Archive News from March 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 31st March 2005
• From FISA, A lake in their name.
• Stories of the Ernst & Young Klassement (Amsterdam) on the NLRoei website along with other Dutch/European news.
• And on Canottaggio Vero, news of the 1st Italian Sculling Challenge as well as the new scull from Silver Rowing Racing Boats.

  Wednesday 30th March 2005

• Bridge re-opens following blockage (BBC News, UK).
• Tonight at 9pm (UK), Channel 4's 'The Games' features the women taking on sculling, in Alden 16 shells, and coached by Greg Searle and Russ Thatcher.
• The Canadian men's Olympic coxless four (Barney Williams, Jake Wetzel, Tom Herschmiller, Cam Baerg) have won Partners of the Year at the annual Canadian Sports Awards.
• The Two Cities Boat Race (Manchester Univ vs. Salford Univ, UK) takes place on Sunday May 8th on the River Irwell: 7 events including the headlining men's senior eights and a corporate Dragon Boat Race. Admission free and starts 10am.
• Entries for the Christchurch Head of the Stour (UK, 10th April) close on Saturday 2nd April. See link.
• Entries for Wallingford Regatta (UK) are also open. They close 9pm Tuesday 19th April or sooner if as usual the entry limit is reached early.
• WorldFlags (Hong Kong) will make customised banners and flags for sports clubs, amongst other merchandise.

  Tuesday 29th March 2005

• UK Tideway news from the Putney Winkle: After the Boat Race on Sunday a large Dutch barge suffered a catastrophic steering failure while travelling upstream from its mooring at Putney on the rising tide. Unfortunately it was wedged under Hammersmith Bridge which is why the bridge is closed. Boaties should be aware that the survey work needed to assess the damage may involve restrictions to navigation underneath the bridge, which may not be posted as standard notices to mariners. Be careful.
• Great Britain's adaptive rowing squad will be featured on BBC Radio 4's In Touch programme tonight (March 29th) at 20:40 as part of following their training and selection for this year's Worlds. Unlike most R4 programmes they archive everything, so if you miss it and/or want to hear from abroad, it will be live online 20:40-21:00 tonight and then still available from their archives from tonight onwards.
• Details of the 12th Annual Stonewall Regatta (Anacostia River, USA). For more information see the website or email Mary Hubbard.
• A website for www.trophyoars.com (in Australia) including some details of the history of painted trophy rowing oars. The artist, Jonny Cantwell, is a talented bloke - he has also designed specialised rowing-boat lights including a bow-slot light-holder, and t-shirts some of which are already very popular.
• Tribesmen RC in Galway (Ireland) are planning a new club and thinking about possibly sharing space with others. They would like to hear from other clubs that successfully share space and boathouse facilities, about pros, cons and how to make it work. Plus, if any such clubs are in Washington DC their President could visit next month when he is in the area. Answers by email to Rachel Quarrell who will pass them on to the club. Thanks.
• Results from Northwich Spring Head (UK, PDF format file).
• Leicester Regatta (UK) entries open on OARA at 9pm on 1st April - if competitors want to enter an unlisted event, call them. No restriction on entries from outside the region. Details on the poster-link above, and non-OARA entries are being accepted.

  Monday 28th March 2005

• Correction to the many sources which had the Boat Race finishing time wrong - official records here.

  Sunday 27th March 2005

• Isis-Goldie race report from Ali Oyston for the Rowing Service. RQ's Boat Race report together with the rest of the press tomorrow. I've put the official race times for the Boat Race (Oxford beat Cambridge by 2L in 16:42) on the rec.sport.rowing newsgroup (also obtainable via Google Groups).
• Updated Boat Race bank chatter (UK).

  Saturday 26th March 2005

• Results of the Henley Boat Races (UK) were 4:1 to Oxford, with Cambridge winning the Women's Boat Race and Oxford all the rest. Report and results on the Rowing Service.
• Isis and Goldie have everything in reserves - Ali Oyston previews the second-boats race for the Rowing Service.
• To align with a recent college name change, Durham Graduate Society Boat Club (UK) has officially changed its name to Ustinov Boat Club. The new web-address is now www.dur.ac.uk/ustinov.boatclub with a dedicated email address of ustinov.boatclub@durham.ac.uk.iin

  Friday 25th March 2005

• Robin Haslam's funeral (UK) will take place a week today, at 13:15 on Friday 1st April. All who knew him are invited to the memorial service at St. Peter's Church, Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, before a private service at the crematorium. The family have asked for no flowers, and say all they want is for his friends to come to the church. Parking is limited there, and a coach will leave from Notts & Union boathouse and go back there again afterwards - ring Bernie on 07960-015381 if you want to join it. The Nottingham Watersports Centre is flying its flags at half-mast until after the funeral.

  Thursday 24th March 2005

• A little bit of Boat Race bank chatter (UK).
• Henley Royal Regatta have advertised their Event Administration job, deadline 4th April. This is probably part of a slow reshuffle which will begin properly when current Secretary Richard Goddard retires after HRR 2006.
• In the UK, earlier today the ARA website index page was replaced (?hacked), but all the rest of the site was still OK. The problem has now been solved but if it happens again, go to the contacts page or the news index and you can still get to everything on the site. I gather a few clubs have had the same problem - the index page being replaced by an obscene bunny - again try going in via sub-indexes or pages within the site and you should be able to find everything. This may be a problem associated with one group of ISPs - no information yet.
• Auriol Kensington (UK) are once again running their Boat Race marquee.
• Details for Birmingham Regatta, including a PDF poster, on 23rd April (UK). Entries should be made after 1st April since it is an OARA primary regatta. Primary also means that status events (S1, S2 etc) are not open events and can be entered only by clubs from the West Midlands and neighbouring regions only. Elite events are open to all.
• The 50th Tour International Danubien (TID) takes place this year from June 25th to August 28th, over 2080 kms (yes you did read that right) from Ingolstadt (Germany) to Silistra (Bulgaria). Organised by canoeing federations (but including rowers), there are websites at www.tid.hu and www.tid.at (not in English). Pictures of the churchboats used can be found in this PDF file. More in this newslink (need to set your news server to go to the message).
• For those abroad who want to watch the Boat Race on Sunday, there will be a live video feed to Eurosport (with their own commentators as usual), which may be obtainable via cable around the world. I'll put up more TV details when I get them from the press office. No broadband TV webfeed, I'm afraid, though LBC's radio coverage will be online since it is not available over the radio waves to those outside London.
• The provisional HORR (UK) stats are up on Julian Bewick's Mupiro site.

  Wednesday 23rd March 2005

• "It doesn't matter which crew I'm in", a feature on the Boat Race reserve crews by Ali Oyston. Plus the Isis and Goldie crews with weights.
• An apology and correction to my piece in the Telegraph. As people quicker off the mark than me will have realised, in 2003 there was also an over-one-stone weight difference between the Blues: the winning Oxford crew weighed 15.75 pounds less than the Cambridge crew. In my defence I was taking it from the official records, which are WRONG - I never trust to memory when scribbling to a deadline. The mistake has been perpetuated in the Boat Race programme, on the website and in all the media releases at the moment - I am hopeful they will change at least some of them before Sunday, because if not then a lot of other reporters will make the same error.
  FYI the 2003 correct average crew weights were: Oxford (winners) 13 stone 3.375 lbs, Cambridge 14 stone 5.125 lbs. The CD-ROM database should be right (though that may only be the updated 2004-5 version, not sure).
• Join the varsity action yourself with the Boat Race's new online coaching game, where you can train 12 highly individual rowers up, select the best 8 and have them race on the day. Note that AOL users can't receive the email with joining confirmation so if you're on AOL, create a hotmail or similar account just to get them if you want to play.
• Spot the kit - Godfrey Rowsports (UK) are providing kit for the rowing section of Channel 4's The Games (starts on Friday, rowing features next Wednesday.
• Robin Haslam's funeral (see yesterday's UK news) will be held soon, and the plan so far is to have a memorial service before it at St. Peter's Church Sheepwalk Lane Nottingham, open to all who knew Robin, before the close family go to the crematorium privately. The family would, I gather, like to have a dinner in the summer to celebrate Robin's life. (The Nottingham City Regatta Committee had actually planned a surprise dinner for him last weekend, which had to be postponed when he became ill). The dinner will probably be held at Notts & Union RC - information later when details have been confirmed, and will go online at the Notts City Regatta website. That page also holds an email address - robin [@] nottinghamcityregatta [dot] co [dot] uk - for people to send messages to his family. They request no flowers or donations please, but would like to see his friends at the service.

  Tuesday 22nd March 2005

• Sad news (UK): Umpire and Nottingham regatta organiser Robin Haslam died on Sunday night, after heart pains, high blood pressure and then a chest infection.
• Another snapper link (UK) - Chris Parry Photography.
• Oxford University's rowing community (UK) invites applications for a part-time rowing sabbatical officer for the academic year 2005-6. Candidates will be expected to have at least three years experience of rowing (ideally from within Oxford University or its colleges), including very close familiarity with Oxford college bumps, and some event management experience. Full details and how to apply can be obtained from Andy Hadcroft, tel 01865 791207. Closing date for completed applications 5pm Friday April 1st 2005.
• Details of yesterday's Women's and lightweights' weigh-in for the Henley Boat Races (UK).
• Poster and details for the Ponteland Junior Head (UK) on the Ponteland High School RC website. Note that the division times (12:30, 2:30 and 4:30) are changed from those on the original poster.
• London Docklands and Poplar Spring Regattas (UK) are joining forces this year to host a weekend's 2000 m multilane racing on Saturday 14 May (LDR) and Sunday 15 May (PSR).  Events will include all the usual suspects, plus ltwt, J18 & J16.  500m Project Oarsome events are offered on Saturday for J12-J15 in 2x+ and 4x+ over 500 m (boats provided), and events for Veterans and adaptive rowers on Sunday.  Secure boat storage available for Saturday night.  For further details see the events' websites - www.ldr.org.uk and www.pbdrc.co.uk.
• Details on the SARA website (Scotland) of the St. Andrew BC Regatta early next month and the combined Strathclyde Park Regatta & Scottish Universities Championship at the end of April (see RHS of the News page for links to all information.

  Monday 21st March 2005

• Jamco Times are starting their summer timing season (USA). They've taken it up another notch - this year sees them adding live streaming audio to their usual realtime split graphic presentations. They're starting with the San Diego Crew Classic on 2nd/3rd April, then the Windermere Crew Classic on 9th/10th April.
• Provisional results for the Vet's Head (UK) were out last night.
• Results from the Head of the River (UK) now include alphabetical, by crew number, divisional and trophy results, as well as the actual finish-order results which have been up since Saturday. The Barnes/Hammersmith/overtaking splits should be available some time today.
• There are still some places on the Weybridge Instructor's Award course (UK), being held there in April/May. Details on the club's website, as linked.
• A website for Escuela de Remo about "Delta Rowing" on the Parana river at Tigre, Argentina. Lovely place - well worth a visit, though the local launch-wash makes the Tideway look like a paddling pool (the delta residents have this inconvenient habit of using engined boats to get about....) The site includes pictures and results from the recent Travesia Delta Rowing event (5th March 2005). Good to see the region has a proper website for the many clubs who row there.

  Saturday 19th March 2005

• The correct 2005 time-order results for the Head of the River (UK) are now on its website. The alphabetical and other variations of the results are NOT going online during Saturday night, and will go up some time on Sunday - probably.
• Re: the Stampfli emergency (UK, Thursday afternoon, see below) - by noon on Friday (less than 24 hours after my original posting) we were pretty sure every crew racing in the HORR had a boat to use. Thanks everyone who came forward, including some who went well out of their way to help source, move and organise replacement shells. Brilliant work.
• Results for Kingston Head (UK).

  Friday 18th March 2005

• See below, top Thursday posting, for urgent HORR news (UK).
• A late call (UK). "Two (or more to ease the load) volunteers needed at Putney during the Head of the River race to carry out regional safety assessment work. (I am competing.) One or two needed for the Vesta Vet Head the next day to assist me. Work will involve observation [binoculars useful] and note-taking on the hard opposite Chas Newens from the FINISH of the race [at about 10.30] until the last crew has passed going upstream, [a couple of hours later?]. No pay but a well-earned pint afterwards! Make contact with Chris George at mail [at] rowing.atics.co.uk or 020 8873 2013 [w]."
• And competitors in the Heads this weekend may want to read the very useful Thames Regional Rowing Council HORR advice - aimed at both non-Tideway and also some Tideway crews who haven't brushed up on their circulation rules recently.

  Thursday 17th March 2005

• URGENT - HORR boats needed (UK). I have just heard that the Stampfli trailer had an accident on the way over to the London Head of the River. I think everyone involved is OK but in the mean time it will leave several crews aiming to race on Saturday (and possibly some on Sunday) without boats. If you're reading this and might have a spare shell for a men's or veterans' eight to borrow (ideally at or near the Tideway), please call HORR Secretary Andrew Ruddle on 07946-528277 with your contact details and he will help you connect up with crews. All the crews concerned were planning to boat from the Embankment so the nearer to Putney the boat is the better, but anything is welcomed - we think we're looking at about 10 crews with several of them staying over until Sunday's Vets Head. Another possibility is that Putney-based crews racing in the top 100 or so of the HORR might be willing to loan their shells after they had raced: the HORR would be willing to let the European crews go off late at the back which would give plenty of time for a switch-over. Get in touch with Andrew if you can help - at the moment we think we have only two offers so far (thanks NS and HSS). I'll continue to gather contact details and pass them on - email me if it's before the end of Thursday and phone 07710-538114 if you're getting in touch on Friday or Saturday as I'm not on email much those days. Vesta may be able to coordinate information on Vet's Head shells but I won't put contact details for them up until I have permission.
  More news on Thursday at 6pm: It was definitely the eights trailer which crashed - the ten shells were totalled. A second trailer with 7 other boats on is apparently still OK and will be bringing any undamaged blades from the first trailer so not all crews will be without oars. Andreas Csonka, cox of the Grasshopper eight, has asked me to also put his mobile number out - it's +41-79-630-6084 and he'll be on that number tonight (Thursday) and tomorrow after about 9am when his plane lands. He's able to coordinate with the other affected European clubs so anyone with boats to loan or hire could also talk directly to him. He tells me Grasshopper at least would be willing to hire a competitive shell and some of the other clubs might have finances for it too.
• A sad shock - Rower Mike Holmes, a student at Brock University (Canada), died last weekend after an accidental blockage of his tracheostomy (a breathing accessory to help with a birth defect).
• Nothing like being first off the block - New Zealand have announced their worlds and U23 teams. No prizes for guessing which twins are back on duty again.
• FISA has a report on the Australian National Championships and Ginn and Tomkins honoured (Rowing Australia Male Crew of the Year, not surprisingly).
• While we're on peculiar inventions, how about the Viking oar harness, dreamt up to allow individual Vikings to go off for a rest-stop, ciggie break, or quick rape or pillage, while his companions rowed his oar 'remotely' from their seats via a pulley system. Not sure if it can be adapted. In fact this is a modern invention by Peter Sjolander, who seems to think we haven't got Viking longships rigged right at the moment. The ultimate source of info on Viking rowing/sailing is probably The Longship Company Ltd.
• Freezing cold and an iced-up course have cancelled the University of Michigan opening dual against Notre Dame on Belleville Lake this weekend (USA).
• If you're interested in general Olympic sports, Sportsbite has just had its weekly update.
• More suggestions that the Indian Olympic Association wants to include rowing and canoeing in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Rowing is quite a high-profile sport in India at the moment, this could be a chance to get it back on the core Commonwealth list.
• Apparently doctorate student Clara Soper, at the Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand), found that performance improved when rowers set their footstretcher at an angle of 46 degrees rather than the more customary 36 deg or 41 deg. (I assume this is from the horizontal, ie a steeper footplate puts a greater component of the force in the horizontal (travel) direction). Soper was also a big part of the award-winning 'video goggles' equipment developed in NZ and now used by several national squads.
• Helpful directions and preview for the Texas Longhorn Invitational (USA).
• A roving reporter's account of the 2003 Boat Race.

  Wednesday 16th March 2005

• Get a load of this - a newly patented idea from South Africa. Hmm. Several issues/holes suggest themselves even on first reading, but it would certainly be an amusing idea. Could be used to add "synchronised rowing" style competitions to regattas, with marks for timing, stroke shape, clever manoeuvres/exercises, entertaining sound-tracks, and (of course) costume, makeup and painted-on smiles. Thanks to JH. [Thursday update - the page has now disappeared, but was a large 'rowing circle' with 8-16 seats so that you can have your novices all rowing the same side and spinning round doing steady state, rather than having to need a long river. Kind of a floating circular tank affair, with harnesses to stop the rowers flying off under centrifugal force as the ring got up to speed!]
• Results for the North of England Head are up on the Royal Chester website (UK).
• The FISA Masters Regatta 2005 website has been updated with more news on this event in Scotland next September (several languages).
• Sculling camp and safety audit news for North-Eastern region rowing clubs in the UK on the NERN news page.

  Tuesday 15th March 2005

• RuderDesign - rowing jewellery, t-shirts and accessories from Berlin (Germany). Their email address is ruderdesign1@aol.com.
• Southampton Coastal Head is on Saturday 23rd April (UK) in two divisions, and this year open to all coastal 1x/2-/4+. If anyone wants a poster and entry form please contact Justin Smith.
• The final results of the Cambridge Winter League are on the Cambridge Rowing Association website (UK).
• Apparently "for the benefit of our kilted anglos" (their words not mine - Ed), information on the SARA website (Scotland) about the upcoming training weekends (MS Word format).
• And results for division 1 and division 2 of the Glasgow Small Boats Head now out (Scotland, again Word format).
• A plaintive plea:
  "I am looking to borrow/hire a boat for mens tideway Sat 19th for Laich O Menteith BC (Strathclyde University Graduates) (S2 Entry) Approx 80-85kg crew weight. This is due to the boat we were to use being damaged (not by ourselves). Any Help would be much appreciated.  Jonny Graham 07736930756."
• Mersey RC (UK) have changed and updated their website - the address is now www.merseyrowingclub.co.uk.
• The current Tideway Slug has a useful report on the Thames (UK) sewage situation... Urgh.
• Isis and Goldie crews named (UK).
• News from Wales - the new Welsh Rowing Centre was opened just in time for the Head of the Taff. There is 4km clear on the river, with buoys being laid next month for the 1500m x7 lane course: much credit to Mike Hnatiw and team. (My correspondent then indulged in some thoroughly unnecessary Wales-glorifying rugby banter and added a throwaway line about Cardiff University and the Victor Ludorum, which nonsense promptly crashed my computer - Ed.)
• And just for fun... I'm being encouraged (by 2 separate people) to put this link online, apparently of interest to Tideway-watchers in the UK. Couldn't possibly comment.

  Monday 14th March 2005

• A belated link to the South Africa Schools Championships - results on www.rowsa.co.za. I gather the win by St. Mary's in the Girls' Championship was the first time an all-female coaching team had coached girls to a win.
• A report in English on the fixture yesterday between Cambridge and a German international eight, on Rudern1.
• There are still some places available on the Warwick Boat Club coxing day-course to be held on Saturday 16th April (UK).
• Three places have become available on Allan Whitwell's 2-day sculling course at Weybridge (UK) on 16th/17th April. Details at the link.
• The Dutch Sportsmuseum has closed down and is selling off its remaining collections. Those on the lookout for cheap boats or Olympic pins follow the NLRoei link above, although I gather Olympic champion single sculler Jan Wienese is hopping mad because his single is being sold by the museum although it was only on loan. And they're offering it for 60 euros - the cheek! No news yet on whether he's going to buy it, legalise it back or just go on a raid.....
• The Tideway Scullers Head (April 9th, UK) will be awarding medals to all category winners and for over-18's a crate of Kozel Czech Premium Lager sponsored by Ralf Munding. Entry details on the website.
• Gloucester Rowing Club (UK) has changed their URL formally to www.gloucester-rowing.org, although until May visitors to the old link will be redirected to the new one. A web redesign accompanies the shift.
• The Thames Regional Rowing Council (UK) website has had a facelift.
• A website with scene-setting pictures for Headington School Oxford BC (UK).
• Red Lion Sports (UK) say they offer sports watches and heart rate monitors. (Shrug). No idea how good they are.
• Quintin Boat Club (UK) has a few sculling racks still available at the club, and is getting rid of what it calls "a couple of hacking pairs" to make boathouse space.

  Thursday 10th March 2005

• Sad late upate: Andy Silk died on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. He will be remembered by many previous Cambridge women's squad and others he coached, as well as most of the current and past Cambridge rowing community (UK).
• A Head Coach job in Sydney (Australia).
• Announcement of regatta details for a new event in Tel-Aviv in September (Israel).
• On the UK noticeboard: job openings, rent requests, a rowing/classic car suggestion, free HORR massages, a student exchange programme offer, and everything for sale from wooden boats to strokecoaches via a pecs machine, a yole and the usual sculls and blades. Next update over the weekend.

  Wednesday 9th March 2005

• Details of the Heineken H4K Roeivierkamp (Holland) in ten days in Amsterdam. Links (yellow on green) on the right hand side of the page are most useful. The draw should be out this coming Saturday, although a list of entries is online.
• Deadline for the Yorkshire IA (PDF poster) is this weekend (UK).
• Racing instructions for the Head of the River (UK) have been updated for this year. Essential reading for captains, coaches and coxes at least.
• A website for the Skiffhead, which takes place on the Amstel on 3rd April (Holland). No sign of the day before Pairhead details, though the site's meant to be the same for both. The Skiffhead has an unusual way of explaining its overtaking rules - very effective, though alas only works in M$ Explorer.

  Tuesday 8th March 2005

• The website for Abingdon RC (UK) has been revamped and has details of their Head on April 17th.
• A reader has drawn my attention to the "fantastic alternative Newark Rowing Club website" (UK), called 'RateMyHairyNeck'. Top-class material. (Thanks JD).
• FISA announces that the five finalists for the Thomas Keller Medal of Honour are Agostino Abbagnale (ITA), Matthew Pinsent (GBR), Jean-Christophe Rolland (FRA), James Tomkins (AUS) and André Willms (GER). One of the finest fields ever, I suspect - it will be interesting to see who wins.
• Details of the Scottish Schools Head (19th March, Glasgow) now on the SARA news page, together with the information that the Clydesdale Regatta which was to be on 16th April has been cancelled.
• Row2k has its usual lively North American updates, including Oars no longer recommended flotation devices (USRowing Safety Update), and from last month, a CRASH-B's report in the features section. That couldn't be an ex-lightweight calling erg monsters freakish and weird, could it Ed?!

  Monday 7th March 2005

• Late update - As of 3pm today (GMT) I can announce that Cambridge University BC (UK) have appointed Duncan Holland, who has coached in New Zealand, Switzerland and the Netherlands, as their new chief coach, effective as soon as Robin Williams leaves for BIRO on 1st April after conducting his eleventh and final Boat Race. More later.
• Draw for the Veteran's Head (UK) is now up.
• Today's the Schools' Head (UK) - start time 1pm.
• Results of the Women's Eights Head (UK) are out.
• Unofficial Cambridge bumps results from the Lents - Caius row over head of the men's and Downing are undisturbed at the top of the women's divisions. Crews who went up every day include Darwin M1, Trinity Hall M2 (starting with an overbump), Caius M3 (also including an overbump), Queens' M3, 1st & 3rd W1 (plus o-b), Fitzwilliam W1, LMBC W2, and Caius W2. Caius' bump supper the best fun to go to, then.
• Results are out for the Weybridge Veterans and Juniors Head (UK) held yesterday.
• Results for the Yorkshire Head (UK) will be online at this link when available.
• At the River Tees Watersports Centre (UK), on Thursday 17th March at 7pm for 7:30pm start, "A personal perspective on how lightweights can compete and win" by ex-international Jon Williamson.

  Friday 4th March 2005

• What's wrong with the Boat Race - a feature by Ali Oyston for the Rowing Service.
• Articles on FISA - Selling the Bosbaan, New era for lightweight Danes, Turin attracts international crews.
• The Bosbaan story gives the link for this year's World Rowing Under-23 Championship (in Amsterdam, 21st-23rd July) - www.wu23.org/ (Netherlands). Note that if you want to buy a metre, you need to go in via the Dutch side of the website, not the English-language section.
• Cash prizes have been given to Indian rowers Gurnoor Kaur, Satish Joshi, Ashish Yadav, Jusstin Thomas and Raj Kumar to recognise and reward their achievements last year.
• The Vancouver story in the press this week throws up a good link - the John MS Lecky UBC Boathouse campaign, called "Gold for Life" (Canada). Impressively fast development of a plan.
• Slightly offbeat - apparently the Venice police (Italy) have set up speed traps to stop the gondoliers 'rowing' too fast (they use a single oar vertically, but it is a similar action).

  Thursday 3rd March 2005

• Nominees for this year's Thomas Keller Medal for an outstanding career in rowing have been announced (FISA), and as usual in post-Olympic years there is a lot of competition. The seven nominees in alphabetical order are Agostino Abbagnale (ITA), Victor Feddersen (DEN), Matthew Pinsent (GBR), Andrea Re (ITA), Jean-Christophe Rolland (FRA), James Tomkins (AUS) and André Willms (GER). The Joint Commissions Meeting in Paris this weekend will decide which finalists go forward to the TKM Committee for the actual decision. Candidates are assessed on international success, overcoming difficulties, technical mastery of the sport (different boat types), sportsmanship and their inspirational status in the rowing and non-rowing world. The winner will be awarded the medal at the Lucerne World Cup on July 10th, but the decision is usually announced earlier.
• From the BBC, Coroner has death verdict quashed. Similar pieces in the Manchester Evening News, The Scotsman and http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/news/story/0,12891,1428735,00.html">the Guardian (all UK). The Leo Blockley Memorial Campaign has other information on the issues.
• Results from the BUSA Head (UK) are out.
• News from Canada - Rowing Canada Aviron has appointed Adam Parfitt of Victoria, B.C. to the post of National Team Coordinator, to replace the departing Shannon Talentino. More on link.
• In the UK people helping women and girls become more active could be eligible for the Women's Sports Foundation SPA Good Practice Awards. Applications via the website - awards of £1000, £2000 or £3000 are made to deserving recipients to help such work continue.
• The Tideway Slug has a full account of the prizewinners from the Tideway Scullers Raffle (see "Raffle Results" a few stories down).
• A link for Wasser Sportunion Wachau (Austria), a rowing association on the banks of the Danube (near Spitz, I think).
• A link to www.cheaplifejackets.co.uk - their site certainly seems to have the right safety information on and a useful video and description about testing inflatable lifejackets (UK).

  Wednesday 2nd March 2005

• Cambridge's Lent Bumps are underway (UK) - information from the official site and live WAP/SMS results from this unofficial page.
• RowSMS will be up to their usual tricks doing text provisional results for the Women's Eights Head on Saturday (UK).
• Start order for the Weybridge Veteran and Junior Head (UK, next Sunday) is online.

  Tuesday 1st March 2005

• David Harris, of George Harris Racing Boats (UK), died on Saturday 26th February, following a stroke a month ago. The funeral will be held at Oxford Crematorium on Wednesday 9th March at 1:30pm. The family have decided there should be no flowers, but donations if desired to Amnesty International. For further details contact Ian Harris.
• Provisional start order, instructions and safety plan for the Yorkshire Head (UK) are up now.
• 20 years after Graeme Hall died his son, Mark, is holding a reunion for all those who rowed with/against/for him. It will be during Tea on Saturday 2nd July at Henley Royal Regatta in the Stewards' Enclosure (luncheon tent), funded by Allen and Overy. If anyone would like to be invited (with partner) please contact Mark Fangen-Hall (UK).
• The Australian National Championships (7th-13th March) are already gearing up with some preview information, articles and pictures on the official website. This year I gather that DHL are generously sponsoring the top titles with enough money to put the coverage of the biggest events on Australian TV for the first time in a while.
• A reminder of the link for Gent International Regatta (7th-8th May, Belgium), including the 27th senior Belgium championships and 2nd Flemish junior championships as part of this open international event.
• A useful website for NSW and major Australian regattas - the New South Wales Rowing Association (AUS) with a calendar and results updated regularly.