Well the Mexicans came, saw, and liked what they saw. As painful as it is to admit that NSW does anything well, they have a cracker of a rowing course. A 25 strong RRC contingent have ventured north into enemy territory and found the enemy more than welcoming. The Penrith Olympic rowing course is a stunning set-up, and the course was on its best behaviour today – with mid-twenties temps, no wind, just perfect.
RRC was the sole Victorian club who ventured north for the NSW Club Champs. And our presence was quickly noticed by the locals. Numerous locals spent many hours trying to decode our “I Heart RRC” t-shirts, others were in awe of our prized wooden Butcher boat. Our accommodation is salubrious and wholesome, the Penrith Christian Academy is giving us a comfortable stay, while also making us better people. They have a no-voodoo-or-slaughtering-goats policy which has necessitated a few changes to the evening social activities, but we’re adapting well.
But anyhoo, back to the rowing itself.
The entire RRC contingent were feeling a few butterflies – foreign course, different cubs, and no sense of how we’d perform. First boat onto the water was Laura and Sophie in a C double heat, winning their heat and giving all the RRC rowers a boost. To quote AFL supercoach Leigh Matthews, “If they bleed you can kill them.” Then the women’s D eight had an absolute belter of a race, there was nothing in it between between 1st and 3rd and the girls were just pipped in a photo finish into 3rd place. But they cut dashing figures as they leapt onto the dias to claim their bronze medals.
Rosie and Anthea, and Susie and Rochelle all had solid rows in their double sculls.
The men’s C eight matched the girl’s eight for exciting rowing, with eight crews rowing down the 1km course in a straight line. Two photo finishes were needed to sort out the placings, with the blokes just being rowed into fourth place out of the medals. Just 1.47 secs separated first from fifth place. Dammit!
Kiwi Sam rowed the race of the day in his men’s B single final. Coming fifth at the 1km mark, he belted out a quick haka and surged through the second km to take out second place.
And then the men’s D-four showed there’s no school like the old school, taking out a bronze medal rowing the only wooden boat in Penrith, probably in NSW.
Throw in some whitewater rafting during a break in the program, and we’ve had a corker of a first day. Tomorrow will see more rows in quads and eights, with all crews hoping to ad to the RRC bling tally.
Jim Cooper
Gray Matters and the Fundraisers
Hi Teamies,
Ok, there has got to be something going on is this high powered rowing world of ours. Now let me think back to the minutes I wrote at our team meeting (not all that many as I have finally perfected the exact shade of white eye shadow to use to draw my eyeballs on the outsides of my eyelids and purchased (on ebay) a motorised pencil, to make it look like I was alert and busy).
Sydney – two weeks to go – RRC is training hard with the men’s rowing a shiny new 8 – bought with fundraising funds. So happy are they to use this, despite the fact that the men’s funds combined were enough to fund an our, (from Big W when they are selling their pool equipment late summer).
The Easter Bunny (sponsored by Cadbury in this emerging corporate world) is delivering our chocolates on Thursday and will be ready to pick up from Thursday night at the club. If you’re not there on Thursday you’ll find that your chocolates will be stored in the bar fridge with your name on them – your coaches/committee members have access to the bar fridge, so if your box level is lower than expected then hit em up for a few multiples of $1.20.
Now, while it is great to see the gold coins mount up, before you decide to you throw them willy nilly into parking meters and pokie machines and to obtain gold coin entry into the Camberwell market….. Remember, you actually need to pay for the choccies.
Payment for chocolates will be due April 26th at the latest to via B-Pay to your fundraising account. If you don’t pay up we will pursue you to the end of the earth. You will never be able to relax again as you see a little yellow and black person in the distance wielding a money box in one hand and the Bob Stanley in the other in a threatening manner. It’s not worth it, unless you manage to sell millions of dollars of chocolate, then I suppose you might be able to hire a minder.
Happy Easter – remember Cadbury fundraising chocolates are better than Easter eggs or Lindt chocolate bunnies. Frogs and bunnies both jump, what else matters? Anyway, how many times have you seen a bunny and a frog in the same room hey!! Not many, there is a good chance that they are one and the same.
While the men lavish in our new hard earned boat, they continue to drag their heels in the fundraising stakes! Could it be possible that the lack the necessary charm to approach customers? Or the metal (and at times brute strength) to close the sale? (exception’s here being Justin “Trivia Night” Thomas and Barry “Chocolate Crew Coach” Campbell).
The stats on chocolate boxes sold:
75 = female (curvy, results oriented, smooth and polished sales people)
42 = male (ribby vegans likely to seen talking to the plants in the Alexandra gardens about the existence of drop bears)
Or 36% of sales to the boys and 64% of the sales to the women (Don’t have ASF donation stats yet, it may well have been detailed in the team meeting…).
However, what’s interesting to note – is that the DS women have ordered chocolates, but none of the DS men have. So we’ve taught them to row, do we need to teach them how to eat chocolate too?
Simon Crunden (man not boat), gripping his keyboard as he typed due to a serious deficiency in dairy, sugar, emulsifiers, soya lecithin, 476, flavours and traces of nuts, has some faith in his tree hugging, mung been munching boat loads of lads. He is hoping the boys use their powers of persuasion to sell chocolates in Sydney.
Or possibly forget their wallets and packed lunches and have to resort to eating the lot.
Simon, MNB also would like to point out (and pin his hopes on) the men’s number 1 chocolate fundraiser from last year (Martin) who has not placed an order for chocolates this year (sales fatigue no doubt) but there is no panic in the camp yet, as we have a number of strategies in place to ensure it will not be the men who will be buying the drinks on presentation night.
So girls, think of the Sav Blanc shouts and SELL, SELL, SELL. Let’s face it our new bingo arms will provide more weight on the oar, which can only be good news, and in my advancing years, drinks purchased by the male sex for the purpose of quenching my thirst as err well can I say slightly less frequent than in previous years.
katie gray
PATNS (PA to Nicole Stupka while she not looking after the horses and JK)
Gray Matters with tips on how to consume vast quantities of chocolate
Club races are on this Sunday. Squad bosses, please make sure your rowers RSVP by Friday morning. The boss is on a need to know basis. If she’s in the dark you won’t have a cox or any equipment, which will put you at a significant disadvantage in the race. You may be left with the rejects from biggest loser who may be walking past the club house on their way to the food court, to cox, again putting your crew at a significant disadvantage. Also the boss needs to know for catering and if you have rejected biggest losers coxing for you they will eat all your food and you will have to go to jail because it’s unlikely they are accredited coxes. Anyway by all accounts the food in jail is worse than the men’s crew’s cooking….think blended.
The format will be 3 x 350 m and then finals followed by brunch.
As alluded to, it is catered by the men’s squad! Think beer and cheesy noodles (cheese and 2 minute noodles), hopefully they have ordered pizza the night before and not eaten it all (or had it for brekkie) and they will bring that, don’t eat the one with the prawns on it as it’s unlikely it made it to the fridge over night.
If you’re going to Sydders you’d better rock up as the plan is to have rowers race in the crews that they are training in for Sydney and this is a last chance at race practice.
Fundraising
Chocolate orders are due this week! Maybe even today. Drop them off at the club in the black secretary box or to Karen, Karin, Susie or Rochelle. Fundraising is the responsibility of each club member and it is the ONLY way we can upgrade fleet. Like the new tub four coxless quad and eight that we acquired this year. These boats cost together more than 33k. To the money bags that suggested raising the club membership fees, that’s why we have the option of donating cash if you don’t like flogging or eating chocolates. Personally I’ll sell them to my postman’s diabetic Nanna to save my hard earned rowing PA’s salary and it gives me a chance to put those funds towards Gatorade, print cartridges and a cross backed sports bra to ensure my back looks less like a kitten playing with a ball of string and does not distract 2 and 1 from our winning endeavors.
Last year you may remember the male members of RRC sold in total 1 strawberry freddo, and I think that was to Simon (man not boat as the boat wouldn’t buy a thing) as two would have put him over his calorie quota for the week. This year they have laid down the gauntlet and no I am not talking about Mrs Gauntlet my grade 2 teacher, I am fairly sure they have set the solid (excuse the double meaning here) respectable female chocolate sales people a challenge.
Basically if the soon to be heavy and pimply boys manage to sell more chocolates than the girls we have to buy each of them a drink at presentation night. If the girls sell more they will buy each of us a drink at presentation night. Sounds easy, personally I could eat chocolate for Australia and can vouch for the rest of the B team, hell I just ate 3 frogs while I was writing that sentence. The trick is, when you feel ill, just have some water and you’ll find you can keep on eating, also it’s cheaper and quicker and less messy than cooking a meal, something for those of us with families to keep in mind, and how happy would your kids be! And it’s not like they would lose weight. Also I have a feeling the boys drink beer, where as girls, ta daaa, expensive drink tastes. So don’t let me down gang. Click on Simon (man not boat’s article below and in that you can click again (it’s like a game!)) and you can order your choccies.
http://wp.me/pzFWD-7Z
Sydders
I have been spending a bit of time pretending to clean the BBQ out the front to disguise my obvious perving of the men’s 8, and no not the Melbourne men’s 8, no not the Mercantile Men’s 8, not Powerhouse (well it’s not like I turn the other way) but our very own men’s 8. They obviously figured they might as well row hard as their name was on the board and they seem to owe their coach about a slab in late fees. Anyway it’s working. The men’s eight is looking like a sure thing and improving by the day in preparation for the NSW club championships regatta in Sydney.
Crews are in the final throws of selection and Richmond will have a team of 25 people representing the club at the regatta….A team which we can use to play a small round robin in netball with 2 refs and 3 subs after….
Katie Gray
PA to Nicole Stupka or PANS (formally PA to JK who is now living in Sydney working on becoming DR JK aka PADRJK)
'So come on boys pull your weight and fundraise'
‘So come on boys pull your weight and fundraise’
These are the immortal words of the RRC Head of Rowing and what we believe to be a challenge to the Men of Richmond to beat the girls in the latest fundraising drive at the club – Selling Chocolates.
This is good, we men like a challenge so here it is:
Given that males make up 40% of the Richmond (RC) population, the challenge is that we will raise more than 40% of the monies received from the chocolate fundraiser.
If we, the Men of Richmond succeed, the girls have to shout each of the boys a drink of their choice at the forthcoming (June) presentation night. If we lose, then the boys have to reciprocate the deal.
To track progress of the challenge the organisers of the chocolate drive have to provide updates on the blog on where we are at in terms of the money raised for the chocolate drive.
The catch is that orders for the chocolates have to be in by today (24 March) and you have to have sold your last box of chocolates and money deposited to RRC by the first week of May.
To order your chocolates you need to click on the link and indicate how many boxes you would like to sell.
Of course the challenge has to be accepted by the girls. The final terms of the challenge are up for negotiation but any amendments must be agreed by both parties via the blog by 5pm today (24 March).
Richmond to christen two new boats
In 2009 RRC added two new boats to its fleet – a Regulation ‘Tub’ Four and Coxless Quad (which was actually purchased in 2008, however required repairs). These categories of boat class provide us with the ability to cater for the breadth of rowers that RRC now has from those starting out in the sport and others whom are now hitting ‘masters’ age and needing coxless boats to compete in.
It is with great pleasure that I am now able to inform all members of the names for the two boats:
Justin Thomas – Tub Four
Roberto Perillo – Coxless Quad
Justin Thomas
For many current members Justin was perhaps the first person they spoke to or certainly had as a coach, through his management of the Development Squad and Learn to Row over the last few years. Justin has been a member at RRC for six years, spending two of those as Vice-President. Justin has definitely been one of the key people behind keeping the Development Squad going, with the help of many other dedicated coaches. This season our numbers in the DS are really strong and we look to have another large contingent join us soon with the start of our next Learn to Row course in April. While Justin’s sense of humour is not every ones taste, I know him to be forever interested in the growth of those in the DS, flexible, accommodating and willing to give a hand wherever it is needed.
Roberto Perillo
Roberto is keeping a lower profile at RRC these days, choosing to row a little closer to home on the Maribyrnong. Roberto joined Richmond in 1990 and has maintained a healthy obsession of the sport – rowing out of not one but three sheds, with memberships at both Essendon and Mercantile Rowing Clubs. Roberto, a Life Member, has fulfilled the role of Captain for three years and coach of numerous masters crews. Despite Roberto’s efforts off the water he’s no slouch when he gets in boat, being a competitive Masters rower both on home turf in Victoria, nationally and has also competed at the last two World Masters Games in Canada and Australia. Roberto, among others, was one of the key members to get this vessel – also fondly known as ‘Minute-2-Midnight’ due to the round the clock work that went into getting it river ready. Like Justin, Roberto has a keen love of rowing and all that comes with it.
Another thing both these members have in common is their voluntary contribution to RRC over the years, providing many people with the opportunity to enjoy rowing. RRC is fortunate to have a strong ethos of volunteering throughout the club and prides itself on being a community sporting club through making rowing accessible to all. The club would not survive without the support and commitment from members that give their time to coach and cox crews, keep the fleet on the water, manage facilities, conduct fundraising activities, support and instigate social events and many other behind the scene activities.
Congratulations Roberto and Justin – and thank you
Richmond Brings in the Big Bucks
On Saturday 20 March the RRC hall was full of budding trivia nuts all wanting to take out the brainiest rower award and look after ‘Wiki the Wombat’ (mascot) until the next battle of the brains in 2011. With 69 people jostling for position and Justin Thomas as Quiz Master, it was going to be a tough evening.
The quiz night, also known as the ‘fleet fundraiser’, was the first of the 2010 fundraising initiatives for RRC and as the title would suggest was all about raising money to help fund equipment purchases. Last year the club was able to buy a new Tub Four with the money raised through the quiz night and plenty of chocolates sales. This was a welcome addition to the fleet and used across all squads and in particular the development squad, who have already picked up some wins and close seconds in it.
The small organising committee, comprising Justin Thomas and Emma Catford, set their ‘stretch target’, for both participants and money raised, only to be blown away on both counts on the night. A total of $5,499 was raised through a combination of entry fees, auction items and a few games – this is almost $2000 more than what we achieved in 2009. A pretty staggering amount for what was also a fun social evening too.
Justin prepared 5 rounds of questions, testing both right and left brain and well as general capacity for retaining info from trashy magazines; and with only one yellow card issued for the night he had the crowd well under control. The wooden spoon after a few attempts to award it to other teams was won by Oarstentatious who also won best decorated table – by a mile.
Although they lucked out on the trivia questions their physical prowess didn’t let them down with both winners of the physical challenge coming from that table. David Hepworth beat his younger competitors by pumping out 45 push-ups and Deb (who also won last year) held a brace position for 4.17mins, knocking out 8 other women to take the honours’. The prize for best team name went to the ‘Unlikely Suspects’, however the full glory all went to Sunglasses@Night who snuck into 1st place, by half a point, ahead of the ‘Dennis has bony girl arms’ team.
Special thanks goes to all those that donated items for the auction, in particular Sally Allen for putting up the use of her Eco-Friendly Lodge in Gippsland which went for $900; and ‘Chef’ Shirley who offered her services to cook a spectacular meal for 10 people – this fetched $500.
Big cheer also for Mieke for doing much of the behind the scenes work both before and on the day, Justin for all the questions and hosting the evening, Jim for taking the place as Auctioneer, Rachael and Sally for marking the quiz, Yarra Yarra for lending us the tables and to all those that moved them up and down boathouse drive.
So I hear you saying what’s next? Similar to last year the club is also running a Chocolate Drive which is being coordinated by Susie, Karen, Rosie and Rochelle. Order forms can be picked up at the club and need to be completed and returned by next Wednesday – 24 March. The chocolates will arrive the following week and can be picked up from the club.
The next RRC social event and celebration of achievements will be in June for the end of season presentation night. More details regarding the event, including cost and venue, will follow shortly.
Well done tigers
Gray Matters back in the swing
Hi Rowers,
Well have I been busy (getting married).
First of all we had the Winter Olympics and Nicole had me up all night each night recording the Australian team to assess and monitor with the aim of recruiting, full thighed people for rowing in the warmer months to increase our chances of regatta wins and save us from having to provide our bling hungry members with medals for attendance and adhering to dress code.
I also had to scan the crowd for Martin’s childhood friends and report back on their levels of baldness and podginess. A very exhausting XXI Olympiad or extra extra tiring Olympics for poor old PANS. To top this off I had to go to Wagga for the World Rowing PA Olympiad Games (fortunately nice and handy this year, not in Ghana as per 09) where I competed in events such as boss’s Zootie care, PA who had secured most attractive delivery drivers, PA who had purchased the most amount of alcohol for the least amount of money, A stop the clock event – Fixing your own photocopier, and a new event, a fashion parade with items of clothing collected from your team’s river.
Thanks to my intense preparation I was able to take out Gold in Zootie Care, Platinum in Delivery Drivers (we have 14 and a lifetime supply of biscuits, toilet paper, cat food, dishwater tablets and curtain rods), lost out completely to Corowa, Barwon, and the Alco’s from Nagambie and Hamilton as it had not occurred to me to use cleaning products in the Christmas punch.
The nerds from Melbourne took out the photocopier event, though one more kick and mine would have gotten going, the fashion parade was fantastic, I must say I looked (if not smelt) fantastic. Again Gold.
So anyway, Simon (man not boat just stopped in) needed me to let out the waist on his zootie, he pointed out to me that we have some regatta’s coming up.
REGATTA’s
That’s what we’re all about.
Sydney – 10/11 April – Seems to be some rowing happening there, and let’s face it will be warmer than down here, they have more shops though you will need to take your camel pack to the bars or face ordering drinks you have never heard of ad forgoing any necessary dental procedures for the next 10 years as you won’t have the cash. Because its’ so far away we should be in with an excellent chance for an early morning too :o)
Training has begun and the men’s crews are going like steam trains. Sign up now by sending Simon an email ([email protected]).
Footscray this weekend (lock your car and don’t talk football)
Finally the Mildura Easter regatta is on again – if we can have at least four rowers of a single sex interested in going. Nicole will make sure you have boats to row and coxes to steer. Let your coaches know asap. We all know the Easter Bunny lives in Northern Victoria, so it’s the best time of year to visit, nothing like an Easter egg with some Mildura almonds and oranges before a regatta.
CASHOLA
We’re doing lots of fundraising for our new fleet (sounds like a lot but it’s probably only one boat, but hey you can only row one at a time) … Stay tuned for an announcement of a shiny New acquisition to the RRC fleet. Think of how much Orlando would like a new brother or sister. (Last year thanks to fundraising, and the B team going up 3 dress sizes from very successful chocolate purchases err sales we managed to acquire Orlando, sculling oars and double riggers).
Contribute by coming to our Trivia night – this Saturday, bring friends! Entry $20 and there will be an auction and prizes for best decorated table. If decorating table bring food or your fishing rod (and has anyone even seen those guys catch anything, maybe one of those scary bluebottle things might taste better than it looks)! The function is BYO.
Or contribute by eating and selling Chocolates – easy!! order forms are available at the club. Sell lots of chocolates to your co-workers! Forms are due back on March 24th to your coaches or black secretary mailbox. Susie, Rochelle, Karen, Karin are running this with Jo consulting 🙂
Or if you’re scared or the dark, don’t know a thing and are on a diet, then contribute via the Australian sports foundation (ASF) fleet fund – get a form from the club and make a tax deductible donation. It’s a form and you give cash.
Otherwise we’ll make you row the Bob Stanley, or the one that looks like a floating cubby house.
From Friday night, Australian Sports Foundation Fleet Donation order forms are available at the club, near the black secretary’s mailbox.
To drum it in, ok, read carefully penny pinchers here are some cold hard facts about the ruthless rowing world. One of the reasons that fleet fundraising is so crucial this year, is that marine safety regulations are changing and with that the standards for boat buoyancy. We and the rest of the rowing clubs in Victoria do not know what this means for our fleet, but most of our older boats are non-compliant and may not be rowable. So, there is a big push to get new fleet into the Shed that does meet these safety regulation. Or you’ll be on an ergo tied to a raft, wearing floaties and a helmet with Justin cycling along the bank ready to rescue you.
CAMP
Camp was a blast…good food and great crews…thanks Mike and Nicole for organising. Had almost 50 rowers down training for masters Sydney or personal improvement. The star of camp was Mike Numa who catered on awesome lasagne dinner on fri and breakfast and lunch on sat.
Rumour has it that Mike may be organising a regular Thursday night pasta night catered by the RRC single guys – so everyone offer your support and encouragement of this worthy institution.
TUBBY GRAY
PANT (PA to Nicoles Tudka, previously PA to JK until she was transferred to the Sydney North Oar Rowing Team and now makes the lives of the SNORT’s a living hell up there)
Wiki the Wombat
The fleet fund-raiser night is just days away but who’ll be there and who will win the various prizes?
Sally Allen will be bringing a large party who will be looking to defend their best decorated table title but Tamara’s team have sent me a ‘text of intent’ on this issue. The funniest name competition is fairly open but this year Jim Cooper will be amongst us; Jim is a former scribe and currently makes his money as a corporate apologist and has some talent in creative composition.
The main prize for winning the quiz will be a bit different this year.
Inspired (if that is the correct word) by the infamous toilet seat prize at the Mildura inter-club talent competition, Emma commissioned me to find a suitable prize that can be presented to the winners each year at the quiz. What the prize was up to me but given the event is a fund-raiser it had to fulfil a crucial criterion, it had to be cheap. As it is I decided to purchase Wiki the wombat out of my own cash starved wallet but the prize will be there, the winners will look after Wiki for a year, but who will they be?
Last year Derek Begg captained a UN team of Aussies, Canadians and the club’s only Swede to a tremendous victory. Before the quiz I suggested to Derek that his team might be undermanned but his response was short and accurate “We are not many, but we are enough” or something slightly less dramatic.
But this year could be different, there are some new kids on the block, there will be half a dozen Phds in the house, three architects, three lawyers, two vets and enough IT geeks to re-launch Microsoft. Katie Kandalaars with her fellow DS girls will be there and will certainly be looking to get one over the DS men, or as they are popularly titled “Franzi’s boys”.
Franzi herself was missing last year along with her old buddy Julia due to a mysterious problem with their car. Derek’s team members have never denied sabotaging it, probably because no one has ever asked them if they did. Will their presence this year alter they outcome?
To quote one of my heroes, Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris, “We shall see”.
Justin Thomas
Gray Matters walks down the track
Last Saturday, Katie Gray (PANT, PA to Nicole’s Tudka, formerly PA to JK, Rowing Victoria Personal Assistant of the Year, 2008 and silver medallist in the Executive Director Support Category at the National Rowing Club Personal Assistant Awards, NRCPAA, 2008) got married. Katie and Ed Goodchild married on their property in the Yarra Valley, which many RRC members may be familiar with if subtle hints of weekend working bees were realised.
It was a fairly standard wedding really. The bride was covered in dirt until about 4 hours before the ceremony (by some estimates), chickens were squawking around everyone’s feet and despite suggestions she would arrive on horseback, the bride arrived in the old 4×4 (you may have seen it towing the RRC trailer up the Hume), no doubt driving, as apparently she’s the only one who can drive that thing.
Katie’s dress was stunning. Off-white (she swears she was wearing yellow and black underwear), long enough to cover the zootie tan across her mid thigh and perfectly cut to show off her lats in full glory, Katie was proof to rowers everywhere that beauty is still possible for those who pull an oar.
Ed was looking sharp. Manual labour and brisk walks after dinner had led to some weight loss, and a subtle suggestion from Katie three days earlier (“why are you building hurdles when you don’t have a suit yet?”), meant he scrubbed up extremely well on the big day. Might I also add that the look of pure joy on his face throughout the day certainly added to the picture.
The ceremony itself took place under the tree near the greenhouse, with an outdoor piano playing some lovely tunes.
During the brief and delicious break between the ceremony and reception, Katie’s fellow B team members Sharon, Sarah, Joe and ring-in JK were in fine form. Practicing their camera poses (following a fat disaster at the previous B team wedding, Sharon’s), it was decided that Joe “had it” and JK “did not”. Nevertheless, JK found the one photo in 20 where she looked less fat than at Sharon’s wedding and sent it to Simon (man not boat), who had recently reverted to calling her “porker” like he used to, before she ran away from town.
Meanwhile, Sarah horrified Joe, but entertained the rest of us, with her ignorance regarding the events of the following morning’s BRW triathlon. “Umm… swim,… run,… ride?” and “You mean all three of us have to do all three events?!”. For concerned readers out there, do not worry. Sarah lived to tell the tale and apparently she now wants to run a marathon. Let’s hold her to this everyone.
The reception took place in the arena, under an impressive marquee. Katie’s brother, James, (think Katie, but taller, with shorter hair) flew in from the UK with his two-week-old baby to emcee the evening and much to the guests’ delight, Cunliffe & Waters catered the event. “Potato salad (eggy, bacony, creamy) the way it should be” featured on the menu alongside rare breed pig, oysters and steak. There was also a “Potato salad (vegan)”, presumably for those other guests whom we didn’t know how to talk to.
Readers of Katie’s weekly blog may have assumed by now that Katie was no blushing bride. Too right. In fact, one of the tables had placed bets as to whose speech would go for longer, Katie’s or Ed’s. You don’t need to look at Katie’s rowing history to know she’s a winner. She took the show, which she decided was her consolation “for being cheated at the Masters Rowing States last year by the starter, being beaten in the D grade netball grand final by a bunch of 13 year-olds driven there by their parents and for Isaac’s fear of the low hurdles, not the high ones, leading to a poor placing in a recent horse comp…..” (think of her e-mails, but aloud, and longer).
The B team were sharing a table with half Ed’s soccer team, who seemed transfixed every time Joe spoke. Observers were unable to confirm whether it was the stunning red dress she was wearing, or the fact that she piled her plate so high with food it nearly toppled over, then preceded to eat it all, followed by two desserts, all whilst barely taking a breath, that led the boys to such awe.
Sharon, just returned from a luxurious honeymoon cruise, looked as stunning as ever despite two weeks of constant gourmet food and only a boat to run around. Delighted to not be the centre of attention anymore following her own wedding just last month, Sharon kept a low profile (dance floor excluded) but managed to impress many ladies with the size of her heels, retrieved from manbag Graham for photos only.
Chief bridesmaid Sandra Mayes (Hore), stole the show with a speech about the time her and her husband, Aaron had gone on an overnight hike with Katie and Ed. In summary, Ed is the perfect man to take camping with you. He will ignore your attempts to educate him and thus will happily carry a frozen leg of lamb and 6-pack of beers on a 20km hike, then share it all with you whilst you bemoan your sensible-but-uninspiring choice of 2 minute noodles and tuna.
Speeches, as always, reveal many facts. Apparently, on weekends, Ed goes to the bakery and brings Katie back croissants and maybe makes her a cappuccino and brings it all to her in bed, if memory serves me correctly. Lads, I think you can all learn something from this.
After much laughter and partying, but only a little bit of sleeping, Sarah and Joe got up at 4am to drive back to Melbourne for the BRW triathlon. Hardcore. I think some of Katie’s non-rowing friends may still have been dancing. The rest of us woke up just in time for bacon and eggs before checking out of our beautiful rented homestead, then headed back to Katie and Ed’s for croissants.
All in all, it was a beautiful wedding. Ed’s best man, all the way out from the UK commented that he had “never seen Ed look happier” and Katie was, as always, a delight. The welcoming couple that they are, Katie and Ed encouraged us all to come down and visit them on their property in the Yarra Valley. So go and visit them sometime. You will be most welcomed to enjoy the farm. With a shovel in hand.
Jenny Kozlovski (aka JK)
Essendon Sprint Regatta and the Tigers on song
Essendon, the watery turf of the Bombers was overwhelmed on the weekend. 350 meter sprint races here we come!
The sprints didn’t just start on the water. The sprint for most of the Richmond crews contesting the morning bracket commenced trying to get boats launched in time. The landing was over run by Kowora school girls, who must have had three trailers bringing their boats. Around ten quads in the first 5 events…ouch.
So now we know how it feels to miss a start. But we were ready to make a better impression on the starters for our B Grade race, arriving so early we were in the way of everyone. We came a satisfactory 2nd to Melbourne in our heat.
The D4+ with Karen Doggett, Rochelle Stokes, Susie Ballantyne and stroke Sophie Robinson were out to kill. Nicole equipped us with a light-weight cox from Kowora and we blitz our heat. Nicole then equipped us with another light weight cox from Powerhouse and we fought hard to take out the sprint honors. Although we were described as ‘cruising’ the first half, our cox remembers the call sign ‘hammer’ and hammer we did, flying past Essendon and Hamilton to win the bling.
Making their sprint debut were our new rowing recruits and as you do…they received their first taste of being blasted by Vic rowing officals at the start line and held it together making a very credible first up appearance in the Richmond colours.
Well done to Helen Rayner, Meredith Walker, Melinda Brenker and stroked by the experienced Christine Kaissidis cox and coach Nick Kaissidis, who made it to the C Final for the D4+ after being unceremoniously cut off at the start and also Katie Kandelaars, Lynette May, Sue Powell and Kathryn Macrow (coached by Justin Thomas) who made the B Final in the D4+. How awesome to make the B Final…..must have been Nicole’s tips prior to their race. When we leaned in to see if we can steal some essential coaching tips from Nicole, we we’re given coaching wisdom which should be written into rowing scripture 1. Hammer 2.Spew 3. Win. Susie certainly didn’t let us down with the 2nd.
Martin – Hammered on in the first and final A grade scull. Close in the end but not close enough….second. Martin ticked all the boxes – fast, fast, fast – no vomiting witnessed. Martin also teamed up with Dennis Beck, Matt Lane and Mike O’Neil in the B Quad scull to finish….second.
The C grade four consisting of Dave Micallef, Barry Campbell, Jonathon Downie and Jim Cooper unleashed the animal in them after a bit of banter was thrown their way at the start line by rivals Powerhouse about the age of their wooden boat (and the stroke). The crew almost pulled off a big upset going down by a mere 6 inches or 15 centimeters for those who don’t remember wooden boats.
The men’s D4+ also did a sterling job. Barry just couldn’t get enough of the sweep rowing on the weekend as he jumped in with Riofrio, Charlie and Gareth to tear up the 350 course.
Where’s Barry ?– there he was again in the D grade tub single – a respectable row being the only competitor not in a racing shell and kindly not making the final so we could pack up early, rig and be home by a very reasonable time that evening.
If I’ve missed anyone’s races I cannot be blamed…Yering station had wine tasting and many $$’s and sips later, the races seemed to blend.
Thanks to the awesome Charlie and Barry our trailer brothers, Martin and Nicole for being our Regatta Bro’s and coordinators, Simon for dropping in with kids hanging from his front and back to cheer us on and all the tigers who competed.
Rochelle Stokes