Tuesday 30th November 2004
- Furnivall Sculling Club's Pontoon (now for reasons which shall become obvious described as 'Boatclub to the rich and famous') was cock-a-hoop at being disturbed on Saturday by a certain Times celebrity columnist, who wanted to borrow their boat-racks as a back-drop. More on their homepage (UK).
- A brief report and results on the Head of the Yarra (Australia, last weekend) from Euan McMinn.
- The sterling Ken Hastie of NERN (UK) has started a Trick/tips page on the NERN website. Tips so far include how to make a cheap ratemeter and the efficient replacement of sculling grips.
- A Vet B eight from Le Perreux near Paris is planning to enter the Vesta Veterans' Head on 20th March 2005 (UK). They need a) a place to boat from on the Tideway and b) a boat to rent for the weekend, preferably from their host club. Anyone able to offer help? Email Patrick Marcoux via rapipa**AT**free**DOT**fr if you can.
- Results from the University of Bristol BC Head (UK) are online, and there are photos from digitalrowing.co.uk too.
- Details and entry form for the FISA Tour 2005 (in Holland) is on the Weyfarers website.
- A couple of links below got mangled by a typo in the coding yesterday, so it may be worth looking again to check you got all of them.
Monday 29th November 2004
- James Cracknell has announced he's taking a year off rowing. Full story here.
- On Saturday at the ARA Council meeting (England), the recommendation to delete J14 events from the National Championships was withdrawn. Concern was raised that the recommendation had been made by the Nat Champs committee without reference to the Junior Commission. The JC will now discuss it on 8th January and then make a recommendation to the Nat Champs and National Competition Committee. Views and alternative suggestions are now sought by the divisional reps. The basis on which the original recommendation was suggested was that the J14 races at Nat Champs are frequently uncompetitive and therefore not fun for the competitors.
- Provisional results from the Hampton Head (UK), which stunned organisers and observers alike by actually going ahead for the first time in ages, are now available.
- A reminder that there are plenty of notices on the UK board. Please read the antispam/scams advice before posting a notice.
- The start order for Wallingford Head (UK) is up. Some crews will be required to boat from OBUBC to assist the race to take enough entries. They will be contacted in due course.
Friday 26th November 2004
- I should have mentioned that the Boat Race (UK) has announced the radio broadcast rights for the next five years will go to LBC 97.3 FM, a local London station which also broadcasts on Sky digital radio and via the internet.
- The (USA) Rower's Almanac runs 'Profile of the Month' about the rowing in countries around the world. The current feature is on Bulgaria but there is a list of other countries already covered.
- A website for the Kenya Rowing and Canoeing Association, although possibly out of date - their news certainly is.
- Neil Wallace has a 'RowGolf Software Homepage' currently linking to his Rowing Timer freeware for headrace timing.
- Rowing Christmas/etc. presents from Whirling Girl (USA).
- From earlier this month in the USA, Martin Crotty named Junior Men's National Team Coach (from USRowing).
- Two showings of the German rowing-and-sexuality film Summer Storm at the Curzon Soho in London (UK) at 6:30pm today (Fri) and 4pm tomorrow (Sat).
Thursday 25th November 2004
- UK issue: Apparently (I haven't seen the agenda) the report from the National Championships Committee being presented at this Saturday's Council meeting will include the recommendation that J14 events be dropped from the National Championships. The Junior Rowing Commission weren't aware this was going to be voted on so soon, and were planning to discuss the idea in January. Members may wish to make their views known to their Divisional Representatives...
- A new All-party Parliamentary Rowing Group has been set up in the UK.
Wednesday 24th November 2004
- From FISA, The MAD side of rowing, Second Palestinian Ergometre Rowing Championship (sic), FISA Coaches Conference, and Australia's Four Year Focus.
- The Chinese Rowing Association is seeking a new men's coach (PDF file).
- The ARA (UK) has gone news-mad - practically daily updates all last week. Amongst them the updated Safety and Welfare posters which can be downloaded as PDFs and printed off by clubs. The ARA's touting them as 'customisable' but it doesn't escape sharp-eyed notice that this will clearly save them printing and posting costs...
- And the ARA is also running an online survey (ARA rowers only and requires cookies).
- An obituary of John W. Holland MD (founder of the Viking Rowing Club, USA).
Tuesday 23rd November 2004
- GB Junior trials results from the weekend are online (UK) - division 1 and division 2.
- Qualification rules for Henley Women's Regatta (UK) have altered in an attempt to raise the competition in the Elite events. Finishing positions in the Women's Eights Head in the competition year now count towards eligibility, so crews entering are wise to read the full rules carefully. Composite crews are allowed in Senior events, however, which helps somewhat.
- Concept II (UK) have a new winter racing idea - the Winter Team Relay League. Eight or four in a team (doesn't need to be the same people each time) race specified distances or times at set dates, and submit their results via the internet. Like the Danish winter league, which works the same way and has been going for ages.
- Start orders for the Glasgow Fours Head (Scotland) division 1 and division 2 now online (PDF files). Marshalling instructions etc. should be on the website soon.
Monday 22nd November 2004
- The Homerton College Ladies' BC (Cambridge, UK) have gone all 'Calendar Girls' to raise money for their club funds. The link is to the Jet Photographic site where the calendar or single prints can be bought.
- Results, photos and report from the British Indoor Rowing Championships (yesterday, UK), which featured Graham Benton becoming the first non-rower ever to win the men's title.
- Results from the York Small Boats Head (UK) are up.
- Results from Nephthys Head and Regatta on the Oxford University Lightweights website (UK).
- Note that the results for the Scullers Head (UK) are now finalised but include some corrections to those published on Saturday evening, which change the order particularly in the top 20. Only the Veteran D pennant was affected.
- Entries for the Wycliffe Small Boats Head have now closed (UK).
- Grosvenor Rowing Club (UK) are having a party and boat naming on 19th December. One of the boats is to be named after Andy Turner, now coaching at King's Canterbury. Former members of the club are cordially invited to attend.
- Stalwart of Trent Rowing Club Richard Gipson was named the region's Sports Administrator of the Year at Burton Town Hall recently (UK). Rowers Chris Arnold, Laura Wheeler, Robert Arnold and Ashley Prestidge, along with coach Ray Jones, all from Burton Leander RC, were awarded East Staffordshire sports scholarships at the same ceremony. Full details from the Burton Mail.
- More than 350 pictures of the Fours Head up on the Connect2Image website (UK).
- The Mortlake Anglian & Alpha website (UK) has put up the Tideway tidal predictions for 2005, in handy PDF/Excel formats (link is to the index page for downloads).
- The Northern Rowing Council (UK) has an AGM on Friday 26th Nov at 7:45pm in Tyne RC, and is considering the Draft Regional Forward Plan (link from the NERN website).
Friday 19th November 2004
- One of the recent UK notices is an advert for a new UL High Performance Women's Coach (for the U23 and senior teams). Starts in February 2005, salary and terms to be discussed, contact Rusty Williams for more information (07785-564332 and russwill ^^at^^ aol ^^dot^^ com).
- The Scottish ARA Coaching Conference will be held on 4th-5th December at the National Rowing Academy, Strathclyde Park. Speakers include Paul Thompson, Marty Aitken and John McArthur. £60/2 days or £45/day. Timetable and application form in Word format.
Thursday 18th November 2004
- Australian double lightweight world champion Sally Causby is coming over to the UK with her husband on 28th December, to live in the Reading area. She's going to work as a PE/science teacher, and would like to find a job at a rowing school where she can also coach as well as teach. Although she's registered with teaching agencies, they don't generally have connections with rowing schools. Contact Sally via salcausby !*at*! hotmail !*dot*! com.
- The first North East Indoor Rowing Championships will be held in Durham at Maiden Castle Hall on December 1st (UK). Details on the DUBC website or via Charlie Fiander.
- With Auriol Kensington's refit and rebuild almost done (UK), the function room is nearly ready to hire again - first availability December 3rd. More about the venue on the AK website.
- Aberdeen University BC (Scotland) are creating an alumni register. Visit the online form on their website if you want to submit your details.
- Entries for Wallingford Head (5th Dec, UK) close at 11am on Saturday 27th November.
- Marlow Regatta have put up details of their Thames Valley Time Trial (23rd Jan 2005, UK). There's a downloadable entry form up already, and online entries will be accepted from 2nd January (not 10th, as on the website) with the closing date 16th January at 6pm.
Wednesday 17th November 2004
- From FISA, Karsten's winter winning continues.
- Tyne RC (UK) sadly announce that Jim Nisbet, their President, died on Friday 12th November. The ex-club captain had been awarded the ARA medal of honour, and made a big contribution to rowing in the North East of England. The funeral will take place on Thursday 18th November at 11 am at Holy Cross Church, Ryton Old village, and afterwards at the nearby Ye Olde Cross pub. All welcome.
- Rutherford Head (4th Dec, UK) will include WJ8+, MJ16 4x- (1st div), WJ16 4x- and MJ8+ (second div) events if each gets three entries, since all have been requested by at least one club. Contact the organisers at Tyne RC (same link as above) for more.
- Poster for the Tideway Turd Race, drawing attention to Thames pollution next Tuesday (UK).
- A very sad story - Behind the suicide of a rowing champ (Indian Express, India). It's about Shobini Rajan from Kuttanadu, who took her own life last Sunday. Similar links include Debt-ridden star ends life, Champion rower sinks in tide of despair, Govt seeks report on death of rowing champion Sobhini and Sobhini's death to help sportstars.
- Quintin BC (UK) have a number of sculling racks available in covered lockable storage. First come, first served. Contact captain David Ford for details.
- Sluglet's been recording a few more tracks for its Top of the Pots (UK). [Pots = slang for rowing trophies in Britain.] Old riffs included the immortal "Pee In The River" (courtesy of Adam and the Ants - think about it) and Queen's "Crustacean Rhapsody" or the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lock-On Feeling". Amongst the latest hits featured are the Friends theme tune "Rowing's There For You", "Every Beer You Take" by the Police, and the topical "Oh hell! Can't the Four Hear?" (say it very fast) from the Eagles. Cleverslug.
Tuesday 16th November 2004
- An odd link - "Rowing Technique", an all-my-own-work page from Sevasti Elektra Lisle based on AOL's "All About Sport" server.
- I've mentioned Sevasti's unusual rowing t-shirt site A Stone Tower before now - the designs are still bubbling, though the 'rowing game' and 'rowing comic' appear to have ground to a bit of a halt. On her own page she also links the Kopilasia website, a Greek rowing site which I think may be linked to the club she sculls for. My Hellenic deciphering isn't strong enough to be sure, but it seems to include up to date Greek rowing news.
- A website for Delta Deas Rowing Club, in Delta, BC, Canada.
- Belatedly, Wells in charge - a report on the 2004 Wingfield Sculls (UK).
Monday 15th November 2004
- Frustratingly, the Silver Skiff website has been down for the last few days, which is why I hadn't previewed it for the event this recent weekend (Italy). Fortunately Canottaggio Vero was there and tells us Juri Jaanson and Ekaterina Karsten won the singles, which seems only right in an Olympic year. (Tufte had to pull out with the 'flu, by the way.) Full report/results in Italian on CV's website.
- Results from the Tiffin Small Boats Head (UK).
- Results of the Docklands Small Boats Head are available from Poplar's website in Excel format (UK).
- Nothing from the Norfolk Sculls yet (UK) but results will be here when ready.
- The draw for next weekend's Scullers Head (UK) has been amended a couple of times.
- Amidst all the speculation within British rowing about its various Olympians giving up (or not), some interesting comments at Jürgen Grobler's talk yesterday at the River and Rowing Museum. Grobler dismissed Andrew Longmore's comments in yesterday's Sunday Times (linked previously below) as a bit of an exaggeration. Apparently some time ago he was chatting to some high-up in the Chinese team who pointed out that he would be very welcome if he wanted to come and work for them up to the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Hardly a formal job offer, and from the sounds of it Jürgen just laughed at the time. According to His Head-Coachness Matt (Pinsent) hasn't told JG what he's planning, so he's in the same boat as the rest of us. Meanwhile Steve (Williams) was a little surprised to hear that he's definitely carrying on: his only comment yesterday was that he was taking life a week at a time and hasn't rowed since August. Give a guy a chance to have a holiday... While the Times piece will probably turn out to be right on most counts, none of the formal announcements have been made yet and until they have, anyone can change their mind, whatever they've said to friends.... (Remembering SSR in 1996, it could even be later). Quite a few of the Olympic medallists will be at the British Indoor Rowing Champs next Sunday as non-combatants, presenting prizes and signing autographts ect.
- The Thames Regional Rowing Council (UK) is inviting nominations for the regional coach of the year awards. Up-Thames clubs please note that they are included, right up to & incl. Oxford Univ. Noms close next Sunday so get cracking. Full details on the website.
Sunday 14th November 2004
- Results of the Wansbeck Scullers Head (UK) are out, and Ian Smith has pictures of it up too.
- Entries are starting to accumulate for the next Atlantic Rowing Race, which has a start date in a year's time (ie November 2005). More on the Ocean Rowing Society website. Also from ORS, news of Mike Perrens and Frank Gargan, who are being rescued after their record East-West attempt which started on Friday was scuppered by steering problems and bad conditions. Also of Alex Bellini, whose attempt to row from Genoa to Cayenne and thus become the first Italian to row an ocean has stopped 22 days in, his boat having been lost on the rocks near Ibiza after his EPIRB beacon was activated. Alex has been taken to hospital for a check-up.
- There's a piece about Dehydration and performance in Runners Web (may have to scroll down to see article).
Friday 12th November 2004
- From FISA, Florence Club Flood Appeal, Coaching Tufte the Norwegian Way, Waseda Regatta showcases Tokyo Rowing and Vonarburg Wins Armada Cup.
- 28-year-old Swiss Olympian Christian Stofer has announced his retirement from international rowing. Full article on the Swiss quad's website (in Swiss-German).
- Little plea I'm about to put on the noticeboard too: "I'm reasonably experienced male rower (lightweight, 187cm/75kg) who's moving to Swaziland in January 2005 and looking for a rowing club. Does anyone know if there are any in Swaziland? Or any near the border on the South African side...? I haven't had any luck finding details of any clubs on the web. I'm also trying to find a mens lightweight single in the region to buy, any suggestions anyone...? Many thanks, kajje [kajje **at** yahoo.com]." (Kaj is from Turku in Finland, by the way.)
- Details of the D'Inverno sul Po (aka 'Winter on the Po'), an international regatta taking place in Turin (Italy) next February. The link is to the event's rather beautiful website (both design and images) which has information in both English and Italian.
- Tomorrow, ie Saturday 13th Nov, the Metro Centre in Gateshead (UK) is hosting a "shopping for champions" talent-ID event, where youngsters will be assessed by English Institute of Sport professionals to see if they have the physiology to become the next Redgrave or Pinsent. It's being done in conjunction with Durham ARC and Tyne RC who are also recruiting during the day.
- The next two Thames Regional Rowing Council (UK) seminars - 12 noon on Sunday 14th November at Tideway Scullers, "Sharing The Water": Stuart Ward and Colin Brown. And at 7:30pm on Wednesday 17th November at Putney Town Rowing Club, "Physiology" by Craig Williams. More on the website link above.
Thursday 11th November 2004
- Photos of Bermuda's 'first' regatta since the relaunch of rowing on the island have been put into an online slideshow. (Just click on "view pictures" at the LHS - you don't need to sign in.)
- Michael Foran is setting up the Jennifer Foran Charity in memory of his wife, who died aged 27 earlier this year, to help the Thames Valley Hospice's Specialist Palliative Care Unit who looked after her (UK). They are holding a Champions Dinner hosted by Steve Rider and featuring Cath Bishop and Peter Haining as speakers (link is to a JPG poster). There will also be a charity auction on the night, with one lot half a day's coaching from some of the British medal-winning scullers from Athens. All proceeds to the Thames Valley Hospice (reg. charity no. 289148).
- Start order for the Wansbeck Scullers Head (13th Nov, UK).
- Lola-Aylings have introduced a 'Winter Special' on some of their Champion boat range. Emails to Ruth Burton at rburton@lolacars.com or phone her on 08451 304046.
Wednesday 10th November 2004
- Mark Hunter has had to withdraw from tomorrow's 2004 Wingfield Sculls (Putney to Mortlake, London, UK) as he has fallen ill after the Fours Head.
- At the request of the organisers I have the full Wingfields records list online, up to date to the end of the 2003 race (Excel format file).
- I am always willing to store Excel records of regatta/head/event results on the Rowing Service - for ease of updating .xls is preferable to .html. Too many events appear to discard their previous year's results when putting new ones online, and if they're already electronic, there's no point losing them. Email me if you want this done, to rq [at] rowingservice [dot] com.
- The Isis Boathouse at Iffley (Oxford, UK) is under new ownership, having been bought from Oxford Brookes University by Jonathan Price and Jane Manford, who will also take over the Harris Racing Boats building when Harris's cease trading at some point in the future. The plan is to restore the boathouse and convert the first floor, while racking boats and canoes in the main room underneath. For more information contact Jonathan on jp_at_arc[at]yahoo.co.uk or 07970121855.
- A website for Exeter University BC (UK) which I seem to have missed off the list until now.
Tuesday 9th November 2004
- The first Melbourne Head held on Nov 6th (Australia), 3.5km downstream on the Yarra finishing at the Melbourne University boat club. Plans for future years include extending the distance to 5km and inviting international entrants. No visible results online, but a short comment and pictures online at the Victoria Rowing site.
Monday 8th November 2004
- Results of the Fours Head (UK) are now final.
- Also online, results from the Hylton Scullers' Head (UK). Hit refresh if you can only see the start order. Pictures on Ian Smith's site.
- No sign of the Vet Fours results yet (UK) but they will be here when ready.
- JET Photographic, Photo-Row and Big Blade have Fours Head pictures up (UK). BigBlade also have Vet Fours pix.
- There is a Sculling seminar by Peter Cookson at Maidenhead RC (UK) on Monday 15th November. It is based on the material used at Peter's Putney Town RC seminar recently.
- Readers from the Thames Region (UK) are reminded of their AGM to be held at London Rowing Club at 3pm on Sunday 21st November 2004. There is an agenda on the TRRC website (Word format) as well as the TRRC Constitution (PDF format).
- Draw for the Scullers Head (20th Nov, UK) is now out.
- Information on the Hampton Small Boats Head (Nov 27th, UK) now online, including a downloadable PDF format entry form.
- Details of the 5km Glasgow RC Fours Head (27th Nov, UK) online, including downloadable/printable entry form. An online entry facility will follow shortly.
- There is now a new website address for Torquay Rowing Club (UK).
- The British Indoor Rowing Champs (UK) entries have closed on the largest number of competitors ever. Entry will as usual be free to all spectators, and although not all are competing, I'm told Redgrave, Cracknell, Coode, Partridge and others will be present. A reminder that you can still vote for who to elect to the BIRC Hall of Fame until November 17th.
Saturday 6th November 2004
- There has been considerable number-crunching over the Fours Head results, and they should be going up later tonight (Sat). However, the top two quads results are definite: 1st Leander I with 18:46.00, 2nd Tideway Scullers I with 18:46.63. Third (and unlikely to be amended) were CUBC I (the top coxless boat) with 18:57.20.
Friday 5th November 2004
- A couple of reminders to all those taking part in the Fours Head tomorrow (UK). The first is that the Chief Marshall will be insisting that any Division 1 crew not yet through Kew Rail bridge by 09:50 will NOT race in their number-position, but will be held to race at the end, after the last crew. And secondly, the marshals will be listening for bad language. If there is externally audible bad language addressed from one crew member to another, they will apply a time penalty. If the bad language is addressed to a third party outside the crew (eg a marshal, another crew or a member of the public) then the umpires reserve the right to disqualify.
- JET Photographic has Head of the Charles pictures online.
- Details of the Canadian University Rowing Championships being held this weekend in Montreal, on the Olympic Basin at Parc Jean Drapeau (Canada). 6th November is the time-trial, and 7th November is the 2000m A/B/C finals.
- Godfrey (UK) will be outside Thames RC's boathouse at the Fours Head tomorrow from 8am.
- The organisation Surfers Against Sewage (UK) are asking for rowing community support in their fight to get something done about the recent Thames pollution incident. See the website or contact their SAS Campaigns Team on 0845 4583001.
- A website for RG-Aquarius (Netherlands).
Thursday 4th November 2004
- A reminder following yesterday's TRRC seminar on Tideway navigation and steering (UK) that various documents relating to the reach and its rules can be found online. There is a consultation framework from the Salvage Association, setting out how they will be evaluating the current and possible means of running rowing-boat navigation on the Tideway. There is a letter from Tommy Thompson, discussing the context of 'working the slacks' and how it has developed. There is a statement from Stuart Ward (ARA), about the SA's risk assessment. And there is a full explanation with maps of the current system, its pinch points, its crossing points and the navigation channel. All are Word documents. Steve Kerr's Tideway Steering Notes can be found here on the ARA website (as HTML and download.)
- Repeating a previous link (UK), the Thames Regional Rowing Council letter about the Salvage Association's exercise. If anyone wants to communicate with the TRRC about this matter, suggest feedback/new ideas for Tideway navigation, or to talk to Stan Collingwood/Chris Sprague about the content of the presentation at Putney Town RC on Wednesday 3rd November, please send emails to tidewayconsult (AT) rowingservice (DOT) com - replace letters with punctuation, of course. [There is a real clickable link to that email address in the TRRC letter online as above, but the News page is a serious target for spammers so I can't do that here.]
- The 2004 Wingfields Sculls (UK) will take place at 11:02am on Thursday 11th November (time chosen for obvious reasons) from Putney to Mortlake. All the competitors are Olympians: Mark Hunter (LC, ltwt, lane 1), Ian Lawson (LC, hwt, lane 2), Matthew Wells (UL, hwt, lane 3) and Tim Male (TSS, ltwt, lane 4). Stephen Rowbotham, who was to race, has had to drop out for medical reasons.
- A brief summary of the work of CD-adapco, who have done Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) work for Filippi. The CD-adapco newsletter this article comes from has a rowing shell over their simulation picture on its front cover. (To see full-size, you will need to download the 4.1 Mb PDF file).
- The 2005 Defi Universitaire Europeén de l'Arc Atlantique (France) takes place on 2nd and 3rd April in La Rochelle.
Wednesday 3rd November 2004
- Oarsport now has the FISA Athens 2004 DVD in stock and for sale. Includes all 14 finals with slow-motion analysis and key moments from the semifinals (presumably including that controversial doubles race....) Will also be on sale at the British Indoor Rowing Championships.
- Course map, instructions and start order for the Kingston Small Boats Head (UK) are up.
- And start order for the Hylton Scullers Head (UK).
- A reminder that entries for the Docklands Head (14th November, UK) close on Saturday 6th November.
Tuesday 2nd November 2004
- The start order for the Vet Fours Head (UK) is now up.
- Furnivall SC (UK) have lost a white NK coxbox (with an FSC label on it) and two sets of metal folding steps (also labelled) during the summer. If you've got them, please bring them to the Tideway if you're racing there this weekend?!
- The camToo project will be presented to the Public Inquiry for the Cambridgeshire Guided Bus on Thursday 18th November.
Monday 1st November 2004
- Results of the Tees Scullers Head (UK) are out.
- And those of the Tees Small Boats Head (PDF format, UK).
- A website for George Sims (Racing Boats), who are agents for Croker Blades (UK).
- Matthew Pinsent was on this week's Desert Island Discs yesterday: it's not possible for copyright reasons to listen to DID on "Listen again" on the BBC website, but the programme is on again this coming Friday, 9:00-9:45am GMT. The link shows his choices.
- A link for Old Eds Boat Club, a South African old boys club which has an enviable life of its own within RSA rowing. Its most famous alumni are probably Athens bronze medallists Ramon di Clemente and Donovan Cech, although Old Eds badly needs to update its news and honours board to reflect their recent achievement.... (Don't send me the link, boys, if you can't stand the teasing!) The site also includes information on the thoroughly worthy Mike Short Memorial Fund and Trust.
- While we're on all things South African, the Masters Plate Regatta draw (6th November, RSA).
- Details of the Tideway Small Boats Head (18th December, UK).
- And of the Rutherford Head Race (4th December, UK).
- A website for Mike Cousins Photography (Canada), Mike being based in British Columbia, and covering all the Victoria regattas.
- Tyne RC's website has been updated (UK).
- Massively advanced warning that the Thames Valley Trial Head 2005 (UK) will take place at Dorney Lake on Sunday 23rd January, in three divisions starting at 9:30am. Information will be on the Marlow Regatta site in about a fortnight and entries will be accepted from 10th January onwards. Now that's forward planning!
