Boathouse access update

Thanks to everyone for all their help this weekend with clearing out the boathouse.
As of now we do not have access to our boat bay or any of the upstairs level. If you left things in a locker they have been removed and stored in the bar and can not be claimed until we regain access in July.
Please be advised for health and safety reasons that access to the boathouse is restricted until Wednesday as the builders are setting up for demolition works. We will update you on access arrangements later this week once finalised with the builders.
Temporary changeroom and toilet facilities will be available from Wednesday at Mercantile Rowing Club, there will be four access cards, 2 for mens, 2 for womens. Please contact the captain for more information [email protected] Please note that the arrangement with Mercantile does NOT include access to lockers or usage of their gymnasium.
It is vital during this time that everyone makes sure to sign in and out in the boat log book which is located on the workbench at the rear of the MLC bay to prevent accidentally being locked out of the shed. During this time we are operating a reduced fleet all of which is located at the front of the MLC bay.
We have the Ian Taylor and the Tim Evans for eights
Don Dudgeon, DEMN and Simon Crunden for coxed quads/fours
Roberto Perrillo coxless quad
Siberian Tiger, Lucy Crunden and Rod Hendley for doubles/pairs.
Club oars will also be in the MLC bay.
For any queries please contact Barry Campbell via [email protected] or 0407551503.

Richmond Rowing Club Planning for 2014-15

Evaluate and plan
Let’s evaluate and look forward

The 2013-14 season may be officially over (don’t forget to buy your tickets now for next Saturday’s wrap up and celebration at the Kingston Hotel) but before you know it we will be frantically preparing for another blockbuster season with regattas, camps, fundraising and social events.
It’s important for us all to take the time over the Winter break to evaluate what we have done well this season, what we can improve on next season and most importantly look forward to what we would like to achieve next season. The committee is asking for your input with this and we invite you all to participate in this very quick survey to give us an overview of your thoughts. Your feedback and input is vital for the success of this process.
The results of this survey will be analysed and discussed at this years planning day which will occur on Saturday the 14th June. The venue will be the home of Geraldine Goss in Hawthorn, as our clubhouse will be undergoing major exciting improvements at this time, please contact me for the details. We would like to invite you to join us to help plan and constructively evaluate Richmond Rowing Clubs performance. If you are interested in getting more involved (perhaps standing for the committee next season) we would love to hear from you. Could you please let me know if you are able and intend to attend this day by emailing [email protected] so we have an estimate of numbers. Continue reading “Richmond Rowing Club Planning for 2014-15”

No Access to First Floor 2 June to 12 July and Working Bee 31 May & 1 June

We have just confirmed with Lloyd Group that they require exclusive access to the first floor from 2 June to 12 July.
RRC members will be able to use the changerooms at Mercantile during this time.
Works to the entrance stairs at the same time will mean that there is also no access to the RRC bay.  Many boats will be relocated and accessible for training from the MLC bay, La Trobe and other locations – our thanks to Barry for organising all this. Exact details of boats, locations and how to access them will be provided as soon as they are relocated.
We need your help to get ready for this stage of the works:

  • Please would all members remove ALL personal items from the changerooms by Friday 30 May. All remaining items will be cleared out from the changerooms at the weekend.
  • Please come and help with working bees on Saturday 31 May at 10am and Sunday 1 June at 10am.    We need help to shift boats to new homes and to remove everything from the first floor. If you usually train on the weekend, please come and help instead as we need all hands on deck!

We expect to have access again on Sunday 13 July when we can start to enjoy the refurbished upstairs area. There will be another working bee to put everything back in place – watch this space!

Redevelopment Update 20 May

The redevelopment continues to progress well. As with any building works there have been a few issues that have had to be dealt with as we go along – most noticeably a downpipe was disconnected and flooded the parquetry floor. The builders have worked to effect a temporary fix and will fix permanently as the works progress.
This couple of weeks progress is as follows:

  • Concrete pour to eastern stair followed by strip and clean.
  • Steelwork will arrive on site and installation will continue for the week.
  • Supporting formwork to first floor slab will be stripped and removed except for the formwork on the front balcony.
  • Site clean up.
  • Excavator to be removed ASAP.
  • Lift will be delivered and installed
  • Installation of roofing will commence later in the week.


APSM Regatta – Staggered starts that sound ridiculous but deliver a great finish

Albert Park South Melbourne (APSM) Regatta demonstrated to me, and probably to others, that as ridiculous as handicaps sometimes sound they often make for a great race:
Imagine sitting there as one of three mixed eights: you are enlightened to the fact that crew A has zero handicap, crew B has 9 seconds and that you have 13 seconds – now, on a 1000m course, that sounded nuts. However, with 20 metres to go all boats were neck and neck, with less than a canvas between the first and last – it was all to play for. A photo finish resulted in our crew, despite a 13 second handicap and catching a crab in the first 20 strokes, emerging victorious. A thriller to take part in from start to finish.

A selection of the victorious mixed masters eight
A selection of the victorious mixed masters eight

 
Continue reading “APSM Regatta – Staggered starts that sound ridiculous but deliver a great finish”

Success at the Australian Masters Championships 2014

Barry and Ray 2X Caroline mixed 2X Charlie and Micheal B2x Geri D8 Geri mixed 2x Karen medal in the 8 Michelle mixed 2X Racheal and Michelle Ray I8
Last weekend saw 8 competitive and determined tigers travel across the state border to South Australia to compete in the 2014 Australian Masters Rowing Championships. Our representatives were Ray Dennis, Geraldine Goss, Charlie Burke, Carolyn Manning, Barry Campbell, Michelle Joy, Michael Gehling and Karen Doggett. We may have been few in number but with friends from many other clubs in Victoria we made an illustrious team with a total of 36 entries between us. We even covered the the masters age catorgories of A (youngest, minimum age of 27) to J (average age of 80 or more). Continue reading “Success at the Australian Masters Championships 2014”

Buy your tickets now for Presentation night 2014!

It’s time to celebrate the season that was 2013-14.
It has been an amazing year at RRC with so much activity and progress both on and off the water. Remember way back at the start of the season we celebrated with our 150th gala dinner, then came the excitement and unrelenting training for Melbourne Head and HOTY and our Christmas hoe-down where we were serenaded with carols. Then the anticipation of a new year with the building work kicking off and club trips to Rutherglen, Tasmania, Ballarat and Geelong. Relive the memories from 7.30pm on Saturday 31st May at the Kingston Hotel in Richmond. We will congratulate the winners and offer thanks to all our coaches, coxes and volunteers. If you have photos, film clips or memories you want included in our season wrap up please let me know by contacting me at [email protected] Continue reading “Buy your tickets now for Presentation night 2014!”

Season Cutoff Dates: Time Trial and Regatta Points

With Presentation Night preparations well underway, the 2013-2014 season is coming to a close very soon!

Time Trial Entries

Any further times for the club’s annual time trial competition will need to be sent by email to the Head of Rowing ( [email protected] ) by 12:00 midnight on Thursday 1 May 2014.
Entries must include the names of all crew, the cox and the timekeeper/safety marshal (see below).  Any entries received after that time will count for next season.
Entries are open in the traditional categories of:

  • Women’s coxed tub four
  • Women’s coxed tub pair
  • Women’s tub single

Masters Season is here!

Saturday 29th March saw the masters season kick off at home on the Yarra River with 800m sprint races at Banks Masters Regatta.
Richmond were out in force and it was a successful sunny day in Melbourne with winning crews  from all squads represented. The list of winners is an impressive one and the men’s squad unfortunately suffered a miscommunication on the official policy of making the women’s squad look good by winning several events. They even combined together to take out the mixed eight event: Continue reading “Masters Season is here!”