Hi Team,
It’s kind of like the Emperor’s new clothes…..Next week we’ll have the Women’s Squad N*de maybe in the food court at Southbank, so tune in should be equally as exciting.
Recent statistics from the RPAA (Rowing Personal Assistant Association) show readership of my blog has for the first time slipped below the Melb Uni PA who seems to write only about Alumni dinners and bang on about their balcony, where as I on the other hand wear myself into the ground taking care of our extensive and demanding committee’s administrative duties in order to free up their faxing, pencil sharpening time which they can devote to You-Tube research to shape you guys to be world champions. I am GUTTED. All the time I have spent reminding you pansy’s about attending training and attending regattas and is it appreciated NO. It’s like Beverley Hills 90210 when everyone finally stopped watching and poor old Luke Perry went from Heart Throb to driving a Bus (maybe) or possibly doing porn.
We have a presentation night for those of you who give a d*mn we’re having a fr*ggin party. So if you’re not at an alumni dinner and you like your committee’s pencils sharpened then you had better show up.
PRESENTATION NIGHT RSVP:
If you consider yourself to be a rower or a club member, then CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:
http://rrcmen.wordpress.com/rrc-presentation/
to either accept or decline attending presentation night ASAP.
The only reason to not click on this link is if you are a boat. If you can’t go, you plan on getting maggotted and picking a fight with Justin, You plan on eating your cutlery and tablecloth and not replacing them when asked, it’s your 3 week anniversary with your new love, you are hibernating for winter with Winnie and Eeyore, then click on the link and let us know you can’t make it on this occasion. Kapeesh? If you don’t click on the link I may well find myself looking for lawn mowing jobs in Mulgrave (those massive strips down the middle of all of those massive roads).
This is important so that we know who is coming and the committee can feel happy knowing that our blogs, website and communications are being read and followed. By clicking on the link you will make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
PRESENTATION NIGHT PHOTOS:
The response has been underwhelming and the slide show is one of the fun bits of presentation night.
Because Sam didn’t get any photos and is about the nick of to Bali (maybe you were to shy to send to Sam?) – Karen Doggett has volunteered to take over the presentation night photos, because scientists are really great with PowerPoint.
Please give her your photos in person, post them on the RRC facebook page or leave a burned cd in the RRC mailbox at the bottom of the stairs addressed to her.
But if no rowing photos are submitted, then Karen will be forced to pad out the presentation with microscope images of her fruit fly research!
Masters Nationals
The club had a very good regatta picking up five gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals. Not a bad haul considering we only had three rowers at the regatta (and no boats, kidding! I think we had boats). Probably the only ones who read the blog, both my parents and my brother I’d imagine.
Carolyn Manning was the star picking up three gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals. Geraldine Goss was also outstanding picking up 1 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze. (So 5 readers)
Our only male competitor at the regatta 70 plus year old Ray Dennis club legend (6, yippee, good to see the older generation using the internet, though perhaps Carolyn or Geraldine mentioned it to him in passing and he did not read my blog), from the sixty’s who recently made a competitive comeback, capped off a great year winning two gold medals in the J-K and I division eights.
Challenge Races
Great racing in mixed quads and eights over the 250 metre boathouse straight. Three quads battled in out in a best of three races with Captain Splash’s crews taking the honours. Splash also featured in the winning eight taking only two races to clean up the opposition in the best of three races.
Guest of honour Nicole was splendid with her pot belly and a bit of makeup (and we thought she was a boy) and over 50 people turned up to bid her a fond farewell to motherhood.
TIME TRIALS & CHALLENGE RACES – CLOSED for 2010. The winner can look forward to bling on presentation night. Well done to all rowers and organisers – especially the awesome catering by the women’s squad and Mike Numa. (Simon, MNB, loved the brownies and the lasagne!).
Katie Gray – PANS
Two Gold medals to Ray Dennis at the Masters Nationals
Long time Richmond member Ray Dennis has won two gold medals in the men’s F – J eight and the men’s I eight at the Masters Nationals regatta in Perth.
In his return season after having a 10+ year break from competitive rowing, Ray teamed up with rowers from various clubs along boathouse drive to form composite crews to compete at the state and national championships.
The Richmond composite F-J crew won their race by almost 3 seconds in a time of 4 min 01 seconds and the Banks composite I crew won their race by 2.35 seconds in a time of 4 min 08 seconds on the new Champions Lake regatta centre in Perth.
Well done Ray and we look forward to seeing you down at the boat club soon.
Medals continue for the Richmond Masters girls
Conditions improved for the third day of competition at the Masters Nationals regatta in Perth. Less wind and back to held starts but still a challenging crosswind. The only event for Richmond rowers was the interstate race, won by NSW the last 3 years. It was an intense race and again saw NSW victorious, with the Victorian quad featuring Richmond rowers Carolyn Manning and Geraldine Goss taking a close third behind WA.
The fourth and final day of competition brought better weather, sunny but still breezy. First up was the D quad with Carolyn, Geraldine, and Robyn and Jenny from CGRC. After a convincing win in the second of the four heats another intense battle saw a virtual repeat of the interstate race, this time with a WA victory and bronze for the Victorian girls.
The D mixed doubles racing saw Carolyn pick up another gold with an Richard from Essendon, while Geraldine picked up a bronze rowing with Murray Ross from MRC.
The final event for Richmond was a C Quad Scull composite, this time Geraldine and Carolyn combining with Tamara from Essendon and Louise from Footscray RC.
After a solid win in the heat a great row in the final saw the quad take the national title and finish the regatta on the highest note imaginable! Exhausted by now from four days of intense rowing the girls are off to wash out the zooties and put their feet up and enjoy a lovely cup of tea.
Nationals 2011-lake Barrington!
Geraldine Goss (from Perth)
Richmond crews medal at the National Masters Championships in Perth
Day one of the Masters National Championships in Perth was held in perfect conditions. The course is similar design to Penrith and the Richmond contingent of Carolyn Manning and Geraldine Goss revelled in the conditions.
Racing started in the afternoon and Carolyn and Gerry were in event 7, the C division female double scull. After a solid win in the first of 4 heats the final was an intense battle with the Richmond double missing the bronze by less than 1 sec in a photo finish.
Carolyn not to be denied her chance to make the dais on the first day of competition picked up a gold in the mixed quad with Essendon/MUBC composite crew.
Day two of competition and the regatta was treated to awful weather conditions with high winds creating havoc at the start line.
Gerry competed in the d double with Jenny Dewar from CGRC. The heats were early in the day and the girls sat behind the start line shivering as the regatta became 30 min behind time before 9am! Held starts were abandoned and boats started the races on a 45 degree angle in a running start.
After a close second in the heat the double rowed another intense final, this time winning the silver, with the margin between first and second less than 1 sec.
The c single followed and in truly awful conditions, Carolyn won her heat to go through to the final, while Gerry was third in hers in a photo finish just missing a place in the final. Another intense battle saw Carolyn take the silver by 7 100th of a second sec in front of third place!
Tomorrow Carolyn and Gerry compete in the interstate quad race and with any luck the weather conditions will favour the rowers and make for some great racing.
Geraldine Goss
Crews set for this weekend's Challenge Races
Crews have been selected for the Richmond Rowing Club Challenge Races which will be held on the Yarra River this Sunday 6 June from 10:00 am.
Crews will race in mixed eights and quads over the 250 metre boat house drive course and the competition is expected to be tough with a number of the club’s top rowers putting in an appearance for what will be the final race of the 2009/10 season.
The day is being touted as a thank you to Head of Rowing Nicole Stupka who will be resigning as Head of Rowing at the end of the season to prepare for the arrival of her first child. Nicole has put in a tremendous effort over the past two seasons to grow the club’s active membership to a level not seen for a number of years.
Races will conclude with lunch at the club house. All members and their family’s are welcome to attend.
Look forward to seeing you all on Sunday for some fierce racing….
Crew’s for the races as follows:
| Race Series | Start Time | Boat | Name |
| Series 1 | 10:00 | Quad A | Edith Hamilton, Rochelle Stokes, Karen Doggett, Nick Schouten Cox: Derek Begg |
| Quad B | Leonie Cluse, Susie Ballantyne, Anthea Amos, Kirk Archibald Cox: Amelia Hagger |
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| Quad C | Julia Avis, Kate Dyball, Emma Catford, Sam Morrison Cox: Louise Roberts |
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| Series 2 | 10:45 | Eight A | Dennis Beck, Olivia Vines, Karin Bouvin, Charlie Burke, Michael Calvert, Charlie Catford, Mike O’Neil, Gareth Brodie Cox: Derek Begg |
| Eight B | Martin Foster, Emma Payne, Sally McArthur, Peter Schouten, Nigel Ainslie, Dave Micallef, Louise Roberts, Jonathan Downie Cox: Amelia Hagger |
Gray Matters polishing her bling ready for the presentation night
Hi Teamies,
1) Regattas are done and dusted for the year – the coaches, coxes and rowers are happy to have come to the end of a long and busy season (some are very busy polishing their bling – although there are a couple more chances for glory left before presentation night in June. That’s right if you want to have an early morning and use your spanner you’ll have to find some nerdy friends with meccano sets. If you are not weighed down polishing your bling (personally I think it’s all about taking part, not necessarily winning, sometimes it’s good to give the others a chance, and I may just be practicing for my 95th birthday song by gasping hip hip hooray to YET more winning crews after dragging part tub part cement mixer along the length of the Barwon / Yarra / Murray / Maribyrnong).
Sam Morrison has put his hand up to put together the slide show for presentation night on June 19th to torture the B team and various new DS members with on presentation night. If you have any good photo’s, quotes or any other stuff that could be used for the show, email Sam and sent it through (if you have too many photo’s, burn them onto a CD-rom and give it to Sam directly or get one of the guys to put it into his locker (that is the one with the burn’t Australian flag hanging from it after Australia scored a goal to win the world cup soccer friendly in the 94th minute).
2) A couple of serious notes about boats:
MLC boats: now that the Masters’ season and the Learn to Row course is done, please do not take out MLC boats unless you have spoken with Dennis Beck. Or if you are Cate Blanchett, the head maser of MLC, you’re romancing the MLC coach, or the rotten kids have left the change room really messy. Our own fleet should serve all rowers. When MLC lends us boats, they are being very generous, but the equipment belongs to the school not us. So please refrain from using their fleet for winter training.
Boat Booking Board: The boat booking board is up and running. Please check the board before taking a boat out or you will have an hopping mad zootie clad of angry rowers who have full access to the white board and blog to seek their revenge, if you are no longer using your booking remove it, there is NO need to book boats to remain on the racks, we have plenty of high up boats and ones with funny winchy things that do that all by themselves. If you notice boats being booked but not used, please contact Colonel Beck and Sergeant Stupka. On Thursday nights and Sunday Mornings at 10 am, all tub fours and the tub pair belong to Justin and his DS squad of rowers and coaches, if you take their boat, they will take a sleek yellow one and get wet. So, if training in that time use other fleet.
3) Chocolate, GIBE ME MOOOOOOORE
Chocolate Fundraising is in full swing (almost swung really) I now find it hard to read my book on the train in morning rush hour without a few crunchies to nibble on. Smooth Simon (MNB) sold a box of chocolates for a $67.80 profit….one box to go. (Think that might have been to a small child). Simon (MNB) has taken up running to work off the excess chocolate kg’s (anything to avoid another row).
4) Time Trials, get in QUICK
Time trials close at the end of the month….get a crew together and my PA ([email protected]) who when he is not booking in various disciplinary procedures for key staff members should be able to assist.
5) Winter Sculling – All those rowers interested in Winter Sculling need to contact Nicole ([email protected]) by this Sunday May 27. Please specify which boats you would like to use and which races you would like to see.
6) Presentation Night (19 June) – We are on enemy territory this year (University of Melbourne) and the Pres is planning a big night out. Cost is $50 (despite what was advertised on the blog previously) and dress code is evening attire and guys let’s see if we can get a few more clothes on this time round as jocks and a bow tie might be a bit cool this time of the year….click here for more information.
Katie Gray (YAPANS-WIS2BAM)
Richmond girls win State Selection after a short Masters season
The 2010 Victorian Masters rowing season was short and intense, culminating in the state championships in Nagambie on Saturday May 15.
The Richmond/CGRC composite crew won a very hard fought race in the quad scull, with a margin of 2 seconds over the Black Mountain crew from Canberra who looked exceedingly surprised and annoyed about being beaten. Carolyn and Gerry then had to fight hard to take out the double scull by 0.7 sec, again over the Canberra girls and Carolyn topped off a great regatta to take gold in the single, while Gerry took silver in the same event.
In other regattas held earlier in the season, the normally sedate Barwon regatta produced wild winds creating havoc with the journey to the start line (and perhaps a bit of assistance coming back again?). The small boats struggled, particularly in the transit lane, with the wind and the reeds and the grumpy officials!
It was great to see the Richmond women flying the flag competing in coxed fours, an eight and a quad scull, with a win in the quad scull crew of Susie Ballantyne, Rochelle Stokes, Anthea Amos and Rachel Button, coxed by Derek Begg.
The highs for the day were Carolyn and Gerry took first and second in the single respectively and had wins in the double scull and quad scull Richmond / CGRC composite crew and the lows were a distinct lack of atmosphere and a coffee cart. What the hell, even the school girls regatta at Barwon organise a coffee cart!
Next stop on the masters circuit was Carrum, and the rowers were greeted with superb rowing conditions but only Carolyn and Gerry attended for RRC, again taking first and second in the single and taking home bling for the double and composite quad.
Beautiful weather also blessed Albert Park, which again saw a big RRC contingent, even a couple of blokes this time! Sadly no other clubs dared to field a mixed eight against the might of Richmond and the event was cancelled.
Competition in other events was fierce however, especially in the novice categories but the coxed fours placed well in several races. Rachel Button took second in the AB single scull, while Gerry was third in the C-E. Gerry also collected some bling for the double scull with Jenny Dewar from CGRC, and in the mixed double scull with Murray Ross from MRC. At least there was some actual bling at this regatta, and even a bar, enabling tired Masters rowers to enjoy a quiet glass of bubbly or a beer. Now that’s more like it!
We all know that regattas don’t just happen, and club participation depends on people giving their time to submit entries, organise crews and boats as well as trailering, and performing BRO duties. Thanks to all those involved in all of these activities, we are lucky indeed to have the culture of volunteer effort that we enjoy at Richmond.
It was good to see a number of new crews competing for Richmond at Barwon and Albert Park and it will be exciting to see these crews develop in the seasons to come. It has certainly been the women’s squad who have carried the flag for Richmond in this Master’s season and congratulations to Geraldine and Carolyn for a great season and we look forward to June when they head to Perth for the Nationals.
Geraldine Goss (with Simon Crunden)
Boat Christening no. 3.
Wow what a treat – it’s not too often that Richmond gets to christen three boats in one season. In case you have been under a rock, we recently celebrated the addition of the new tub four, aka ‘Justin Thomas’, and the coxless quad – ‘Roberto Perillo’ into the family. This new boat is extra special because we are its first home – yes it’s a brand newie. Another cool thing is that it is also the largest piece of equipment any club is likely to own – a heavy weight eight.
The club is booming at the moment so there is no shortage of bums for the 9 seats. Our ability to purchase this boat is testament to the hard work of every member at RRC. The fundraising activities over the last season, and ensuring that we recoup all fees, as enabled the committee to go shopping – always fun!
Now to get this boat on the water you need a lot of friends – or perhaps family. So it is maybe no surprise that the most appropriate name to be bestowed to it is – The Schouten Family.
Now the Schouten’s story is long, but I’m just going to give you a few facts about why we should name the 8+ after them. The Schouten’s have produced some excellent rowers – Peter, Ben, Laura, Tom, Rob, Nick, all of whom have competed, and won, at Junior, Youth, State and National levels. Jenny while not often seen on the water, she is the powerhouse behind getting them there – when Jenny isn’t working at Rowing Victoria, she has been known to wash 6 zooties per regatta. The washing line on the club website – that’s the Schouten’s! Peter and Jenny, previous recipients of the President’s Award, have also been extremely generous with their time, car (for towing abilities), trailer drive lessons, fixing stuff at the club, catering and waving the RRC flag at any opportunity.
Joining the club some years ago from Carrum Rowing Club, the Schouten’s have made an enormous impact on our club and we are glad that they made the transition to the Yarra. With the addition of Charlotte, Matilda and Troy to the clan – they won’t need to next last minute emails looking for an extra rower or cox. Ok ……… well maybe in a few years.
So on behalf of the 147th RRC Committee I’d like to say thank you and congratulations.
The actual physical ‘christening’ of all three boats will take place in the next month or so as we need to make sure the Schouten’s, Justin and Roberto are all available. I hope to be able to give you a date shortly so you too can plan to be there.
Thanks
Emma Catford
Gray Matters stakes her claim for Rowing PA of the Year
Why am I late this time? I’ve been on strike. Nicole failed to send my entry for Rowing Personal Assistant of the Year 2010. (Although, yes I forgot to send Simon’s). Something about impending motherhood, a career, exceptional chocolate fund raising, and I fear she has been listening too closely to rumours of work experience students who have suggested that I do not know the difference between the fax and the Bob Stanley (I was storing documents there in the shoes BTW to fax at a more convenient moment) and a dictaphone and the cox box (simple multi tasking by dictating minutes while coxing saved me hours which could be better devoted to colour photocopying car parking passes). Anyway, she managed to get a late entry and we have saved the kitty on the $5 a day drain the frigging gen Y work experience kids were costing us. (Sorry Simon, they wouldn’t except further late entries).
So I thought I might mention some below outstanding items that Nicole has mentioned in the last couple of team meetings (where I have carefully drawn big love hearts with Katie 4 Oarsome Foursome 4 Eva on my notepad whilst she has continued to waffle on about petty cash, the cost of stamps and the zootie machine wash testing)
1) Alright greedy guts, your chocolate money is due. (I am in final discussions with channel 10 for biggest gainer for 2011 to coincide with our next fundraising drive) It’s $28.80 per box (payable into your B-Pay fundraising account). This also means that everyone should have picked up their chocolate boxes by now – the bar is open so there are no excuses. Now we didn’t sell these at cost, we made a profit, not sure what we do with that yet, might have been mentioned in a number of recent meetings. But I’m sure it will crop up again. In the mean time, use that money to buy me a drink and I’ll let you know (this money may be to be raised twice to cover beverage expenses)
2) The boss (as I had refused to open mail) received regatta entries for APSM (All People Smell Mouldy (when wet)) on May 8th and hopefully the weather will be nicer than at Barwon. It’s the last regatta of the season and the bosses last regatta as HOR (before the boss goes to have a baby girl rower) – so lets make it a good one.
Personally, the HOR would love to see RRC crush Powerhouse in a mixed 8. (Watch out for a couple of girls (well they entered as girls) that flogged JK and I few years ago, you’ll know them, they have red eyeballs and are part machine, might be best to crash into them at the start and render their boat unrowable, or hope it rains and they short circuit).
3) We will be holding time trials around the island this Sunday. I drove it the other day and it took me 9 minutes, so I am looking for the time closest to that. Franzie’s Novice Men’s 8 is going split in two bow four and stern four and battle it out for novice guys supremacy. The plan is mix up all female rowers into even crews and let be a battle of guts and glory.
Please, note that these time trials are for “bling” at presentation night. (And its super nice, without my success in previous years I would be having to drink only primas or stubbies or out of the tap at home) – which will be held on the 19th of June. If you are not happy, with your tub four time you can repeat the trial in any crew of your choosing three weeks later. Other time trial bling up for grabs is time trials in tub pairs and in tub single. These are from the club, around Swan Street Bridge. If you are interested in competing in the small boat time trials, please let your coaches know and they will arrange a time for you to do it safely.
I have a few special mentions.
Laura Schouten – Mother of two who knows what it means to keep pushing when the going gets tough. Awesome display in Sydney in a big head wind and gearing that most blokes would be bragging about.
Sam Morrison (AKA Captain Splash) – Another big pusher who in the third 500 meters of a 2K race moved from 5th to 2nd taking three boats lengths off the competition in the process.
Joe Lian-Lloyd – Awesome (and secretly seeing other crews, sobbing)
From Simon (MNB) Naturalists Award
Goes to Johno and Matt from the men’s eight for their efforts in losing a frog in Sam’s bed on the Sunday night of the regatta. The frog planted in Sam’s bed took a side exit while Johno and Matt when back for another beer. When the lads came back the frog was gone and the tricksters fearing that the frog had gone astray, ending up in someone else bed or even their own, pulled the cabin apart looking for the frog while abusing each other for losing the frog. Comedy at it best.
Lastly, Girls, Very important! Vote on the thingy button on the blog. The B team has voted so many times that Netspace and Intel have repossessed our computers. Some of those boys are probably in jail now for erroneous voting, press the button and bring us our deserving victory.
Katie Gray (PANS&SK – Personal Assistant to Nicole Stupka and Side Kick (get it))
Time Trial season kick's off
Last weekend saw the start of the club time trial season with seven crews posting times in the scull and four boat categories.
The men’s fours were the first crews to record times and the Development Squad crew of Charlie, Guy, Michael, Neil and Cox Dennis Beck recorded a credible time of 37 min 29 sec for the round the island course.
In the women’s fours, two crews posted times and
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women’s squad members Kate Diebold, Geraldine Goss, Susie Ballentyne, Anthea Amos and cox Nicole Stupka recorded the fastest time of 40 min 15 sec.
Three scullers also took to the water and Dennis Beck recored the fastest time of 7 min 58 sec, 44 seconds faster than his closest rival.
Crews and scullers have until 30 May to post times for them to be eligible for the 2009/10 season time trial trophies. Members are reminded that time trials accumulate club points with every time trial completed and a bonus points are given if the sculler or crew beats the fastest time posted to date.
If you want to do a time trial contact either Simon Crunden or Nicole Stupka to organise a suitable time.
Click here for information on the fastest times posted for this years time trials.