Wednesday 31st October 2007
- The results of Marlow Long Distance Sculls (UK) are online in PDF and Excel formats.
- So are the results for division 1 and division 2 of Dee Head (UK, PDF format both).
- And the Upper Thames Small Boats Head results (UK, PDF).
Tuesday 30th October 2007
- Hinksey Sculling School (UK) has a smart new website. Nice design - good use of pictures to enhance the front page without either shoving the content too far down, or distracting too much. There's also a page about the club's history, the first bit of which will send a shiver down the spine of any parent who volunteers to help with after-school activities!
- The provisional draw for Clyde Head (Scotland, UK) is online (PDF format).
- The poster for Evesham Head of the Avon (24th November, UK) is online in PDF format.
- Details of the Burgashell-sponsored British Coaching Conference (26th-27th January 2008, Coventry, UK).
- A reminder that the ARA (UK) is seeking the opinions of rowers and clubs about their draft Water Safety Guide. It's been split into a large number of chapters under different headings, which have been put online in stages over the last few months. All Word format. July update - Boats and Blades, Risk Assessment, Safety Plan: Clubs and Safety Plan: Competitions: September update - Cold water immersion & hypothermia, Safety aids, Suburn and heat exhaustion, and Swimming and capsize training: October update - Beginners, Coastal and open water, Incident reporting, Juniors, Waterborne diseases and weather and environment. The full Water Safety Code can still be found here, from the ARA's useful downloads page.
- A reminder that you can pick up the RSS feed to the Rowing Service Noticeboard here and readers are welcome to add the feed to their club websites.
Monday 29th October 2007
- The results for the Tees Long Distance Sculls & Small Boats Head (UK) are online.
- So are results for the Burton Leander Head (UK).
- From a week ago, the results of the Cardiff City Small Boats Head (UK).
- The details for Rutherford Head (Sat 1st Dec, UK) are online in PDF format. Entries now open on OARA, no postal entries this year. There will be a trophy for the first time, donated by Jenn Swann in memory of her ex-Tyne RC captain husband, and named the David Barron Swan Trophy, for the fastest eight of the day.
Friday 26th October 2007
- Wingfields results: Women's finish times: 1, E Laverick 21min 53sec; 2, D Flood 22-09; 3, J Eddie 22-28. Intermediate times: Milepost Laverick 4-52, Flood 4-55.5, Eddie 5-08; Hammersmith Bridge Laverick 8-39, Flood 8-45, Eddie 9-00; Chiswick Steps Laverick 13-30, Flood 13-42, Eddie 14-03; Barnes Bridge Laverick 18-11, Flood 18-26, Eddie 18-48. All new times for a new race.
Men - M Drysdale sculled over. Milepost 4-26, Hammersmith Bridge 8-12, Chiswick Steps 13-12, Barnes Bridge 17-48, Finish 21-26. No new records set.
- The details for Wyclifee Small Boats Head (Sat 1st Dec, UK) are online - entries will open on Friday 9th November and close on Friday 22nd November.
- FISA has allocated the alternate rower spots (Olympic spares) for Beijing.
- FISA has also stuck up the Paralympic boat order form (see low on the page for the regulations, specifications, order form and for athlete classification guidelines).
- There is also a small and somewhat surprisingly low-key announcement low on FISA's front page that the Shunyi Olympic & Paralympic rowing course has run dry, and water is being diverted from the local Wenyu river to refill it. Reports on Reuters.
- The official Armada Cup website (in German, French and English) has details of this mass-start 9km lake race including the start lists for the sculls (skiffs), gigs and dragonboats. The sculls race this year includes Mahe Drysdale (NZL), Andre Vonarburg (SUI), Elia Luini (ITA), Robert Sens (GER), Luka Spik (SLO), Steve Tucker (USA) and Lassi Karonen (SWE) amongst the international men, and Ekaterina Karsten (BLR), Michelle Guerette (USA) and Marit van Eupen (NED) amongst the international women. There is also a clutch of school rowers and their coaches competing from Headington, Radley and Hampton in the UK. Best view of what they are trying to conquer is the full lake view, a rather enticing picture on the Armada website. Note that the English and French translation sites may not include the latest material.
- The FISA Munich World Championships DVD will be available very soon, shipping date Friday 2nd November. Orders can be placed through New Wave UK's Merchandise/DVD section. Only in English, price £31 plus shipping. The German and international online New Wave shops also have the DVD, price ?46 (euros).
- Coming up on 10th-11th November, the SilverSkiff race, juniors on 10th and seniors on 11th. Website in English and Italian.
- The poster, details, safety information and entry form for Clyde Head (Scotland, UK, 3rd November) are all online. All pDF bar the entry form, which is MS Word format.
- Scottish Rowing also has the results of the GB/Scotland Early ID trial last weekend, in Excel format.
Thursday 25th October 2007
- A part-time development officer job (Word document) is going at the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association (Scotland, UK). Applications need to be received by Friday 2nd November 2007.
- The final draw for the Tees Small Boats Head (UK, Excel format) is online.
- From FISA, France and Slovenia rowing just for fun and First club world coastal champions. More coastal champs features on the FISA archive page.
- And the official world coastal champs website for Mandelieu 2007 suggests that pictures might be available in due course from the Coup De Pelle coastal rowing picture website (France). No sign yet though, and it's a shame that such a good event website then went silent once the regatta began, and has no results - they have been left to the FISA reports, but there seem to be no comprehensive results anywhere visible.
Wednesday 24th October 2007
- Withdrawals hit the Wingfields - alas Mahe Drysdale will now have to row over solo for the Championship of the Thames, due to Lawson and Hunter having to pull out. The women's race also has a few withdrawals, but Elise Laverick, Debbie Flood and Jess Eddie should make a good event of it.
- Rowing Canada Aviron (CAN) has just announced that the generosity of an anonymous donor living in the Niagara region has bumped the prize purse for their National Championships up to $17,500 Canadian, about a third up on last year. The championships, from 1st to 4th November, tend to feature lots of Canadian internationals. The prize money will be split between several events.
- The draw for Dee Autumn Head (UK) is now out.
- A reminder that the new Rowing Service noticeboard one-week account does not limit your advert to being on there for just a week. It grants editing/posting privileges for a week, after which you'll have to ask me if you want anything changed or removed. The ads themselves will stay up as long as you want: it's just the extra features which stop when the subscription ends. The link for the RSS feed to the noticeboard is here.
- The Sports Journalists Association has done a Happy birthday Barry Davies mention in their blog, with a link to a recent Guardian interview (last Friday). Barry commentated on the Boat Race for 12 years.
- The Ocean Rowing Society reports that Maud Fontenoy, the Frenchwoman who has rowed both the Atlantic and Pacific, is being given the Legion d'Honneur by President Nicolas Sarkozy, for her rowing and sailing exploits.
- The Mystic Seaport Museum in America has details of Kelly: A Father, A Son, An American Quest, a book by Dan Boyne about Olympic sculling legend Jack Kelly, father of Grace and her brother Jack Jnr., himself a very famous oarsman. It can be pre-ordered through Mystic Seaport.
- Tree crashes into carpark, rowers rescued from lake (Southland Times, NZ).
Tuesday 23rd October 2007
- The start order for this year's Fours Head (UK) is now online. The website has information about marshalling and safety, together with a document about substitutions and time-only crews and a list of crew boating locations. The organisers have also sensibly included an abandonment protocol this year, which all coxes and steersmen/women should read. The race is on Saturday 3rd November at 10:30am.
- The webpage for Tees Small Boats Head (UK) has downloadable copies of the provisional start order, plus race and safety instructions, and a map, all in Word/Powerpoint and also in PDF format.
- Closing date reminder - (First posted on 19th September). The closing date for applications for the job of chief coach to Oxford University Women's Boat Club (UK, from April 2008 onwards) is Friday 26th October 2007. For further particulars and to make an application please contact Dr Rachel Quarrell, Balliol College, Oxford, OX1 3JG. Email rq@rowingservice.com, tel 07710-538114, fax 0870-164-1650. Although the postal strike has now lifted, snailmail applicants are advised to send copies of all their material by email/fax as well.
Monday 22nd October 2007
- The Sporting Mind Skills (Drew Ginn & Co, Australia) are at it again - their latest offering is Sleeping Better for Sport, a downloadable relaxation track.
- Entries for the Veteran Fours Head (UK - motto oars numquam morituro, which I believe ought to translate somewhere in the region of "old oars/rowers never die" -) close at midnight on Saturday 27th October. Entries only via OARA.
- The Head of the Charles results (USA) are as usual posted in divisions/by event. The M & W championship singles were won by Malcolm Howard and Darcy Marquardt (both Canadian), while USRowing won both the men's and women's championship eights.
- Grasshopper Club Zurich (Switzerland) is looking for a new head coach. Details of the job and how to apply are available from their website in English and Swiss-Deutsch.
- The results from the first set of GB senior trials (UK) are out.
- So are the Agecroft SBH results (Excel file, UK), which the organisers smugly announce "were posted on the website 40 minutes after the last crew crossed the finishing line"... Nice work.
- Results of the Weybridge Silver Sculls (UK) are out in time order, by boat type and by event. By boat type is a particularly nice way to merge the categories, so that you can see who's going faster than their points level or age would suggest.
- The results for Berwick Scullers Head (UK) are online.
- The application form for the norther region junior sculling camp (UK, Word format) can be downloaded from this link.
- Available on eBay (USA) at the moment, an 1895 photo of racing at Henley, though somewhat misleadingly labelled "Henley on the Thames Boat Race Day" - it's not the OU/CU boat race.
- Anyone still having trouble with OARA for entering Tees Small Boats Head (UK), please contact the organisers via tees_sbh@teesrowingclub.co.uk or 0870 0606429
Friday 19th October 2007
- The start order for the Agecroft Small Boats Head (UK, this Saturday) is online (Excel format).
- The draw for the Berwick Scullers Head (UK) is online (Excel format also).
- I walked in at home last night just as 'Who Do You Think You Are?' featuring Matt Pinsent was rolling the end credits. The linked page gives quite a long summary, so it looks like a fascinating programme - he can trace his ancestry back to the English kings and William the Conq, so it's pretty likely that one of his ancestors raised one of mine to the peerage. I'm sure this will end up on cable repeat channels at some point, so those who are interested won't have missed it for good. (RQ)).
- A reminder of the River & Rowing Museum's History Forum on Saturday (20th Oct, UK). As part of the forum the RRM is launching its archive kit for clubs, a helpful pack aimed at aiding them to create and maintain their own history. The pack is part of the ARA/RRM partnership work.
- Tasty line-up for next week's Wingfield Sculls (including the Championship of the Thames) - Mahe Drysdale goes in the men's race against Ian Lawson and Mark Hunter, though sadly Alan Campbell has had to withdraw due to illness. The women's championship has been revived, with a stellar field - Tash Howard and Jess Eddie from the bronze-medal GBR W8+; Anna Bebington and Elise Laverick from the bronze-medal GBR W2x; and Annie Vernon and Debbie Flood from the world champion GBR W4x. Races 12noon and 11am respectively next Thursday, Putney to Mortlake (UK).
Thursday 18th October 2007
- A reminder that entries for the Marlow Long Distance Sculls (UK) close at 12 noon on Saturday 20th October.
- The competitors' instructions for Berwick Scullers Head (UK) are online (Word format).
- From FISA, Rowers check out Beijing, and USA Rowing World Challenge expands rowing in Oklahoma.
Wednesday 17th October 2007
- The UK East region will be holding a meeting to discuss the proposed changes to the status rules for rowers, at 8pm on Thursday 18th October at St Neot's Rowing Club.
- The results for Reading Small Boats Head last weekend are on the Mikrotime website. Also available by category and as a printable PDF.
- Siemens, who sponsor GB Rowing, have started a campaign called Stroke for Stroke week, encouraging people with access to an erg to sign up to row 10km during the week of 3rd-9th December, and to be sponsored to raise funds and awareness for The Stroke Association. James Cracknell launched the campaign on 16th October, and there is a webcast of this (requires Windows Media Player).
- (First posted on 19th September). Oxford University Women's Boat Club (UK) is looking to appoint a new chief coach from April 2008. For further particulars and to make an application please contact Dr Rachel Quarrell, Balliol College, Oxford, OX1 3JG. Email rq@rowingservice.com, tel 07710-538114, fax 0870-164-1650. Closing date Friday 26th October 2007. In view of the current postal strike applicants are advised to send material by email/fax to start with.
Tuesday 16th October 2007
- Sad news (UK): Durham Amateur RC's captain posted the following message on their club website today: "It is with deep sadness that I have to inform you all that Doug Turner died today following a courageous battle with cancer. Doug was a long-standing member of this club and many of us have had the pleasure of rowing with him. Doug's warm heart and jovial manner endeared him to all who knew him. He will be sadly missed. Our sincere sympathies go to Heather, Andrea and Alistair and the rest of Doug's family at this difficult time.". Doug Turner's family have invited friends to gather at 2pm on Monday 22nd October for his funeral service at Chester le Street Methodist Church (in the market place), with a private cremation following. Afterwards there will be refreshments at Chester le Street Cricket Club, on Ropery Lane. Family flowers only, donations to Cancer Research please. The family suggest that rowing friends might like to wear club ties rather than the more usual black, if they are attending the service on Monday.
- The poster, entry form, details and safety information for Clyde Head (Scotland, UK) are on the SARA website (all PDF except the entry form, which is in MS Word). They are also offering a special prize to the male and female crews with the highest percentage of world best time, in each boat class. [W4+ sounds like the one to be in, then....]
Monday 15th October 2007
- The USA World Rowing Challenge in Oklahoma City (USA) at the weekend saw Peter Hardcastle (AUS) beat Mahe Drysdale (NZL) in the 500m men's night sprint race, by 0.098 seconds. Jamie Schroeder (USA) was third. Sally Kehoe (Australia) beat Anna Marie Dezwager (Canada) in the women's sprint, with Emma Twigg (NZL) third. The 2000m eights races were won by Canada (men) and the USA (women). Full results from Powerhouse Timing (USA).
- Canada's Barney Williams has announced his retirement from competitive rowing (press release). His wife Buffy will continue in the Canadian national team to the Beijing Olympics.
- Weybridge (UK) has a temporary problem with their web hosting service, so the start order for the Weybridge Silver Sculls is at an alternative URL (click to reach).
- Notice of a radio programme of interest to Thames users (UK) on Wednesday 24th October from 11am-11:30am (Radio 4).
- The results of the Wansbeck Long Distance Sculls (UK) are online.
- The Vesta Scullers Head (Dec 1st, UK, 10:00am from Mortlake to Putney) is open for entries. For the first time the event is offering £250 to each of the fastest man and woman, with everyone eligible. OARA is functioning but paper entries are also accepted. The organisers point out that due to the uncertain postal situation, if they are posting paper entries or cheques, they should email Vesta at scullers.head@vrc.org.uk to say they have done so, to make sure their entry goes in the draw even if "the Royal Mail and Communication Workers' Union conspire to hold them back". As well as the categories on the poster, Veteran F and above will be offered if there are three or more entries. Full details on the link.
- The poster for the Docklands Head (Nov 11th, UK) is online in Word format.
Friday 12th October 2007
- Desperately seeking capsize drill instructor (UK). Chris George of the TRRC has become stuck in Wales doing a house refurbishment, and can't get south to London in time to do a capsize drill he promised to some Level 2 students at Vesta and Thames. The drill is booked for 6-8pm on Saturday 13th October (tomorrow). Can anyone suitably qualified help by taking the drill for him? He promises to be generous (a crate of beer or wine was mentioned). Here is his notice: "Locum Tutor needed in Putney Leisure Centre Pool to run Level 2 UK coaching Capsize drill this Sat at 1800 to 1945 (just in time to get to the Rugby!) for about 5 or 6 persons. Anyone agreeing to do this will save Chris George a 12 hour return journey from Anglesey - not to mention the cost of diesel - to do a 1.5 to 2 hour session and he will express his thanks in a suitable alcoholic or other form should some kind soul take pity. Tel 01407 860398 Land line or 07804 801149 or email chris (a t) rowing dot atics dot co dot uk."
Thursday 11th October 2007
- Atlantic adventures part 236 - a group of oarswomen are taking Faceboat (UK), their ocean rowing shell, across the Atlantic in aid of charity (during the Woodvale 2007 race). They are offering to put your photo on their boat for a minimum donation of a tenner, so that "25004 people will row the Atlantic" and raise a quarter of a million pounds for charities including Cancer Research UK. Click on "get started" on their site to see a map of their boat, with further clicks on individual blocks showing you who has already signed up. An interesting twist on the theme.
Wednesday 10th October 2007
- The latest athlete in focus from FISA is Kyle Hamilton (CAN M8+).
- The start order for the Wansbeck Long Distance Sculls (UK) is up (Excel file).
Tuesday 9th October 2007
- Results for the Rower's Revenge Triathlon (UK) are up on the Mikrotime website. Also available in PDF format.
- The Fours Head (UK) is looking for new timekeepers: they have a few retiring. Experienced timekeepers are welcome, but anyone with good vision and able to hold a stopwatch is welcome. Contact timekeeper@hor4s.org.uk.
- A reminder of the Head of the Charles website (USA), with the big weekend coming up on 20th-21st October. Results are usually extremely quick, often realtime, including splits. Masses of ancillary events, and help for those competing - if you're going, the whole website is worth an investigation. Note particularly that the Saturday afternoon practice window has been eliminated for safety reasons, and the Saturday morning session is restricted to singles, doubles and quads. In the championship men's singles, world no. 1 Mahe Drysdale begins his round of the big autumn sculling events. The women's champ singles link is slightly wrong - the file is here (webmaster take an 's' off the link if you're looking at this).
- From FISA, African rowing holds first coaches conference.
- From the Thames Regional Rowing Council (UK) via the Tideway Slug, information about funding for women coaches.
- Website addresses part 1 - Ljubljanica RC (Slovenia) has shifted to www.vesl-klub-ljubljanica.si, including information about their sprint regatta last weekend. Website in Serbo-Croat, and including what I'm pretty sure is an Iztok Cop blog or tracker. There's also this extremely choice range of rowing wear (webmaster speaks English so I bet if you want to order some, he will oblige. Those who like the idea but want to filch it, please be nice and ask permission first, especially if you want to change the club).
- Website addresses part 2 - the University of Western Australia (AUS) is at www.uwarowing.org.au, with the nice touch of putting photos of all recent state winners on the front page.
- Website addresses part 3 - Emanuel School (UK) has a website at http://emanuelschoolboatclub.org/, a clean, functional and elegant design.
- Safety warning (UK) - the ARA has been sent a warning from Crewsaver about the lifespan of specific lifejackets (automatic-inflating, pre-1997) which would need to be replaced now. Worth checking if you have this type in your club. Also available as a downloadable/printable PDF.
- The ARA's coach of the year awards are open for nomination, closing dates vary by region, and forms should only be sent in to your region, not to the ARA.
Monday 8th October 2007
- Sad news (UK) - former Oxford University Isis oarsman and coach of both OUBC and OULRC David Hardy died last Wednesday, 3rd October, after a fairly lengthy illness. After a private cremation there will be a memorial service for him at 2pm on Thursday 11th October, St. Helen's Church, Abingdon (no flowers please). There will also be a thanksgiving service at Radley on Saturday 1st December, 12 noon. Those hoping to attend are asked to let Jock Mullard know via jkm@radley.org.uk. All welcome on 11th October or 1st December, or at both services.
- The next Northern Rowing Council (UK) AGM date has been fixed as 6th November, in Chester le Street, at 7:15pm. Nominations for the executive need to be received by the committee secretary by 23rd October, including proposer, seconder and confirmation that the nominee intends to stand.
- SportsMindSkills website (Australia) has two new products, the Injury Recovery Pack and Facing Challenges. The links include downloadable free sample tracks, and the packs are fully downloadable. The injury recovery one is not by co-founder Drew Ginn - that would have been worth listening to for rowers - but by his sailing colleague who recovered rather quicker from injury. Instead Drew's contribution comes in the related Facing Challenges pack, where he talks about coming back from missing the Sydney Olympics due to injury.
- Results from the Pairs Head (UK) are available in Excel format (provisional).
- Tyne Long Distance Sculls results online (UK).
- Ian Smith has photos from Tyne LDS (UK).
- Brian Chapman (UK) has pictures of Chester LDS on his public picture-board.
Friday 5th October 2007
- A reminder to those visiting the Tideway tomorrow (UK) for the Pairs Head, to read the TRRC safety instructions for the reach, and to check anything they don't understand with their host club.
- Open for three weeks, the Head of the River Fours (UK) now has 450 paid valid entries. Entries close Friday 19 October 2007 12:00 or after 550 complete paid entries have been accepted - whichever is the earlier. Before entering Clubs should ensure they have read the rules. A number of entries have been rejected for failing to observe the new two point rule for sweep crews (PDF). You have been warned.
- Entries for the Weybridge Silver Sculls close at 10 p.m. on Saturday week, 13th October.
Entries can be made via OARA or by post, but in view of the postal strike, competitors are advised to email or fax their entries as well as posting them. Weybridge may also review their normal procedure of sending out competitor numbers in advance. All details on the link above.
- The Rowing-Xpert search engine has been updated.
- Bristol Ariel Head (UK) is on Sunday 11th November, three divisions (9:30 Sen/Vet, 12:00 J only, 2:30 all cats), over 4.5km, 2.3km and 4.5km respectively. More details on the link above.
- The start order (Excel) and competitor information (MS Word) for Tyne Sculling Head (UK) are up.
Thursday 4th October 2007
- Notice for those involved in the Tyne Long Distance Sculls (UK): there has been a delay with the draw, so here is important information for those racing. Low numbers will boat first, starting at 9:15am and finishing at 10:15am. Tees/DARC/City of Sunderland will boat from Newcastle University, as will anyone with a single scull on their car. Car parking at Tyne RC is limited so use nearby commercial car parks: there are free spaces by the Keelman Pub and the Newburn Leisure Centre, as well as off-street parking on the road behind Tyne RC. Full instructions to follow to all competitors.
- A reminder that in the UK a postal strike has just started which may well last into next week. The main impact is no collections from postboxes, which could result in the post being lost completely. If you have non-urgent mail to go out, the advice is to take it to a post office, where the post will be processed as fast as possible. Other collection boxes will be cleared out less frequently, if at all. Letters will be dealt with in the order received, eventually. People are advised to use other methods of delivery/communication where possible.
- The draw and instructions for the Cambridge Small Boats Head (UK) are online.
- Separately, Cambridge's Autumn Head will run on Saturday 20th October (UK) over 2600m upstream for 4+, 4-, 4x, 8+. Four divisions at 10:00, 11:30, 13:00 and 14:30 - details to follow shortly on the Rob Roy website.
- Matt Stallard has come up with an alternative proposal for how to adjust the points/status system in UK rowing, following the National Competition Committee's suggestions. The full Stallard proposal is here in Word format. I suggest that those who want to discuss it do so via the rec.sport.rowing newsgroup, available on many newsreaders including Google Groups, MailGate and others. Links are to the direct RSR newsgroup page.
Wednesday 3rd October 2007
- The new Rowing Service noticeboard is now up and running completely. Web address is http://noticeboard.rowingservice.com and there are loads of new features, including an RSS feed, editable/removable posts, quick-click categorisation for rapid viewing, anti-spam email addresses and a full search facility. For the many regular users who post for sale messages several times a year, there is an annual account. For single-shot use there is a one-week account. Freebie posts will also be accepted for a range of non-profit-making and other good causes, including lost and found, wanted, charity events, alumni contact announcements, etc. A ticker is also going up on the top right hand corner of this page, to show the number of recent postings. The World and UK boards have now been combined.
- Results are up for the Canal Cup (in German only, the English results page isn't yet updated). Internationally the USA won the sprint and the ergo cup, but Germany grabbed back the marathon title. FISA also has a report.
- From FISA, memories from Munich with Mahe Drysdale (M1x champion).
- The start order for the Rower's Revenge Triathlon (UK) is online.
- The Tuebingen Sprints (20th October, Germany) welcome entries from university crews both home and abroad, in a range of races. See the website for details, in German with an extensive English section.
- The UK Surf Rowing League are running a sweep training day on Saturday 13th October, in Bournemouth. Details on the linked PDF, and applications should be made via this MS Word form.
- From the ARA, the Chairman's report to the AGM (UK) last weekend, and an update from the Council meeting.
- The National Competition review (UK) has jolted back into public action again, and there is a further report/proposal now to revise the points system. Appendix A to the original review proposes replacing statuses novice/S4/S3/S2/S1/Elite with a smaller group: C/B/A/Elite with a broadly similar basis but the intent to build bigger groups of competitors in each event at most regattas, and fewer non-qualifying wins. There is also a report of the ARA Council discussion on this proposal, with various issues about regression, internationals, juniors and novices raised.
- In the Telegraph today (UK), a claim that oarsmen Andrew Irvine (OUBC Blue) and George Mallory (Cambridge college rower) were in fact the first men to climb Everest (thanks AR).
Tuesday 2nd October 2007
- Sad news (UK): an announcement on the Evesham RC website about Gabby Tolkein.
- Pangbourne Junior Sculls (UK, Sat 10th November) is open for entries.
- A reminder that the Tideway boat ID system (three-letter, three-number codes) has been extended to the whole of the Thames, including any visiting rowing shells or launches.
- Information on the new PCBC website, with a direct link to the Sculls page here. The course map and marshalling/safety plans are already online.
- Pictures from the Grosvenor RC corporate event 2007 (UK), including snaps of the best-dressed winners, the Bunny girls. The photographer's index also includes pix from Shrewsbury Regatta (UK) and the FISA Masters Regatta (Zagreb) from this year. Server seems to be a bit on the slow side - wait and reload later if it snarls on you.
- Results of Wallingford Long Distance Sculls (UK), with links to HTML and CSV versions.
- The Welsh Indoor Champs and Welsh Schools Indoor Champs (Saturday 27th and Friday 26th October respectively, UK), are open for entries. Closing date 20th October, all information on the link above. The schools event is a new one, and the open championships have moved from December to put them before the BIRCs.
- Details of Agecroft Small Boats Head (UK, 20th October), with entries closing on Monday 14th October.
- Entries are also open for the Dee Autumn Head (UK, 27th October, use OARA), and close at 8pm on Saturday 20th. The link to the poster is currently labelled 2006, but is in fact already updated for 2007.
- A slightly strange request - a member of North Staffs RC (UK) is trying to fill gaps in their records. He's after photographers who took pictures at the 1988 Fours Head on 19th November of that year. Could anyone who took professional pictures that day (eg from the bridges) please contact Phil Wheeler. Thanks.
Monday 1st October 2007
- The notice for Marlow Long Distance Sculls (UK, PDF format), hosted here until Marlow can get it online.
- Thames RC (UK) are looking for volunteer coaches and recruiting coxes to work under their new head coach, former Ottawa RC coach Lubomir Kisiov. Both links are to PDF files.
- (Repost, first posted earlier in September). The staff at dinghy manufacturers Laser are arranging their annual Sailability charity challenge, this time rowing (UK). Their plan is to row from Oxford to Kingston with two eights of novice rowers, from Friday 19th October to Sunday 21st October. They are seeking a couple of eights to row in, and a couple of coaching boats to travel alongside. They would also like to do some training on 6th October in Oxford before they start the row itself. Anyone with help/advice please contact rob.paveley[at]sail-laser.com. (I gather as of today that they are still looking, in particular for boats to borrow. Can anyone who can help please contact them asap? - editor.).
- Darren Rhodes came 29th in the Dorney Rowathlon on behalf of the Harry Mahon Cancer Research Trust on Sunday. Details of how to donate to this good cause via Darren's page. His company are matching up to £400 of donations, so everything you give until that amount is reached, will be doubled.
- The first video of the BioRower in action is online. Website in German and English.
- Press links - Raven rower rules Rideau regatta (The Charlatan, Canada), Rowers raise funds in marathon event (Durham Times, UK).
