Archive News from October 2006

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

Tuesday 31st October 2006
• Results from division 1 and division 2 of the Upper Thames Fours & Small Boats Head (UK) in PDF format.
• Results of the BUSA Small Boats Head (UK) are online in Excel format.
• RGW Imaging does photos of the UK south-east events.
• Apparently the SITA landfill scheme (UK, mentioned yesterday) applies to all landfill operators, not just SITA. They are paying what would be tax towards 'environmental projects' instead of to the Government. Rowing clubs within 10 miles of a landfill operator should be able to get quite substantial grants towards site improvements.
• From last week, Campbell happy to play coach's new game (Mike Rosewell, The Times).

  Monday 30th October 2006

• Some UK rowing clubs may be able to benefit from Sita trust funding, where non-profit/community projects within 10 miles of a SITA landfill site can get special grants.
• There are also 210 grants for women to get sports coaching qualifications if they live and work in London (UK) - details on the TRRC website.
• The Thames Council (UK) is having its next meeting on Sunday 19th November at 4:30pm in the Long Room at London RC. Full details of the notice, agenda, past minutes, nomination forms etc on the TRRC council meetings page, mostly as downloads.
• results from the Tees Small Boats Head (UK, Excel format).
• And the results of the Tees Scullers Head (UK) as a printable HTML page.
• Results for the Marlow Long Distance Sculls (UK).
• Details of the House of International Sport (Lausanne, Switzerland), to which FISA has just moved. Intriguing to see the site describing Lausanne as "Olympic Capital" - of course the IOC HQ is there, but I thought the word 'Oly*pic' was rather strictly controlled...? Further update on this - Lausanne was christened 'Olympic Capital' by Samaranch himself, as a tribute to the town where so many sports federations are located.
• Another update - the FISA World Championships 2006 DVD is manufactured as region zero, so should play on all machines.

  Friday 27th October 2006

• Stream affects Head (UK): The morning division of the Marlow LDS has been cancelled due to conditions being too difficult for Novice and Maiden competitors, but the afternoon division is going ahead. Check this link for full details.

  Thursday 26th October 2006

• Sad news in a statement from CUBC (UK): "It is with very great sadness that we have to report the death of Tom Yuncken (CUBC Blue 1974) on Thursday 19th October. He fell off his bike near Geelong during a 'Round the Bay in a Day' race on Sunday 15th October, crushing several vertebrae in his back which triggered a heart attack. Despite swift attention at the scene, he never recovered consciousness and died with his family by his side on Thursday last week. Tom (Melbourne University and Pembroke College) rowed in the Cambridge Blue Boat of 1974. Pembroke supplied four oarsmen (Bradley, Clay, Jacobs, Yuncken) to the Blue Boat that year and these four won the Visitors' Challenge Cup at Henley Royal that year. Tom made the trip to the UK for the Boat Race's 175th anniversary dinner in June 2004, to join the whole of his crew. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family."
• Today at 2:30pm from Putney to Mortlake (Tideway, London, UK), the 166th Wingfield Sculls race, featuring Stephen Rowbotham, Alan Campbell, Alex Gregory, Ian Lawson and Mark Hunter (drawn in order from Surrey to Middlesex). Titleholder Matt Wells is ill so can't compete this year.
• Evesham's main/autumn head (25th November, UK) is returning to its original name 'Head of the Avon' and offering a £200 prize to the club of the fastest crew of the day if they beat the overall course record (14 minutes 48 seconds) set by Redgrave and Pinsent in a pair in 1994. Yes, that's a pairs record still so far unbeaten by any kind of crew. See the poster (PDF) for more details.
• Apparently the FISA 2006 World Championships DVD (see yesterday's note) 'will play on all NTSC and the majority of PAL DVD players and all computer DVD players', to quote the label. So not region-specific, then.

  Wednesday 25th October 2006

• Marlow LDS notice, UK: "The Marlow LDS organising committee is monitoring the stream conditions with the Environment Agency and will decide on Thursday evening whether the 2006 Marlow LDS & Novice Heads can take place safely (on Saturday). Interested parties should check the website on Friday morning for the latest news."
• Out today (UK), Little Lady, One Man, Big Ocean, about Tori Holmes and Paul Gleeson rowing the Atlantic. Written by the duo together with Irish rowing correspondent Liam Gorman, and no doubt available from many other suppliers. ISBN is 1905172346, cost in Ireland 23.99 euros, cost in the UK 18.99 pounds.
• A Rowing Service reader is trying to establish the provenance of two medals and the dates they were won. Number one: an undated Durham Regatta gold medal. Number two, a TARC silver medal from 1926. She believes they may belong to her grandfather but doesn't know which club(s) he rowed for. Contact Jessica Trotman directly if you have any ideas.
• FISA's reports on the Head of the Charles - Chinese reality at the Charles and Balmary and Fernandez top singles at the Charles.
• The 3rd Centenarian Rowing Club regatta will take place on 9th December on Lake Maggiore (Italy), hosted by Societa Canottieri Pallanza. From the looks of it the event is for sea-rowing boats, including jole/yole boats, which will be provided for all crews other than those who wish to bring their own (fill in separate boat application form). Full details in Italian and English on the SCP website along with a press release (PDF).
• FISA has moved headquarters as of a couple of weeks ago: their new address is FISA, Maison du Sport International, Av. de Rhodanie 54, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland. Tel and fax (not sure if they have changed) are currently +41-21-617-8373 (T) and +41-21-617-8375 (F).
• FISA are running a development training camp for women to which female athletes and female coaches are invited to extend their experience and receive mentoring. General information and an invitation to female coaches (both PDF) are available - I've put them up here since I can't yet see them on the FISA site. Copies have been sent to national federations through the usual routes as well.
• Entries for the Cardiff Small Boats Head (Wales/UK, 5th November) need to be in by Sunday 29th October. Entries directly or via OARA, and the poster can be reached via the Cardiff City RC website.

  Tuesday 24th October 2006

• The start order, course maps, letter to clubs and competitor notes for the Marlow Long Distance Sculls are now online (UK). The head includes the Novices Head as the whole of the first division at 11am, and the general information page is on the Marlow Town website.
• As pointed out by an observant RS reader, the Morgan Stanley Great Britons 2006 contest also includes Sir Steve Redgrave in the Public Life category. A very suitable nomination in the year he finished raising his target of £5million (a million for each of his Olympic golds) for charity.
• The FISA World Championships 2006 DVD can be ordered online from the New Wave website. In English only, not sure if they do different region editions.
• Details of the Glasgow RC Fours Head (UK, 25th November) are online.
• A press release on Marlow Regatta's change to a two-day event in 2007 (UK).

  Monday 23rd October 2006

• Head of the Charles results (USA). Comprehensive coverage of the action from Row2k, including photos, press links, reports and the full Chinese eight sinking story.
• Results from the first set of GB trials (UK). Those who represented GB at the top level this year are excused this open trial - but will turn up again at next month's erg champs and on the water in December. Water trials winners were I Lawson (M1x), L Reeve (W1x), S Jones (LM1x) and J Goldsack (LW1x), though the newly-naturalised Mathilde Pauls was only just behind injury-recovered Jen Goldsack. My money's on the GBR lightweight women's crews undergoing their heftiest shake-up for a long time, in the next nine months.
• Results of the Tyne Scullers Head (UK).
• The page on the Tees Small Boats Head and LDS (UK) has been updated with start order, race/safety/steering instructions, parking details and a course map, in various formats. Competitors are advised to read the rules carefully re: the A66 and Victoria bridges, as some arches are closed just for this year due to maintenance work.
• Durham Uni are holding their annual charidee duck race on Sunday 19th November between 11am and 2pm, between Elvet and Kingsgate Bridges. Rowers requested to keep clear.

  Friday 20th October 2006

• Although not mentioned on their website, Henley Royal Regatta's Richard Goddard retires from the job of HRR Secretary today (UK). The new Secretary will be Daniel Grist, who has been involved with Regatta HQ and assisting Goddard for many years.
• From the BBC local London news website (UK) - a video clip entitled "Signs for the river Thames".
• Courtesy of an RSR poster, hook your erg up to Google Earth and row the Head of the Charles (USA). Brilliant.
• The Fours Head (UK) is now full, and athlete substitutions may be made on a downloadable Word file.

  Thursday 19th October 2006

• Voting begins today in the Sport category of Morgan Stanley Great Britons 2006 (UK), and it just so happens that GB oarsman Pete Reed has been nominated. To be fair to the other great British rowers, anyone can nominate or be nominated, and it's all done online (methinks a bit of MS advertising?) Anyway, all those who get enough votes to make the final shortlist receive an invitation to the ceremony in January, so there is an opportunity to try and get a rower to it.
• While we're on the awards subject, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show website is now up and running, including a blog section, and voting for regional 'unsung heroes'. The show itself is on 10th December. Unfortunately this year's film editor seems to want to show specific sporting stories in the review clips, not just something from each sport, so rowing seems likely to miss out or be represented only by the GBR W4x losing their title.
• Boating times have been added to the Tyne LDS start order (UK, Excel format). They are the latest times at which crews should be boated - add more leeway if you're slow.
• A website for the Aviron Union Nautique de Lille (France).

  Wednesday 18th October 2006

• Full details, start lists etc. for the Head of the Charles (USA) which takes place this weekend, on the official site. Ever at the frontline of rowing technology, HOCR are providing mobile phone results, and doing a live webcast during the racing. In conjunction with the online photosite Tabblo they are also running a 2006 photo competition. On more serious matters competitors should read their special section including rules and responsibilities of racing, starting procedures and details of the coxswain clinics and course tour on Friday/Saturday.
• Co-organiser of the HOCR coxswain clinics (above) is USA world champion Yaz Farooq, who is one of the founders of Coxwaination (USA), a website/organisation to support coxing, with US-based coxing tips downloadable from the Coxswains Unite page. May require some translation into other languages (especially English....!) In particular there is a difference of opinion about whether to steer on the recovery or during the drive, between coxes around the world, and obviously the calls for particular exercises/drills do vary widely, as does coaching terminology.
• From FISA, Dutch rowing loses a much-loved coxswain (after Monday's news). The Nereus website (NED) has a Rouwcirculaire in Cheung's honour, detailing memorial arrangements today and tomorrow; a full obituary by Martijn Arlman and Rudolf Poolman; and a link to an online condolence book for those who want to contribute.
• Also on the World Rowing site, Rowing on the Zambezi, Top Greek lightweights unite and First time win for United States at Canal Cup.
• Three new clubs have been affiliated to the ARA (UK): Camrowers (in East Anglia), St Radegund BC (in East Anglia), and Cotswold Rowing Club (in the WAGS division).
• ARA members who can log in online can offer nominations for the ARA Coach of the Year (UK). While you're at it, there is a helpful FAQ for recent ARA membership questions just been published.

  Tuesday 17th October 2006

• The Pairs Head provisional results are available in web form or as an Excel file (UK).
• The start order for the Weybridge Silver Sculls (UK) is online.
• A reminder that the closing date for the British Indoor Rowing Champs (UK) is near. Postal entries deadline is Friday 20th October, online entries deadline 5pm on Monday 23rd October.
• Entries for the Tees Small Boats Head (UK) close at 2pm on Sunday 22nd October. And also north-UK, the Northern Long Distance Sculling Series close on Thursday 19th October.
• A website for Green Mountain Rowing in Vermont (USA), with a hilarious story about rowing through cows, at the bottom of the main page.
• An ambitious project - Row Extreme, a plan to row the three main oceans of the world. Places still available to be part of the support team.
• Entry details for the Kingston Small Boats Head (UK) are now online.
• Kingston (UK) are also holding a veterans dinner to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their record-breaking Oxford to Westminster row. Details online, current members and anyone associated with that era welcome to attend.
• Martin Cross in the Guardian yesterday (UK) - Olympic rowers told train with team or lose funding. And that's just the tip of the story, too.
• From today's Times (UK) - Parents given red card over snapshots - could this spell the end to riverbank snaps?

  Monday 16th October 2006

• Sad news from the Netherlands - 34-year-old Chun Wei Chung of the NED national team died last night after a short struggle with an aggressive form of cancer. His achievements included coxing the NED M2+ to bronze in 1996, the NED M8+ to Olympic silver in Athens, his club to the Varsity trophy twice in Holland, and Hollandia (the national eight) to victory in the Grand Challenge Cup in 2004 and in July 2006. He was also competing at this year's worlds in Eton only two months ago. See here for NLRoei's obituary in Dutch, and guestbook comments - use Babelfish if you need a rough translation. And see FISA's biography for official world-level details.
• Tyne Scullers Head start order (UK, Excel format) is online.
• The Dee Autumn Head draw (UK) is also up. I hope they're planning to move the 2005 results to their own page and not overwrite them with the 2006 results next weekend.
• Last few days of the Sportsbite auction for a Redgrave-Coe-Moynihan signed 1984 Olympic shirt - it closes at noon BST (GMT+!) on Wednesday (UK).
• The results for Wansbeck Scullers Head (UK) are out.
• Agecroft RC (UK) are showing off - I'm told results for their Small Boats Head at the weekend (Excel format) "were posted on the web at same time as released in the boathouse - about 25 mins after last crew off the water." Neat work.
• And results of the Reading Small Boats Head (UK), also yesterday, and also online before their bar closed for the night.
• Results for the Bedford Autumn Small Boats Head (UK) online in a rather handy HTML format where you can also click on a category or club name in the main time-order list and see just that category or club's results. Note that any name without a +xx:yy time added next to their finish time is a category winner (name also shown in bold).
• Full Rowers' Revenge Triathlon (UK) results are available from Mikrotime, with a few photos on the RRT website itself. Winners were Ben Lang (men) and Michelle Parsons (women) - earlier apparently better results are time-only or teams. Michelle was 20th overall - superb.
• OARA is now open for entries for the Marlow Long Distance Sculls and Marlow Fours and Pairs Head (UK).
• The Joy of Sculling (USA) is holding two coaching conferences, in December and February. Reduced fees for early registration.
• Details of Wycliffe Small Boats Head (UK) are online. Closing date is 23rd November at 1pm, entries only through OARA.

  Friday 13th October 2006

• The Reading Small Boats Head draw (UK) is online.
• From Rowing Canada Aviron, a report on the National Championships (PDF format).
• Details of the Row Against Cancer which will take place at the Head of the Charles - Jane Rumball (Canada) rowing the W1x to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. Donation details included in the link.
• A Concept 2 (UK) press release - Major new initiatives for British university rowing. Also, Concept2 creates the world's largest indoor rowing event and a summary of Round 1 of the Schools Indoor Rowing League.

  Thursday 12th October 2006

• Results for the St. Neots Small Boats Head (UK, PDF format).
• Advance details for Rutherford Head (UK, 2nd December).

  Wednesday 11th October 2006

• The start order for Agecroft Small Boats Head (UK) is online.
• Dee Autumn Head (UK) runs on 21st October this year.
• FISA urge coaches to register for the World Rowing Coaches Conference - the deadline for registration is 15th October.

  Tuesday 10th October 2006

• Poster and entry details for the Cambridge Autumn Head (21st October, UK, PDF format). 2600m upstream for 4+/-, 4x and 8+.
• Details for Tees Small Boats Head (UK, October 28th) are open. Entry via OARA/email/post, closing 22nd October, money must be received by 26th October or be subject to a £1 surcharge per seat.
• The Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships (UK) will be on 2nd December this year. Entry forms and posters are downloadable from the WARA site or Concept 2 UK and this year include a trunk&arms adaptive category.
• A website for the Rowing Repair Center (USA), which services 'all manufacturers of rowing shells with several locations in the US'. HQ is near the Oak Ridge Rowing Association.
• NewGrip.com (USA) makes rowing gloves with inbuilt wristbands. An intriguing idea.
• A poster for the Docklands Head (UK, 11th November) is up on Poplar RC's website (Word format). I note the timing of the divisions would allow a 2 minutes Armistice Day silence if competitors wish....

• Monday 9th October 2006

• Results of the Canal Cup (Germany) this year - 1st Olympic champions USA, 2nd world champions Germany, 3rd Great Britain, 4th the Netherlands and 5th last year's winners Cambridge. More details and news on the link above.
• Results of the Wallingford Long Distance Sculls (UK) are online.
• Results of the Berwick Long Distance Sculls (UK) are out.
• Cardiff City RC (Wales, UK) has its website up and running, and have changed their email address to cardiffrowing@hotmail.co.uk. They're running a small boats head on 5th November over 4km, 2 divisions for all types of 4/2/1. Poster is online.
• A new site, SportsMatesReunited.com (UK-based) to put former clubmates back in touch with one another.
• It is the 50th anniversary of the Weybridge Silver Sculls (UK) this year, being held on 21st October. Entries open until Saturday 14th October, see the link for details.
• To replace www.veteran-rowing.org (UK) which appears to have gone defunct, there is a new site, www.rowvetnov.org.uk, just started.

  Friday 6th October 2006

• Good name for a site - Rowers Gone Bad (Canada), which sells clothing but appears to offer something of an experience with the products. Some amusing stuff. But in common with most new rowing enterprises, their 'about us' and 'contact' sections don't admit who the founders are. (Why do so many companies do this? What do they have to hide? It doesn't make you look any more business-like to be anonymous? Pointless).
• Huntingdon Boat Club (UK) will be holding their annual Head on Saturday 28th October over 4500m. Divisions at 10am, 12:15 and 14:30. Entries close Sunday 22nd October, more information on the club website.
• John M.S. Lecky Boathouse officially opens (UBC website, Canada).

  Thursday 5th October 2006

• The NUI Galway Head of the River (Ireland, 28th October) has a prospectus and entry forms on the NUIGRC website. Foreign crews welcome to the 4.5km race on the River Corrib.
• The Metropolitan Regatta (UK) 2007 dates are not after all going to be 9th & 10th June, due to clashes. When the decision is eventually finalised the website will be updated.
• Worcester (UK) have a community sports coach post vacant.
• From FISA, Italian military force coaching change.
• The UK's Western Region Coaching Commission has published its latest news update including training camp information.
• On Row2k (USA), a letter from Burk Ketcham about petitioning FISA for a new J 80+ category in Masters' rowing. Petitions in English, French, Spanish and German can be downloaded and returned for forwarding to FISA in bulk.
• Press links - Regatta for dummies (Rockford Register Star, USA, part of an in-depth how-to feature), Go with the row (Rockford Register Star, USA), Westlake escapes serious injury while filming reality television programme (Radio New Zealand, NZ, about former Atlantic Rowing Challenge winner), Masters bid strengthens (Victor Harbor Times, Australia, a good excuse to get your rowing club in the local newspaper), Feast for Parkland rowers at Crabfest (Peninsula News Review, Canada), Venturing in unknown waters (Ballarat Courier, Australia), Pink Ba Bas attend sporting heroes event (Sportnetwork, UK), Rowing program open to disabled (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, USA), Rowing the distance: lack of vision can't keep Shaler teen from competitive sports (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, USA), Rowing to success (Maitland Mercury, Australia), Mustangs rowers have successful outing at Head of the Oklahoma (CSTV, USA), Gold rush (Star News, Australia), MTU rowing club takes first at Wisconsin Regatta (Daily Mining Gazette, USA), Extra scullwork pays off for Meyer (Seattle Post Intelligencer, USA), Olympic star's farewell (Ballarat Courier, Australia), Taylors' girls are just oar-some! (Liverpool Echo, UK), Rowing Gryphs in tough at Head of Trent (Guelph Mercury, Canada).

  Wednesday 4th October 2006

• Leicester's rowers (UK) are having trouble with a weed called floating pennywort - a cautionary story in the Leicester Mercury gives more details. Other UK clubs perhaps look out for it and eradicate early signs, and/or dissuade local garden centres from stocking it. The Environment Agency has a document about the weed (Word format) and an ecological services company in Chester has a picture and downloadable guidelines.

  Tuesday 3rd October 2006

• FISA announce that WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) have published their updated list of banned substances and methods, to come into effect on 1st January 2007. For full details see this link on the WADA site.
• Viewers of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (UK) may be tickled to hear that the Geordie boys are doing a head to head rowing challenge live on ITV on the Tideway this coming weekend. No more precise details yet.
• News from the ARA Annual General Meeting (UK) - apparently it is true that the vote went through nem con to abolish day tickets from 1st April 2007. However, it was also decided that everyone including J11, J12, J13 would need to be registered. To make it easier on the youngsters, who have been free until now, anyone under 13 now (ie during the changeover) gets their first year free and then pays the J13- rate.
• Entries still being accepted for the SilverSkiff competition in Turin (Italy). Includes the KinderSkiff event, which has its first foreign competitors - one German and one British - this year. Olaf Tufte (NOR) and Lassi Karonen (SWE) are apparently already signed up, and the organisers are hoping Ekaterina Karsten (BLR) will try and win her third victory.
• Territorial commandos set Atlantic rowing record (Harrow Times, UK), though the article is slightly mistaken about the record. The full citation is that Team Hesco are the oldest ocean four to row an ocean, and rowed the longest _distance_ across the Atlantic west to east (2882 nm) as the crow flies. See the Ocean Rowing Society for authoritative details.
• The Northern Rowing Council (UK) AGM will be held on Tuesday 7th November at 19:30 in Chester le Street RC. Nominations sought for the committee posts and for regional awards.
• I've been told about two medical websites which may be of interest in the UK: SportsPhysio (specifically in Cumbria), and SportsMedic (relevant medical supplies). No idea of their validity.
• Several ARA vacancies (UK), some already previously advertised.
• Rowing headlines - Williams welcomes chance to get early taste of China (Martin Cross, Guardian), Winckless applauds dry venue (Rachel Quarrell, Telegraph. Hands up to promoting Sarah to Oly silver medallist as being my fault - I got my mental W4x membership list muddled - and they've sliced out some rather good quotes from Stevie W too, but never mind). Widows' pique in a world of adventure (Telegraph, UK), Afternoon rowing no problem, says coach (syndicated, Australia), Budding rowers can make waves (Crewe Guardian, UK), Boathouse construction faces obstacles (University Daily Kansan, USA), Rowing in a new tradition (Edmond Sun, USA), Rowing future under threat (Ballarat Courier, Australia), Boat-dock plan drawing opposition (Louisville Courier-Journal, USA), Head of the Riverfront cancelled due to weather (UConn Huskies, USA), Talk of the North (Townsville Bulletin, Australia), Davis sets record (Hereford Times, UK), The oarsman and the Olympian (Lynn News, UK), Ernestine Bayer, 97: Women's rowing pioneer (Los Angeles Times, USA), Lawnmower man enters the Guinness Book of Records (Aylesbury Today, UK), From Spain to Tobago in a row boat (Trinidad News, Trinidad & Tobago), Danger: hazards lurking (Gainesville Sun, USA), Row, row, row your boat and raise £5k (Crewe Guardian, UK), Night regatta a first in US rowing history (KSWO, USA), Row, row, row the boat (Boston Globe, USA), Reaching out with rowing (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, USA), Row, row, row your boat to Beijing (Toronto Star, Canada. My, the headline-writers are inventive today. Anyway this one's different again, Barney Williams on why he and Buffy are going to keep competing until 2008). Smooth riding in choppy waters (South Bend Tribune, USA), Rowing federation hosts adaptive workshop in Mombasa (Coastweek, Kenya), School firebug strikes again (Daily Telegraph, Australia), School row boats destroyed in arson attack (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia), Missing 6-year-old found unharmed, rowing on lake (syndicated, USA), Durant twins making waves on the river (Lancaster Today, UK), Trio selected for Great Britain junior training squad (Northwich Guardian, UK), Four who rowed Atlantic recount trip (Seattle Post Intelligencer, USA), Rowing coach leads Longhorns when not saving lives (Daily Texan Online, USA), 'Next great rowing city' (News OK, USA), Rowers gain first trophies (Beccles and Bungay Journal, UK), UT-Battelle donates $60,000 to rowing center (Oak Ridger, USA), Chefs will host demos at regatta (Cambridge Chronicle, USA), Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! It's Head of the Charles (Cambridge Chronicle, USA - with the prize for the most appalling headline of the day. Somebody please explain to them!), Rowers in front row for Wits top award (Vuvuzela Online, South Africa), Girls crew mines gold (Weston Town Crier, USA), Rowers reunite at regatta (Hopewell Valley News, USA).
• I'm taking a policy decision not to include James Cracknell's articles on other sports in the Telegraph (UK) since they don't usually mention anything new to do with rowing. Those who want to read them can use this link to his columns - the latest is on the Great North Run.
• A weird one not really to do with rowing, but funny - Pumpkin regatta set for Rutland (Worcester Telegram, USA).

  Monday 2nd October 2006

• Help needed please (probably UK). "Is there anyone who could help with promoting a fundraise for the BBC's Children in Need? Support from talented people with admin and web skills. Please contact Gus MacKinnon-Little as soon as possible on info 'at' framework-hr.co.uk if you can help. The goal to achieve for BBC's CIN on Friday November 17th is the MonsterRow: aiming to attain -
  * the greatest number of people rowing (indoor or on the water) in one day for a single event
  * the greatest total amount of donations from one sporting activity for Children in Need
  * the greatest total distance covered by participants.
  Contact Gus asap if you can help. Thanks."

  I hear that the Chinese Olympic coxing competition has an aspect which may not have occurred to some. Apparently any Chinese citizen between the age of 16 and 60 is welcome to take part - including anyone living overseas. They are very aware that there may be Chinese citizens learning to cox in other countries - as students perhaps - and keen to encourage those with the existing coxing skills to apply. The reason the competition has been launched is in their own words "Though the competition is being organized in China, we hope that the international rowing community will grasp this opportunity to cooperate and promote the sport in every corner of the world." They are particularly keen to encourage greater participation in the sport. Of the thousands entering, 16 finalists will win staff positions on the Olympic team (for which read a free Games ticket in return for a bit of work...). Plus the final four will become the two 'real' and two spare coxswains - although given the Olympic numbers quota I expect the spares will have to fulfil some other role - eg press officer or volunteer - in order to be able to attend the Olympics properly. Anyway, it looks as if you can apply via Taihe Media, the management company for the programme, or email Nathaniel Jones, director of international relations for the company. He has more details if anyone is interested.

  Start order for the Berwick Long Distance Sculls (UK) is online.

  And that for the Wallingford Long Distance Sculls (UK).

  The Northern Rowing Council in England (UK) decided at its last Executive meeting that buoyancy as defined by FISA (paragraph IIA, page 52 of the FISA handbook PDF) would be a requirement for all boats in all events on all rivers in their region.

  Unusually, the ARA (UK) has published the introductory remarks to the AGM on Saturday. These include tribute to those in the ARA rowing community who have died in the last year. And Medals of Honour to Mike Baldwin, Penny Chuter and Bill Parker, plus Medals of Merit to Julian Bewick, John Clayton and Neil Fryer.

  The ARA (UK) has also launched their Rowing for Health publication (PDF, largish), about rowing and healthy lifestyles. Largely for the unconverted, methinks. A press release here too.