Archive News from June 2006

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

Saturday 30th June 2007
• Late update - the draw is up on the Henley Royal website with a plaintext version here on the Rowing Service. Mystic Henley will be updated with the draw later tonight.
• Henley Royal qualifying results on the official site. Also obtainable on the Mystic Henley results events page (click on "draw and results" for each event).
• Regatta Radio (Henley, UK) is now streaming online most of the time during their live transmissions - it's going full-time as soon as BT put their ADSL line in at the course - promised for Monday at the latest. You can get it using RealPlayer, and if the link on the front page of the site doesn't load properly, try putting this URL - http://s4.webradioworld.net:8020 - into the RealPlayer location finder. This does drop out occasionally - just reload a few times. If it says "server down" that means it's not connected at the moment, try again later.
• For added interest the Regatta Radio mob have also put up the list of entrants by institution (alphabetical) and the same list sorted by number of entries. Some of these have of course already disappeared during qualification.
• The Munich world championships website (available in German and English) has put up a number of interviews, including this one with the Aussie team. Not full of staggering insights (sample quotes - "our main goal is to qualify as many boats as we can for Beijing" and "hope there won't be too much wind") but at least they're showing an interest in the international scene before it gets to their regatta, something which is rare in worlds organising committees. There is also a face of the week (organisers - slightly less exciting than it might seem) - and a couple of webcams, which show the course looking its lovely bleak (but encouragingly flat) 1972-Olympic self as usual. For the uninitiated, the grandstand on the left of the top picture, which is where the media centre is, looks pretty well exactly that bare during every single World Cup. You can have a couple of hundred supporters there and it looks like three, because the place is so vast. On the plus side, it's a course at which it is extraordinarily easy to camp, right beside it, and spectator tickets are pretty cheap.
• Mystic Henley update - The Mystic Henley website has been updated with those who qualified for Henley Royal. Please note that if you have non-qualifiers you may have to update your choices. I have also removed quite a few crews who have scratched - including several GB squad entries (various niggles which will stop them racing next weekend). You also need to choose again if you have any of those in your picks list - see the page with those who now have invalid entries. After the draw on Saturday 30th June the points system will start working properly and you can see who is doing well. Note that you won't be behind in the points if you join later - you have until 8pm on Thursday 5th July.RQ

  Friday 29th June 2007

• LATE UPDATE - EGHAM REGATTA - Egham regatta this weekend will run, but with the following changes:
  1. The course will be reduced from 600M to some 500M-550M, to move the start further away from Bell Weir.
  2. There will be a free start rather than a stake boat start to get the crews away quickly.
  3. The organisers are going to cut the youngest age group single sculling events from the programme and refund the entry fees, these being the J13 1X and WJ13 1X events. All other 1X events will run.
  4. They will place a line of buoys across the river (not impeding navigation) past which no crews must pass, thus making crews turn and come into the start holding area well above Bell Weir.
  5. The situation will be reviewed further tomorrow and on Sunday, when further changes may have to be made in the interests of safety.
• Pictures from the second World Cup regatta on NLRoei (Netherlands).
• A reminder that Mystic Henley (UK) will start showing points for qualification as soon as we receive and can put online the results of who has qualified for today's races at HRR (hopefully some time tonight). You are already able to edit your picks, and this may become more important after today. Once we are running the points system those with the highest number will move further up the Mystic Henley league, which is currently in alphabetical order. The lineups will be included after Saturday's formal public draw, and changes can continue to be made until 8pm on Thursday 5th July.
• Details of today's qualifying races at HRR (UK) in case you're trying to get there. Parking may be difficult due to mud in the fields, which they are trying to protect ahead of next week.
• Streetrower inventor Simon Tarrant (UK) is going to streetrow the 40 miles from central London to Henley-on-Thames during Friday 6th July, leaving from Westminster at 8am. The aim is to coincide with the Tour de France and Henley Royal Regatta, and is going to be in aid of the British Paralympic Association who fund paralympic cycling, adaptive rowing etc. His aim is to make streetrowing accessible to all, regardless of physical disabilities. There is an official press release (PDF format) on the website and a JustGiving page for those who want to donate to the BPA, or if they prefer, to the Sir Steve Redgrave Charitable Trust, or Chase Hospice, or Sportability. Links to the other charities from the above JG page.
• World Rowing articles (FISA) - China dominates rowing world cup II, China roars, Germany falters after world cup II, Identifying rowing talents of Iran.
• Other rowing headlines - Athlete runs, rows and throws - and it's all in her mind's eye (Louisville Courier-Journal, USA), Watersports clubs splash out on new base (Norfolk Eastern Daily Press, UK), Rowing team discontinued as part of refocusing efforts (The Campus Chronicle, USA), Anna Richards awarded universities supreme title (Scoop, NZ, with a bit about rowing in it), To France he'll row, row his boat (a variation on a rusty title from the Boston Globe, USA), Pulling to surrender documents in property dispute with Naples (Naples News, USA), Putnam Valley's Kemp carries the flag for Lower Hudson Valley (The Journal News, USA), Rowing program helps girls grow (Queens Courier, USA), Row, row, row your fundraising boat for United Way (Geelong Advertiser, Australia, which does at least have a charity excuse), Kohl heading to Beijing with USRowing juniors (Wilton Villager, USA), Proving their medal: locals amongst nation's best rowers (Wilton Villager, USA), Raven rower heads to Pan Am Games (The Charlatan, USA), Ross boost trophy haul at tidal river regatta (Hereford Times, UK), Crew members on the Sea Stallion (Qultures, Denmark), Phillips crew places second at Henley Women's Regatta (Andover Townsman, USA), Fundraisers sail close to the wind (North Herts Comet, UK), Frenchman to depart Cape Cod in transatlantic rowing bid (Eyewitness News, USA), G-Force goes for two in a row in seine boat race (Gloucester Daily Times, USA), Putting their backs into it (Halifax Today, UK), Local rower trade novice tag for national acclaim (Lake Oswego Review, USA), Newport crew seeks cup (Daily Pilot, USA), To keep fit in space, train like an athlete (Space Ref, USA), Royal Gibraltar regiment wins tri-service rowing (Gib Focus, Gibraltar), Interview with Jesse Karmazin, USA LTA4+ (Row2k, USA), Will derailment scupper river boating trade? (Ely Standard, UK, with a mention of a rowing expedition halfway down), Loveday twins take gold at Marlow Regatta (Maidenhead Advertiser, UK), Rowing keeps ski muscles fit (About.com, USA), Hadley in no mood to lose! (Hunts Post, UK), Reds row to victory at Totnes regatta (North Devon Gazette and Advertiser, UK), Crew back in action four decades on (Rochdale Observer, UK), All American Tess (Manning River Times, Australia).

  Thursday 28th June 2007

• Ironbridge Regatta has been cancelled due to flooding (UK). Entry fees will be returned shortly and the club is investigating holding an event later in the year.
• Bad crash in Austria - on their way back from the Amsterdam World Cup on Sunday, one of the two minibuses driving back some of the Slovenian team came off the highway, flipped over and crashed. The driver - one of the worn-out coaches who had not slept all day because he was busy during the regatta - apparently dropped off to sleep at the wheel. Coach Iztok Butinar, lightweight Luka Pristov (LM2x) and sculler Andreaz Krek (M1x) have had emergency operations and are seriously injured. Three members of the M4x quad, plus the coach who was driving, had cuts, bruises and burns but are in a better condition. All seven have been hospitalised in Austria. My correspondent, clearly pretty cross, says: "A team that claims to be the pride and joy of its country won't even pay for all 13 of their rowers to travel by plane or, at the very least, for a professional driver to do the job done by an exhausted coach who has to drive back 2,000km after a full day's work."
• The draw for Egham Regatta has gone online, together with revised safety information. Snail-mail versions have already gone to all the entered clubs. Egham would like to inform competitors that they are continually reviewing the river conditions in accordance with their risk assessment and safety plan. While the reach is currently on green boards, this is an anomaly as surrounding areas are yellow or red. They will cancel the regatta, with a full refund of entry fees, if they deem it unsafe to proceed. A meeting on site at 1pm on Friday is planned to review conditions.
• The draw and timetable for Henley Veterans Regatta (UK, both PDF format) are now online. I have a hunch that the crew coyly called "Molesey Composite MC4-" is one to watch - featuring at the last count at least three Olympic medallists, one of whom is quite ridiculously famous...
• Henley Vets organisers Upper Thames RC say that they still need volunteers for the Saturday so if anyone's not racing please contact Andy McConnell.
• Entries for the ARA's Volunteer of the Year (UK) must be in by Friday 29th June. The North-East Rowing region has its own nomination form (Word format) and no doubt other regions do too - contact your nearest CDO.

  Wednesday 27th June 2007

• Regatta Radio (UK) has started broadcasting, but for technical reasons will only be available in the Henley-on-Thames area live (ie 106.0 FM) for the moment. Web broadcasting of the station to areas outside the FM region is hoped to start on Friday 29th June, before the qualifying races.
• The Waterways Ireland Carrick on Shannon Sprints (Sunday 5th August, Ireland) are once again open for entries. Overseas competitors can enter for free and the organisers hope to be able to help loan boats to overseas visitors who need them. Neatly, it's the 100th anniversary to the exact day during the regatta. To celebrate, the club are hoping to recreate this picture of the 1907 regatta, so are encouraging large crowds to come and be a part of history.
• Auriol Kensington (London, UK) are offering a special summer membership deal for £50 only.
• Cross-training taken to the extreme - on 30th June six members of Clyde ARC (Scotland) will do a 24-hour cycle in aid of three charities, Everyman Cancer Research, Scottish International Relief and the Yorkhill Children's Foundation. Nutters.

  Tuesday 26th June 2007

• Bishop Eustace High School USA competed at HWR and would like to sell their oars in the UK rather than take them back. They are selling them through Oarsport - ten FAT smoothies, almost new, good price. Anyone interested should give Oarsport a call. They can deliver to HRR.
• Two obituaries: former Cambridge Blue Sir John Gilmour (Guardian, UK) and 1984 Canadian rowing team manager Bob Christie (St Catharine's Standard, Canada).
• The Lords vs Commons race on the Thames outside Westminster tomorrow afternoon has the crews confirmed. For the House of Commons, rowers Peter Bottomley MP (Worthing), Don Foster MP (Bath), Andrew Robathan MP (Blaby), Malcolm Moss MP (North East Cambridgeshire), Eric Joyce MP (Falkirk), Tobias Ellwood MP (Bournemouth East), Julia Goldsworthy MP (Falmouth & Camborne), Adam Holloway MP (Gravesham), and cox researcher Rachael Hill. For the Lords, Lord Thomas of Gresford, the Rt Hon Lord Crickhowell, Lord Lucas of Crudwell and Dingwall, Lord Redesdale, Lord St John of Bletso, Lord Addington, the Earl of Courtown, Baroness Walmsley and cox (naturally) Lord Moynihan. Racing, including other demonstration races, begins at 15:30 (UK).
• Sadly the Rowing for a Clean Sea project in Israel is actually kayakers. Can we get them under the Trades Descriptions Act?
• I gather that the National Geographic Channel in Canada will be showing "Through Hell and High Water", the film of Ben Fogle and James Cracknell rowing the Atlantic, in September 2007. No idea if it's available in other areas.
• Rowing headines - not visible online yesterday, but now in the archive, 'Super' eight win gold to keep Britain top (Mike Rosewell, The Times, UK). Also Point them toward water (The Olympian, USA), Schwanger wins bearth on 2007 adaptive national team (Row2k, USA), Mainland boys, Oakcrest girl dominate crew (Press of Atlantic City, USA), Pac-10 can hoist trophy as the best (Seattle Post Intelligencer, USA), Rowing Olympian Ali Cox visits Norwalk (Norwalk Citizen, USA), UCO to add rowing (NewsOK, USA), Golden haul in first hitout (The Press, NZ), Storm Uru wins silver in senior open debut (Southland Times, NZ), North Catholic crew wins 2nd place (Pittsburgh Catholic, USA), Australian women win cup gold, but men struggle (The Age, Australia), Testing the waters (Welland Tribune, Canada), First-ever rowing competition for the blind (BusinessWire press release, last item, USA), S. Niagara crew rules Brittania (sic, Welland Tribune, Canada), Minehead rowers surge from behind (Somerset County Gazette, UK), Silver Lake scullers show their strength in Welland (CD98.9, Canada), Woodward about to unveil plan for 2012 (Sunday Telegraph, UK), All in the same boat (St John's Telegram, Canada), Lucy takes World Cup bronze (Nick Hartland, icWales, UK), Wells loses World Cup title (icNewcastle, UK), Men's rowing team will rebound: coach (The Age, Australia), NZ mixed but in the medals (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Chambers and Duddy among the medals in Amsterdam (Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland), An oarsome GB double (Mirror, UK), Bright future ahead for NZ rowing (NZ City, NZ), 3 gold and 3 silver medals for NZ rowers (Radio New Zealand, NZ), Gold for Grant at the World Cup rowing regatta (Marlborough Express, NZ), Women's four take World Cup gold (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia), Aussies clean up in Amsterdam rowing Cup (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia), Kiwis in the medals at World Cup (TV3 News, NZ), US lightwight women's double wins bronze at World Cup regatta (Row2k, USA), Rower defies illness to take top award (Times Online, NZ), Queen of Mission rules (Kolkata Newsline, India), A society is sick when safety is secondary (Budapest Times, Hungary), The Alps certainly took my breath away (James Cracknell, not rowing but cycling, Telegraph, UK), NZ rowers win at World Cup (Stuff, NZ), Duddy wins bronze for Ireland (Irish Times, Ireland), Bronze medal for Duddy (Robert Treharne Jones, Irish Independent, Ireland), Life's beachy for west Sydney (Daily Telegraph, Australia), Coaches need to recognize, monitor signs (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, USA), Club takes to the water (Marquette Mining Gazette, USA), Watts sets the rhythm to great overseas win (Guernsey Press and Star, UK), Boat club blames its crews for problems (Nouse, UK).

  Monday 25th June 2007

• An urgent message from Henley Women's Regatta (UK) - "Copas (the landowners of Remenham Farm in Henley), are obviously trying to do emergency remedial action on the site in order to get is as sorted out as possible before Henley Royal - it's currently a mudbath. They need to get the boat racks down ASAP, but there are a lot of boats left on the site. We need all crews to remove their boats THIS AFTERNOON, otherwise Copas are likely to move them. Thank you."
• An open letter from Ian Shore regarding the events yesterday at Henley Women's Regatta (UK).
• Full results/reports on the Amsterdam World Cup from World Rowing. China won a staggering five gold medals in Olympic events (more than anyone bar Germany usually does) and the whole regatta. Singles winners (ie Holland Beker champions) were Karsten (no surprise) and a rather fired-up Ondrej Synek in the most incredible race. More about the Holland Beker, including the specific non-World Cup races, on the official HB website, and NLRoei, the Dutch rowing news/resources site, which also has loads of photos.
• The list of crews required to qualify for HRR (UK) is online.
• Marlow Regatta Sunday results (UK) are up.
• Details of the 2008 London to Paris sea/river race next year.
• Posted on RSR this morning - 'Photographs taken at this year's Lake Tahoe Regatta in Northern California. Lake Tahoe in June can be a stunning lake to row.' (Thanks to CC).
• A few of the headlines so far - 'Super Eight' hold off Chinese threat (Christopher Dodd, Independent, UK), Grobler's emotion rallies Britain's eight to victory (Martin Cross, Guardian, UK), Eights double up on Amsterdam podium (Rachel Quarrell, Telegraph, UK).

  Sunday 24th June 2007

• Mikrotime have the results for Saturday at Marlow (UK) up online.
• Henley Women's results (UK) continue to go up on the race progression page. Unfortunately the system doesn't work on some browsers: if yours doesn't read the 'Excel sheets' for each day's timetable, download the linked file, rename it to end with .xls, and then re-open in Excel. I'm afraid I have no remedy if you can't see the visual knock-out style per-event draws, which have the actual results on, though if they're compressed into a quarter-page with no slider, it helps to re-open the frame into a new window then you can see it all. Would that the purveyors of these apparently genius online systems would flipping road-test them on more than one platform, browser and version before assuming they are useable.
• A kind reader says that it looks as if Eurosport UK will be televising the World Cup from 16:00 to 17:30 BST (GMT+1) on Monday 25th June.
• Rowing headlines - City teens get the chance to become crew members (Baltimore Sun, USA), Makeshift pairing through to sculling final (TVNZ, NZ), A rare beauty (Hartford Courant, USA, about the rare guideboats, a fixed-seat rowing shell), NZ in rowing finals (NZ City, NZ), Antonie hopes to inspire Sally to sit up and be counted (Canberra Times, Australia), Rowbotham has gold in sight (Andrew Longmore, Sunday Times, UK), Nine British crews through after semi-final thrills (Chris Dodd, Independent on Sunday, UK), Eight NZ crews in rowing World Cup finals (Stuff, NZ), Rowing meet gets off to a flying start (Kolkata Newsline, India), World champs Marquardt and Rumball in winning form at US Nationals (syndicated, Canada), Oi, give us me Pimms! (The Times, UK), Britain step up quest for medals (Rachel Quarrell, Sunday Telegraph, UK. They rather erratically subbed one rather crucial phrase - alter 'who have a home-water chance' back to 'of a home-water chance' and paragraph three will make more sense as it was intended to), Evers-Swindells lead Kiwis at rowing worlds (Newswire, NZ), US lightweight women's double sculls advance to final at world cup (Row2k, USA), Twenty-three titles awarded on final day of the 2007 USRowing national championships (Row2k, USA), New Zealanders through to finals (TV3 News, NZ), Elite rowers secure eight boats (Newstalk ZB, NZ), Irish men's heavyweight our through to final at rowing world cup (Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland), Men's four show authority to ease into final (Robert Treharne Jones, Irish Independent, Ireland), Three crews earn spots on the 2007 junior national team (Row2k, USA), Rowing is a triumph of the spirit (Marin Independent-Journal, USA), Regatta underway at Langley (Aiken Standard, UK).

  Satuday 23rd June 2007

• There is a press release from Thames Valley Police (UK) about an attempted robbery on a man at Marlow Town Regatta last week, and a suspect they are looking for. It's possible rowers might be able to help - spread the word.
• Henley Women's Regatta results are going up. The above is a direct link, or there's a button on the top right of the main page of the website.
• The poster for Warrington Regatta (UK, PDF format) is online.
• The Rowing Mart is open for business, buying and selling (UK). Future charges will go to support Maidenhead Rowing Club.
• Press headlines - Mackey asks to preserve open area (Lake County Record-Bee, USA), Men's four show authority to ease into final (Irish Independent, Ireland), Rowing club hosts regional regatta (Welland Tribune, Canada), Rains fill area lakes to the brim (Austin American-Statesman, USA), Super-crew live up to eight expectations (Martin Cross, Guardian, UK), Eights show their mettle at World Cup (Rachel Quarrell, Telegraph, UK), Super eight lead the British charge (Chris Dodd, Independent, UK), NZ rowers make solid start at World Cup regatta (Stuff, NZ), Eights disappoint in Amsterdam (New Zealand Herald, NZ), NZ crews storm into semis (TVNZ, NZ), NZ makes promising start at World Cup event (TV3 News, NZ), Four more Irish crews in semi-finals (RTE, Ireland), Maritime youth rowers Coburn, Nash, Bragg, Werner excel at nationals (Darien Times, USA), Ocean rowers point to 2009 (Journal and Courier, USA), James' pair faces Dutch test (Nick Hartland, icWales, UK), Crewsaders take well deserved break (Ancaster News, Canada), Waterford Boat Club's impressive haul in Cork (Waterford News, Ireland), Inverness rowers strike gold in regatta at Hamilton (Inverness Courier, Scotland), Reid rowing for Canada (Vernon Morning Star, Canada), Canadian summary - USRowing National Championships (Row2k, USA), 2007 USRowing National Championships underway (Row2k, USA), Finals underway at 2007 junior national team trials (Row2k, USA).

  Friday 22nd June 2007

• Tragedy in Austria - A falling tree killed a 60-year-old woman and seriously injured a man on the premises of a rowing club near the Danube River (Austria). I'm pretty sure this is the incident (Anni Rutka was the woman), in German from www.rudern.at.
• As of today, please note that Regatta Radio 106.0 FM (UK) has changed its website address to www.regattaradio.co.uk. Their email address is now info@regattaradio.co.uk.
• (Moved from yesterday) - Mystic Henley has had the entry lists uploaded and is now open for you to start deciding who is going to win at HRR. Slight alteration (miscommunication with designer Rich Stock) - he has made the picks editable after all, so you can just register once and then keep updating your entries bit by bit as you decide which crews are losers and which superstars.
• A new website (actually started in 2006) called ErgScores, where you can, in their words, "tag, share, blog and graph your erg scores. Excellent time-wasting online stuff. Register as a user and input all your stats. You can see how the site works with an online demo login first. There's a particularly cute bit where you can put in your goal (eg a million metres) and a barometer-style display keeps track of your progress. Nifty.
• An announcement of the Canadian Pan-Am team (Rowing Canada Aviron).
• Paul Thompson's just dropped in to the press grandstand in Amsterdam, and while chatting said that at the publishers' request he's making a DVD of parts of his Sculling: Training Technique and Performance book (link on Amazon UK, ISBN is 1861267584). The DVD should be finished later this summer.
• The draw for Berwick Regatta (UK, Excel format) is online.
• Entries are open on OARA for Talkin' Tarn regatta (UK, Saturday 7th July 2007).
• TV times for this weekend (UK/Europe): Sunday 24th June 13:00-16:30 both BBCi and online, plus 16:05-17:15 both BBC2 and online. Irritatingly, bloody Yahoo (I have nothing good to say about that company) have taken over the Eurosport websites across the board, and they're now even worse than ever. Not only have they completely removed rowing and many others from the list of sports, but it's impossible to use their TV schedule on some computers, and I can't see it on my Mac, just a blank page. Grr. There's supposed to be some coverage this week or afterwards but it's unclear how much and I can't find a note of it anywhere else.
• A reminder that information about the World Cup this weekend in Amsterdam can also be seen at the Holland Beker website, since the Cup and the famous Holland Beker event have been combined this year. There are also HB-only events added into the programme, though it's far from a full set.
• Rowing headlines from the last few days - Meet the puny six-footer powering GB's super eight (Martin Cross, Guardian, UK), 'Super eight' test adds to international challenge for British team (Chris Dodd, Independent, UK), Frances eyes gold medal (Oxford Mail, UK), Holden helps City to hat-trick (Mike Rosewell, Oxford Times, UK), River safe for rowing team, says consultant (Hamilton Journal News, USA), CTC boats dominate (Trenton Times, USA), St Kitts rower lands Pan Am spot in men's pairs event (Hamilton Scores!, Canada), Irish rowing team in action in Amsterdam today (syndicated, Ireland), Rowing twins prepare for World Cup heats (Newstalk ZB, NZ), Rowers flock to hit the water (Geelong Advertiser, Australia), Tomkins back in the saddle (AOC press release, Australia), Scullers in murky waters (TVNZ, NZ), Rowing standards high for World Cup regatta (Radio New Zealand, NZ), Groups propose East River improvement projects (NY1, USA), BRC trio headed to world juniors (Brockville Recorder and Times, Canada), Sullivan rows to the rescue (New Zealand Herald, NZ), Last minute change to rowing crew (Radio New Zealand, NZ), Purchase pursues his Olympic dream (Worcester News, Nick Hartland, UK), Local is golden at rowing event (Half Moon Bay Review and Pescadero Pebble, USA, great publication name), Silberberg part of winning crew (Half Moon Bay Review and Pescadero Pebble, USA), Sewage goes in Wairau (syndicated, NZ), Excelsior babes triumph at Marlow rowing (icBerkshire, UK, great headline), Phillips girls crew competing in famed Henley Regatta (Andover Townsman, USA), Rowing team for Algiers Games is named (All Africa.com, via USA), Belmont Hill rowers win national title (Boston Globe, USA), Oklahoma City seeks greater presence in Olympic sports (KOTV, USA), Former world champ to tutor Pan Am rowers (Mississauga News, Canada), Nine Irish crews to compete in second leg of rowing World Cup (syndicated, Ireland), Fossa rowing heroes to be honoured (The Kingdom, Ireland), Jarvis settles into pair (St Catharines Standard, Canada), Pan-Ams true payoff for this coach (SLAM! Sports, Canada), Who's got the most bottle? (Ely Standard, UK), Injury dents Cohen's quest for success (Stuff, NZ), Athletics Canada to send the best (Globe and Mail, Canada), Row, row, row yourself into shape (Portsmouth Herald News, USA), Athletics Canada to send the best (Globe and Mail, Canada), Tomkins in men's eight in Amsterdam (syndicated, Australia), I need £45,000 for my solo Atlantic row bid (Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland), City pair joining Canadian team heading to Pan Am Games in Rio (Winnipeg Free Press, Canada), 'Super eight' ready for World Cup (BBC Sport, UK), $12 million project for Lake Karapiro launched (Scoop, NZ), Barwon just the tonic for Ginn's plans (Geelong Advertiser, Australia), Next step for one-stop shop (North Devon Gazette on gig racing, UK), Commerce, culture on the same boat (People's Daily Online, China), Women's crew coach fired for team's lack of success (UW Daily, USA).

  Thursday 21st June 2007

• Henley Royal entry lists in full are online (UK) together with the official entries press release.

  Wednesday 20th June 2007

• Late update - Mystic Henley. The Rowing Service and Regatta Radio (for HRR, UK) are running a joint competition this year, to pick the winners of all nineteen Henley Royal Regatta events, in advance. The competition is called Mystic Henley and has its own website at http://henley.rowingservice.com. Simply put, you can enter as many times as you like but must pick winners for every one of the 19 events, each time. It's free to enter and you can edit your choices as you go along. For practical reasons you need to register a different username for each entry (no whingeing, please) but can use the same email address each time. The website will open to pick crews once we have uploaded the list from the Royal Regatta, tomorrow afternoon or evening. However, you can register in advance now, and note that if you register second or further entries, putting in your email address first will bring up all your personal details again, to minimise hassle. The competition will be open from now until 8pm on Thursday 5th July, ie including the first two rounds of racing at Henley Royal. After that all entries will be frozen and a league table maintained of how the best pickers are doing, as racing continues. If your chosen crews fail to qualify, withdraw or are beaten, bad luck because you will slide down the rankings, though it would still be possible for someone with a losing crew to become Mystic Henley champion, if they have the highest number of winners picked. The champion will be announced on Regatta Radio. Note - HRR Stewards, employees and their relatives are eligible to enter, because we have no more confidence that they will be able to pick all the winners than the rest of us.
• The draw for Marlow Regatta (UK) is online.
• Links for the Rio de Janeiro Rowing Federation, Brazilian Rowing Confederation, RemoLivre (Free Rowing) and ScullerBrasil, all in Portuguese and with information about rowing in Brazil.
• Results from the Veteran Championships & Loughborough Regatta (UK) are online in Excel format. The organiser tells me "There are one or two known errors that will be sorted out in due course but it seemed better to get something out there!" Quite right too.

  Tuesday 19th June 2007

• Dreadful news (UK) - Marlow member Elizabeth Beever killed in a train crash in Sardinia last Friday.
• A reminder (UK) that entries for Egham Regatta close at noon this Sunday, 24th June.
• Biorower's R2 sweep pair rowing machine (Austria, site in English and German) will be on display at the Lucerne World Cup next month, on Saturday and Sunday. The S1, their single sculling land machine, was at Ottensheim. The company is also looking to sponsor specific crews and perhaps work with national teams who are interested in the product. Any club/federation interested should contact Aram via aram@biorower.com.
• From FISA, Indoor rowing at any age, and Adaptive rowing the Atlantic.
• Other rowing headlines - Brisson rows to success at Trinity (Danbury News Times, USA), Atlantic Rowing Challenge in support of breast cancer care gets new paint (BYM News, Spain, UK), KU athletes set record for grades (Lawrence Journal World, USA), Charm City Regatta set for Saturday (Examiner, USA), Rowers suspect infection from river (Marlborough Express, NZ), Charlotte Shannon now rows for Santa Clara University (Ballard News Tribune, USA), Strength training for masters rowers (Row2k, USA), Indian rows solo across Atlantic (NDTV, India), Caius, Jesus consolidate (Cambridge Evening News, UK), Caius stave off rivals to lock down Headship (Cambridge Evening News, UK), Olympic champion stirs awareness of moraine (Northumberland Today, Canada), Marlow takes to the water (Maidenhead Advertiser, UK), Puffin and the mad rower (Fortnightly Tenerift News, Spain), City foursome weigh in with gold medals (Peterborough Evening Telegraph, UK), UK modular pontoon manufacturer Airfloat to start production in USA (BYM News, Spain/UK), Viking ship in need of TLC (Chicago Daily Herald, USA), Bhavik Ghandi creates world record! (Moneycontrol, India), Novice rowers say they enjoy the experience (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, USA - hold the front page!), Skimming the water: Rowing sports offer exercise, team-work (Williamsport Sun-Gazette, USA), Osprey Oars finish 10th overall in US Nationals (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, USA), Swollen river stops dragon boat regatta (Worcester News, UK), St Ursula academy's varsity-eight head to London for a regatta (Toledo Blade, USA), Hard work takes crew across pond (Orlando Sentinel, USA), Mumbaikar sets rowing record (Daily News & Analysis, India), NZ's comeback rowers are true believers (Stuff, NZ), Sharp intake of breath as Reed jumps ship (Andrew Longmore, Sunday Times, UK), Sea change (Economic Times, India), Suspicions of Chinese doping unfair - official (Guardian, UK).

  Monday 18th June 2007

• There's a YouTube video of surfboat rowing on the UKSRL website (UK), and it's also about to be featured on Sky Sports, who are re-editing the Australian 2006 Thunder professional surfboat series into 8 programmes in July and August. The YT video (direct link here is from the promotional material for that season (backing track 'Forever Young', subtitle 'do you really want to live for ever?').
• While we're on the YouTube links, this one of James Cracknell being KO'd by NZL cricketer Kerry Walmsley at the Sparks celebrity boxing event is fascinating. You might also like to make a donation to Sparks if you do watch it, since James only got knocked out in a good cause. He also wrote about it for the Telegraph last Thursday - How pride came before my fall (UK).
• Entries for the Nat Champs (UK) are now open on OARA, and the general information for competitors is on the website. Entries queries by email to entries(at)natchamps.org.uk or by phone on 0870 1633485. There is a Q & A about the time-trials format for this year. The Rowing Service will be doing the usual live-online commentary of the finals races on Sunday 22nd July - bookmark this link now.
• Pictures from Guy Blanchard and Cherry Nolan's Thames row in memory of their son Locke (see 1st June entry, UK). More than £25,000 has now been raised by their row, all of it online, and the Justgiving fundraising page will be active for some months to come if you'd like to contribute to the Neuroblastoma Society.
• A new website for Exeter Rowing Club (UK).
• First ferry crossing re-enacted (BBC local news, UK), about Mersey RC's restaging of an historic 12th century river crossing. As the club secretary told me, "Great fun was had by all!" (some dressed as monks, the article relates...) From last week, Eight will go into four with a pic of Lieutenant P Reed in his posh uniform (BBC Sport, UK).

  Friday 15th June 2007

• Late update - Stratford upon Avon regatta (UK) is cancelled following torrential rain along the Avon causing flooding and threats of further rain and rising levels over the weekend.
• The final draws for the Scottish Championships (UK) are on the SARA news page in both PDF and Excel formats.
• SARA are still looking for around 20 more volunteers to join their team for the 2007 World Under-23 championships - see the official letter (Word format). As an incentive, ticket prices are due to increase on 1st July - 4-day enclosure tickets will go up from £20 to £32, and grandstands from £38 to £48. Day tickets will increase by up to 40%.
• In the Cambridge Evening News (UK), "Pem-broken as Jesus climb to top" about the May bumps, which the hapless author says deserves to get the relevant sub-editor a prize for the worst headline ever (beats "row, row, row your boat").
• An entry into Marlow Regatta from Miami Beach wants to get a lift from Dorney on the Saturday of that weekend to Thames Valley Park on the Sunday. If anyone else doing the trip has space for a couple of small boats it would be appreciated. Contact is Francisco Viacava (Head Coach, Miami Beach Rowing Club) via entries@themarlowregatta.com.
• Durham University (UK) are running sculling camps again this summer, this time including a residential course for juniors (12th-17th August) aimed at those aged 14-17 who wish to trial for GB for the first time next season. They have also split their senior camp into two: one for 'club' rowers and one for 'performance' hopeful triallists. For further information see the link above and contact Peter Lee (senior camps) and Clare Leake (junior camp).

  Thursday 14th June 2007

• Mays bumps results in Cambridge (UK) - confirmed official results are on the main bumps page for previous days' racing, while provisional live and WAP/SMS results can be had throughout race days from 1st and 3rd Trinity's website. So far Caius men are maintaining position at the Head of the River, while Jesus women have bumped Pembroke (who got them last year) back off the ladies' headship. CU student radio station cur1350 is providing live online commentary during the racing.
• FISA have published the provisional race schedule, entry summary and the detailed entry list by country for the second World Cup (PDF format files). There are also full entry lists by event downloadable as separate files from the main event index page. Not quite as busy as Linz, but not far off - 43 countries, though slightly lower numbers in some of the big events. This edition includes the Holland Beker Dutch races, and also a mixed adaptive coxed four, a Paralympic event.
• By the way, for GBR-team-watchers, the detailed entry list above shows the new senior crews (reshuffled M2-'s, LW4x racing openweight, W2x of Elise and Anna Bebington), the adaptive boat (LTAMX4-), the super-VIII (M8+ consisting of M4-, M2- and friends), and the remaining new crews (extra M2x, W2-, W4x, M4-) are Under-23 boats.
• And catching up on FISA articles, Grobler makes change for British rowers in Amsterdam, No more Olympic rowing for Lipa?, World Rowing joins with the Holland Beker Regatta.
• Henley Royal Regatta (UK) are providing a simple-format online results page this year, intended to be used by WAP phones and other internet-enabled mobile devices.
• Want to earn the chance to win an unspecified prize in a draw (UK)? Then fill in the ARA distance learning survey. There's also the chance to win £500 of equipment for your club via the Central Council for Physical Recreation survey.
• Something for those involved in school sport (UK) - whether rowing or not. The Daily Telegraph and Norwich Union School Sport Matters awards information has now gone out to schools in the UK, with the chance for them to enter any or all of the ten award categories ranging from school and student of the year to teachers and unsung heroes. The closing date for nominations is 31st July at midnight, and the judging panel includes Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Kelly Holmes and James Cracknell. The top three entries in each category will be invited to the awards ceremony.

  Wednesday 13th June 2007

• RowingVoice issue 2 is now published, with news, results, the competition review, a rant from the self-styled "Grumpy old man of the Thames" Stan Collingwood, wing riggers, sinking Italians, racing Croatians, Albert Andrews and Alan Watson remembered, and much more. It's a large one this time, 15MB (lots of text) but we have improved the layout. Visit the RowingVoice homepage to download the PDF. Requires Acrobat to read.
• Entries for Henley Veterans' Regatta (Fri 13th - Sat 14th July, UK) are open and will close on 22nd June. The link is to the event's subsite within Upper Thames' online information. They have a special online entry system (top link on page) and want to remind everyone that all non-overseas competitors must be fully paid-up ARA members.
• The UK National Veteran Championships draw (UK, Excel format) is online at both the Vet Champs and Loughborough Regatta websites. Also available in HTML format.
• Rowing Mind Skills volume 1, from Aussie world champion Drew Ginn. Downloadable audio tracks (five of them) with talk-through from Drew on how to focus your mind, relax, visualise, manage performance anxiety etc. Suitable for use on iPods, samples available before purchase. An interesting idea....
• The draw/race schedule for Marlow Town Regatta is online (UK).

  Tuesday 12th June 2007

• A new book: In the Sky: A fantasia about rowing (available through Amazon etc in the USA, $15). Written by masters oarsman Rob Slocum, it's not yet available directly in the UK but should be at some point. It can be ordered from Amazon USA or by phone.
• "Barn Elms (Tideway, UK) are providing summer sculling courses for juniors from July through to August. There will be two day courses for those with little or no sculling experience and a week course from Monday 20th August to Friday 24th August for those with sculling experience. All coaches have had a wide range of experience including international and home rowing/sculling and all coaches are ARA qualified coaches. Anyone interested should contact the Boathouse Manager Graham Davies on 0208 788 9472 (Boathouse)."
• Welsh trials: Jonathan Cheesman (WARA JW selector) is running sculling trials on Sunday 1st July in Monmouth for the Welsh JW2x and LW4x. Any JW athletes who are considering rowing for Wales in Cork this summer (Home International) must register on the WARA website as soon as possible in order not to miss their chance. The JW1x will be selected as the fastest Welsh sculler in the JW1x at the National Championships. Any potential sweep candidates must register as well, since sweep trials will be held in the week after the sculling trials are completed.
• Trials for the senior Wales women's team for the Home International (UK, PDF format) are also being organised. Same weekend as the JW trials, at Channel View in Cardiff. All potential rowers must register first on the Welsh Rowing website, as above.
• There's a community sports coach job at Tyne RC (UK, PDF format) open - closing date for applications is 29th June 2007.

  Monday 11th June 2007

• Very dreadful news from last week (Netherlands): a rower died in a collision between a freight-barge and a pair near Almere last Tuesday, in the evening. The pair was from the local club, Pampus. A report in Dutch on NLRoei, and there is a notice and a condolence page on the Pampus website. A local newspaper carried the story from an eyewitness. (Very) rough translations can be had via Babelfish.
• Details of Bewdley Regatta (UK) are online (PDF format) and OARA will open for entries at the beginning of July.
• The Burton Regatta details for 2007 (PDF format) are now online. Burton offers a cash prize Victor Ludorum for the most successful visiting club over the combined two-day weekend of racing - £500 is the prize.

  Friday 8th June 2007

• The details of the (UK) Parliamentary rowing day have been finalised. On 27th June at 15:30 the All-Party Parliamentary Rowing Group (APPRG) is running the following races on the Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament between Lambeth and Westminster Bridges: Race 1 two London Youth Rowing crews; Race 2 two coastal crews; Race 3 London RC vs Thames RC (men's top eights, I believe); Race 4 House of Lords vs House of Commons using the replica 1829 gigs built for the re-enactment of the first Boat Race. Don't get run over on the bridges if you decide to nip along and watch.
• It turns out that the reason why Bermuda Rowing isn't yet in FISA (see yesterday's news) was an administrative error - they were meant to be put forward at the 2006 Congress. They have been granted full membership, to be confirmed at this year's Worlds. By the way, the BRA's President does a very sensible and smart thing with his emails. The footer, with his contact details and a plug for the rowing, also contains a few concise sentences about safety: "Safety first: If you fall in the water, hold on to the boat for flotation. Then look for your crew. Do not swim for the shore. Either get back into the boat or wait for assistance. If the boat can accommodate a life jacket then you must take one with you. We recommend that you carry a whistle with you also. All coxes must take a life jacket. Take your feet out of the footstraps before pulling into the dock. Emergency telephone number is xxx. If you have any questions then please contact me." What a very clever way of making sure that standard safety precautions leak into the subconscious of every club member who receives official emails. For other clubs, the messages could be tailored to mention the most recent safety concerns.
• A full-time adaptive rowing coach vacancy is being advertised by the London Regatta Centre (UK). Unlike the ARA's job (see yesterday) which says no need for adaptive experience, this one says no need for rowing experience, because it is more about inclusivity and covering the spectrum of disabilities which can work for rowing.
• The Times surf rowing weblog is back (UK).
• Yesterday's breaking news - Grobler uses four to create eight (Martin Cross, Guardian). The Telegraph didn't have space for my piece, so here it is, with a few extra comments.
• Other rowing news from the last few days - Long-shot partership win coxless pairs gold for Britain (Christopher Dodd, Independent, UK), Passport to glory or transient visa? (Matthew Syed, The Times, UK).

  Thursday 7th June 2007

• The Hamburg Rowing Federation (Germany) is looking for a new coach (Word doc in English). No closing date given.
• Wales have an opening for a national performance coach, full-time, starting in September. Closing date 30th June, interviews 9th-20th July.
• The ARA (UK) are advertising a performance coach job, adaptive boats. Closing date 28th June. Also a full-time administrative assistant, closing date 15th June.
• The Bermuda Rowing Association (yup, that's right, Bermuda) is now fully established online, with a rather fetching palm trees/blades logo. The BRA's emphasis is on youth rowing and participation, and they are not affiliated to FISA at the moment. They say: "We welcome all rowing tourists. They will enjoy rowing with leopard rays leaping out of the water and being able to see the seabed 30 feet below through crystal water. The only obstacles are the turtles sunbathing on the surface." Sounds gorgeous (see photo gallery).
• Saturday and Sunday provisional results from the Met Regatta (UK), together with the official photos.
• Entries are now definitely open on OARA for the Tyne at Home Regatta (UK).
• And for York Regatta (17th June, UK). OARA closing date 9am on Monday 11th June. Or email entries to e.bacon@dsl.pipex.com.
• Missed during all my fuss in Linz, that the 2008 European Championships have been awarded to Schinias (Athens, Greece). So it will be a busy time for Olympic venues next year. More from FISA. The inaugural new-era European Championships are being held this year, in Poznan, Poland.
• Eton Racing Boats have several boats for sale (UK).
• A website for Odinians Boat Club, "racing team of the Hild Bede Boat Club Alumni" (UK).
• From WorldRowing (in chronological order), Sunny, calm and flat at Rowing World Cup, Heats continue at Linz/Ottensheim World Rowing event, New sponsor for World Rowing, Racing for the second time today at the Rowing World Cup, Remaining heats at the first Rowing World Cup, Lesser finals at the Rowing World Cup, Rowing in the rain, Hold on!, No security for world champion rowers at the RWC semi-finals, Finals at the RWC, Beginning the bid, Uncovering new talent during finals at the RWC, Great Britain tops first Rowing World Cup.

  Wednesday 6th June 2007

• The Rowing Service is nearly online again, though responses may not be swift for the next day or so.
• The poster for Talkin Tarn Regatta (UK) is online. Entries via OARA closing 10am on Friday 29th June.
• Entries are open on OARA for Berwick Regatta (UK, 23rd June). The club's events page doesn't seem to have a poster up yet.
• Karon Phillips at New Wave (UK) says she had a major problem with emails last week, and didn't receive anything. Gremlins clearly striking all round. Anyway, if you emailed Karon and haven't had an acknowledgement or reply yet, please send the message again.
• The draws for Saturday and Sunday at Durham Regatta (UK) are now online.
• Ewoud Dronkert's plain text results from the Linz World Cup. Includes athlete names.
• Entries notice (UK): "Could all those who are planning to race at Loughborough Regatta and who wish to enter/pay by methods other than OARA please send their entries to the following address:  Loughborough Regatta, c/o 28 Judges Street, Loughborough. LE11 1RX.  Cheques payable to Loughborough Boat Club.  Please note that no entries will be accepted for the draw without payment and completed ARA entry forms.  Entries close at 13:00 on Saturday 9th June."
• Job wanted: "South African school leaver looking to take a Gap Year coaching Junior Rowing, from 8 January 2008 to end 2008. Currently in final year at St Stithians Boys College in Johannesburg. Current Prefect of Sport, Captain of Boats, awarded School Honours in Rowing, Height: 1,88 metres, 2km Ergo: 6 mins 43 secs E-mail 7mrexgra@stithian.com, or telephone at +27 011 803 5173."
• Details of a performance coach job at London Youth Rowing (UK). Closing date not given.
• Also, a press release on the indoor rowing at this year's London Youth Games (UK, 1st July).
• Results of the Canadian Secondary Schools Regatta (Canada, last weekend, HTML format) with men's, women's and total points also available in PDF format.
• The start of a catch-up on press links - Irish take another step towards Beijing Olympics (Robert Treharne Jones, Irish Independent), Strong field sees Irish battling among 'B' contenders (RTJ, Irish Independent).
• From Monday's Five Live morning programme, go to 1hr 55 into the stream (7:55am) to hear an interview with James Cracknell about the GB rowing results at the weekend.

  Sunday 3rd June 2007

• OK, here goes with today's updates (see Saturday's message, below).
• From the Linz World Cup, I'm not going to try and do anything live, because I don't have guaranteed online access, and because it's a bit busy with twelve GB crews in A-finals.
• British press links - Campbell win soups up up GB's finals record (Christopher Dodd, Independent), a piece in the Telegraph round-up (Rachel Quarrell), Partridge game despite trials (Martin Cross, Guardian), British crews begin World Cup campaign in ripping style (Martin Cross, Guardian).
• In Linz I've been having a chat to a few people, from which the following snippets have emerged: The AUS M2- of Drew Ginn and Duncan Free is not over for the early World Cups as a lot of their team are, but will be visiting Henley Royal as the first race of their international season, followed in short order by the Lucerne World Cup. The Aussies are also sending their men's eight and coxless four to Henley Royal, and probably two women's quads: one the W4x, and the other a combination of their W2x and LW2x. Not sure about the women's eight. For the Diamonds, watch this space: apparently NZL world champion Mahe Drysdale aims to defend his 2006 title, and there is a much better chance than there was last year that Alan Campbell may be able to do Henley to give him some serious competition. If that comes off, that will be a pretty special final to watch on the Sunday, assuming nothing odd happens to stop either getting through. What else? Well, the German DeutscheAchter (M8+) isn't here in Linz: they're off doing something different. Typical. The GER M8+ which has just finished first in the eights B-final is a second-string crew.
• Unrelated to rowing but possibly of interest to Sir Steve-watchers: Redgrave tells critics to get real.

  Saturday 2nd June 2007

• Important: Rowing Service problem. RQ writes - "I am away in Linz at the World Cup and have had a major computer malfunction. It is likely to be several days before I am able to retrieve the files on my computer's hard disk, whether or not it is able to be repaired. Fortunately I am still able to access email via the web on other computers, and I am filing to the Telegraph thanks to the heroic help of BARJ colleagues Martin Cross, Chris Dodd and Robert Treharne Jones. There should be a Rowing Service update at some point on Sunday 3rd June containing many of the things I'd normally put in on Monday, so if you have anything urgent for the week ahead please email me now. Then I am unlikely to be able to update web pages until Monday night or midday Tuesday - although I'll be able to get email on and off, putting changed files up to the Internet needs more time. From Wednesday onwards things should get easier, but please bear with me until then. Another problem is that the virtually-finalised files for the Voice are sitting on my knackered hard drive, so the publication of issue 2, which was meant to happen (finally) yesterday, will be delayed for a while longer. Chris Dodd and I are then planning a very short third issue to come out at the start of Henley Royal Regatta."

  Friday 1st June 2007

• In a good cause (UK): - "We are attempting to double scull the river Thames from Lechlade to Putney (130 miles) over 4 days, finishing outside Thames Rowing Club on Saturday 16th June. We are doing this to raise money for The Neuroblastoma Society. Our son Locke died from this cancer on 26th May 2007, 6 months after diagnosis. The treatment and care provided by the consultants, doctors, nurses, and the community team at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, was just outstanding. However, our understanding of this disease does not yet provide a cure in many cases. We think The Neuroblastoma Society is the best way to channel funds into research towards a cure for this aggressive childhood cancer. Many thanks for your support, Cherry Nolan and Guy Blanchard." They have also set up a charity donations page on JustGiving for those who wish to contribute, either as friends of the family or to support the Thames row.
• Entrants to Hexham Regatta (UK) may have been sent emails changing the draw for their boat class, after the organisers discovered that several clubs/crews got the gender or status wrong. Check email, but if the OARA administrator hasn't had anything, the draw stands.
• Entries for Henley Women's Regatta (UK) close at 2pm on Monday 4th June. All entries should be made online (top RH corner of the website front page, can't make a link to it).
• Details of the 2007 Alec Hodges Summer Sculling School at Tideway Scullers (UK).
• Missed from the weekend, Putting the record straight (Andrew Longmore, Sunday Times, UK). Also, A single-minded pursuit of glory (Daily Express, UK).