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
Rowing Victoria Coxing and BRO Courses
Troy Durham has been able to arrange a back to back Rowing Victoria level 1 coxing & Rowing Victoria level 1 boat race official (BRO) course at Richmond Rowing Club for Thursday the 18th of March.
The coxing course starts at 17:30hrs (5.30pm), the BRO course at 19:15hrs (7.15pm). The coxing course is $44, the BRO course is free.
It’s a requirement that all competitive members of the club get accredited as both coxswains and boat race officials. Accrediation means taking a course, it’s a once-off like the swim test, then you’re done forever.
If you would like to book onto the course or find out more information, please contact either Martin or Nicole.
RRC Quiz Night…the drum
Yes indeed – just when you thought training at RRC only involved doing tuff with your legs, we now want to give those brain cells a work out too. Your IQ will be put to the test in order to raise money for the club and more specifically to our ageing fleet. So on Saturday March 20 you and your friends, family and work colleagues will be able to impress the committee both through brain power and cold hard cash!
Last year on the same weekend we raised $3300 on the night and speaking on behalf of all those who attended we had a lot of fun doing it too. We have set a higher target this year and I am confident that we can achieve it.
The format of the evening will be a little like this:
Food, Drinks, Quiz, Live and Silent Auction and of course some cool games.
So what’s required from you at this stage?
1. Keep Saturday 20 March from 6.30pm free
2. Start brushing up your knowledge on geography, pop culture and Justin’s favourite chocolates – Justin will again be our Quiz Master, don’t worry I won’t let him make the questions too hard
3. We are going to be running an auction so if you think you have something that we could sell off please contact either Justin or myself. Examples of items that fetched a tidy sum included Mike Numa – Handyman services, tickets to play on Margaret Court, holiday house for the weekend, etc.
4. Assistance. While Justin and I will organise the bulk of things we could also do with some help, this includes both set up and pack down on the weekend of the quiz as well as general stuff beforehand. If you have some time and would like to get involved – again touch base with either of us, we would love to have you on board.
More info, including a proper flyer, will be coming your way soon – so stay tuned.
Justin ‘Quiz Master’ Thomas
Gray Matters sharing her notes for the week
Dear Rowers,
We had quite a constructive staff meeting (yes zootie clad of course) this morning where Nicole and I raised some important issues regarding the club and our members. I faithfully made notes and have documented these below.
PA thought for the week: Took a certain senior rower out for a row last week. Unfortunately this raised certain concerns regarding our underground club project regarding the deepening of the Yarra river by RRC rowers, all eyes in the boat noticed that Annalise err this rower, used minimal effort to bring her oar through the water and contrary to true gondola form did not burry half of her shaft to deepen the channel and assist us in our continued search for Sandra’s missing Havianna. If we keep this up, P&O and the Spirit of Tasmania will NEVER be able to dock in Richmond or Hawthorn, let alone Warrandyte, so I beg you all to use this efficient style only when you have coaches eyes on you. It is best to dig deep also when rowing at regatta’s you may have noticed that the lake at Corowa is a little low, so give them a hand so they don’t end up like Ballarat with the expense of bulldozers in there. Do you sport a favour and dig deep. Yes it drastically cuts boat run, but most of that can be made up for by rushing up the slide. It will help to build up extra large muscles which are helpful in opening jars when your partner is away for work and enables you to loosen the nuts on your tires without having to be a fairy princess and wait for the RACV.
HOR thought of the week – it’s from one of the podcasts I listen to when driving and it was meant to describe curling but think it works really well from all the rowing we do at RRC: “Sport is at it’s best when it involves a whole community.” It has been and will be a few huge rowing weeks at RRC and none of those would be possible without the help of rowers, coaches, coxes, trailer drivers, tinnie drivers, boat race officials, and so on. Well done to all who have raced at Barwon, States and Club Races. Your efforts have been impressive. For more details, check out the blog – for the male and female perspective on the weekend.
Things to look forward to:
1) ROWER and COACH development: Coaching Camp this weekend at Essendon Rowing Club. Talk to your coach to get your squad time and directions, please show up and be time. Don’t forget your club lock, also it’s going to be hot on Sunday so sunscreen up and wear a hat or your burn your head and it will peel and people will think you have dandruff.
2) ROWER DEVELOPMENT: Training camp Friday March 12th evening, all day Saturday and Sunday 13th to 14th. Please let your coaches now whether you will be coming by March 1st, so we can plan your pain. So that is 3 and a bit weeks away, just enough time to flop with exhaustion after your warm ups (get past the boat houses though in case any hotties are around) in coming week’s and rest part way while carrying oars to the water or washing the boat (complaining loudly of exhaustion), make sure your standard is set as slow as possible. Might be a good idea to put your oar in to the water at a completely different time to your other crew members so you can spend a few days working on timing (and nod favourably when roll-ups are suggested, boring as bat sh*t they might be, but they won’t give you blisters) much easier than working on race starts.
3) FUNDRAISING for Fleet: Trivia Night and Auction (very classy stuff on auction) March 20th, please bring lots of friends – especially those with money. We will also be running a chocolate fundraiser, because Lent is a great time to be generous and eat chocolate – stay tuned more details to follow shortly. We ran both events last year and they were a huge success and as a result we have new fleet in the shed. I think it’s high time we replaced the 70’s style floating cubby house (whatever that brown one is called), word on the street is that after almost 9 years of solid training, thanks to our dedicated coaching team, the B team may soon be ready to graduate to a NON tub 4!!!! So we have high hopes for an appropriate and stylish vessel. Even if you know nothing, eg grew up in Iceland in an igloo with no radio and bears for company (to use one club member as an example) Or you grew up in Wagga raising pigs with your nana and being home schooled with the Bible (old Testament only) come anyway. There will be plenty of know-alls at your table that will jump in early and claim the glory and noone will know that you don’t know your left hand from your right.
4) BOXERCISE Monday nights at 6:20 pm – if you weren’t tough enough at States or have been eating too much chocolate – RFC John will fix you up.
Not sure if you saw the footage on the news a few weeks ago when the incredible B team defeated the men’s 8 with only a 10 minute head start from the 2km mark. What an effort B team, the wind generated by the ferocious race actually picked up a small dog and it’s owner his flight friendly parachute material tracksuit and blew the pair into the Yarra, rather than be annoyed the damp jogger was in awe of the performance he was witnessing.
Katie Gray
Aka: PANS
States round-up from Gerry G
Disclaimer: an anonymous club member has requested an expansion on the beautifully written article by Jim regarding States at Nagambie, suggesting a little more emphasis on the female achievements may be appropriate…I am therefore not responsible for what follows, I am merely following orders.
Ah Nagambie! Don’t you love it? Home of unpredictable weather and a lake where actual surf rowing is sometimes possible. Saturday was a windy day with choppy water, making life very difficult for single scullers, and I say this from dismal personal experience. However, Carolyn fared better, with a good row in the lighweight scull. The double scull combination of Rachael and Rosie rowed a terrific second in the heat to earn a place in the final, a great effort given they are a recent pairing in the double. The D4+ of Emma, Tams, Astrid and Robyn did very well too to place fourth in the A final.
Sunday morning saw some of us rise very early to hit the road by 5am for an 8.20 race. The drive up was dark, bleak, wet and foggy, but miraculously the weather at Nagambie was warm and the water relatively calm. There was a moment of major non-calm when it was apparent that the C4x was without a cox, our fill-in being a last minute cancellation. The grounds were fairly desolate at 7am, not too many potential coxes milling around looking for a gig and an announcement over the loudspeaker was met with silence. It was looking like we would have to get Barry out of bed to do it but finally –luckily- we were able to convince Bec from Barwon to do the job-phew! Her initial reluctance turned to enthusiasm when the crew got off to a terrific start in the heat and finished well to secure a spot in the final. Unfortunately, the other RRC crew were less lucky with the start and did not make up the ground to claim a spot in the final. The final again saw a great start for Richmond and we led the whole way until the Sacred Heart crew put on a great push at the end and stole the gold by a bowball …heartbreaking! Damn schoolgirls. Not to mention that they started the race half a boat length ahead of us..I could go on….no, not bitter and twisted, just reporting the facts.
Carolyn meanwhile rowed a terrific 2k A grade race against some very serious opposition and was happy with a terrific row. The tub pair of Astrid and Robyn again proved dominant in their event and secured a silver medal. Finally the D eight put in a very solid performance and soundly beat the MRC crew and let’s face it that’s what we like to do most. Another bunch of damn schoolgirls took the title however, this time from Pembroke School in South Australia. Annalise had left SA thinking she would never have to row against Pembroke again but there you go, they sought her out and once again RRC was reduced to silver, but bling nonetheless.
I believe the guys did well too.
Well done to all and thanks to Simon and Emma for making the trip up to support the crews. Well done to Barry for a magnificent effort in boat transport people support and supply of sunscreen, and thanks to all who contributed, coaches, coxes, admin folk…you know who you are.
Geraldine Goss
State Champs Round Up with Jim Cooper
Another year, another successful state champs campaign for Richmond Rowing Club. While no crew took home a state champs title, we finished the weekend with three silver and one bronze medal, and with practically every boat class making finals and putting up strong, competitive rows. Given the early date for states this year, and limited preparation, the coaches were very satisfied with the calibre of weekend’s performances, setting us up with a solid platform for the rest of the racing calendar, culminating in our April trip to Penrith.
Difficult windy conditions on Saturday saw solid finals results for our single scullers (Sam, Carolyn, and Gerry) and our female double scull (Rosie and Rachael). Our powerhouse female D grade four overcame an injury-affected preparation to finish fourth in their A final – a really solid effort for the girls in their first state champs appearance.
Our men’s D grade eight brushed off a few technical issues (namely leaving their boat riggers in Melbourne) to finish just out of the medals in their final.
Sunday dawned with calmer conditions and more solid racing. Our B-grade men’s quad rowed a great first 300 metres in their 2km final, then wished they’d done more training. However, they held it together and put in solid row that hold lots of promise for future male quadliness.
Our girls did the club proud on Sunday, stepping onto the podium to grab silver in the quad scull (all-too-close to gold), the tub pair, and the D eight.
And in a stunning display of organisational brilliance, our men’s C-grade eight managed to:
- Tell a crew member the wrong start time for their heat, resulting in him being 40kms from the course at race time.
- In choosing a rower to impersonate the missing man, they selected a guy who not only took the boat out of C-grade class, but who is on first-name basis with Rowing Victoria regatta official.
Despite the palaver, the boat rowed hard and well, making the finals. With the final approaching, the cunning rower swap was noticed by about 70 Rowing Victoria officials. Rules meant the crew technically would not be allowed to row the final. Men’s squad coach Simon Crunden approached race officials and did his best to explain the crew’s actions and thinking (ie, my squad are a pack of idiots). He returned to tell the crew that after some haggling, we were allowed to row the final.
Simon wouldn’t tell us exactly what he had to do to get this concession, but in an unrelated development, his eldest child has been renamed Rowing Victoria Crunden. Say it a few times, it grows on you.
Anyhow, the guys took out a bronze in the final and have been checked into a organisation development course.
So another fun campaign, and not possible without the dedication of our coaches and coxes. Big thanks also to Barry for getting our boats to and from the regatta, and to Dennis for coordinating boat hires and trailer loading.
See you all on the river.
Jim Cooper
RRC Results