Scottish Indoor Champs: The final race timetable is now available. Please note that some times have changed from the provisional timetable. Racing starts at 10am and continues to 3pm and a total of 190 ergo-ers will be taking part.
Oars for sale: 8 Concept 2 sweep oars for sale - see the sales and wants page for more information.
30 January
Inverness 8s Head: Some clarification from Inverness Rowing Club - all mixed eights are to be 4 male and 4 female rowers. Mixed eights are offered in 3 different categories, Novice, R2 and Veteran. The veteran handicap tables apply to the veteran category.
29 January
St Patricks date for Tayforth: The annual race between the Universities of Dundee and Stirling has been rescheduled to Saturday 18th March. The event will be held at Stirling
Rowing Club and the programme of racing will commence at 2pm, further details at www.tayforth.4t.com.
Ghent Spring Regatta: Information and a website for the 29th Great International Spring Regatta for Juniors and Seniors of the Gentse RS in Ghent - Belgium.
Scottish Indoor Champs: Entries for the Scottish Indoor Champs close this Friday, January 27th. The event takes place in the Wishaw Sports Centre and there is likely to be competition from around the UK, with people warming up for the World Indoor Champs.
24 January
Aberdeen Eights Head: The start order for the Aberdeen Eights Head is now available on the Committee of the Dee website.
Heriot-Watt University 24 Hour Row: HWUBC attempted a 24 hour row last week in their University main corridor, to raise money for a new girls coxed four. The target was to overtake the previous distance of 320,000 metres within the 24 hour limit, which Heriot-Watt achieved with nearly 9,000 metres to spare.
Photograph: On the ergo is HWUBC Club Captain, Brook McLaughlin doing the graveyard shift, with event organiser, Victoria Sanvitale and Club President, Graeme Cunningham, overlooking. Photograph by Lee Boucher.
23 January
Photograph: The Haggis gets piped in at the Aberdeen BC Burns Supper. Photo by Ron Wallace. More images on the ABC website.
Strathclyde University Small Boats Head: The information pack and entry form is now available for the SUBC Small Boats Head on Saturday 11th February. It is the only small boats head on the Clyde this season and the club is hoping for a good turn out. One of the SUBC alumni is turning from France for the weekend to race, so it will be a truely international event. If there are any questions/problems, please email Caroline Davis or phone her on 07759 559500.
21 January
Western Eights Head cancelled: The first eights head of the season has sadly had to be cancelled due to very fast and unsafe river conditions.
19 January
Atlantic Rowing Race: Congratulations to Neil Wightwick of Clydesdale ARC who has completed the la Gomera to Antigua racing in Atlantic Four, having overtaken Cracknell and Fogle in the final few days.
18 January
Western Eights Head: The draw will be available on the GUBC website from later on this evening.
Rowing boat lights: Lights for bow and stern mounting - see the sales and wants page for more information.
17 January
Stolen equipment: A full stretcher assembly was recently stolen from boat 560B at the Park. The person who has removed this has stolen the item from the Scottish Rowing community. The National Rowing Academy cannot afford to continue replacing items stolen from equipment used by SARA clubs. If this continues the only option will be to decommission equipment or increase the charges for people
using the equipment to cover the cost of items that have been stolen. The person who has removed this item knows who they are. I ask that it be returned immediately.
Iain C Somerside
Director NRA
Scottish Rower in the Atlantic: Clydesdale member Neil Wightwick is just over 150 miles from Antigua after nearly 50 days at sea, rowing over the Atlantic. If that wasn't interesting enough, he has just been passed by some Cracknell bloke who claims to have a couple of olimpik medals to his name.
Follow Neil's progress on the Atlantic Rowing Race website, his boat is called 'Atlantic Four' - scroll the map to the left to see where he is.
Well done Neil! Here's hoping he can retake the Cracknell/Fogle double in a final push to the
end.
16 January
SARA Licences: Sandy Walker would like to again remind everyone that as he has indicated before he requires a 2 week turn round period to ensure licence numbers are processed. Closing date for Men's Tideway is 25 February (Women's Tideway is 19 February), therefore to be sure of having your card in time he needs to receive applications by 11 February (week earlier for the women's race).
Additionally competitors should be aware that Sandy will not be available in the week prior to the 25th, so don't even waste your time trying to phone him at the last minute as a number of competitors have done in previous years.
Application forms, notes and costs are available on the downloads page and should be sent to Sandy Walker via your club's racing licence contact.
Trailer space for Women's Tideway: Glasgow University Boat Club are
going to be towing down to Women's Tideway, leaving Glasgow 9th March to be back on Sun 12th March. If any clubs are interested in having their boats taken down could they get in contact Celine Buescher (tel 07738 301148). If you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
For sale items: Two single sculls and some trailer steps have been added to the sales and wants page.
13 January
Western Head - closing date changed: Due to the relatively early date of this year's Western Head, Glasgow University BC have altered the closing date for entries to Tuesday 17th January and the final date for entry fees to arrive to Thursday 19th January. Further information can be found on the GUBC website.
Scottish Indoor Champs: Reminder that the entries for the Scottish Indoor Champs close on January 27th.
12 January
Scottish strokes on Stokkavatnet: Thanks to Melina Arygle and Graham Dale for providing a translation of Aberdeen Boat Club's norwegian article.
What are eight Scottish rowers and a cox doing on Stokkavatnet in early January? They are training for the Commomwealth games and Henley Regatta.
"A lot of rowers are drawn towards southern latitudes in the run up to the season, but we think it's really pleasurable to train in Stavanger. We have a very nice host here in Stavanger Roklub and have very good conditions on the Stokkavatnet", says coach Ali Paterson to Aftenbladet. "The Eight from Aberdeen Boat Club has two main goals this coming season: the Henley Regatta outside London in July and the Commonwealth Games in August."
"We are the largest and most successful rowing-club in Scotland, with 250 members. In 2002 we became the first Scottish club to win the heavily prestigious Henley-regatta. This summer we're hoping for new top positions", says coach Paterson. But first comes the training. This whole week the active rowers from the Aberdeen eight have trained twice daily.
"We've been very lucky with the weather. It's cold, but as long as we dress properly this is not a problem", assures these fit guys.
Back in Aberdeen: Meanwhile back in Aberdeen, those who stayed behind in Scotland have been enjoying an alternative form of training at their Boxing Day row. Congratulations to Ian Duncan, winner of "Nips of Beans" and "Cake Open", to Mike Morrice, victorious in "Cream Crackers" and "Eggs and Onions" and to Alison Aitken, winner of "Women's Intermediate Cake".
10 January
World Rowing Championships Tickets: The first tickets for the 2006 World Rowing Championships went on sale this morning. As well as guaranteeing a seat in the main Grandstand by the finishing line for each day of the event, these also guarante a seat for the two Finals’ Days (daily grandstand tickets are unlikely to be available for the finals). Tickets can be booked through the 2006 World Rowing Championships' website at www.wrc2006.com or via the dedicated telephone hotline on 0870 272 1872.
Subject to availability, daily grandstand tickets for the heats, repechages and semi-final days go on sale later in the Spring together with all daily enclosure and car park tickets.
Anyone speak Norwegian?: Aberdeen Boat Club, on their winter training camp in Stavanger, have made the Norwegian press, but we don't know what it says! What we do know is that the rowing element of the camp was slightly curtailed when the lake froze. Our reporter discovered that coach Paterson instead introduced Scandinavian thermal shock conditioning.
Saw hole in ice
Spend time stewing in sauna
Run from sauna and leap through hole in ice
Scream
Repeat until you come to your senses...
9 January
Racing Licences: Sandy Walker would like to remind everyone that racing licence cards must be renewed before entering regattas. Entries at regattas not in POSSESSION of a card render the competitor and club liable to a fine or requirement to pay a Day Ticket. Please remember it is the entry date not the date of the regatta which is critical. The entry date for the first event is this weekend.
8 January
Western Eights Head: Information for the Western Eights Head on 21st January is now on the Glasgow University Boat Club website and includes a link to their on-line entry system. If there are any queries, please email Pete Russell or phone him on 07974 970492.
Regatta Organising Committee: The ROC are looking for input from clubs on two issues:
Intermediate points for Scottish Championships - this is currently set at a crew average of 3. The ROC would like to hear views on whether the level should be increased or remain as is.
Eight lane racing - the ROC would also like to hear from clubs on the use of all eight lanes used at Strathclyde Park regattas.
If any club has comments, could they please send them to Ailie Ord as soon as possible (ideally in the next few days).
Rowing Action: The deadline for articles, photographs or anything else for Rowing Action is the 31st January. Please contact Ailie Ord if you would like to send something in.
6 January
Scottish Senior Team 2006: All registered athletes aspiring to Scottish senior selection in 2006 will be emailed directly by Gary Bain in the next couple of days informing them if they have been invited to closed trials.
Clyde Festive Paddle: The Clyde Festive paddle was well attended to name the Raymond F Dixon coxed four and take a paddle in the new eight. The Emergency Services were also
present - not to preserve life or peace, but to try the ergos on sliders. Did the Humane Society out row the Cops? The reporter doesn't say! Pictures are now on the Clyde ARC Website at www.clyde-rowing.4t.com.
5 January
Aberdeen Eights HOR: Details for the eights head on Sunday 29th January are now on-line in html and pdf format at the Committee of the Dee website.
Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships: Details for the indoor champs on Sunday 5th February are on the Indoor Rowing page. The Event Poster and Entry Form are both downloadable.
Inverness feels the cold: Having been frozen off their canal, members of Inverness RC take up an alternative winter sport. Thanks to Roy Sinclair of Inverness RC for the photos.
This site is designed for
MS
Explorer 5/ Netscape 5 or later. If you have older versions, try using the links to download their latest (free) v6 updates
St Patricks date for Tayforth: The annual race between the Universities of Dundee and Stirling has been rescheduled to Saturday 18th March. The event will be held at Stirling
Rowing Club and the programme of racing will commence at 2pm, further details at 
Aberdeen Eights Head: The start order for the Aberdeen Eights Head is now available on the 
Photograph: The Haggis gets piped in at the Aberdeen BC Burns Supper. Photo by Ron Wallace. More images on the 
Clyde Festive Paddle: The Clyde Festive paddle was well attended to name the Raymond F Dixon coxed four and take a paddle in the new eight. The Emergency Services were also
present - not to preserve life or peace, but to try the ergos on sliders. Did the Humane Society out row the Cops? The reporter doesn't say! Pictures are now on the Clyde ARC Website at 
