president, Author at Richmond Rowing Club

May 2, 2018

Victorian Masters State Championships 2018

written by Stefanie Dudczig

SATURDAY

It was a sunny 12.3 degree celsius Saturday morning (it felt more like 6.2) when we arrived at Lake Nagambie for this years Rowing Victoria State Masters Championships. The weather was actually very kind to us with lots of sunshine and warmer temperatures later on in the day.

The racing started off with the Mixed Masters A-B coxed Four consisting of Morgan, Lindsey, Allan and John C., coxed by Derek. They crossed the finish line ahead of Powerhouse by 4 seconds, winning the first (and unfortunately only) Gold Medal for Richmond.

A mentionable race, but no medal involved, was the Male Masters C Eight against Cardinals. A club I’ve never heard of before but according to Kim they had crew members that rowed at the 1980, 1989 and 1991 National Championships in the Men’s Youth Four and Youth Eight.

The boys of our Eight (Dennis, Jon R., Allan, John C., Kim, Alex, Ray, Rob, coxed by me) did well and gave everything, but were unfortunately no match for them. Later we found out that the Cardinal Crew were only training for 14 months!!!!! prior to this event. We had 14 minutes to the start line and a borrowed boat with more spiders than people in it.

Another medal for Richmond came from the crew of Denis, Phil, Guy and Leigh, coxed by Christine in the Male Masters E coxed Four. They secured themselves a Bronze medal beating Bairnsdale and Melbourne Argonauts Composite crews.

More strong performances of Richmond crews included:

Christine, Morgan, Guy, Leigh coxed by Denis in the Mixed C Four
the Female Masters Club Eight with Yash, Jodie, Dana, Sarah, Christine, Morgan, Lindsey, Cat (Note: she just came to Nagambie for this race! Thumbs up!) and Derek (cox) trying to make up a 19 second handicap.
Male Masters Club Fours: Richmond-1 with Allan, Jon, Dennis, John, me (cox) and Richmond-2 with Kim, Alex, Ray, Rob and coxed by Shern (who also just came up for this race…. and the Tahbilk winery).
Karen and Michelle making it to the Final in the Female Masters A-B double scull
Female Masters A-B coxed Four with Sarah, Dana, Jodie, Yash and Derek (cox)
Female Masters Club Quad Scull: Richmond-1 with Michelle, Karen, Kate, Lindsey and Richmond-2 with Sarah, Dana, Jodie, Yash, coxed by Christine.

After a successful race day, Rowing Victoria invited everyone for free drinks to the finish line. They definitely didn’t spare on beers, wine and bubblies. Whilst most drove back to Melbourne for the night, some stayed at the Big4 caravan park in Seymour taking advantage of the walking distance to the Pub and the inflated jumping pillow after 6pm.

SUNDAY

More racing followed on Sunday. It wasn’t cold, it was freezing!!! I finally gave up on squeezing my zootie over 10 layers and decided, that a black jumper with Richmond on the back was more appropriate than a bright orange jacked one of the other coxes were wearing. The sun was shining again, but this time with a bad cross wind. This made attaching the stern to the boatholders at the startline and staying in a straight line for the start quite difficult. Thanks to all the bow and 2 seat people for their endless tapping and backing.

The day started well with the girls of the Female Masters A-B Quad Scull (Michelle, Karen, Kate and Sarah winning) picking up silver, missing out on gold to the Victorian Nationals team.The Male Masters A-B coxed Four (Allan, Jon R., Dennis, John C., coxed by me) got Bronze by beating the second boat of the Argonauts, leaving Gold to Power House and Silver to the Argonauts first boat.

Bronze also for the Female Masters Club Four (Michelle, Karen, Kate, Sarah, coxed by Denis H). Their race had one boat on GO (Latrobe University G crew) and 7 crews with a 25 – 30s handicap. Our girls came solid third with only 1 second behind Melbourne University in second and 5 seconds behind Power House in first leaving two Melbourne crews, 2 Latrobe crews and Yarra Yarra behind.

The probably most exciting and nerve-wracking race was the Mixed Masters A-B Eight. Michelle in stoke seat lead Karen, Kate, Sarah, Allan, Jon R., Dennis, John C and myself (cox) to a silver medal. Whilst sitting just slightly behind Melbourne for the first 600m of the race Michelle found the turbo button that made us zoom past them in the last 300m finishing in second place 4 seconds ahead of them. You should have seen their faces… shocked to see the Richmond crew overtaking them. Well done everyone!

A last bling for the day came from the composite crew with Latrobe University. The Mixed Masters F Eight with Leigh, Guy, Phil and Denis won silver beating a Argonauts composite crew by 5 second.

More great performances came from the following crews:

Male Masters E quad scull with Leigh, Guy, Denis and Phil
Male Masters A-B Eight (Dennis, Jon R., Allan, John C., Tim, Kim, Ray, Rob, coxed by me)
Male Masters Club Quad Scull (Kim, Alex, Ray, Rob coxed by Christine)
Female Masters A-B pair (Lindsey and Morgan)
Male Masters C coxed Four (Allan, Jon R., Tim and Dennis coxed by myself). This boy’s did a fabulous job staying next to Power House of the start. It looked promising until the steam started to run out after 250m…..

Check out all results, crews, handicaps and times here: https://vic.rowingmanager.com/?results;regatta=3799;club=356

GENERAL COMMENTS and THANK YOUs

Kim our Richmond cameraman on site, was full in action taking footage of the mens Eight and Men’s four whilst racing. I’m pretty sure that we will see some of the actions shots at our soon upcoming presentation night.

Denis Henry is the man with the most medals won at this Regatta (silver and bronze for coxing, silver and bronze for rowing).

Allan and John C. managed to collect the complete set (one of each: gold, silver and bronze).

Big “Thank you” goes to:

Phil, Kim and Christine for volunteering as Boat holders at the start line. Kim unfortunately missed out on this unique job as there were more than enough people in his session.
Leigh for pulling the trailer to Nagambie and back
Tim and Barry for organizing boats, crews, people and for being there for us.

Ahhh… and I nearly forgot one of the highlights of the whole Regatta: the BBQ food van. OMG! This brisket and pulled pork burgers were AMAZING! Ask John C. for the full tasting experience as he managed to sample everything. And I think we all agreed that the pulled pork loaded potato was the winner of the whole menu. We are looking forward to see them again at future regattas.

April 23, 2018

2017-2018 Presentation Night – Tickets now available

2017-2018 Presentation Night – Saturday 26^th May – from 7:00pm
Well folks, it’s that time of the year again. The 2017-2018 Richmond Rowing Club presentation night! As the season draws to an end, we can look back fondly on all that has happened, the races we have rowed in, the ergos we have growled at and the circuit training sessions we have grimaced in. What better place to do that, than at the presentation night.
The night will be themed, Gold’n Yellow & BLING! So in order to get in, you must dress to impress with that in mind. Partners, friends and relatives all welcome.
Held again at the club house, it is your opportunity to join with your fellow rowers and celebrate a cracking season. There will be a sumptuous three course meal and the bar will be open for drinks. There will be a short video shown that will feature many of us, and the question will be answered….what noise does a rower make! We will have people to honour, awards to present, rowers and coxes and time trial winners to recognise and, of course, our hard working and diligent coaches to thank.
So mark the date in your calendar, and click on this link to get to the Try-booking page to secure your tickets now. Tickets will be $45 each, same price as last year – what a bargain!
Take note – ticket bookings will close on Monday 21^st May so that we can provide numbers to the caterers.
Hope to see you all there.
Kim Begelhole

April 22, 2018

Geelong Masters Regatta 2018

April 7th marked the start of the 2018 Masters season. The rowing Gods put on an amazing show of glorious weather.
The racing for Richmond started off with Rob in the single scull. Next up was the Men’s Coxed four competition with two Richmond teams head to head. In the end it was Jon, Dennis, Tim and Allan Coxed by Stef who managed to beat Phil, Denis, Guy and Leigh Coxed by Christine by less than 1 second.
The first medal for the club came when Zoe, Karen, Michelle and Kate Coxed by Derek beat their competition during the Coxed four. Follow up medals for all continued during the doubles races of Zoe and Karen, and Michelle with Kate. The superstar team also claimed gold for their performance in their quad race, overcoming a handicap of 9 seconds to still win by a margin of 14 seconds.

Another valiant effort from Yash, Jodie, Sarah and Dana Coxed by Derek in their quad scull event. However, the quad event on everyone’s agenda to watch was Dana, Shern, myself and Yash Coxed by Stef. After a textbook smooth entry into the boat we were off, managing to secure 2nd position out of a 2 boat race.
Rounding out the competition was our mixed eight boat achieving 3rd containing Rob, Phil, Christine, Sarah, Jodie, Anthea, Guy and Leigh, Coxed by Denis.
Well done to all that competed and thanks to our wonderful coxes, boat towers and riggers.
The next regatta for the season was to be Ballarat the following Saturday the 14th. However, it was all over before we’d loaded 2 boats, the club choosing to withdraw due to the wild weather on Friday night. A fantastic decision seeing as the event was officially cancelled early Saturday morning.
Now on to States at Nagambie!
Amy Catlin (first regatta at Geelong!!!)

April 14, 2018

College rowers around the club in April

Training for the University of Melbourne intercollegiate regatta has commenced culminating with the regatta day on the 28th of April.
It’s worth noting that whilst some crews are ex-school rowers with plenty of experience many have never rowed before and will be getting a crash course in sweep rowing before competing in that first regatta in two weeks.
This year RRC has leased all of our 8’s out to the college crews. The crews are expected to be training regularly on weekday mornings and occasionally over the weekend or other times. However the 8’s will be available to us as part of our regular training sessions in the evenings (Tuesday and Thursday) and on Sunday morning.
With RRC and MLC leasing fleet to the intercollegiate rowing this year there will be a number of new faces around the club over the next 2 weeks when you add rowers, coxswains, coaches, reserves and friends. That’s a lot of potential new members so make them feel welcome.
They have been reminded to use the log book but even RRC’s experienced members forget sometimes, so check the boats are all on the racks before you lock the RRC shed up.
More information on the intercollegiate various sports including rowing can be found here:
http://www.sport.unimelb.edu.au/CollegeSport

March 14, 2018

Victorian State Championships 2018

The pinnacle of the racing season arrived after weeks of on water training, ergos and circuits. The Victorian State Championships were held on March 3-4 this year on the ever-unpredictable waters of Lake Wendouree.
Squad training for the men’s and women’s crews started early this season, kicking off in earnest in December 2017 with a demanding training program overseen by Richmond’s Head Coach, Basil Amin.
Solid preparation paid dividends for all rowers who competed at the State Championships this year, with impressive individual and crew performances seen on both days of the competition.
The first day of racing saw Michelle Joy secure a convincing win in the D Final of the Open Single Scull event.
The women’s quad scull (Michelle Joy, Karen Doggett, Kate Dyball, Zoe Maxwell, coxed by Derek Begg) finished off their States campaign on a high. Keen to push the boundaries this year, the crew began their weekend of racing with a strong performance in the Open Coxless Quad Scull event. (The post race debrief with Basil about human stretching techniques to match the heights of the 6 ft. plus competition being (mostly) in jest).

The crew went on to secure a gold medal in the C Grade Coxed Quad Scull and silver in both the A Grade and B Grade Coxed Quad Scull events.

The men’s four (Allan Randall, Jon Roberts, Charlie Burke, John Carey coxed by Ally Dejaegher) added more silverware to the Richmond medal tally, with a nail biting performance in the D Grade Coxed Four. In a race which made for great viewing at the finishing line, the men finished less a canvass behind the winning Melbourne crew to claim a silver medal. The men went on to put in a good performance in the C Grade Coxed Four event later in the day.

The women’s quad (Edwina Griffiths, Shern Timmins, Jodie Naisbitt, Yash Vegi, coxed by Derek Begg) put in an impressive performance in the highly competitive D Grade Coxed Quad Scull event, finishing a close second in their heat and boat lengths ahead of nearest rivals, Footscray City and Hamilton & Alexandra.
Lindsey Brown and Morgan Chandler capped off a successful season at States, with strong performances in both the B Grade and C Grade Pair.
Sarah Houghton rounded out a successful racing season with second place in her heat of the C Grade Single Scull event – finishing a mere 0.7 seconds behind the winning boat. Sarah went through to the C Final and also raced the B Grade event.

With only a few practice rows under their belts in the weeks leading up to States, Rochelle Stokes and Edwina Griffiths and Andrew Yuile and Dennis Beck put in good performances in the D Grade Double Scull and the C Grade Pair, respectively.
It has been said that success is a journey, not a destination, and the 2018 season is a testament to the truism.
The rowers who represented Richmond at the State Championships achieved gains over the season as individual athletes and as crews. With many wins and close finishes in regattas in the weeks leading up to States and crews across the board stepping up to compete in divisions they had previously not thought possible – this season was a comprehensive success for Richmond Rowing Club.

For all this our thanks must go to those who worked tirelessly to make Richmond’s States campaign success a reality – especially our Head of Rowing, Tim Evans, Head Coach, Basil and Captain, Barry Campbell.
Thanks must also go to expert coxen’s Derek and Ally, who dedication and motivation each helped give their crews the winning edge this season.
Zoe Maxwell

February 27, 2018

Quiz Night Auction Items – Help required!!!

With our annual Trivia Night approaching fast (24 March) we are again in need of your assistance.

We are looking for items to auction….these could be just about anything…wine, tools, accommodation (especially if you have a holiday house), tickets to concerts, shows or galleries, hampers, sporting goods, jewellery, paintings, prints, linen, electrical items…. so as you can see the list is endless.

The other thing that is always a winner is the donation of your time which could include things such as Coxing (everyone needs a coxwain), coaching, handyman, babysitting, gardening, painting or if you are a professional then perhaps you could offer you service of expertise for a period of time.

We have already had a wonderful donation of 2 designer wooden benches (walnut and rift oak). Name: Botanist Minimal Désigner: Dario Antonioni and a large coffee table that has a chrome frame and finished with a toughened black glass top. Thank you Laurent but we need more

Please have a think and see what you can come up with. All donations will help raise money for the club and will be put towards upgrading our fleet as part of our fleet renewal plan which includes smaller boats (pairs/doubles and singles).

Feel free to contact me at any time with questions or donations fundraising@richmondrowing.com.au or 0419538048

Cheers and thanks again Chris

February 17, 2018

Upcoming RSA course and updated RRC policies

As you know, RRC now has a limited liquor licence, which allows us to open our recently refurbished bar and sell alcoholic beverages. This allow us to enhance the social aspect of club activities and add an avenue for fundraising as well.
Importantly, events where the bar is open must be conducted in a manner consistent with liquor licensing legislation. As a result, the Committee has recently adopted 2 club policies to ensure we comply with our licence and maintain a responsible and safe environment. These policies can be found on the club website:
RRC Alcohol Management Policy
RRC Safe Transport Policy
Here are some brief points:

Alcohol will only be served at club organised events, approved by the Committee. Our licencing hours for these events are as follows:

Sunday & ANZAC Day(Sunday) – Between 12 noon and 11pm
On any other day – Between 12 noon and 1am the following morning

Members serving behind the bar must have their Responsible Service of Alcohol qualification. You are strongly encouraged as a club member to complete one of these courses. The more qualified members we have the more potential we have to open the bar and the less we rely on the same people to do all of the work. See below for more information.
The licence is only valid in the upstairs area of the clubhouse including the deck (excluding the gym and changing rooms). Alcohol cannot be taken downstairs or outside of the clubhouse.
BYO alcohol is not allowed on our premises at any time, whether the bar is open or not.
Alcohol misuse can lead to risk taking, unsafe, unacceptable and/or illegal behaviour. As club members we will expect a responsible approach and use of good judgment when alcohol is available. Members will not compete, train, coach or officiate if affected by alcohol. Alcohol will not be served to persons aged under 18 years.
We ask that all attendees at our functions plan their transport requirements to ensure they arrive home safely and prevent driving under the influence of alcohol.
Non alcoholic beverages will also be served whenever the bar is open. Water will be provided free of charge.
Members may bring guests to club functions where the bar is open. Guests must sign in to the club register with their name and address, and the name of the member they are with. The register will be kept in the bar.

The club has recently reached an agreement with Good Sports, to hold an RSA course at the club on 14^th March from 6.30pm. We have 7 free spots at the course, available on a first in basis, hopefully we will be able to get more spots closer to the date. Please email [email protected] if you would like to attend.

February 16, 2018

So you, your friend, your partner, your mum and dad all want to be BROs??

Read on….
BROs (Boat Race Officials) are an integral part of regattas. Without them, there is no regatta.
These are the people you see (usually in safety vests), spending a little time:

directing the boat traffic at the launching places
making sure the rower’s boats are safe (bowballs, shoe tie-downs)
directing boats as they line up for starts, and then starting the races
judging if there’s interference
working out who’s come first, second, third and so on

Our club needs to provide a BRO at almost every regatta we attend. It can be tough for rowers to run between BROing and racing, and we want coaches actually coaching! So we’d love a rowing widow/widower, a supportive mum or dad, or your best buddy to get involved. The more the merrier, as BROs can share shifts.
BRO training consists of attending a lecture and then being supervised initially. Level 1 accreditation is obtained by performing 4 practical BRO stations: control, start marshal, bank umpire and judge. Also, Working with Children’s Check are now required. These are easy to get and free for volunteers. Apply Here
The club can also support a BRO’s education by taking them out in a boat (to get a rower’s perspective) and/or having them ride alongside a coach on the bike path. The club insurance will cover them for risk and accidents.
Next BRO course is on Tuesday 6 March 6-8pm at Yarra Yarra (a few sheds down from RRC). Register here to attend. What’s holding you back??
Doing some BROing is also a great way for those new to rowing to get to see what happens at a regatta (from the insiders view), so new members are also encouraged to BRO.
Any questions? Contact Chris or Kathy