Thursday 30th September 2004
- News from Bermuda, where the fledgling Bermuda Rowing Association is about to hold its first rowing regatta, on Sunday October 3rd. 20 rowers have just finished their first learn-to-scull programme, and will be racing 500m sprints on Sunday. Contact Michael Swain for more details.
Wednesday 29th September 2004
- The website for Maidstone Invicta RC (UK) has the draw for the Maidstone Scullers Head (3rd Oct) up online.
- A poster for the Dee Autumn Head (UK) is online. Due to a low tide they are able to start at more civilised times than usual this year, and the entries secretary is accepting email entries (two good changes, then).
- A link to the Armada Cup held in Bern on 30th October this year (Switzerland).
- There's a piece in the Surrey Comet (UK) which can't be got online, so I'm hosting it as an image by request of the club and with permission from the paper: Kingston heads search for future Olympians (warning, large file, 1.6Mb).
- Another French site - La Regates Rennaises, in Rennes. A nice waterswirl sound on the homepage, taken from the recording of a boat moving through the water, I think.
Tuesday 28th September 2004
- A website for Aviron Club de Tournemine doing river and sea rowing in Pledeliac, Brittany (France). Impressively translated fully into English as well as in French. I'm also encouraged to see their business skills - they are one of the few rowing clubs which offers renting out its rowing boats, so would be a good stop on a rowers' holiday. However, I take much less kindly to thievery. The Tournemine website has stolen its links page wholesale from the Rowing Service, which is both lazy and annoying. Had they asked, I probably would have allowed them to use the source code with an acknowledgement, but this is beyond a joke. DO NOT RE-HOST MATERIAL ORIGINATED BY OTHERS UNLESS THEY ASK YOU TO. THIS INCLUDES RESULTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, PICTURES, REPORTS, ANYTHING. You'll be found out eventually....
- FISA announces that the Athens Olympic DVD is out and also has details of the 2005 Extraordinary Congress (3rd Feb 2005, Dubrovnik, Croatia). [very nice location.....]
- FISA news - award for Council member Dibos, Lipa looks to Beijing (thought I had that up before but clearly not), Hamburg shines for Masters Worlds, FISA Tour checks out the Czech Republic, and New records for Lake Leman Tour.
- UK recruitment - the Tideway Slug is carrying a poster for the Thames Regional Umpires Commission recruiting new umpires for next year (Word doc).
- And, while we're at it, La Slug reports that Thames RC is trying out an idea to help their novice crews - coxes of such crews will be wearing yellow bibs, so please be nice to them - treat it like an 'L' plate. (NB wearing of said yellow bib does not reflect in any way on the standard of the cox, just their crew.....)
Monday 27th September 2004
- Start order for Wallingford Long Distance Sculls (UK) is up. Due to the record entry, the second division has been moved back and will now start at 3:30pm. Any queries between Wednesday and Saturday about the event please phone Linda Hull on 01491 824394 and don't contact Rachael Haycock.
- Apparently a new push on recycling rubbish in Britain will be fronted by Matthew Pinsent. Better pick than Kleenex, Matt!
- Results from Monmouth Autumn Head (UK) are up.
- And results and photographs from the Isis Sculls (Oxford, UK).
- Agecroft is running its first Small Boats Head on 30th October at the new Salford Quays boathouse. Poster on the website.
- Warwick Boat Club (UK) has just upgraded its website. It also has a dedicated email addresses for rowing (at) warwickboatclub (dot) co (dot uk) [= James Lee, captain], and juniors (at) warwickboatclub (dot) co (dot) uk [= Rob Holmes, juniors]. Replace brackets by punctuation to use.
Saturday 25th September 2004
- A safety communication from USRowing (USA).
- The rec.sport.rowing newsgroup is a bit bemused by USA Patent Application no. 0040175999 on "stroke cycle phase shift rowing".....
Friday 24th September 2004
- Notts County Rowing Association (UK) are able to accept new members. They had four in international world-level finals last season, including 2 medallists, and won 4 nat champs golds. Anyone new to the region who wants to compete at elite domestic level or above contact Ade on 07796-842164 or via email at aderoberts [at] tinyworld [dot] co [dot] uk.
Thursday 23rd September 2004
- Entries for the Pairs Head (UK) close next Monday. Details on the website.
- Sir Steve Redgrave discusses Matt Pinsent's book on Sportsbite.
- A new URL for Ruderverein Oberhausen e.V. (Germany).
- A poster for the Medway Scullers' Head (UK), run by the Maidstone Rowing Committee (from Maidstone Invicta and Medway Towns RCs). Veterans, juniors and novices especially welcome.
Wednesday 22nd September 2004
- Neil Wallace has made a video of part of a sculling course he did at Dorney Lake recently. Warning - >30Mb ie huge. (thanks Ewoud for hosting). Includes Debbie Flood doing a headstand in a double and an U23 Leander member going for a swim...
- The draw for Durham Vets & Juniors is out (UK, PDF format). Safety instructions coming by post tomorrow.
- A little hiccup with the Thames Regional Rowing seminars (London, UK). The Word doc linked above has the updated poster, with the new dates - the physiology and sculling dates have been swapped, so that the sculling is now the first to be run. So seminar 1 (Sept 29th) is now sculling and seminar 2 (Oct 6th) is now diet tips for rowers (both Word docs, 272kb).
- UK date: There is a NE regional lightweight women's training day being run on 10th October, the day after Berwick LDS, at City of Sunderland RC. Please contact Emma Hall-Craggs if you would like to attend. Ideally all potential members will race 1x at Berwick and also submit a current (Sept/Oct '04) 2km erg score before attending.
Tuesday 21st September 2004
- Details of Tees SBH on the Tees RC website (UK). It is on the same day and course as part of the Long Distance Sculling Series
held in the north-east of England each year.
- A report in French on the 17th Rade a Bout de Bras in Cherbourg (Word doc, small, with links to larger photographs).
- A report on the 32è Tour du Léman à l'Aviron around Lake Geneva (Switzerland), last weekend.
- Online entries for Upper Thames Small Boats Head (24th October, UK) can now be made.
- A report on Hurricane Ivan says that the Swan Creek Rowing Club (USA) has suffered huge losses in terms of equipment when the flood caused by Ivan washed out their boathouse.
Monday 20th September 2004
- Provisional draw for the Rowers' Revenge Triathlon (Marlow, UK) is out, with a record 500 entries. Press details from 07798 604481 if required.
- More on the vitamin D issue - from MSN online. An interesting round-up of the medical press on the subject.
- 20th September and the Robbins affair (Australia) has been rumbling on - still. The Sydney Morning Herald ran a poll about it, the subject has been front-page news for several days in some of the big papers, and it was the lead story on most evening TV bulletins last Thursday and Friday. Sally and her boyfriend were chased down George Street in Sydney by the media, Robbins apologised publicly on Saturday, coach Harold Jahrling's been sacked, and Kyeema Doyle's father has written letters to Rowing Australia complaining of the way the rest of the crew has been treated. To catch up on all the online press, follow this link.
- Top-quality Olympic pictures from Hebfotos (Australia) - not just Aussie crews, Guy and Cynthia took pictures of more or less everyone on the Schinias lake. If the one you want isn't there, email them to say which crew you're interested in, and they'll set up others for you to see or have made into a montage.
- Here's a really interesting idea - www.CharlesRowing.com, a community resource for all rowers on the Charles River in Boston (USA). It includes a community blog, calendar, forum, picture gallery, boathouse directory, traffic rules and diagram-maps of the river.
- Ken Hastie has added a lot of new material to the North-East England History Timeline (UK). This is a particularly powerful method of publishing history which may be well-known in some areas and patchier in others, and of relating the history of a region or type of rowing together. Good work Ken and his researchers.
- Cambridge Autumn Regatta (UK) had a mobile phone and a roll of film left on a table at the end of the event, as yet unclaimed. If it's yours, please contact Richard Moseley.
- A new way of raising cash if you're a UK rowing club close to a Jongleurs comedy venue - Trytime reward scheme.
- Cambridge University Lightweight Rowing Club is currently organising a 30th anniversary alumni dinner, to be held in Cambridge on 13th November. They've lost touch with many old members, especially from the 70s and 80s. If you have
rowed, coached or coxed for the club, and have not yet received an e-mail
from them, then please get in touch with Rebecca.
Friday 17th September 2004
- The Cambridge Rowing Trust (UK) announces that HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has agreed to become their royal patron. (By the way, if you haven't realised, Cambridge Sport Lakes would be finished in time to provide possible rowing facilities for the 2012 Olympics if they were to be awarded to London.)
- Henning Lippke is starting an open-source on-board boat computer project and invites contributions (the link is to his 3rd September posting on the rec.sport.rowing newsgroup, Google edition).
- A URL for St. George's Hospital Medical School BC, part of the University of London (UK).
- Details of Monkton Bluefriars Small Boats Head on 16th October (UK).
- And on the same day, Weybridge Silver Sculls (UK).
- The ARA (UK) has details of GB trials 1st assessment and Go-Race/Go Faster with Foster (technique handbook/DVD combination).
- Loretta Williams, coaching development officer for the north-eastern region of England, has sent on details of the "Everyday Sport" awards, given to those in the region who have changed their lives by actively taking part in sport. They're not after high achievers, just normal people who have altered their lifestyle to become more active or are an inspiration to others. More details of the scheme on its website, and contact their office (tel 0845 456 5366) if you want more information or to nominate a potential recipient.
- 17th September, spotted by a keen-eyed reader, Britons hit by winter vitamin D deficiency (Reuters). There's a nasty misprint (vitamin B rather than vitamin D as it should be) in the first paragraph, but it's got a point. Not that this is new advice. So get out on the water, guys?!
Thursday 16th September 2004
- An update on Sportsbite with a Paralympics special and the latest edition of Steve Redgrave's online diary.
- USRowing (USA) has launched a water safety committee, or more accurately, re-formed it.
- For once we have timely and readable results from the I-Lan International Student Lightweight Regatta in Taiwan (link is to the English section of the site). Hamburg and Melbourne won men's eights and pairs, while Queensland and St. Petersburg picked up the women's quads and singles trophies. Biographies of the racing men's and women's crews available.
- Here's a good idea - SuperCanoa, an 'online rowing club' which uses the net to set up 'e-rows' with members competing against each other. It's based around C2 ergs using the PM2+ system to link up online, but some SuperCanoa members also meet up in real life to row together. Site run from Germany but in English.
- A link for Arup Powered Rowing Tanks in the UK, including Quicktime and MPG movies of the Docklands tank in action.
Wednesday 15th September 2004
- ARA Council news: Chris Anton has published the following on the rec.sport.rowing newsgroup.
The ARA Competition Review is being discussed again at ARA Council on Saturday 25th September. After the discussions with the regions in the early part of the year what is now being proposed to Council is:
1. Regattas may volunteer to be primary regattas.
2. There will be a structured programme of multi-lane regattas leading up to the Nat Champs.
3. The requirement for being a primary regatta will be that it has:
- Course less than 800m
- Uses OARA online entry
- Offers events at S4, Nov in at least 4+, 2x, 1x, JB and JMaiden at J15, J14, J13 in at least 4x+, 2x, 1x
- Offers events for people new to the sport
- All the above events to have at least two races per competitor, with the regatta deciding how this is to be achieved, eg plate, leagues, round robins, repechages, doubling up, relays or teams
- the regatta may offer other events at S4, Nov, VetNov, VetS4 or J12 and below, again provided that two races are offered
- in addition events may be offered for over-status crews on any basis, JA events, and events based on categories other than status, eg limited to particular clubs within the region, or team or relay events
- all events will be run under the current rules relating to umpiring and safety (with umpires being aware of their primary duty towards safety especially to younger/less experienced athletes) and all events will be non-qualifying
4. Multi-lane regattas will be spaced throughout the early part of the season and will be at least 1500m. There will be events at Elite and S3 only in Senior, Lightweight and U23 categories, and these will be open to all. Plus:
- If 10 or more crews enter then the regatta must offer A and B finals
- There will be league tables produced
- Points will be accrued as follows; If 6 crews have raced, Elite events win 3pts, second 2pts, 3rd 1pt (if 5 race reduce points by 1, if 4 race reduce points by 2). And S3 events win 1pt (if event qualifying as per current rule).
If you have strong feelings about this then let your Div Rep know before September 25th. Clubs were meant to have another period for review before discussion but it is on the agenda.
- Star Club in Bedford (UK) has a very strong squad after a good season, but now needs to recruit more coxes. Anyone interested contact them via the website or telephone 01234 345534.
- The South East River Regional Rowing Council (UK) are hosting "Applying British Rowing Technique" at Eltham Green School in Greenwich on Sunday 10th October. It's a day with a mixture of theoretical and practical sessions on technique, core stability, technical exercises and force time curves. It's open to anyone but designed particularly for coaches wanting to keep their knowledge up to date. Seminars will be delivered by a member of the GB coaching team, a GB physio and members of the ARA national staff. More details here (MS Word doc, 90kb).
Tuesday 14th September 2004
- The Mortlake Anglian & Alpha BC (UK) start-of-season meeting has been brought forward a day due to a clash with a function. It's now being held tomorrow evening (Wednesday 15th September) at 7:30pm.
- The Milwaukee River Challenge (USA) is on this weekend - an invitational 2.2 miles in both directions through downtown Milwaukee, like back-to-back mini-heads (the second starts 10 minutes after the first finishes).
- Cambridge Autumn Regatta (UK) have published their results on Bedford RC's pages, after using Will Everitt's/BRC's regatta program, which they thoroughly recommend to others.
Monday 13th September 2004
- A link for Royal Cercle Athletique des Etudiants (RCAE) Aviron in Belgium.
- Matthew Pinsent will be signing more copies of his book, A Lifetime In A Race, on the following dates:
* 25th September Waterstone's in Newcastle, 1pm
* 19th October Borders in Oxford, 6pm
* 21st October Ottaker's in Norwich, 12:30pm
* 21st October Waterstone's in Cambridge, 6pm.
- UK TV news - The episode of the Midsomer Murders which was filmed at this year's Henley Royal Regatta will be screened on the evening of Sunday 17th October (ITV, probably 9pm or so).
- Entries for the Isis Sculls (25th September, UK) close on 19th September, at noon.
Friday 10th September 2004
- The Fours Head (UK) is piloting the Online ARA entry system this year. The entry form will be available on the site (see link above) later today, but first clubs need to check they have registered an OARA administrator. Details of how to do this can be found on the OARA webpages. SARA and overseas crews will need to register by contacting Irene Townsend at the ARA. Clubs would be well advised to read all the Four's Head rules before making an entry, but may be especially interested in rules 12, 17 and 21 (see race website).
- I'm redoing how I archive old news - explanation and index here. It will take a while to build up the full list but it should eventually make more sense.
Thursday 9th September 2004
- Rowgear in association with Bike-in-a-bag are able to offer an all new folding bike (in a bag) - suitable for coaching, boat owners & commuters alike. Pictures and a detailed spec can be found at www.rowgear.co.uk.
- There is a new combined website for the rowing clubs of City of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield University, at www.sheffieldrowing.co.uk (UK).
- To find out more about the unusual style of Maltese rowing (see top story above), see the Marsa Regatta website.
Wednesday 8th September 2004
- Bermuda have a Rowing Association again - this has been tried a couple of times before, but the latest incarnation is since April of this year. Contact is Michael Swain, President and founder, tel (441) 296 2299 xt302. If you're interested in rowing in Bermuda, get in touch with him.
- The deadline for entries for the Rowers Revenge Triathlon (Marlow, UK, 3rd October) has been brought forward to Saturday 18th September, as over 350 entries have already been received.
- Lea RC (UK) is organising a memorial gathering for Bob Michaels on 8th October 2004. It will be held at the Watermens Hall, by the Company of Watermen and Lightermen, at 16 St. Mary-at-Hill, London, EC3 8EF. All Bob's friends from his long and successful career in rowing are invited to attend, and may participate with an anecdote or two if they wish. It will be an informal occasion, celebrating Bob's extensive contributions to club and national rowing. Please contact Richard Metcalf (tel 07956-290586) if you are able to attend and if you wish to speak.
Tuesday 7th September 2004
- New at Godfrey (UK) this week - natty DryKit based on various country's national flags. (Link to left also works.)
- A Rowing Service FISA Masters report from Karon Phillips, including a list of UK gold medallists.
- A natty little invention - RowLight -a suction light which can attach to any solid bow or stern. Email info@rowlight.com or see the website for more details.
- The Tideway Slug has helpfully created "Club Hopping", a guide to the start-of-season meetings and outings around the lower Thames Valley (UK).
- Members of the British Olympic team head out to La Manga on Friday, with filming for the next series of Superstars due to take place from 11th-18th September. The series is likely to be screened next January, the BBC tell me, with defending champions Du'ane Ladejo and Zoe Baker competing. Up against them is a huge contingent of Athens medallists and other Olympians, with Ed Coode, Katherine Grainger and Steve Williams flying the flag for rowing (good luck, guys!). Other competitors include badminton players Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms; cyclists Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoys and Jason Queally; waterbabies Stephen Parry, James Gibson and Leon Taylor; track and field experts Marlon Devonish, Chris Tomlinson, Denise Lewis, Jamie Baulch, Sonia O'Sullivan and Chris Rawlinson; modern pentathlete Georgina Harland; sailor Nick Dempsey, and teenage boxer Amir Khan.
- There's a newly re-formed UK club at Trentham Lake, Staffordshire. It's Trentham Boat Club, originally on the lake before they moved to Rudyard in 1988. They've been back in existence for 4 months with 20 adults in loaned Virus shells, and are desperate for any hand-me-down equipment. If you can help, please contafct Darren Barton, tel 01782-644077 home and 0781-391-1998 mobile. Thanks a lot.
- The Worcester Autumn Head is on 10th October. Details on the club's website.
Monday 6th September 2004
- Full results now up from the FISU World University Rowing Championships.
- Our papers have given myself (Telegraph) and Mike Rosewell (Times) nothing but snippets on it, so here's my report as submitted for publication.
- Three photographers' links - PhotozAviron (French), FotoRowing (Italian) and Pre-Shrunk (a new UK outfit). Pre-Shrunk is going to smaller regattas and heads this year, and also the Boston Marathon later this month.
- A formal announcement that the date of the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race will be Sunday 27th March (Easter Sunday) 2005. The Henley Boat Races (Ox v Camb Univ women and lightweights) are the day before, Saturday 26th March 2005. The Boat Race organisers have changed their name, too, from 'P2M Ltd' to 'The Boat Race Company Ltd'. Only really of interest if you're likely to be writing cheques to them or being paid by them...
- University College Dublin BC (Ireland) are holding a retirement party for long-time member Jim Wallis, on 11th September. Those interested in tickets should call captain Brian Barter as soon as possible (tel 00-353-86-3871999) as demand is high.
- Entries are open for the Wallingford Long Distance Sculls (UK, 2nd October).
- A site for the French men's lightweight double scull, very heavily out of date, which is a shame since they won silver at the Olympics. But if your French is up to scratch, there is a good section on 'Conseils' - training advice. Try going via Babelfish if you want to loosely translate it - use the 'translate a web page' option and it will continue to translate as you click on links.
Sunday 5th September 2004
- Details from FISA of the 2004 FISA Rowing Tour, on the Vltava River in the Czech Republic.
- There was a typing mistake in the South East Indoor Champs poster (see 31st August) so I have replaced it with the new version - the date is still 17th October but it is a Sunday, not a Saturday (UK).
- Kingston RC (UK) is starting its new junior season next Sunday (12th) with a visit from Olympic silver medallist Rebecca Romero (plus medal..) Turn up at 12:30 to meet her and watch the race again.
- KRC is also running an Instructors' Award course starting Wednesday 3rd November until Christmas. Cost is £160 but they hope to reduce that via a grant, for any coaches who continue to coach at KRC after taking the course. Contact Fiona Lunney, the KRC/Walbrook/Kingston Univ community coach, for more details.
Friday 3rd September 2004
- Changes to FISA: Mike Sweeney (GBR) has retired from the chairmanship of the Events Commission and relinquished his position on the FISA Exec and Council, after 14 years service. Denis Masseglia (FRA) has stepped down from the FISA Exec to do more in his position as the Secretary General of the French National Olympic Committee, but stays on the Council and is still chairing the 'Rowing For All' Commission. Mike Tanner (HKG) replaces Mike Sweeney on the Council and Events Commission, while John Boultbee (AUS) and Jean-Christophe Rolland (FRA) move onto the Executive Committee to fill the two empty places, while retaining their chairs of the Competition and Athletes' commissions respectively. These interim replacements continue until the February 2005 Extraordinary Congress when they will be voted on.
- The FISA Masters is doing what it calls live results (PDF formats for the files, which are copies of the race printouts).
- Marlow RC's senior men's squad introductory meeting (UK) is on Tuesday 7th September, 7:30pm in the rowing club bar (Berks side of the river, by Marlow Bridge and opposite the Compleat Angler Hotel). Novice to elite are welcome but not complete beginners. Training starts Sat 11th Sept 7:30am for those who miss the meeting.
Thursday 2nd September 2004
- A reminder of the link for the FISA Masters Regatta this weekend (Hamburg, Germany) - in German and English. The regatta starts today.
- As does the FISU World University Championships in Brive-la-Galliarde, in France. A little bit of info from the official FISU multisport website, some being updated on the website for the federation of French university sport (French and English), and information from BUSA on the GB team.
- Entry forms for the 2004 Scullers' Head (20th November 10:30am, UK) are now available on the official website. Competitors who had a starting number in last year's cancelled event qualify for a discount on the entry fee this time, as long as they remember to ask for it on the form. Entries officially close on 6th November but are usually full long before that - first come, first served. A statement from the race organisers: "Following long discussions the race committee has decided that no J16 or lower categories are being offered and no entries from anyone born after 1/9/1988 are being accepted for this year's race."
Wednesday 1st September 2004
- In England and Wales, the Online ARA (OARA) is up and running - each club needs an OARA administrator, and details of how it works are online.
