of the funeral on the Rowing Service tributes page.
• Poor Burton Leander (UK) have had their trailer attacked by vandals. Hope they catch the twits who did it.
• Star Club (UK) has confirmed its regatta sponsor, Permanent Fixtures Staffing Solutions, as a club sponsor before Henley Royal. A press release put out by the club a few weeks ago has more details.
• Details of Peterborough J14 regatta (UK) online.
• Dundee and Stirling universities (Scotland) have set their Tayforth Boat Race date for next year as 5th March 2006. More details on the race website.
• The University of East Anglia BC (UK) have a new website at www.ueaboatclub.co.uk/. Their alumni pages can be found at http://groups.msn.com/ueabcalumni.
• Lea RC (UK) is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a dinner on 1st October 2005 at the club. They're trying to find as many former members or those involved as possible to join the celebration. Anyone with contacts please email learc25@yahoo.co.uk.
• Powerbar sell non-screw-in pull-up bars and think rowers might be interested in them (?!). They are selling on Ebay UK but there is also a website - note that the link to it on the Ebay page is incorrect. Actually I think the plethora of rowing parents about the place means they might sell more of their child gates to our number, or would if the page about it could be found...
• Public service news: I'm told that Amazon (UK) are currently offering a range of DVDs for £20 for 4 - amongst the titles on offer is "True Blue" (the rowing one not the porn title). Mind you, their usual price is £4.97 + p&p.

  Tuesday 21st June 2005

• Happy longest/shortest day of the year (depending which hemisphere you're in).
• The Boathouse Row website (USA) has details on the Thursday 7th July public meeting about the Bridge to Bridge project, information about the Independence Day Regatta and how it may be affected by Live8, results from the Schuylkill Navy Regatta, and a call for IDR volunteers.
• The draw for Egham Regatta (UK) is up online. 35% of entries had to be rejected due to massive over-subscription.

  Monday 20th June 2005

• If you saw the (UK) message about missing Thames blades earlier today, there is no need to contact them as the blades have as a result already been found. Thanks to those who helped. RQ
• The cross-Channel Oxbridge challenge (UK) has set out - a piece from the BBC here.
• Full results of the Canadian preliminary women's trials here.
• Marlow Regatta results on the official website (UK).
• An advert for a new boathouse manager for Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (UK, Word document).

  Saturday 18th June 2005

• Results from the Canadian women's trials going on this weekend.
• A message from the British International Rowing Supporters' Club: "Due to various difficulties with location of venue and high costs of travel from the UK to Japan, there has been a limited response to attend the World Champs with BIRSC this year. However, BIRSC/Eagle Exec are able to offer hotel accommodation at a FISA-approved hotel with daily transport to the course. As we appreciate people will wish to put together their own packages in terms of travel and dates of arrival and departure, it has been decided that no fixed package will be offered. Contact Jessica at Eagle Travel to ensure you get flights and tickets in addition to the accommodation above. We would advise members to act promptly as availability of flights is becoming crucial."
• A bit of radio about rowing for Star Club Bedford (UK) during Radio 4's Women's Hour - it's about half an hour in, I gather.

  Friday 17th June 2005

• Late update - very sad news (UK/NZ). I've just been told that Andrew Justice, GBR M8+ Olympic silver medallist in 1980, collapsed and died this morning after going for a run with his wife. He was over visiting the UK from his home in NZ, for Marlow Regatta and Henley Women's, and flew in yesterday. Although a person at the place he and his wife were staying is trained in emergency medicine, nothing could be done. A Marlow RC boat named after him was already going to be raced by MRC juniors at tomorrow's regatta. I also gather he was in the 1981 Oxford Grand eight too.
• Henley Women's Regatta starts today (UK) - results on this page - if your particular browser doesn't pick them up, try a different one.
• And with the second BearingPoint World Cup regatta beginning in Munich, there are live results online and streamed video for some races, while FISA's website handily has the TV coverage listed as well as the usual preview and reporting material.
• The inquest on Sikander Farooq, who drowned on January 2nd 2005 (UK), has now been completed. Boy drowned 'one metre from bank' - an informative report from the Reading Evening Post, and Teen rower drowned first time he tried to go solo, earlier news from the opening stages of the inquest. The verdict will not be out until next week.
• The Henley Royal entries are out (UK).

  Thursday 16th June 2005

• The Boat Race (OUBC vs CUBC, UK) date for 2006 has been annnounced as Sunday April 2nd 2006, at 4:35pm local time (BST).
• There's a 'St. Krinians' (?!) party being held at Kingston RC (UK) on the Saturday night of Kingston Regatta. More details here.
• A notice on the ARA website (UK) about clubs converting their late licenses. Important for UK clubs who host public social events in their bar or boathouse. There's also a word of warning about cyanobacteria.
• There is a general public meeting on Monday July 4th to discuss the current and future tidal Thames, hosted by the PLA (UK). Location: London Corinthians boathouse, Linden House, 60 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London. Time: 7:00pm. Scope: the tidal Thames between Chelsea and Teddington. It will include but is not limited to the Salvage Association review.

  Wednesday 15th June 2005

• In the UK, the Marlow Regatta commentary team are looking for crew profiles for anyone racing this coming Saturday at their regatta. If any club would like to submit a profile please send it to commentary@themarlowregatta.com.
• The IOC reports on the summer sports have been published, rating each for seven attributes including popularity, image, universality etc. The full report is on the IOC website but FISA has filleted and sent out the rowing report to the NGBs, which I've put online here (PDF format). Briefly, the rowing benchmarks against other sports and the IOC measures suggest the following: a) it scores highly as an Olympic sport with big tradition (for men particularly); b) on universality it has now squeezed just above the "low membership" criteria, is average (much better than low) on the NF participation last year, its global spread of medals is better than quite a few sports; c) on popularity its broadcast is average (but not low) and its sale of TV rights globally is quite a lot better than that (2002 would score "fairly high"), press coverage is average, online popularity is rather good; d) on image and environment, gender equality is good, judging transparency and recruitment is good, I'm not sure it will score very high on "increasing appeal of the sport" compared with others, the environmental programme is necessarily strong; e) on athlete welfare, both athlete representation and anti-doping systems are strong; f) on development FISA will score pretty well, its expenditure is met by a good balance between Olympic income and broadcasting; g) on costs, operational and TV production costs are medium once the venue has been built, though that is an issue. Now we wait to find out if it's good enough to keep rowing in for 2012 without a very hard fight from Denis Oswald....
• From FISA, a Rowing Australia tribute to Sam Le Compte, Setting Albanian rowing in motion, New Zealand gets Nilsson following funding boost, Rowing at picturesque Versailles and who to watch at the Munich World Cup this weekend.
• As usual all Munich information can be found on the www.regatta.de website (German and English).
• From Stuff, New Zealand, 'Outstanding' rowing coach dies.
• Guerin & Foster's Australian Rowing History website has been growing apace - much more on it now since last mentioned here, including a great descriptive section on the HRR Peace Regatta of 1919.
• Cardiff City Rowing Club has just been set up (Wales). Contacts are Phil Rees and Paul Harvey, who can be emailed at cardiff.rowing@ntlworld.com. They say" "We have limited equipment at the moment so we can only cope with a small number of oarsmen & women who do not have their own boats. But if anyone is looking for a serious place to train with miles of uninterrupted water and a multi lane course available at times, then they should get in touch."
• Details on Rowing Canada's website of the upcoming Canadian women's national trials taking place in London Ontario this weekend.

  Tuesday 14th June 2005

• The Tideway Slug had its digital camera out and was making a slimy nuisance of itself at the Dorney World Cup. The resulting collection of pictures of British rowing's great-and-not-so-good gives quite a caption competition for rowers with time on their hands. It seems our friendly roving mollusc managed to get most of the big cheeses unaware - always more amusing - though I'm a bit bemused by how Peter Morrison and David Tanner managed to escape its excessively long lens. Note also no snaps taken on the press tribune - but then El Slug doesn't forget which side its lettuce is buttered....
• A request for information: "My Grandfather, James Clasper, a resident of Stockton -on-Tees, won the Cutter Skiff Handicap in 1874. I am trying to find out information about this trophy. Harry Clasper". Anyone with information please email RQ and I'll pass it on to him.
• Cambridge May Bumps (UK) start tomorrow, all info on the link.
• According to their website the Round-Britain Challenge group have rounded the "big toe" of Cornwall and are heading rapidly clockwise towards Barnstaple. Note that if you use the Matys satellite link to see their most current position, you need to have cookies enabled.
• The Marlow Amateur Regatta (UK) draw and order of racing are now up.
• And the draw for the Thames Valley Park Regatta (UK).
• Results of the National Veteran Championships & Loughborough Regatta (UK) on the NWSC results site.
• Saturday and Sunday results from the Scottish Championships (PDF files).
• Saturday and Sunday results from Reading Amateur Regatta (UK) are not yet up but those are the links when they are.
• Bedford Star Regatta (UK) has results from Saturday and Sunday, and by event for both days on the same website.

  Monday 13th June 2005

• I've started to receive messages about Sam le Compte (NZL/AUS), so have begun to put them up here. Email me on the link at the top of the page if you want to contribute.
• The Cambridge Channel Challenge (website is self-explanatory) starts on June 20th, involving six crews rowing the Channel from Shakespeare Beach in Dover, to France. The link to donate to the anti-cancer charities benefiting from the rowers' efforts is here.
• An explanation of how the 8+ crashed into the post from one of my Australian correspondents.
• The draw for Marlow Regatta is on the official website (UK).
• Greg Thurtle has rowing pictures (UK) including plenty from 2005.

  Sunday 12th June 2005

• Received this morning from Australia: "Some very sad news from down under. Sam le Compte, Kiwi born coach of the Aus Silver medal Athens LM4-, and the Bronze medal Sydney Olympic LM4- died yesterday after a short illness. Sam was the Head Rowing coach of the Tasmanian Institute of Sport, and had done a fantastic job in Tas, especially with the lightweights there. He married last Saturday. I spoke to Sam a month ago, and he assured me that his lymph system had a clean bill of health 'from top to toe', however, later the same day he had breathing difficulties, and we understand it was mesothelioma, that took him in such a short time. Sam also coached NZ crews before he moved to Australia."

  Saturday 11th June 2005

• Extra events at Marlow Regatta (UK). Following the cancellation of events due to wind at National Schools two weeks ago, Marlow Regatta has been asked to provide races for some of the crews. They will therefore be offering straight finals for J15B (2nd eights), J16B (second eights) and 2nd eights, open to the first 7 crews to apply who were entered in the equivalent NSR event. The races will only happen if a minimum of 4 entries are received for each. These are invitation races and will be held at the end of the day, and entries for them can only be accepted as postal entries ie not via OARA.
• Cambridge Blue Richard Staite (UK) has successfully climbed Everest. I have published here a full account from him sent to the Crabtree mailing list just after the feat. Richard's earlier newsletters are on the Sons of the Thames website (UK).
• I notice that the Sons website also features other interesting bits and pieces, with an article by EIS-London sports physiologist Raphael Brandon, who is a regular contributor to Peak Performance and other newsletters. In fact the recent Sons article by him on prevention of back injuries is lifted wholesale from the Sports Injury Bulletin website - hope you got permission guys as otherwise it's breach of copyright.... Both PP and the SIB maintain large libraries/archives of articles online which are searchable and mostly accessible without subscription, though if you want the most uptodate material sent by post, you'll need to join. Unlike many coaching/performance resources, they both rely on largely peer-reviewed contributions from qualified sports scientists or articles based on such peer-reviewed and properly referenced papers. Which is all good, and so it doesn't surprise me that both are published by the same company (Electric Word, in London). It also publishes Successful Coaching edited by athletics coach Brian Mackenzie.
• It's all happening - Tim FitzHigham has successfully rowed the Channel in a copper bathtub mounted on a catamaran. The comedian, who two years ago canoed the length of the Thames in a paper kayak, did it in 9 hours 6 minutes, raising money for Comic Relief.
• Results from the Canadian men's camp selection trials on Rowing Canada's website.
• The 33rd Tour du Lac ą la Rame on Lake Geneva will this year be on 24th-25th September. Since they're rebuilding their website they've given me the information (large PDF download) to publicise. The file includes the entry form, instructions, a map of the Lake and the current record times.
• A website for alumni of Monmouth School (UK). It's called 'Old Monmothians' but due to a cockup in the domain name registration process, the website is www.freewebs.com/oldmonmothainsboatclub. The misspelling can't be corrected without expenditure of cash and a lot of fuss, so they're leaving it as it is. At least this way it will be more memorable...!

  Friday 10th June 2005

• I've fixed the video corruption problem which hit the crash file (see Thursday 9th June) at first. Anyone who had trouble please try again and it should be fine now. RQ

  Thursday 9th June 2005

• I've put up a copy of the 8+ crashing into a post which several people have sent me. It certainly looks pretty genuine, and is apparently of a crew at the Gold Cup in Sydney earlier this year. WMV format, will play on Windows Media Player (366 Kb).
• This year's FISA World Masters (Strathclyde, September) has launched its dedicated online entry system.
• The Copas Partnership, which runs Remenham Farm at Henley-on-Thames (UK), has a variety of facilities for people coming to the Henley events this summer. There are two campsites for HRR which can be pre-booked, reserved car-parking, trade stands, etc. The dedicated regatta section of their website includes an event calendar which visitors to HWR, HRR, Veteran Henley and Disabled Henley may find useful.
• Martin Russell took some photos at Monmouth Regatta at the end of May, which he has posted on his pro galleries. Note that you need cookies enabled.
• Newly launched three days ago, the Tideway Football Association (UK), starting with a post-HRR junior football tournament. They're operating a message board via TalkRowing at the moment. They even allow 'girls'. See also www.tidewayfootballtournament.tk for posters, and later photos.
• More on the circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight (UK). Donations to their cause, the fight against the genetic disease Haemachromatosis, can be made here.

  Wednesday 8th June 2005

• The Ulster Rowing selection policy for the 2006 Commonwealths has been published (Ireland) - Ulster Rowing will be a Northern Ireland team at the '06 champs. Which will apparently be held in Strathclyde since once again the real Commonwealth Games hosts (Australia) are being Rubbish and not holding a regatta despite including it in their bid proposal. Humph.
• The draw for Barnes & Mortlake Regatta (11th June, UK) is now on the MAABC website.
• Kingston Regatta (UK) information is now online, including new £200 prizes for the J14 boys and girls octuples winners at the 10th July "Borough" regatta, and two magnums of champagne on offer to the winners of the most senior men's and women's events at the 9th July Amateur Regatta.
• A press release about Ivor Lloyd taking over as MD of Dorney Lake (UK) which should have gone out at the end of last week.

  Tuesday 7th June 2005

• The round-the-UK GB Rowing Challenge first mentioned on 5th May was delayed, but has now started, setting off at lunchtime today from Tower Bridge, London.
• Provisional Metropolitan Regatta results from Saturday and Sunday are online (UK).
• Ian Harris is selling off the remaining moulds from his dad George Harris' boat-building company (UK). There are 2 singles moulds and one four for sale, originally used for the Project Oarsome scheme. Contact Ian Harris if you are a serious buyer and do have room to store them.
• The Loughborough/National Vets Regatta draws are on the Vet Champs website (UK) and mirrored on the Loughborough site too.
• Draw and timetable for Durham Regatta (UK) are online.
• A rowing letter in yesterday's Times (UK). This kind of input really is noticed at sports desks - it's worth sending in whether for publication or not.
• South African Dillon Mantle has published a freeware utility for the Speedcoach Gold. It is in beta-testing at the moment and SG users are encouraged to download and trial it, with feedback going to the author please.
• Entry forms for Henley Veteran Regatta can be found on the UTRC website (UK) and the closing date is Friday 17th June.
• Dart Totnes ARC has its own website (UK).

  Monday 6th June 2005

• Amongst the photos up from recent events - Chris Parry from the Met.
• The bunch at www.cityemb.com (Pakistan in origin, I think) claim they do bullions and machine-embroidered badges. No idea how good they are.

  Friday 3rd June 2005

• JAMCOTimes live IRA coverage has had to be cancelled (USA).
• There's a big festival going on in Paris this weekend in aid of their side of the 2012 bid - the Champs Elysees are being turned into a mock-Olympic venue, with all 28 Summer Games sports represented and a short "rowing pool" is being installed there. But at Versailles there is also a specific rowing event - the Regate Internationale de Versailles involving the W8+, M8+ M4x and W4x from Australia, Poland, France and Great Britain. They're racing on the Grand Canal over 1700m - see this picture, this one from a previous Regate de V and an image on this travel blog shows the setting. Stunning. The local rowing club is CN Versailles, which has pictures of the mile-long Grand Canal on its website, and rows there. Lucky sods.

  Thursday 2nd June 2005

• The Australian Masters 2005 start tomorrow.
• The draw for Hexham Regatta (UK) is now up.

  Wednesday 1st June 2005

• FISA's athlete biography database has been revised and updated. It now allows an extra clever option. If you pick a federation, and wait a few seconds, the options alter to present you with a list of clubs. Choose one and select either male or female gender, and you get a list of all the people who have rowed on behalf of that club for their country. (This is going from the official entry, of course, and does not take account of people who are members of more than one club but just choose one for their national listing). The info can be further selected on date of birth and type of competition. Expect continuous updating - information for such things is never correct first time so there will be errors.
• The National Schools Regatta website (UK) has been updated with all the weekend results. For the results of the unofficial re-rowed Boys Championship Eights semis and final (won rather impressively easily by Eton) see the Holme Pierrepont results page.
• HSBC BC (UK) are selling an old wooden boat on eBay. No bids as I write (Wednesday morning).
• Copies of the Oxford Eights DVD (UK) can be ordered from www.blade-movies.com. More information from Matt Elliott. Blade Aid's profits go towards sport-based projects in the area devastated by the Boxing Day tsunami.
• The draw for Hexham Regatta (UK) couldn't be posted yesterday evening due to technical hitches, but should be available soon. If you have entered but haven't received any emails from the Regatta Secretary Peter Hoare, you can assume your entries are fine and that you have opposition to race.
• Details of Talkin Tarn Regatta (2nd July, UK) are now up.