Ballarat was a mixed bag of conditions this year, with the classic wind churning up the course on Saturday, followed by chilly temperatures but calm water on Sunday. Overall we had 25 competitors entered in 20 events, with 8 wins. Well done to everyone who participated! Special shout out to Emily Bourke, who recently got injured but still came up to Ballarat to help out as BRO, despite the disappointment of not being able to race. Thanks Emily!
Wins
FClub2x Helen Pearce, Kate Dyball MB2X Isaac Balemi, Ben Wardle MBeg4X+ James Merrett, Devin Ingram, John Britton, Sean Rushby, Cox: Ally Dejaegher FM4X+ Hannah Doherty-McMillan, Ally Dejaegher, Amy Catlin, Geraldine Goss, Cox: Sarah Houghton MB4X+ Jack Hellerstedt, Pavel Oborin, John Britton, Will Golding, Cox: Derek Begg FC4X+ Beth Rosenberg, Kat Franklin, Victoria Mar, Hannah Doherty-McMillan, Cox: Sarah Houghton FM2X Geraldine Goss [RCHMD], Jennifer Bingham [MUBC] MC4+ Pat Cook, Isaac Balemi, Ben Wardle, Tim Foster, Cox: Derek Begg
Thank yous
Huge thanks to our team of volunteers for making this event possible: •Kim Begelhole for creating the trailer plan, and towing the trailer •Sue Virginia O’Hanlon and Emily Bourke for BRO duties •All members who coxed, helped to get boats on and off water, boatloaded/unloaded and generally helped out over the weekend. Your assistance is really appreciated!
Big thanks to Chris & Leigh Sullivan for trailering, and S-V the indefatigable BRO.
It was great to see all-Richmond club crews rowing in WA8+, WC8+, WA4+, WB4+, WC4+, WB4x, WB4x, WC4x, WD2x, MC4x, MD4x, MixC4x, MixF4x, WLWB1x.
Medals are awarded to the fastest single-club crew in each event: these fastest club gold medalswent to Richmond in the A4+ (Dyball, Pearce, Doggett, Crouser, cox Joy) the B4+ (Dyball, Joy, Maxwell, Doggett) and the C4+ (Dyball, Joy, Goss, Doggett), a dominance in the sweep categories!- as well as the B4x (Dyball, Joy, Maxwell, Doggett) and B2x (Dyball Joy).
Championship gold medals were won in the A4+, B4x and B2x, and in composite crews in the A8+, G8+, G4x, J-M 8+, J-M 4+ with gold medals in the MixC4x (Pearce, Golding), MixE4x (Pearce, Goss) and MixF4 (Goss).
It was great to see Richmond field two club eights, and for many it was a first experience at a Nationals regatta- well done to the WA and WC eights! (A.Amos, C.May, D.Hill, S.Hardy, S.Stewart, N.Finn, S.Mullner, E.Miles, K.Fergie, C.May, A.Lawler).
Well done to RRC mens and mixed crews and special mention to Dennis Beck for travelling to Ballarat to sub into the mens D4x – “An absolute honour to represent the club at nationals and help some crewmates out”, or “It gets me out of doing a time trial”
The women’s masters train runs express through the covid interruption stop, with Michelle stepping in at the last minute to join Gerry to smash out some strong results the weekend of 23/4/22.
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
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
first FClub4x M. Joy, K. Doggett, K. Dyball, Z. Maxwell 7:50.89
second FClub2x Z. Maxwell, K. Dyball 8:13.74
Sunday results
first FB4x+ C. Crouser, G. Goss, K. Fergie, H. Pearce, S. Houghton 3:55.93 MB8+ P. Oborin, D. Beck, J. Roberts, J. Hellerstedt, J. Carey, M. Gehling, I. Balemi, A. Randall, D. Begg 3:11.33 FM4x+ K. Doggett, K. Dyball, Z. Maxwell, M. Joy, D. Hill 4:09.72 FB2x K. Fergie, H. Pearce 4:00.81 X4x+ C. Crouser, J. Carey, W. Golding, G. Goss, D. Begg 3:44.10 FA2x Z. Maxwell, K. Dyball 3:45.36
second MB8+ W. Golding, L. Mckee, A. Pupko, T. Gruner, R. Healy, A. Reid, K. Wong, K. Begelhole, C.Crouser 3:32.24 MC4x+ A. Randall, L. Mckee, A. Pupko, R. Healy, K. Howard 3:57.02 FM4x- G. Goss, E. Harridge, M. Rice, M. Madar 4:02.54
third MA4x+ P. Oborin, J. Hellerstedt, M. Gehling, D. Beck, D. Begg 3:43.71 Fb2x A. Kinsman, L. Innes-Irons 4:09.35
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.
After a great weekend at training camp on the Yarra on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd January, rowers, coaches and coxes were ready to test their skills at sprint races.
On alternating weekends from the camp weekend the RRC trailer has been making hauls up highways to get boat to regattas.
The first sprint regatta was endured at Lake Wendouree, Ballarat on Sunday 5th February. Now Ballarat is a regional centre with lots of attractions to bring visitors. The very picturesque lake is bang in the middle of town. So any reasonable person could be enticed into wandering around its perimeter to take in the sights and sounds of a lake. But rowers have a much stronger sense of foreboding when entering the environs of the lake for a regatta. And so we encountered another day of violent winds tearing hats from heads, tipping tents over and generally threatening un-tethered boats with some airborne adventures.
Once crews got on the water and up to the starting line, they quickly realised they weren’t in rowing races, but in surf boat races! A hearty cheer to the coxes, who handled the inclement weather, and got their crew on the start line, and then over the finish line.
The wind was not all that was to be endured. A persistent rain storm descended and made the last few races a visual mystery as the mist of rain completely obliterated any view of boats after they left the floating pontoons.
Despite all that Ballarat threw at us, some crews took home some medals. Wins for RRC crews Men’s D Grade Coxed Four – Allan, Jon, David, Laurent coxed by Stef, with coach Dennis
Female C Grade Coxed Four – Ainsley, Karen, Geri, Michelle coxed by Schoolgirl supersub Kiara Female C Grade Double Scull – Ainsley and Geri
The next regatta was at Nagambie, a lake created by a very determined politician (with a strong involvement in rowing!) to ensure ongoing business for a small country town. So the lake is very serviceable for rowers, but even successful politicians can’t guarantee the weather conditions to suit rowing.
On our visit on Sunday 19th February the weather was not best suited to our needs. But rowers are trained to tackle the situation they find themselves in. The start line umpires had good technique in getting all crews in a race up to the line together for quick starts.
Once again the skies opened in the latter part of the day and delivered a good amount of water. But just as quickly it all moved away and the sun shone down on us again.
A great day of racing was run with RRC having many crews in many races ranging from D to B grade. Some improvement in times for crews not getting over the line first and great times for other crews showing a real pick up in performance. A few medals made their way back down the Hume in RRC bags. Wins for RRC crews Winners are grinners! Nagambie Men’s D Grade Coxed Four, coxed by Stef, Stroked by Allan, followed by Jon, Dave and Laurent.
The RRC rowers are very grateful to the people who organise their attendance at regattas from entering the crews in Rowing Manager, creating the boatloading plan, ensuring all crews are allocated the best boat available and have the right equipment. Not forgetting our BROs (boat race officials – Barry at Ballarat and Allan at Nagambie) volunteers that are required at all regattas we attend as a club. To the rowers, their attendance at boat loading and unloading, are pivotal activities to ensure the continuation of regatta attendance.
Well done everyone!!
By Anthea and Piyada
For the past two weeks RRC has taken part in a couple of sprint regattas getting that all important race practice in the lead up to the Victorian State Championships. There have been some fun races and great results.
Sunday 1st Feb was spent at a very cold, wet and windy Lake Colac regatta on the Barwon river. This regatta was a tale of second places for the FD4+, FD8+ and Mix8+ with RRC being involved in some very close and exciting finishes. One crew of Michelle Joy and Karen Doggett in the C2X came out on top in a final sprint for the line finishing less than a second clear of their rivals from Footscray. Wins also went to Geraldine Goss in two Hawthorn composite masters crews in the Coxed E Quad and E-F Four.
A week later we descended on Ballarat, this time as hard as it is to believe at Lake Wendouree the sun shone (but their is photographic proof ). I think everyone was fired up from the racing a week earlier and Kieran was so determined he pulled so hard he snapped his oar in half during the MD4+. However with a drive to succeed the wins kept coming. There were medals for the WC8+, WC4X+ and WD4+. Not to be out done the men waited for both their coaches to arrive and cheer them on from the bank to bring home the title of the MD8+.
I must thank our BROs for both events – Sam Morrison, Micheal Gehling, Karen Doggett and Rochelle Stokes and trailer drivers Charlie Burke and Time Evans. As always a lot of work goes in to organising these trips to regattas and we hope everyone who took part had fun. Only a few weeks left til the state championships and clearly things are looking good for RRC! Keep up the good work and see you all next Saturday rowing or cheering on RRC at the home Yarra based regatta of Australian Henley which will be followed by a club social on the deck.
Full crew lists of winners at Ballarat:
WC8+ – Sophie Robinson, Karen Doggett, Ainsley Raggatt, Michelle Joy, Geraldine Goss, Lindsey Brown, Rochelle Stokes and Kate Dyball. Cox: Derek Begg
WC4X+ – Sophie Robinson, Geraldine Goss, Rochelle Stokes and Kate Dyball. Cox: Derek Begg
WD4+ – Ainsley Raggatt, Catherine Hardie, Emily Dunn and Lindsey Brown. Cox: Derek Begg
MD8+ – Daniel Meka, Andy Harrison, Laurant Demay, Ben Scarlett, Nic Forte, Jon Roberts, Kieran Burke and Matt Ebattson Cox: Caroline Manning
