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Vale Roderick Stewart

Richmond Rowing Club Life Member Roderick Stewart died on March 28, 2022, aged 97. Rod’s long association with the club began when he joined as a junior member in October 1941. Notably, his membership was deferred in 1942 when he enlisted in the RAAF and resumed after his service in WW2.  

With valuable accounting experience Rod served for many years as auditor for the club and he was a committee member for many years, serving as Vice President from 1975-77. He was awarded life membership in 1996.

Rod enjoyed a great deal of on water success, with multiple regatta wins in the 1940’s and 1950’s: he coached others at Richmond during these years as well. He won multiple club awards, including the hotly contested club time trials, and was Male Rower of the Year on two occasions. 

In later years Rod rowed a tub pair with his good friend Bob Stanley, and as age took its toll and the bodies grew weary these two continued to erg together every Sunday morning up until just a few years ago. Not to register splits or calculate watts, but to enjoy the activity, the buzz of the club and each other. Rod’s time at Richmond is remembered not just for his many years of service and representation, but lifelong connection and friendships.

Member tribute assembled by Kathy Macrow. Collage by
Wan-ling Emptage.
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2022 Geelong Masters Regatta

6 first, 3 second, 5 third place entries from 16 entries

Results

first
XM4x+ M.Joy, E.Miles, P.Munson, A.Randall, Cox: K.Dyball 3:24.47
MM4+ D.Wilson [BANKS], J.Mitchell [BANKS], P.Anderson [BANKS], R.Dennis [RCHMD], Cox: C.Lawrence [BANKS] 5:31.77
FM4x+ H.Doherty-McMillan, W.Emptage, S.Mullner, E.Miles, Cox: C.Crouser 4:54.66
FM2x G.Goss, H.Pearce 4:22.55
MM4+ D.Wilson [BANKS], J.Mitchell [BANKS], P.Anderson [BANKS], R.Dennis [RCHMD], Cox: C.Lawrence [BANKS] 5:12.71
FM4x- J.Bant [MUBC], P.Whiting [MUBC], L.Phillips [MELB], G.Goss [RCHMD] 4:26.79
second
FM4+ C.Crouser, H.Pearce, D.Hill, G.Goss, Cox: M.Joy 4:42.86
MM4x+ R.Healy, P.Munson, J.Roberts, A.Randall, Cox: W.Emptage 4:11.93
FM4x- C.Crouser, W.Emptage, H.Pearce, D.Hill 4:43.76
third
XM4x+ J.Roberts, R.Healy, S.Mullner, A.Amos, Cox: W.Emptage 3:42.35
XM2x G.Goss, R.Healy ntt
FM8+ V.Dowell [MELB], J.Williams [MELB], R.McIntyre [MELB], J.Hall [YARRA], V.Mohr [MELB], C.Howgate [MELB], L.Partridge [MELB], K.Morrison [MELB], Cox: A.Amos [RCHMD] 5:03.47
FM4x+ H.Doherty-McMillan, M.Joy, S.Mullner, E.Miles, Cox: D.Henry 5:07.32
XM4x- C.Crouser, P.Munson, A.Randall, M.Joy 4:17.75

Congratulations to Hannah Doherty-McMillan who competed in her first regatta, and thanks to Sue-Virginia for BROing, as well as Phil Munson for towing the trailer.

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2022 Footscray Saltwater Regatta

7 first, 5 second, 1 third, from 19 entries

Results

first
MM4x+ J.Carey, J.Roberts, R.Healy, K.Begelhole, Cox: C.Sullivan
MM4x- P.Oborin, J.Hellerstedt, M.Gehling, D.Beck
FB4x+ L.Innes-Irons, H.Pearce, C.Crouser, G.Goss, Cox: S.Houghton
MB2x B.Wardle, I.Balemi
MC2- B.Wardle, I.Balemi
FB2x G.Goss, H.Pearce
MC2x B.Wardle, I.Balemi
second
MB8+ P.Oborin, J.Hellerstedt, J.Roberts, M.Gehling, I.Balemi, B.Wardle, J.Carey, D.Beck cox: S.Houghton
FM4x+ C.Sullivan, P.Burgess, C.Masters, S.Timmins, Cox: S.Houghton
FB2x L.Innes-Irons, C.Crouser
MB4x+ P.Oborin, J.Hellerstedt, M.Gehling, D.Beck, Cox: C.Sullivan
X8+ C.Crouser, L.Innes-Irons, J.Carey, R.Skelton, R.Healy, J.Roberts, H.Pearce, G.Goss, Cox: S.Houghton
third
FC4x+ S.Timmins, P.Burgess, C.Masters, W.Emptage, Cox: C.Sullivan

Couldn’t have asked for a better day to race out west- with both snags in bread & hot dogs in a bun on offer at the fabulous Footscray City balcony bbq.

It was well and truly a regatta dog summit, glad to see Nyxie & Basil hitting it off.

1430 MB4x+ heat was hard rowing but stayed out front of the Essendon crew to get into the final.  Essendon’s A boat in the other heat looking extremely handy, and in fact pulled away by a boat length in the final, on their way to nationals next weekend.

Some notables were Cynthia’s first regatta for Richmond, and Ben & Isaac with the small boat sweep.

Thanks to Captain Kim B for the early morning and heaps of towing the trailer through traffic, and Leigh Sullivan for BROing in the morning.

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2022 State Championships: Ballarat

We sent 32 athletes rowing in 21 events achieving 7 first, 3 second, and 2 third place finishes.

Results

first
FO2x/ K. Dyball, M. Joy 8:15.45
FClub4x/ Z. Maxwell, K. Doggett, M. Joy, K. Dyball 7:57.52
MC8+/ K.Wong, L.Mckee, A.Pupko, T.Gruner, R.Healy, A.Reid, C.Moechyi, R.Skelton, Cox: P.Tran 3:38.89
FB4x+/ C.Crouser, K.Fergie, H.Pearce, G.Goss, Cox: M.Joy 4:11.96
FC2x/ J.Huang, W.Emptage 4:41.41
MB8+/ P.Oborin, J.Hellerstedt, J.Roberts, M.Gehling, I.Balemi, B.Wardle, J.Carey, A.Randall, Cox: D.Begg 3:28.11
FA4x+/ Z.Maxwell, K.Doggett, M.Joy, K.Dyball, Cox: C.Crouser 4:05.14

second
MB4+/ J.Roberts, A.Randall, J.Carey, D.Beck, Cox: D.Begg 3:59.87
MC4x+/ R.Skelton, L.Mckee, A.Pupko, R.Healy, Cox: K.Howard 4:16.18
FC1x/ J. Huang 4:30.7

third
MC1x/ K. Wong 4:52.14
FB2x/ H. Pearce, K. Fergie 4:31.04

Thanks for Captain Kim’s calm management of the trailer loading & towing, as well as Amy C.’s BROing on Sunday & intimidatingly fresh ‘gram game at the finish line.

Some thoughts from Sunday:

Cold, windy, constant threat of rain

8am
Arrive to find out they’ve already cancelled the master’s qualifying races, conditions on the lake that make you want to get back in the car and drive home.

Get the boats down nevertheless.

9am/ 1050am
MB2x was a smart row in the heat but couldn’t put it together in the final.

The feeling of trailer inadequacy when walking by the six burner dedicated flattop camp kitchen pumping out eggs&bacon. Vow to investigate turning the RRC trailer into a lifestyle road train.

Decent dirty burger from the caravan but not enough colour on the chips.

MC8+ set the stage by nearly getting open water on Hawthorn with a decisive 7s victory.

1354
MB8+ rowed like it trained. Perfect heterogeneous mix of nervous energy and calm execution of familiar patterns. Fast, brutal start to stay with the schoolboys and then hold on and lay down power to pull away and keep pulling away for a first by five seconds over Gippsland Grammar.

1514
Quick turnaround to the MB4x+ heat, staying smart and third in the cluster to get into what was looking to be an extremely fast final.

1630
No one coming off the water in small boats had anything fun to report, and tents were starting to turn into tumbleweeds.

The ominous “racing paused for 30 minutes” followed through with the cancellation of the remainder of the regatta.

Decent amount of podium potential unrowed for Richmond.

1900 boats washed and back in the shed in 69 minutes. JH, PO, GG, KD, MJ, KB, IB, JC, AH

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2022 Henley Regatta

It was a perfect day to amble down to the shed for some hard-fought racing at this year’s Henley on the Yarra.

It was truly a team effort, with the first Richmond eight forcing Yarra Yarra down the course with a 2.3s margin so the second eight could fend them off to get to the final with a comfortable 6s margin.

Haileybury had more in the tank coming under Swan street, staying ahead to win the MB8+ final by 2s.

With 22 entries in the MB4x+, it was a time trial mental game for the two RRC crews with 5th and 7th place finishes, missing that that 4th place cutoff into the semi’s by an aching 0.35 seconds.

Our crews on the day:
MB8+
A.Randall, W.Golding, B.Wardle, I.Balemi, M.Gehling, J.Roberts, J.Hellerstedt, P.Oborin, Cox: D.Begg
K.Wong, L.Mckee, A.Pupko, T.Gruner, R.Healy, R.Skelton, C.Moechyi, D.Beck, Cox: K.Howard
MB4x+
P.Oborin, J.Hellerstedt, M.Gehling, D.Beck, Cox: D.Begg
A.Pupko, T.Gruner, I.Balemi, B.Wardle, Cox: K.Howard

Ray Dennis broke new ground in his Banks/RRC composite K-grade eight averaging 84.4 years winning the MM8+ by a healthy 9.8s margin.

Particular thanks to Alex Kinsman for volunteering to support the regatta event on behalf of RRC.

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Boat naming ceremony for the Kathy Macrow & the Derek Begg

On 24/2/22 we formalised two new members of our fleet.

Our new Sykes 4/x+ has been formally christened the Kathy Macrow, for our current treasurer and long-serving committee member who has been a member since 2009. In addition to all her high-level administration for the club, she runs the Tiger social rowing program, a key cornerstone of our goal to make rowing accessible to a broad spectrum of commitment levels and ability.

Hail, Poseidon,
Holder of the Earth
dark-haired lord
O blessed one
be kindly in heart and help those who voyage in ships!

Let it be known
From this day hence
This boat of ours
Is properly named
The Kathy Macrow

The Captain

We doubled down on our off-cycle opportunistic purchase by de-naming the TBFKDB, to christen our new Empacher 8+ (‘The Glendalough’) the Derek Begg. A member since 2004, Derek has served in many capacities on & especially off the committee, and is presently coaching & coxing for the men in their ’21-’22 seasonal incarnation as a big boat squad.

Lifetime member Dennis Beck (left) introducing Derek (middle) with John Carey (right) listening intently.

Across the faraway ocean
Across the faraway sea
Across the land
And across the waters
Poseidon, hear my plea

Divine ruler heed my call
Answer me true
In the light of day
Or in the dark of night
Lend me your strength
Your power
And your will to fight

Let it be known
From this day hence
The boat that was
The Derek Begg
Shall no longer hold this name

Let it be known
From this day hence
This is the boat
That shall carry that name

The Captain
Derek after coxing the MB8+ to victory at state champs in Ballarat
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2022 Nagambie Regatta

Nagambie was hot, dusty & sunny, with a peak temperature of 34 on the day, reinforced by the interminably long lunch break before the last gasp of racing Sunday arvo.

So glad to see the homemade brownies & relish at the Ezy Oar cafe, with burgers clearly the crowd favourite being completely sold out by 1pm.

We sent 32 athletes to row 22 events, with 8 first, 5 second, and 3 third place finishes.

Results

This was the inaugural racing (rowing!) in the newly acquired Kathy Macrow 4/x+, thanks to Lily I-I for the emergency field christening prosecco.

Race of the regatta?

Men’s B quad a candidate, battle paddling Barwon inside of 2 metres all the way down the course. Barwon were quite annoyed to be beaten by a canvas by not only RRC in first but a ‘fast finishing’ 14yo crew from Gippsland Grammar in second, looking at RRC the other side of the line with a “how old do you think we are?”: unclear who envied whom for what while coughing up a lung at the finish line. Look out States!!

Thanks Alex Reid for stepping up to BRO in the afternoon.

Barry closed his eyes and compass navigated the trailer on backroads back to the shed. Unloaded before 1945.

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2022 Wendouree Ballarat regatta

6/2/2022 Sunday saw some classic Wendouree conditions, wind like a hammer coming out of the reeds giving way to comically glassy water in the arvo.

26 athletes rowing 23 events, 7 firsts, 4 second, 2 third place finishes.

Saturday Club results

Sunday results

Thanks to Sue-Virginia for driving up and holding down the RRC BRO, and the course map pictures from inside the BRO nerve centre.

Kim B for the surprise trip to Footscray to park the trailer, the drive everyone wants to do late Sunday night after a long day of racing.

Unloaded & re-sectioned the two eights in 90 minutes.

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2022 Rutherglen regatta

We sent a tight contingent of 14 athletes to the 156th annual Rutherglen regatta on Lake Moodemere. Great to be back up to the border after being locked away behind the ring of steel for so long.

The lamb shanks were the clear winner on Friday at the Telegraph Hotel Chiltern, and it was great to see Caffeine n Machine slinging ‘spro before 630am on the Sunday for the sunrise racing!

With spectacularly intense thunderstorms late Friday night, we were glad to see our late arriving rowers make the drive up safely. Over the weekend the lake was absolutely full, and it was a far cry from the dust bowl of yesteryear, with persistent mud at the trailers showing no sign of drying out at the end of the weekend despite the 30+ peak temperatures each day.

Alex Huang and Wan-ling Emptage heading out for their doubles race Saturday

Results

We amassed 7 first, 4 second, 8 third place finishes with that Rutherglen famous lack of repêchage.

Saturday 800m results

first place
MC1x / Michael Gehling
MC4x+ / Hellerstedt, Gehling, Wardle, Beck, cox: Emptage
FM4x+ / Dudczig, Fergie, Pearce, Goss, cox: Huang
FM2x / Fergie, Pearce

second
MC8+ / Begelhole, Hellerstedt, Reid, Pupko, Gehling, Wardle, Randall, Beck, cox: Dudczig
FM4+ / Richardson (Ess), Fergie, Pearce, Goss, cox: Emptage

third
FM1x / Gerry Goss
MM8+ (of 3) / Begelhole, Gordon, Reid, Hellerstedt, Mansfield (Yarawonga), Randall, Beck, cox: Dudczig
FM2x / Dudczig, Goss

Sunday 500m results

first
FM4x+ / Dudczig, Fergie, Pearce, Goss, cox: Hellerstedt
FM2x / Goss, Dudczig & Fergie, Pearce

second
MC1x / Hellerstedt
MC4x+ DQ / Hellerstedt, Gehling, Wardle, Beck, cox: Huang

third
MC8+ / Begelhole, Hellerstedt, Reid, Pupko, Gehling, Wardle, Randall, Beck, cox: Dudczig
FC2x / Emptage, Huang
FC1x / Alex Huang
X4x+ / Pearce, Gehling, Pupko, Fergie, cox: Hellerstedt
MB4x+ / Hellerstedt, Pupko, Wardle, Beck, cox: Emptage

the men’s eight

Big thanks to Stef Dudczig, Wan-ling Emptage & Alex Huang for the lionshare of box-free coxing! Jack Hellerstedt for some Sunday finals, and Benton Goodbrand of Argonauts, as well as friends at Essendon & Footscray RC for getting our crews down the course and around the bend.

Michael Gehling was the Richmond BRO of the regatta

Boat unloading was poetry in motion, done and dusted in 59m50s
KB, AR, BW, KF, HP, AR, SD, JH

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