2019 Australian Masters Rowing Championship - 22-25 May
Sydney Women’s MLC RC made its final appearance for the season and forever at the regatta held at Champion Lakes on the southern outskirts of Perth. Ten of our members made the trek west.
Our theme song had to be the Rolling Stones The Last Time though one child of the fifties wanted Last Train to Clarkesville, but it was nowhere near Champion Lakes. When news reached us that the North Shore towing car had blown up it sounded like ‘The last trailer out of Sydney’s almost gone’. They had stopped moving around 100km east of Norseman on Sunday, but two tow trucks and $4000 later they arrived at the course late on Monday night. We would have boats to row.
This was a very busy regatta - 328 races, 780 athletes. We had crews rowing in 37 of those races. Races were 5 minutes apart and you had to get to the start via a back channel that brought you out at the 2000m start. Several of the sand islands on the back channel occasionally jumped out in front of the boats. We only had one crew yellow carded for being late to the start.
Conditions were excellent for rowing; no gale force winds as in 2010. There were cold starts in the early races with a cool offshore cross breeze. As the day wore on the breeze dropped and the temperature rose to the low 20s. Sunscreen was definitely required. Our headquarters were in a hired marquee about 250m from the finish line. It allowed for plenty of encouragement (though not of the Alba quality) to our crews.
Competition was fierce with quality crews in all events. It seemed that the announcers only gave you a special if you had placed in a world championship back in the day! In the women’s quads we had competitors in each grade from C through to H. Not a bad effort from 7 women. The D4x quad of Jodie, Skye, Colleen and Sally continued their good form recording a 4:05 time in their heat. Various combinations with Judith, Judy & Lillian and occasional outsiders saw our club had a presence. In fact, we got plenty of mentions from the announcers. One of the talking points was our name change. The vagaries of the regatta arrangement played against us with our older women. Row overs happened when there was only one crew and a gold was awarded. When there were two crews, only a gold was given. Men’s events ran as separate events up to L grade, while women’s were condensed in H-M. We had Judy (3) and Lil (2) get seconds but no bling. Judith, Lil and Judy also picked up some 8+ rows. Always exciting in this regatta. On the final day, Lillian & Skye and Judy & Judith were the last fully Sydney Women’s crews to race under our old name in the G2x.
Richard, Mike & Mike competed in two quads. In the F4x they rowed with Paul Wilkinson from St George and had a decent row, beating the Fremantle crew. Norman from Caufield joined us in the G4x final and we weren’t quite as slick.
Highlights in the regatta from a results point of view were:-
The regatta proved to be an excellent experience for all involved. There was a wonderful camaraderie among our rowers and everyone pitched in to support each other. Coach Steve Sherry was on top of organising us, finding spare rowers when needed and finding boats when we had clashes. The friendly atmosphere existed between all competitors and contacts were made in other clubs. Thanks to Fremantle for lending us a coxed four. WA Rowing did a great job in organising the event. Several of our party volunteered in the sessions when they were not rowing. We now have some expert boat holders, timers and a minibus driver! Big thank you to North Shore for getting our boats there and back. Thanks to Skye for being queen of the bubble wrap.
Sydney or Canberra next year. Let’s make it a big one for Abbotsford RC!
Our theme song had to be the Rolling Stones The Last Time though one child of the fifties wanted Last Train to Clarkesville, but it was nowhere near Champion Lakes. When news reached us that the North Shore towing car had blown up it sounded like ‘The last trailer out of Sydney’s almost gone’. They had stopped moving around 100km east of Norseman on Sunday, but two tow trucks and $4000 later they arrived at the course late on Monday night. We would have boats to row.
This was a very busy regatta - 328 races, 780 athletes. We had crews rowing in 37 of those races. Races were 5 minutes apart and you had to get to the start via a back channel that brought you out at the 2000m start. Several of the sand islands on the back channel occasionally jumped out in front of the boats. We only had one crew yellow carded for being late to the start.
Conditions were excellent for rowing; no gale force winds as in 2010. There were cold starts in the early races with a cool offshore cross breeze. As the day wore on the breeze dropped and the temperature rose to the low 20s. Sunscreen was definitely required. Our headquarters were in a hired marquee about 250m from the finish line. It allowed for plenty of encouragement (though not of the Alba quality) to our crews.
Competition was fierce with quality crews in all events. It seemed that the announcers only gave you a special if you had placed in a world championship back in the day! In the women’s quads we had competitors in each grade from C through to H. Not a bad effort from 7 women. The D4x quad of Jodie, Skye, Colleen and Sally continued their good form recording a 4:05 time in their heat. Various combinations with Judith, Judy & Lillian and occasional outsiders saw our club had a presence. In fact, we got plenty of mentions from the announcers. One of the talking points was our name change. The vagaries of the regatta arrangement played against us with our older women. Row overs happened when there was only one crew and a gold was awarded. When there were two crews, only a gold was given. Men’s events ran as separate events up to L grade, while women’s were condensed in H-M. We had Judy (3) and Lil (2) get seconds but no bling. Judith, Lil and Judy also picked up some 8+ rows. Always exciting in this regatta. On the final day, Lillian & Skye and Judy & Judith were the last fully Sydney Women’s crews to race under our old name in the G2x.
Richard, Mike & Mike competed in two quads. In the F4x they rowed with Paul Wilkinson from St George and had a decent row, beating the Fremantle crew. Norman from Caufield joined us in the G4x final and we weren’t quite as slick.
Highlights in the regatta from a results point of view were:-
- Richard and Gabriel Haythornthwaite from Drummoyne qualifying and then coming 4th in the F2x.
- Richard dead-heated for 4th in the heat of the F1x. I think it was the only instance in the regatta.
- On Saturday the women’s C4x of Jodie, Colleen, Sally and Nikki Lopresti of Leichhardt had an exciting heat. Racing bow to bow with a Melbourne RC crew until 20m from the finish when a Melbourne rower caught a monster crab. Tough luck but I reckon our girls had them. The qualified for the final where they replicated their heat time. They were the last crew to race as Sydney Women’s MLC RC.
The regatta proved to be an excellent experience for all involved. There was a wonderful camaraderie among our rowers and everyone pitched in to support each other. Coach Steve Sherry was on top of organising us, finding spare rowers when needed and finding boats when we had clashes. The friendly atmosphere existed between all competitors and contacts were made in other clubs. Thanks to Fremantle for lending us a coxed four. WA Rowing did a great job in organising the event. Several of our party volunteered in the sessions when they were not rowing. We now have some expert boat holders, timers and a minibus driver! Big thank you to North Shore for getting our boats there and back. Thanks to Skye for being queen of the bubble wrap.
Sydney or Canberra next year. Let’s make it a big one for Abbotsford RC!
NSW Masters Championships - 4 & 5 May
Saturday
After about a month of picture-perfect sunrises over mirror-like water around Sydney, the State titles threatened blustery winds for the two days. While the sou-westerly breeze resulted in constant tapping on the start-line, the course stayed flat enough to allow decent racing, if not just a little slower than usual. But you felt better if you were in lanes 1 to 4. Over the last few years SWRC had begun ascending the lower steps of the podium but something was missing . . . a statement was needed. After some tough fields in earlier sweep events, the MF4x boated reasonably confident of a medal but unsure which one. Leading at 500m, Andrew, Doug, Richard and Steve kept the pressure on and withstood a charge from Armidale. They crossed in 3:26.40 and claimed the first SWRC Gold in this writer’s experience. After a few years of consistent performance, it was a deserved reward. If only Norman May was on the microphone . . . Equally impressive was that the next event saw two SWRC C-category quads. It showed a renewed member drive was coming through. Jodie, Sally, Alba, Colleen, Cecile and Kim/Loma/Lorna (?) presented the next generation, helped by some experienced hands in Carolyn and Marcela. We expect some solid performances to come from a very enthusiastic and capable group. After the young ‘uns, the old blokes got back out in the MG4x. Terry, Charlie, Joe and Mike battled hard but Steve, Richard and Doug teamed with Mike Perry and progressed to the final where they finished only 1.73s from the perennial winners in Bronze medal position. It’s getting very close there. Both WD4x crews earned a spot in the final and found the gun crews a level above but weren’t far from pushing the podium. The second session ended with Mixed events with mixed results, 2nd through 7th, for the loss of one boat. A Mosman crew confounded everyone by ploughing into Miss P on the pontoon. Not! Happy!! Jan!!! Session 3 saw SWRC swamp the MG2x with four of eight entries. Steve and Richard met their G4x nemeses and rowed well for another Bronze medal. They now have a good recent record at States which should elicit a groan from anyone else on the entry list. Rowena, Loma/Kim/Betty (I think), Skye and Rosemary made the WE4x final and found out what they needed to do next. They rowed a solid time but the E4x is so tough. Terry, Charlie, Petra and Janine, also Judith, Suzie, Cons and Neil stayed around for the sunset races and acquitted themselves well. Saturday ended with 1 Gold (MF4x) and 2 Bronze medals (MG4x, MG2x) and a positive outlook all round. Members not racing were generous in their assistance to those who were. Sunday couldn’t come soon enough. Sunday Thankfully, Sunday wasn’t very far away – the next day, in fact. Early on the water were Mike and Neil in the H2x. (Gents, not long until the fabled I-M category!) Two crews took on the WG4x. Enza, Petra, Sue and Rosemary finished 5th while Judith, Judy and Lillian welcomed G-category debutante Carolyn (!) to their boat. Rowena and Marcela revisited the WF4x with Alex and Lydia but couldn’t recreate last year’s result. Steve and Richard both attempted the F1x/G1x double, both made the Final and both finished with creditable performances. Luckily Richard brought a suite of boats to use, a slightly horizontal clubmate at one point helping his decision-making. Mixed D-F2x and D-F8+ were run and won, by others. Must’ve been all the training rows we somehow didn’t do. Colleen made a D1x Final and two WF2x also progressed. The WE8+ of Judith, Sally, Skye, Alba, Sue, Lillian, Marcela and Enza had a very pleasing row, recording a decent time. Later in the day a WF8+ of many of the same rowers also competed. All of this however had left the medal run a little wobbly. The last 90 minutes of the day did however see fortunes swing back to positive. Andrew teamed up with Adam from Glebe RC in the MD2x and in their first row together found that heats were not necessary and the Final was immediate. They led at the 500m before being overhauled, still finishing in Silver position. An hour later the WD4- of Rowena, Skye, Jodie and Marcela maintained their composure to give Jodie and Skye their first ever State medals, Bronze, and a trip to the podium. Then soon after, Carolyn contested the WE1x after having been constantly cajoled to do so. In the Final she was comfortably 2nd and joined the exclusive club of singles medal-winners with her Silver. The final medal tally for the weekend was complete at 1 Gold (oh yeah!), 2 Silver and 3 Bronze. The final event as Sydney Womens MLC Rowing Club (in NSW) went to the WB4x of Alba, Cecile, Kim (as she came to be known) and Jodie. They completed an unprecedented achievement of having ladies’ quads in B, C, D, E, F, G and H categories – exhibiting the inclusion and encouragement that defines Sydney Womens, now to be Abbotsford RC. Watch the ‘Bots go in 2019/2020 ! |
Iron Cove Masters - 28 April
Headlines - generated on and off the water - jousted for back-page prominence at the last regatta before the State Masters Championships and our performances on Iron Cove will have us brimming with confidence for the season finale. By the end of the Iron Cove afternoon we had gathered an imposing 49 premiership points from 8 wins, 10 seconds and 8 thirds with all 17 women and 9 men contributing. But there was drama even before the initial blade was dipped.
First Kim, then Cons and Anna couldn't attend causing some nifty late crew juggling. As that issue was resolved in a huddle at one end of the trailer, a large white ute provided an obstacle to boat set-ups at the other end. That issue remained unresolved. (Grrrrr! Everybody gnash teeth). Our first contestants on the water had to battle a brisk westerly headwind which, like the ute, persisted for much of the day. Spray flew freely down the course but it was highly effective spray for us with Rosemary, Skye, Marcela and Rowena (E4x) winning race one on the program and Andrew (C1x) winning race two. What a start. Other features included our former coach Isaac championing our fight from the marshalling tinny, and Sally being stroke - not once, but twice. Neil sampled two monstrous helpings from the BBQ: "One for breakfast and one for lunch" he explained before telling Charlie he was worried Doug was putting on weight. More victories flowed with Andrew and Rowena each collecting three medals. Richard and Steve led home a rare club trifecta in the men's F-M double before the women filled all five places in their equivalent event with Rosemary and Rowena taking top spot. But if you think the best story lurked amid that bag of bragging rights, you would be wrong.
From behind the mid-morning microphone, Barry somehow thought it was logical that a collision between two North Shore men's fours was because they had female coaches. North Shore stalwart Geoff Wannan was less than impressed. He mounted the Leichhardt stairs, took the mike from Bazza and demanded a public apology. Barry did his best, which was mediocre at best. As the poem goes:
"All Barry's friends from the north and the south,
Couldn't get Barry's foot from his mouth."
A headline-grabbing Barry-free-zone ensued.
So now there's just one more trailer pack to go. Anticipation builds. Trust your season of fitness work and go hard! (DS)
First Kim, then Cons and Anna couldn't attend causing some nifty late crew juggling. As that issue was resolved in a huddle at one end of the trailer, a large white ute provided an obstacle to boat set-ups at the other end. That issue remained unresolved. (Grrrrr! Everybody gnash teeth). Our first contestants on the water had to battle a brisk westerly headwind which, like the ute, persisted for much of the day. Spray flew freely down the course but it was highly effective spray for us with Rosemary, Skye, Marcela and Rowena (E4x) winning race one on the program and Andrew (C1x) winning race two. What a start. Other features included our former coach Isaac championing our fight from the marshalling tinny, and Sally being stroke - not once, but twice. Neil sampled two monstrous helpings from the BBQ: "One for breakfast and one for lunch" he explained before telling Charlie he was worried Doug was putting on weight. More victories flowed with Andrew and Rowena each collecting three medals. Richard and Steve led home a rare club trifecta in the men's F-M double before the women filled all five places in their equivalent event with Rosemary and Rowena taking top spot. But if you think the best story lurked amid that bag of bragging rights, you would be wrong.
From behind the mid-morning microphone, Barry somehow thought it was logical that a collision between two North Shore men's fours was because they had female coaches. North Shore stalwart Geoff Wannan was less than impressed. He mounted the Leichhardt stairs, took the mike from Bazza and demanded a public apology. Barry did his best, which was mediocre at best. As the poem goes:
"All Barry's friends from the north and the south,
Couldn't get Barry's foot from his mouth."
A headline-grabbing Barry-free-zone ensued.
So now there's just one more trailer pack to go. Anticipation builds. Trust your season of fitness work and go hard! (DS)
Edward Trickett NSW Grade Championships - 14 April
Sally, Colleen, Skye and Jodie braved the second day of the Trickett championship, lining up for singles and a quad event. In the first heat of the D1x, Jodie recorded a SIRC personal best, but just missed out on progressing to the semis. Colleen was lucky enough to score a kinder draw and went through to the semis, where she managed 7th place in the quicker of the 2 semis. In the D4x heat, Sally, Colleen, Skye and Jodie progressed easily through to the final. Their goal for the final was to break the elusive 4 minutes, and success was theirs! 3:57.9 was the outcome and much excitement at the 7th place finish. A few cold beverages to celebrate were had at Sydney Rowing Club whilst waiting for the triumphant return of Miss Battersea on the Sydney trailer. Bring on State… (CC)
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Drummoyne Centenary Regatta - 7 April
This regatta, which marked the Centenary of the Drummoyne Rowing Club, gave us plenty to celebrate, although by mid-morning we were more concerned with the welfare of Richard who was taken to RPA Hospital (via Balmain and ambulance) with a rapid, irregular pulse. Updates provided by Steve brought relief and after an overnight stay, hooked up to an ECG, Richard was discharged – stable but wary.
On the water the youngsters paved the way. Kim, at only her second regatta, and having capsized in the novice single at her first regatta, was almost overboard again on stroke two of this novice single. But not only did she produce a stunning salvage operation to stay dry, but by race end she had rowed through the field into second place – beaten by only 1.25s. It suggested a medal would not be too far away – and it wasn’t. In her very next race Kim teamed with fellow young’un, Jodie, and won the 2x. If Kim was rightfully chuffed, Jodie was well on the way to being euphoric as it was one of three medals she won on the day. Jodie also took out her single and combined with Colleen, Skye and Sally to win their 4x race. Our other win came in the men’s 2x where Andrew and Doug added to their imposing record by winning their fourth grade 2x from as many starts this year.
Apart from Kim’s novice single, we also claimed seconds with Steve (1x); Rowena and Marcela (2-); and Rowena, Rosemary, Alba and Janine with Lillian coxing (4+). Neil replaced Richard in one of our men’s quads and despite an altercation with a buoy finished third; a feat matched by Neil, Cons, Mike H and Mike G in the 4+ coxed by Janine. Thirds also went to Carolyn and Marcela (2x) and Carolyn, Kim, Marcela, Rowena (4x) in a slick time.
The greatest spectacle of the outing came in the Centenary Mixed 8+ where 15 crews challenged the starter in blustery conditions. Our crew, in lane one, threatened to be squeezed up against the island wharf as the wind pushed boats across the bay. But, amid shouting, cursing and splashing, no collisions resulted as the crews charged full throttle towards the Drummoyne pool.
With most of the trailer packed, a small contingent represented our club at the Drummoyne festivities, where, amongst other things, we were permitted to gather all the empty bottles and amassed a bank-busting $21.10 to be well on the way to our second stretcher. Seemingly no end to glad tidings. (DS)
On the water the youngsters paved the way. Kim, at only her second regatta, and having capsized in the novice single at her first regatta, was almost overboard again on stroke two of this novice single. But not only did she produce a stunning salvage operation to stay dry, but by race end she had rowed through the field into second place – beaten by only 1.25s. It suggested a medal would not be too far away – and it wasn’t. In her very next race Kim teamed with fellow young’un, Jodie, and won the 2x. If Kim was rightfully chuffed, Jodie was well on the way to being euphoric as it was one of three medals she won on the day. Jodie also took out her single and combined with Colleen, Skye and Sally to win their 4x race. Our other win came in the men’s 2x where Andrew and Doug added to their imposing record by winning their fourth grade 2x from as many starts this year.
Apart from Kim’s novice single, we also claimed seconds with Steve (1x); Rowena and Marcela (2-); and Rowena, Rosemary, Alba and Janine with Lillian coxing (4+). Neil replaced Richard in one of our men’s quads and despite an altercation with a buoy finished third; a feat matched by Neil, Cons, Mike H and Mike G in the 4+ coxed by Janine. Thirds also went to Carolyn and Marcela (2x) and Carolyn, Kim, Marcela, Rowena (4x) in a slick time.
The greatest spectacle of the outing came in the Centenary Mixed 8+ where 15 crews challenged the starter in blustery conditions. Our crew, in lane one, threatened to be squeezed up against the island wharf as the wind pushed boats across the bay. But, amid shouting, cursing and splashing, no collisions resulted as the crews charged full throttle towards the Drummoyne pool.
With most of the trailer packed, a small contingent represented our club at the Drummoyne festivities, where, amongst other things, we were permitted to gather all the empty bottles and amassed a bank-busting $21.10 to be well on the way to our second stretcher. Seemingly no end to glad tidings. (DS)
Leichhardt Grade Regatta - 10 March
Was it the jelly snakes or the coffee and muffins from the pool canteen? Whatever we collectively ingested during the lunch break, it certainly coincided with a change of fortunes on the water. Up until then we had been frustrated by a run of near misses and minor placings compounded by a string of forced withdrawals as Petra and Carolyn – pre-regatta – then Jodie and Briana – midway through proceedings - were summoned to the porcelain.
By day’s end we were able to boast five medals. And although none of the bling belonged to Kim (yet) her debut was a stunning highlight. After a shaky start in her novice single, she got motoring from last place and pushed into second before hitting a buoy just short of the finish line and thereafter relying on her swimming skills. Undeterred Kim soon returned to action in a C-grade quad, no less, and helped lift the boat into second place. Most impressive!
Among a swag of solid efforts, which netted us 37 points from 30 crew entries, our medal winners were Marcela, Skye, Colleen and Sally (D4x), Andrew and Doug (D2x div1), Richard and Steve (D2x div2) and Rowena, who collected two – one in the C1x and another in the D2x with Rosemary.
In search of a novel adventure, eight rowers and Sally as cox, decided to row the 8+ back to the shed on a warm day punctuated by a with a strong nor-easter, an out-going tide and beset by a flotilla of deep-drafted motorized boats. Some people may call such water transport “pleasure” craft. No-one in the 8+ would have concurred after our boat sidled home full of water. Although the bailing was done in good cheer, the adventure is one that may not be hastily repeated. (DS)
By day’s end we were able to boast five medals. And although none of the bling belonged to Kim (yet) her debut was a stunning highlight. After a shaky start in her novice single, she got motoring from last place and pushed into second before hitting a buoy just short of the finish line and thereafter relying on her swimming skills. Undeterred Kim soon returned to action in a C-grade quad, no less, and helped lift the boat into second place. Most impressive!
Among a swag of solid efforts, which netted us 37 points from 30 crew entries, our medal winners were Marcela, Skye, Colleen and Sally (D4x), Andrew and Doug (D2x div1), Richard and Steve (D2x div2) and Rowena, who collected two – one in the C1x and another in the D2x with Rosemary.
In search of a novel adventure, eight rowers and Sally as cox, decided to row the 8+ back to the shed on a warm day punctuated by a with a strong nor-easter, an out-going tide and beset by a flotilla of deep-drafted motorized boats. Some people may call such water transport “pleasure” craft. No-one in the 8+ would have concurred after our boat sidled home full of water. Although the bailing was done in good cheer, the adventure is one that may not be hastily repeated. (DS)
Sydney Regatta - 2 March
Competition is always tough at the Sydney Regatta and among our hopeful contingent the stakes were highest for Jodie, Skye, Colleen and Sally as they jousted with the best quads going for selection in the State Masters crew. Having completed a grueling few weeks preparation, our girls left nothing in the tank on race day and edged ever closer to their sub-four-minute El Dorado by clocking 4:03.31 – a personal best. Although they found their opposition a bit too good, it was a wonderful effort and they did us proud in elite company.
A couple of hours and a few jelly snakes later Jodie and Skye completed a memorable day by combining with Rowena and Marcela to finish 3rd in their grade quad in the blistering time of 3:50.65. Rowing NSW records dating back to 1998 has no women’s quad from our club ever rowing faster at SIRC. There’s a feather in your caps; but not enough to win on the day finishing third behind young guns from Sydney University and UTS.
The best placed of our 18 entries on the day was the men’s quad of Andrew, Doug, Richard and Steve who had the grandstand jumping (especially Alba) by hitting the line a narrow second to a crack Glebe boat. Our boys kept ahead of a quality Nepean composite, the best St George had to offer and two Sydney crews.
Without doubles and singles it was almost a pleasure to pack the airy trailer and later retiring under the Battersea Park fig tree for traditional sustenance. (DS)
A couple of hours and a few jelly snakes later Jodie and Skye completed a memorable day by combining with Rowena and Marcela to finish 3rd in their grade quad in the blistering time of 3:50.65. Rowing NSW records dating back to 1998 has no women’s quad from our club ever rowing faster at SIRC. There’s a feather in your caps; but not enough to win on the day finishing third behind young guns from Sydney University and UTS.
The best placed of our 18 entries on the day was the men’s quad of Andrew, Doug, Richard and Steve who had the grandstand jumping (especially Alba) by hitting the line a narrow second to a crack Glebe boat. Our boys kept ahead of a quality Nepean composite, the best St George had to offer and two Sydney crews.
Without doubles and singles it was almost a pleasure to pack the airy trailer and later retiring under the Battersea Park fig tree for traditional sustenance. (DS)
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Balmain Grade Regatta - 4 February
A fabulous day of racing for the club - six firsts, six seconds and four thirds. Steve kicked off the day’s success with a strong MD1x singles win in the club’s newest acquisition from Swift. Carolyn collected two mugs - Balmain’s alternative to medals - one for her WD1x and then with Marcela in the WD2x. Under the reliable coxing of Judi, the WD4+ crew of Judith, Janine, Enza and Briana, claimed first place after a successful protest at the finish. Doug and Andrew had to work hard to stay ahead of their younger rivals in the closing stages of their MD2x to claim a mug. And the club’s last event of the day saw a very tidy win in the WD4x to Lil, Colleen, Jodie and Petra. A total of 43 points (40 – D grade, 3 C grade) established a new record for grade regattas. The diversity of winners was also worth noting with 14 different rowers collecting mugs. (BTW: nothing beats the Iron Cove Masters Regatta 2018 where we picked up 12 firsts – that’s a sweet 48 points in wins alone. Impressive.) There was plenty of action on the water with wind and tide and crashes.
Small Boats - 26 January
Too darn hot! In the face of all dire weather forecasts, there was no mistaking the wishful thinking and gambling nature of the small contingent of rowers heading out to SRC for the Small Boats Regatta. With the mercury tipped to top 42 degrees, there was eternal hope that the temperature wouldn't reach 38 - the cancellation level for all Masters races. Briana, Joe and Mike managed to complete their respective single and pair events, but as the rest of us dripped sweat while we set up boats, the announcement came over the loud speaker confirming our efforts had been in vain. Well not quite...the one point Joe and Mike claimed in their race matched the one point North Shore's John James collected for his second in a composite crew meaning we have stayed ahead of North Shore in the Masters Point Score by less than a point. That was worth the beer at Roccos! (R&DS)
Taree - 11, 12, 13 January 2019
Even before the regatta started, head coach Steve Sherry was getting competitive. His prediction of points for each day set a precedent and a target – Friday 16, Saturday 31 and Sunday 29 (76 total. NB all grade points are double points for this regatta). A quick glance at the numbers looked like a weather forecast – although Friday was actually 20 degrees hotter! And we needed to put some heat through our seats to realise Steve’s predicted tally. But what a team; we over achieved! Friday resulted in a plump 28 points followed by a solid 31.8 on Saturday and a slipping, heat-effected 21.5 on Sunday (81.3 total).
Very challenging wind and wave conditions welcomed rowers on Friday but Doug and Andrew kicked-off our weekend in style by snaring our first medals and points in their heat of the MD2x. Janine and Petra continued their amazing Friday form at Taree by winning their heat of the WD2x for the third year in a row – impressive! Further points were gathered with two seconds and two thirds. But Enza’s lasagne scored a 10/10 from all judges in a large gathering of SWRC and Sydney Rowers at the evening meal. One thing that our club has always done well is the food, and Enza is Captain Fantastic. Her steady sergeants, Sally, Jodie and Mike G, proved to be a great support team. Thanks guys – brilliant!
Saturday’s early calm wind and flat water was very welcome and lasted most of the day. It was, however, f……rightfully hot! Andrew shared an impressive win with the Sydney rowers in their MM8+ at the start of the day. Fabulous wins were also claimed by Terry, Mike G, Doug and Andrew (MD4x), and Skye, Jodie, Marcela and Rowena (WD4x). A good run of placings kept everyone chirpy (except for Rowena’s shocking coxing of the WD4+ - eternal apologies for such a woeful effort – super sad face emoji). The day’s end saw river-side hot chooks and salads then the Balmain lucky-dip draw.
The final day had plenty of satisfying rows with many placings across all classes of boats. At the close of day, Rosemary and Rowena rocketed home in their WM2x, rowing down the strong Port Mac duo of Chris Brennan and Kristen Wiltshire to grab more bling.
All-in-all a great weekend finished off with our traditional dinner at Sailos and Monday morning breakfast at Brown Sugar.
And that’s not all ….. we have remained top of the Masters Shield as of 17 January (less than one point ahead of North Shore). That is a new first for the club at this stage of the season and something we should be extremely proud of – bravo everyone!
Very challenging wind and wave conditions welcomed rowers on Friday but Doug and Andrew kicked-off our weekend in style by snaring our first medals and points in their heat of the MD2x. Janine and Petra continued their amazing Friday form at Taree by winning their heat of the WD2x for the third year in a row – impressive! Further points were gathered with two seconds and two thirds. But Enza’s lasagne scored a 10/10 from all judges in a large gathering of SWRC and Sydney Rowers at the evening meal. One thing that our club has always done well is the food, and Enza is Captain Fantastic. Her steady sergeants, Sally, Jodie and Mike G, proved to be a great support team. Thanks guys – brilliant!
Saturday’s early calm wind and flat water was very welcome and lasted most of the day. It was, however, f……rightfully hot! Andrew shared an impressive win with the Sydney rowers in their MM8+ at the start of the day. Fabulous wins were also claimed by Terry, Mike G, Doug and Andrew (MD4x), and Skye, Jodie, Marcela and Rowena (WD4x). A good run of placings kept everyone chirpy (except for Rowena’s shocking coxing of the WD4+ - eternal apologies for such a woeful effort – super sad face emoji). The day’s end saw river-side hot chooks and salads then the Balmain lucky-dip draw.
The final day had plenty of satisfying rows with many placings across all classes of boats. At the close of day, Rosemary and Rowena rocketed home in their WM2x, rowing down the strong Port Mac duo of Chris Brennan and Kristen Wiltshire to grab more bling.
All-in-all a great weekend finished off with our traditional dinner at Sailos and Monday morning breakfast at Brown Sugar.
And that’s not all ….. we have remained top of the Masters Shield as of 17 January (less than one point ahead of North Shore). That is a new first for the club at this stage of the season and something we should be extremely proud of – bravo everyone!
NSW Sprint Championships - 2 DecemberThe NSW Sprint Championships was an interesting day. Slightly cool in the morning, the day warmed up quickly. The 1x events were in nice conditions. The menfolk’s Andrew and Richard finished 4th while Doug took a trip to the podium to collect a Bronze medal. For the five womenfolk, Rowena matched Doug’s Bronze, Petra followed in 4th and Jodie, Colleen and Suzie found some very competitive fields. Then the wind whipped up. A lot. As the W4x and M2x boated, huge whitecaps rolled down the back lake. This writer has never moved so fast in a boat without doing a single stroke. The quad finished 3rd and the M2x took Doug and Andrew to the podium for a Silver. All events after lunch were cancelled as the forecast gusts were deemed too much. (AP)
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Reindeer Regatta - 1 December
While it was a sweltering day, making racing hot and hard, it can be firmly stated that this was the most successful Reindeer Regatta we have ever had. We ended the day with two firsts, two seconds and five thirds. Andrew rowed two great races, snatching gold with Doug in the 2x and alone in his 1x. Two quads took out second place in two very exciting races. The boys 4x – Richard, Steve, Doug and Andrew – held on to their second position in a nail biting finish. The girls – Cecile, Jody, Skye and Rowena – rowed down two boats to snatch second in the last few metres of the race. Third places were won by WM4- - Janine, Marcella, Rosemary and Rowena, WM4x – Skye, Jodie, Colleen and Sally, MM2x – Steve and Richard, and Marcela and Rowena in their respective singles. In other noteworthy happenings, Colleen recorded a wonderful personal best in her single by smashing her old PB by 20 seconds to clock 4:39.52 for the 1000m. Cecile, in only her second regatta, came 4th in her novice single, looking smooth and strong. (RS)
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Head of the Yarra - 24 November
It was big – 255 entries (this year’s cap), all but one started. The Australian Men’s 4- had been named as the International Rowing Crew of 2018 by FISA. But like us, they could not go to the awards ceremony in Switzerland because they were rowing for their club in the Head of the Yarra. It was challenging – cold, outgoing tide, strong river flow because of the rain, stormwater drains adding some whirlpools and a headwind for most of the course. The weather in Sydney on Friday threw up some problems for many clubs when several flights to Melbourne were delayed and cancelled. Some rowers were rerouted through Canberra, Adelaide or Hobart. One group caught a train and one rower hired a car at Sydney airport and drove down! Thankfully we all managed to get there without too much trouble.
Our efforts started on Friday when we unwrapped a big parcel left by Walford School near Richmond Rowing Club. Our new lightweight eight looked pretty special when we put it together. It did not take Steve and the crew long to make a key decision: Mert is staying on the trailer. The crew headed up river for a practice row. Big thanks to their roadie (rowdie?), Sally, for braving the cold, wind and rain to cox the crew. They returned to the start very happy with the new purchase. Some transfer of personnel to Hawthorn then saw the men undertake a downstream row. Petra steered the crew through a fair amount of traffic, particularly at the Big Bend.
Sunday saw the rain ease as our crews set out. The men’s F crew (Cons, Mike G, Neil, Charlie, Terry, Mike H, Joe, Andrew and cox Tara from Yarra Yarra) set off with a quick start. They had some competitive racing with several crews, particularly an oar clashing episode with the Vikings from Brisbane. Tara steered some excellent lines through the bends and bridges. The crew finished in a time of 39:32. The men were happy with one of our better HOY rows.
The women’s F-J crew (Judith, Alba, Skye, Judy, Rosemary, Lillian, Petra, Enza and cox Pip) got off to a flyer. They passed one crew before the first bridge and held their form for the rest of the race. They finished third in a time of 42:03. Everyone emptied the tank on the run home and Petra even emptied Friday night’s dinner (shepherd’s pie) into the river under the finish bridge, having the good grace to wait until after the end of the race.
Enough energy was found by both crews to get the boats up the hill and onto racks. Some recovery time was needed among the beer and food tents. Eventually we dismantled the boats and loaded them onto the trailer. It was then that we discovered a newfound hatred for Tasmanian rowing who had belatedly parked their trailer so that it blocked the exit. It took about two hours for them to pack and move the trailer. Grrrrrr!
The weekend finished with a feast (protein overload) at a Greek restaurant in the city. Thanks to Enza for organizing the dinner. The after-dinner speech was given by Coach Sherry who was very pleased with both crews’ efforts. Time to start planning for next year. (MH)
Our efforts started on Friday when we unwrapped a big parcel left by Walford School near Richmond Rowing Club. Our new lightweight eight looked pretty special when we put it together. It did not take Steve and the crew long to make a key decision: Mert is staying on the trailer. The crew headed up river for a practice row. Big thanks to their roadie (rowdie?), Sally, for braving the cold, wind and rain to cox the crew. They returned to the start very happy with the new purchase. Some transfer of personnel to Hawthorn then saw the men undertake a downstream row. Petra steered the crew through a fair amount of traffic, particularly at the Big Bend.
Sunday saw the rain ease as our crews set out. The men’s F crew (Cons, Mike G, Neil, Charlie, Terry, Mike H, Joe, Andrew and cox Tara from Yarra Yarra) set off with a quick start. They had some competitive racing with several crews, particularly an oar clashing episode with the Vikings from Brisbane. Tara steered some excellent lines through the bends and bridges. The crew finished in a time of 39:32. The men were happy with one of our better HOY rows.
The women’s F-J crew (Judith, Alba, Skye, Judy, Rosemary, Lillian, Petra, Enza and cox Pip) got off to a flyer. They passed one crew before the first bridge and held their form for the rest of the race. They finished third in a time of 42:03. Everyone emptied the tank on the run home and Petra even emptied Friday night’s dinner (shepherd’s pie) into the river under the finish bridge, having the good grace to wait until after the end of the race.
Enough energy was found by both crews to get the boats up the hill and onto racks. Some recovery time was needed among the beer and food tents. Eventually we dismantled the boats and loaded them onto the trailer. It was then that we discovered a newfound hatred for Tasmanian rowing who had belatedly parked their trailer so that it blocked the exit. It took about two hours for them to pack and move the trailer. Grrrrrr!
The weekend finished with a feast (protein overload) at a Greek restaurant in the city. Thanks to Enza for organizing the dinner. The after-dinner speech was given by Coach Sherry who was very pleased with both crews’ efforts. Time to start planning for next year. (MH)
Nepean Club Regatta - 18 November
A day of pleasing club results. While the weather looked eternally threatening, and the dreaded hill needed to be walked up and down numerous times, it was the solid performances on the day that put a spring in everyone's step. Good placings across the board boosted moral and points. Admittedly, the medals scored were won in races where we were competing against one another, making the wins somewhat hollow - but points are points. Medals to the men's four of Joe, Doug, Terry and Mike; the women's four of Rosemary, Janine, Marcela and Rowena; and the women's pair of Marcela and Rowena. Steve's combo with Glebe's Mark Tietjen was a ripper (masters style!), beating top crews in their double.
Neil, once again, was the winner in the tuck-shop stakes. He knows his way around the barista to the sweet delicacies! And they were delicious! Another winner on the day was the cute, ever-so-sweet pooch who snaffled Skye's precious lunch...she WAS very cute, albeit a tad naughty! (RS)
Neil, once again, was the winner in the tuck-shop stakes. He knows his way around the barista to the sweet delicacies! And they were delicious! Another winner on the day was the cute, ever-so-sweet pooch who snaffled Skye's precious lunch...she WAS very cute, albeit a tad naughty! (RS)
Iron Cove Classics # 2 - 4 November
North Shore Head - 27 October
The North Shore Head has a history of being a race where dramas unfold and this year did not disappoint! Richard was run over by a school boy 8 on the way to the start - boat suffered some damage but not enough to stop him from racing. Rosemary and Suzie had issues with other boats and a buoy, and have put in an early request to have a boat with foot-steering next year. Janine, new to the course, had a very close relationship with a large buoy in the early stages of the race. And a Sydney crew who hitched a trailer ride with us, lost a fin on a rock just before rowing out of Burns Bay towards the start. As for the rest of the crews, it is never easy-peasy. Andrew and Doug snuck home by just .6 seconds to win the men's masters double, leaving Drummoyne bemused for a second time in two weeks. Briana, after collecting the medal as a cox last week, snared bling in the under 17 1x. Rowena and Marcela were relegated to second place by a wiser and older North Shore double. Jodie and Sally, Steve, Mike H, and Charlie and Terry held good courses and had uncomplicated rows. Good efforts by all! (....especially in the category of unloading and washing...where a record was set!) Thanks to Colleen and Mike G for their land support. And to North Shore who do a mean egg and bacon sandwich! (RS)
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Head of the Parramatta River - 20 October
This season's Head of the Parramatta proved to be an historic outing for the club with our rowers winning medals in three separate divisions and our men's and women's eights being thrilled with their efforts as they continued to fine-tune for the Yarra. The men's 4x (Andrew, Doug, Richard and Steve) and women's 4x (Marcela, Rowena and Drummoyne's Alex and Lydia) respectively enjoyed 15 and 16-second winning margins against quality opposition while our women's 4+ (Jodie, Skye, Colleen and Sally) responded to the urging of cox Briana to win their division unopposed. By contrast, the masters eights attracted big fields. A few men in our crew (Mike H, Joe, Charlie, Terry, Neil, Denis, Mike G, and Cons) rated their performance as their most polished in the boat as cox, Janine, navigated them to beat four crews to finish 8th out of 12. Our women (Enza, Petra, Lillian, Rosemary, Judy, Sue, Alba and Judith) were similarly pleased with their balance and run after finishing 6th of 8 under the guidance of Judi. Our club has now won at least one event at an unprecedented four consecutive Head of the Parramattas. The triple victory was one medal better than our performance last year, which was a club record - but it only lasted for 12 months. Well done to all 28 rowers and three coxswains. (DS)
NSW Spring - 13 October
A surprisingly small number of clubs attended the NSW Spring Regatta at SIRC this year. SWRC was well represented with 11 women and 10 men competing in most classes of boats. However, as always, being at SIRC, the low attendance didn't make it any easier to place. Four boats secured third place in fuller field events (i.e. they beat crews home to place): Rosemary and Marcela looked very composed and together, clocking the nice time of 4:23.21 in the D2x; Andrew's time was impressive in the D1x - 3:51.62; the men's D quad of Doug, Steve, Richard and Andrew were slick with 3:27.78; and Richard and Steve rowed a smart 3:47.64 in their D2x.
The Spring being a 'grade' regatta has ensured that we are still on top of the 'masters' point score for another couple of weeks at least! (RS)
The Spring being a 'grade' regatta has ensured that we are still on top of the 'masters' point score for another couple of weeks at least! (RS)
Iron Cove Classic 1 - 7 October
Some of us arose at 4:00 and attended the shed by the allotted 5:45. Good water and not bad overhead. Seemed pretty good conditions for the race which, last year, sunk several boats. The cold was a bit iffy, but, hey! With the intrepid 'balance bods' in place and the 'tow-tinnie drivers' ready, away we proceeded to Rodd Point and coffee by 6:40ish. Standing around, when the boats arrived, did someone detect a sprinkle? Well, Iron Cove never lets you down. By the time we took to the water it was raining and cold. Yep, that’s more like it. With only one training run this was an unknown sojourn. After a “warm” up, and some wondering how many layers the marshals' would allow, we headed to the start. The first 100 strokes produced a level platform and our timing was like we had trained far more than we did. Unarguably, cox Janine, steered the best ICC ever, and Andrew showed how a good steady rate can achieve our best result ever. As a very soggy, but not sunken, crew we achieved what was a very enjoyable row with far better than expected results. Overall, a great row with the result putting our aim for glory at HOY looking achievable. Not that there wasn’t some excitement on the return tow as the Neil McCormack took a huge amount of water. (NMc)
Henley on Hunter - 30 September
The sun rose on a bright and breezy morning at Berry Park where our many athletes busied themselves with unloading the myriad of boats onto the freshly cut grass and preparing themselves for a very full schedule of activities. We had crews from the first until the last race and lots in between.
First cab off the rank was the WM8+ in a very competitive 3rd place, quickly followed by the MM4x quads. Battersea Boys kept up its run of wins in quad men’s format with Steve, Richard, Andrew and Gabriel (Drummoyne) steering it to victory with Terry, Charlie, Mike and Mike as well as Joe with a North Shore crew rounding out the race.
A short break and then the girls (Janine, Petra, Marcela and Colleen) having a go in the WM1x with Janine (2nd ) and Marcela (3rd) grabbing some points for the club.
Richard and Andrew decided to take on the youngsters in the MO2x and managed a credible 3rd.
WM4- was next Judith, Janine, Sue and Marcela taking out Mr B for the first time in a sweep configuration and girls on board! Second place was a great effort and Petra and Lil teamed up with some familiar UNSW ladies as well to come in 4th.
The WM 2x were next up with a representative in 3 out of the 4 division races. Jodie and Rosemary were comprehensive winners in their race with Alba & Colleen and Skye & Sally battling home in tough fields.
Then it was time for the Endeavour quads where a large number of our club participated in this fun and most looked forward to event. Richard and Steve grabbed line honours with Terry, Joe, Mike G, Mike H and Charlie representing our club well. Marcela, Jodie, Petra, Alba and Sue enjoying a good row and making new friends as well.
Our boys were up then to take on the MM2x with again representatives in each race. Andrew and Gabriel (Drummoyne) took out well earned line honours in Div 1 and Steve and Richard setting a cracking pace in Div 2 and victory! Mike & Mike and Joe & Chris (North Shore) followed up against the strong tide. Terry and Charles finished our doubles campaign for the day in 3rd place (Div 3).
A quick break whilst the youngsters continued the battle against the strong incoming tide and head wind, then it was time for the WM4x. Jodie, Skye, Colleen and Sally had a strong victory in Div 1 and Janine, Lil, Rosemary and Marcela coming 4th in Div 2.
No time for reflections as the MM1x got underway with 7 of our boys vying for honours across 3 divisions. Victory was celebrated by Terry and good rows in tough conditions saw Andrew, Richard, Steve, Joe and Mike H take out valuable minor placings.
Fresh from their quad victory Jodie, Skye, Colleen and Sally then took on the WO4- race against a hot North Shore 4. No win this time, but lots of happy faces as Jodie completed her first ever sweep race and the girls contemplating a bright future.
Last race of the day was the Endeavour 8 which had 8 of our club members involved and victory to Steve, Judith and Lil.
Much excitement in the air as we packed up after a full days rowing and lots of pretty pink ribbons around the necks of many in the club. Steve managed 4 medals with Richard, Andrew and Jodie being multi winners on the day as well. A very successful day for the club with lots of points scored and many happy faces as we headed off back down the M1 for a late boat unloading. (CC)
First cab off the rank was the WM8+ in a very competitive 3rd place, quickly followed by the MM4x quads. Battersea Boys kept up its run of wins in quad men’s format with Steve, Richard, Andrew and Gabriel (Drummoyne) steering it to victory with Terry, Charlie, Mike and Mike as well as Joe with a North Shore crew rounding out the race.
A short break and then the girls (Janine, Petra, Marcela and Colleen) having a go in the WM1x with Janine (2nd ) and Marcela (3rd) grabbing some points for the club.
Richard and Andrew decided to take on the youngsters in the MO2x and managed a credible 3rd.
WM4- was next Judith, Janine, Sue and Marcela taking out Mr B for the first time in a sweep configuration and girls on board! Second place was a great effort and Petra and Lil teamed up with some familiar UNSW ladies as well to come in 4th.
The WM 2x were next up with a representative in 3 out of the 4 division races. Jodie and Rosemary were comprehensive winners in their race with Alba & Colleen and Skye & Sally battling home in tough fields.
Then it was time for the Endeavour quads where a large number of our club participated in this fun and most looked forward to event. Richard and Steve grabbed line honours with Terry, Joe, Mike G, Mike H and Charlie representing our club well. Marcela, Jodie, Petra, Alba and Sue enjoying a good row and making new friends as well.
Our boys were up then to take on the MM2x with again representatives in each race. Andrew and Gabriel (Drummoyne) took out well earned line honours in Div 1 and Steve and Richard setting a cracking pace in Div 2 and victory! Mike & Mike and Joe & Chris (North Shore) followed up against the strong tide. Terry and Charles finished our doubles campaign for the day in 3rd place (Div 3).
A quick break whilst the youngsters continued the battle against the strong incoming tide and head wind, then it was time for the WM4x. Jodie, Skye, Colleen and Sally had a strong victory in Div 1 and Janine, Lil, Rosemary and Marcela coming 4th in Div 2.
No time for reflections as the MM1x got underway with 7 of our boys vying for honours across 3 divisions. Victory was celebrated by Terry and good rows in tough conditions saw Andrew, Richard, Steve, Joe and Mike H take out valuable minor placings.
Fresh from their quad victory Jodie, Skye, Colleen and Sally then took on the WO4- race against a hot North Shore 4. No win this time, but lots of happy faces as Jodie completed her first ever sweep race and the girls contemplating a bright future.
Last race of the day was the Endeavour 8 which had 8 of our club members involved and victory to Steve, Judith and Lil.
Much excitement in the air as we packed up after a full days rowing and lots of pretty pink ribbons around the necks of many in the club. Steve managed 4 medals with Richard, Andrew and Jodie being multi winners on the day as well. A very successful day for the club with lots of points scored and many happy faces as we headed off back down the M1 for a late boat unloading. (CC)
Head of Shoalhaven - 22 September
After a long drive by our intrepid rowers down to sunny Nowra, the morning dawned with no wind and a tide that was halfway to high. All three SWRC boats were on the water safely after queuing on ramp for a short time and the first challenge for the day was making it safely up the winding river to the start line to meet up with all the competitors for the morning.
First SWRC boat to approach the start line was our MM4x of Terry, Neil, Joe and Andrew in Battersea Boys hoping that the run of wins for the boat would hold true and not end today (if you can call 1 win out of 1 start a run…). The boys headed off cleanly for their start and vanished around the first bend quickly aiming to hold off Shellharbour City.
The girls were next in the WM4x of Colleen, Jodie, Suzie and Marcela, a few boats behind the boys in Evelyn Adams (after much conversation from other boats on the name of our boat and club…). A good clean start by the girls and they set their eyes firmly on the Shoalhaven quad that they needed to overtake to pull back the age handicap.
Our last crew was the dynamic duo of Steve and Richard in the Michael Hayes competing in the MM2x. The boys had a tough task ahead of them to catch three hot Drummoyne crews over the 6.5km distance.
All crews raced hard and kept out of trouble with the three bow seats (Terry, Colleen and Steve) managing to avoid the buoys, boats and BROs over the very technical course.
Everyone was very happy with their efforts and the MM4x and WM4x brought home the bacon (apologies to Jodie as a vegetarian!) with wins in their events. Unfortunately, the MM2x crew was pipped at the post by a mere 9 seconds to take out second place over a long and arduous course.
A great result for the club by all crews and a happy and safe drive home by all participants (CC).
First SWRC boat to approach the start line was our MM4x of Terry, Neil, Joe and Andrew in Battersea Boys hoping that the run of wins for the boat would hold true and not end today (if you can call 1 win out of 1 start a run…). The boys headed off cleanly for their start and vanished around the first bend quickly aiming to hold off Shellharbour City.
The girls were next in the WM4x of Colleen, Jodie, Suzie and Marcela, a few boats behind the boys in Evelyn Adams (after much conversation from other boats on the name of our boat and club…). A good clean start by the girls and they set their eyes firmly on the Shoalhaven quad that they needed to overtake to pull back the age handicap.
Our last crew was the dynamic duo of Steve and Richard in the Michael Hayes competing in the MM2x. The boys had a tough task ahead of them to catch three hot Drummoyne crews over the 6.5km distance.
All crews raced hard and kept out of trouble with the three bow seats (Terry, Colleen and Steve) managing to avoid the buoys, boats and BROs over the very technical course.
Everyone was very happy with their efforts and the MM4x and WM4x brought home the bacon (apologies to Jodie as a vegetarian!) with wins in their events. Unfortunately, the MM2x crew was pipped at the post by a mere 9 seconds to take out second place over a long and arduous course.
A great result for the club by all crews and a happy and safe drive home by all participants (CC).
Head of Nepean (big boats) - 16 September
Our competitors met bright and early at the Nepean Rowing Club and prepared the boats ready to get on the water nice and early to avoid queuing issues on the ramp. After a relaxing row up the river, the wind started to pick up and everyone queued at the race start area to await their call to the start.
First SWRC boat to get the call up was our MM4x of Steve, Terry, Richard and Andrew with Battersea Boys (or Mr B) having its first race run. The boys headed off at a good pace in the tail/cross wind to much cheering from the girls in our 8.
Next boat to approach the start line was the WM8+ with Marcela, Petra, Colleen, Rosemary, Alba, Skye, Sally and Judith in Merty and Briana in charge of steering, cheering and jeering. It took a bit of coordination to get Merty in position for the tight start and the 8 took off well with an unrehearsed race start and Marcela settling the crew in for a steady and quick race pace chasing and holding off many Leichhardt crews.
Our mixed quad of Suzie, Mike G, Charlie and Jodie headed off towards the end of the race and after a patient wait got off to a nice clean start and settled in for a good race. Jodie set a cracking pace and they finished very close to a much younger crew.
All crews had an issue free race although there was some confusion as to the finish line as Steve Sherry didn’t have an air horn to announce the finish!! It was then up to the crews to negotiate the toughest part of the race… getting the boats out of the water and up the horrible hill at Nepean!
Everyone was feeling very satisfied with their efforts when Steve S arrived and announced that the MM4x won their event!! Much excitement ensued and Briana conducted an impromptu SWRC medal presentation ceremony with much cheering by all. The W8+ and Mix4x both came third in their events. A successful morning all round!! (CC)
First SWRC boat to get the call up was our MM4x of Steve, Terry, Richard and Andrew with Battersea Boys (or Mr B) having its first race run. The boys headed off at a good pace in the tail/cross wind to much cheering from the girls in our 8.
Next boat to approach the start line was the WM8+ with Marcela, Petra, Colleen, Rosemary, Alba, Skye, Sally and Judith in Merty and Briana in charge of steering, cheering and jeering. It took a bit of coordination to get Merty in position for the tight start and the 8 took off well with an unrehearsed race start and Marcela settling the crew in for a steady and quick race pace chasing and holding off many Leichhardt crews.
Our mixed quad of Suzie, Mike G, Charlie and Jodie headed off towards the end of the race and after a patient wait got off to a nice clean start and settled in for a good race. Jodie set a cracking pace and they finished very close to a much younger crew.
All crews had an issue free race although there was some confusion as to the finish line as Steve Sherry didn’t have an air horn to announce the finish!! It was then up to the crews to negotiate the toughest part of the race… getting the boats out of the water and up the horrible hill at Nepean!
Everyone was feeling very satisfied with their efforts when Steve S arrived and announced that the MM4x won their event!! Much excitement ensued and Briana conducted an impromptu SWRC medal presentation ceremony with much cheering by all. The W8+ and Mix4x both came third in their events. A successful morning all round!! (CC)
Head of Lane Cove - 8 September
There was an air of excitement as our Women’s 8 (Enza, Petra, Janine, Colleen, Judy, Alba, Sally and Judith with Briana as cox) prepared Merty for her trip across to Lane Cove. Mike G (yes, I’m qualified to drive a boat this small) was ably assisted in the tinnie with Petra (I’ve got a boat licence too just in case) with Colleen (I’m not taking my Ugg boots off for anyone) and Briana (We are one boat, not 8 singles) acting as ballast down the river and up the harbour.
After a snappy and well prepared on water set up next to North Shore rowing club organised by Judith we headed off up the beautiful Lane Cove river. It was a good warm up and we enjoyed the scenery whilst we had the chance, although we did miss looking at one section as Briana had us do a closed eyes set to get our timing settled.
After a chilly and slightly damp wait at the starting area we headed off at a good clip and was one of the few boats that didn’t get yelled at by the starter as Briana got us away cleanly. Enza settled us into a nice even pace and Briana took her opportunities to keep our heads in the boat and remind us of our obligations as a crew. All obstacles on the river were cleared well and the crew had a last push to the finish. We had a gentle row back to the beach (via the scenic route) and again set up Merty on the water for her tow back to the serenity of Hen & Chicken Bay.
A hearty brunch was enjoyed by most of the crew and we congratulated ourselves on setting a new club record for the race by rowing under 30mins for the first time. (CC)
After a snappy and well prepared on water set up next to North Shore rowing club organised by Judith we headed off up the beautiful Lane Cove river. It was a good warm up and we enjoyed the scenery whilst we had the chance, although we did miss looking at one section as Briana had us do a closed eyes set to get our timing settled.
After a chilly and slightly damp wait at the starting area we headed off at a good clip and was one of the few boats that didn’t get yelled at by the starter as Briana got us away cleanly. Enza settled us into a nice even pace and Briana took her opportunities to keep our heads in the boat and remind us of our obligations as a crew. All obstacles on the river were cleared well and the crew had a last push to the finish. We had a gentle row back to the beach (via the scenic route) and again set up Merty on the water for her tow back to the serenity of Hen & Chicken Bay.
A hearty brunch was enjoyed by most of the crew and we congratulated ourselves on setting a new club record for the race by rowing under 30mins for the first time. (CC)
Scullers Head of the Nepean - 18 August
Five scullers headed to the Nepean River for a 4.5km Head race. Richard and Steve returned from previous years, Andrew from once years ago and Mike and Marcela fronted up for the first time. The conditions were quite benign, if not a little cool while everyone prepared their boats. The hardest part of the day can be getting onto the water – waiting with one’s boat in a queue stretching up the hill and then actually boating from an awkward pontoon area that required assistance in most cases lest you topple in. That done, a few us rowed straight into start position and promptly turned and headed back in pursuit of a time. Richard did best with a 4th in Masters, beaten by some uber-oldies. The rest of us hatched plans to do somewhat better next year . . . maybe by queueing up a little earlier for a start.
The Scullers’ Head of the Nepean is a good event that I recommend everyone try. Straight, few obstacles and an honest 4-5 kilometres for 20-25 minutes . . . and home by lunch. (AP)
The Scullers’ Head of the Nepean is a good event that I recommend everyone try. Straight, few obstacles and an honest 4-5 kilometres for 20-25 minutes . . . and home by lunch. (AP)
Head of the Hunter - 4th August
As the sun was rising at Newcastle Rowing Club, it was a case of the calm before the storm.
The idea was simple - reconvene in four or so hours time in Berry Park for a celebratory beer and group photos of all. Marathon singler’s Steve and Richard, quadders Jodie, Skye, Sally & Suzie and half marathoners, Lillian, Janine, Mike H and Mike G plus super supporter Geoff who were all headed to the home of Endeavour Rowing Club, a mere 45 or 13kms away. However, the weather gods had other ideas.
After a hard rowed 16.5 kilometres through choppy waters, lots of fresh air and wind and no stopping to bail or drink (for fear of going backwards) the race organisers called time. It was safety first and all were asked to head to the next pontoon. This simple instruction was a tad easier said than done. Crossing the mighty Hunter at is roughest meant taking on more water but rowing into the capable and fit hands of the young Glebe rowers. THANK YOU!
Once again the rowing fraternity pulled together, everyone helping all boats and rowers back to the comfort of terra ferma. One single from Endeavour had taken on so much water it took three guys to lift it out of the water and drain it.
After dry clothes and a hot soup or BBQ at Endeavour Rowing Club spirits were revived and thoughts turned to the possibilities of next year.
Special thanks to all, particularly Mike and Lillian for driving the trailer and to all helpers, particularly the mixed quadders who never had the opportunity of blade on water. (SJ)
The idea was simple - reconvene in four or so hours time in Berry Park for a celebratory beer and group photos of all. Marathon singler’s Steve and Richard, quadders Jodie, Skye, Sally & Suzie and half marathoners, Lillian, Janine, Mike H and Mike G plus super supporter Geoff who were all headed to the home of Endeavour Rowing Club, a mere 45 or 13kms away. However, the weather gods had other ideas.
After a hard rowed 16.5 kilometres through choppy waters, lots of fresh air and wind and no stopping to bail or drink (for fear of going backwards) the race organisers called time. It was safety first and all were asked to head to the next pontoon. This simple instruction was a tad easier said than done. Crossing the mighty Hunter at is roughest meant taking on more water but rowing into the capable and fit hands of the young Glebe rowers. THANK YOU!
Once again the rowing fraternity pulled together, everyone helping all boats and rowers back to the comfort of terra ferma. One single from Endeavour had taken on so much water it took three guys to lift it out of the water and drain it.
After dry clothes and a hot soup or BBQ at Endeavour Rowing Club spirits were revived and thoughts turned to the possibilities of next year.
Special thanks to all, particularly Mike and Lillian for driving the trailer and to all helpers, particularly the mixed quadders who never had the opportunity of blade on water. (SJ)