Contact Information: Recent updates to contact information include Strathclyde University Boat Club and Clydesdale ARC. If any other clubs have recently changed their details, please let me and Jo Ramsay know.
29 November
Kids Get Wet: KGW is a water activities project which will benefit numerous Highland waterside communities through an exciting introduction to water activities. They want to run two 3-day holiday camps in each community during 2008. This would be the first Coastal rowing project to come to Scotland and is a very exciting prospect. The boats have been sourced from Burgashell and they have offered to bring the boats up free of charge if the project gets the go ahead - all indoor and outdoor equipment purchased for KGW will be donated to the communities at the end of the project.
The project needs lots of votes to win over the other project being showcased today - telephone 08702 437 601 to register your vote (STV and the People’s Millions Fund make no profit from this competition).
SARA Executive: The SARA Executive page and the contacts page have been updated with details for the recently co-opted executive members: Ian Ratcliff (Secretary) and Graeme Stewart (Ordinary Member responsible for Governance).
25 November
Glasgow Fours Head Results: The results from yesterday's head race are now on the GRC web site. Conditions were distinctly unpleasant, with head winds, choppy water and intermittant downpours to contend with.
Photograph: Glasgow University BC, winners of Mens Open 4x. Photo courtesy of David Collie.
Events Calendar 2008: Now that the 2007 head season has drawn to a close, its time to start looking forward to the heads in 2008. The full 2008 race calendar is now uploaded, further information will be added as soon as it arrives.
BIRC: Results from the British Indoor Rowing Champs are online on the Concept2 website. Several Scots were taking part, and particular congratulations go to Kelly Limond of Loch Ard who won the Womens Open Lwt category.
23 November
Glasgow Fours Head: 6.30pm update - at 4:30 this afternoon, the Clyde was glassy calm and beautiful in the wintery sunset. So we are Green to go! But - bring your waterproofs. The forecast is not good!
22 November
Glasgow Fours Head: The FINAL start orders for both of Saturday's races are now online and replace the previous draws (Division 1, Division 2). This information has also been posted on the GRC web site. There have been some changes to the provisional details, all to Division 2 - please check your crew numbers.
Please pay particular attention to your advised boating time. This is shown to the right of the category that your crew is racing in. By the time indicated, your crew should be afloat. Crews that do not follow this advice run the risk of being turned back at the railway bridge and not racing. This rule is important for the safety and well being of competitors who are ready to start at the advertised time and whom we do not intend to hold above the start in winter conditions. As such, it is a rule that we will apply strictly. You must be above the railway bridge by 20 minutes before the start of the race!
Weather: Although they don't want to talk about it, the rain yesterday was a bit worrying. The organisers will send out an update tomorrow to all clubs (this will put on this website on Friday evening). Glasgow RC wishes everyone happy racing!
University Winter League: The current positions in the new expanded Scottish Universities winter league after three events are below. Last years winners are leading the way this year but with six events still to go this could all change.
1. Glasgow University
559
5. Dundee University
178
2. Edinburgh University
478
6. Heriot Watt University
98
3. Strathclyde University
199
7. Robert Gordon University
67
4. Aberdeen University
189
8. Glasgow Caledonian University
10
21 November
Trailer Space Available: Glasgow University Boat Club have trailer space for hire for the Vesta Scullers Head on the 1st December and for the Lagan Head (Belfast) on 23rd February. Anyone interested please email Peter Russell at boatman@glasgowubc.com.
20 November
Buoyancy: Sandy Walker would like to remind all clubs and competitors, particularly when a number of older boats are being brought back into service during the Head season, that it is their responsibility to ensure that their craft comply with the buoyancy requirements of the SARA Water Safety Code.
Craft without underseat compartmentalisation may require enhancement to comply and it has been brought to his attention that some fours at the recent Inverness Head did not meet this requirement. Unmodified craft risk being refused permission to boat at future events.
Glasgow Fours Head: The provisional start orders for both of Saturday's races are on-line - Division 1, Division 2. This information will also be posted on the GRC web site. There is a good entry, most events are contested and the weather forecast is only mildly depressing!
19 November
Inverness Head Results: The results from Saturday and Sunday's head races are now on the Inverness RC website. Photographs are also available from the Small Boats Head on www.victorimages.co.uk.
15 November
Inverness Head Draws: The draws on the Inverness RC website have been updated. Please also take the time to read the Essential Information for competitors, also on the Inverness RC website.
Glasgow Fours Head: Reminder to all clubs that entries for the Glasgow Head close at 5pm on Sunday. See their website for more information.
12 November
Inverness Heads: The draw for the Inverness Heads are out this evening on the Inverness RC website. Inverness Rowing Club are holding a dinner on the Saturday night in the local golf club - price £10 for a 3 course meal. If anyone is interested would they let Hazel Smith, Inverness RC, know as soon as possible.
Inverness Head Photos: Victor Sports Photography will be snapping at the Inverness heads this weekend. They are also running a special promotion for November - 15% off our prices for readers of the SARA Website by entering the code SCOTNOV on our website.
Aberdeen Results: The results from both Saturday and Sunday's races in Aberdeen are now available on the Committee of the Dee website.
FISA Crew of the Year: Katherine Grainger and her crew-mates Annie Vernon, Debbie Flood and Frances Houghton were named world rowing’s "crew of the year", following their successful defence of their quadruple sculls world crown in Munich in August. The crew received their award at the world governing body’s gala dinner in Budapest on Saturday evening. Grainger and her crew are personally coached by Australian Paul Thompson, who is in overall charge of Britain's womens and lightweight programmes - Thompson was named as world coach of the year at the same gala event.
8 November
Aberdeen Heads: The start order for the Aberdeen HORs on 10th and 11th November are now published on the Committee of the Dee website http://cofd.co.uk. The organisers are delighted to see a wide range of clubs attending this event including Nithsdale, Heart of Scotland, Stirling, Dundee and Inverness. The organisers have pointed out that while weather forecast for today is terrible, the situation is due to improve by the weekend!
Glasgow Fours Head: Glasgow Rowing Club invites you to its annual Fours Head, which will be
held on 24 November on the River Clyde. As usual, there will be two races over 5000 m from Belvedere to Glasgow
Green. A poster and information is attached and more can be found at www.glasgowrowingclub.org/Events/2007_4s_head/. The on-line entry system will be available from this Sunday, 11 November.
GRC has had extensive building work taking place next to their clubhouse all summer, due to the M74 Motorway extension. By race day they will have fully operational full-length boating steps, but space around the club for boats will be limited as the 'grassy' space opposite is likely to be at best muddy and churned-up and at worst will still have big machines all over it. If your club wishes to boat from GRC, please let them know in advance and we will advise.
7 November
SARA AGM Resolutions: The following resolutions were put to the SARA AGM on the 4th November 2007.
From Aberdeen Boat Club:
"No person who is an employee of the Scottish Amateur Rowing Association or any Company under its control, may be a member of the Scottish Amateur Rowing Association's Executive."
This was carried.
From Aberdeen Boat Club: Change to the wording in Section E12 of the SARA Rules of Racing.
"A novice rower/sculler may only gain a status upgrade from Novice to R2 in one qualifying event at the same regatta. Further event wins at Novice status at this same regatta shall not accrue points. The step forward from Novice, is to R2 (0 points) level at the end of the initiating regatta. Qualifying event wins at subsequent regattas are point scoring at R2 level."
This was carried.
From Aberdeen Boat Club: Change to the wording in Section E8 in the SARA Rules of Racing.
"SENIOR EVENTS may be held in the following classes - Senior Open, Restricted 1 and Restricted 2. The average number of qualifying wins of the members of a crew (excluding coxswain) in Senior pen and Restricted 1 status may not exceed the numbers in the following table. Senior Open - unlimited, Restricted 1 - 8 wins, The number of qualifying wins of any member of a Restricted 2 crew shall not exceed 3. No person shall count more than 12 wins. Anyone who has competed for the Great Britain Senior, Lightweight or U23 International Squads shall have
their points topped up to 12. Anyone who has competed for Great Britain in the World Junior Championships shall have their points topped up to 6."
ABC withdrew this resolution.
From Domestic Regatta Organising Committee: Changes to the Scottish Rowing Championships:
The Scottish Schoolboys and Schoolgirls coxed fours events should be incorporated into the Scottish Championships Junior coxed fours event of the same age. Scottish Championship Medals will be awarded to the first crew to finish across the line and Scottish Schools Championship Medals will be awarded to the first Schools crew to finish the race. Schoolboys Under 16 Sculling Championships should be removed. Schoolboys Under 15 Sculling Championships should be removed. Introduce races in Single Sculls, Double Sculls and Coxed Quadruple Sculls for Junior Under 13 age category. Introduce Double Sculls at Junior Under 15 age category.
Introduce Quadruple Sculls at Junior Under 16 age category.
This was carried.
5 November
SARA AGM: The 2007 SARA AGM was held yesterday at the National Rowing Academy, Strathclyde Park. The new SARA vice-presidents are Mike Morrice (Participation) and Ian White (Performance). Graham Cunningham (Coaching) and Mike Haggerty (Communications) join the executive as ordinary members.
Aberdeen Heads: Reminder that the closing date for entries for the Aberdeen Fours Head and Small Boats Head is tomorrow. Details are available on the Committee of the Dee website.
Clyde Head: Results from the Clyde Head are now available.
4 November
Clyde Head: Excellent conditions for Saturday's Clyde Head, with a good size entry from across Scotland. Full results should be available shortly, fastest percentage times for the day went to Jonny Logan (Clyde ARC) and Emma MacCahill (Glasgow Schools RC) and the Victor Ludorum prize went to George Watsons College RC.
Fours Head: Edinburgh University BC was the only Scottish club represented at the Fours Head - congratulations go to them for winning the MS3 4+ (academic) pennant. Other Scots winning pennants were Colin Williamson (Leander MS2 4x), Katherine Grainger (Marlow/Thames WElite 4x) and Kirsty Myles (Oxford Brookes WS2 4x)
2 November
Inverness Head: Details for the Inverness Fours and Small Boats Heads are now on the Inverness RC Website.
Tees Head of the River: Report from Bryan Steel, Rowing Co-ordinator at ASRA sends this report: "At the Tees Head of the River Races on Saturday 27th October, ASRA athletes won two category divisions outright. Iona Riley & Jamie Steel won Women's Junior Under 18 Double Sculls in the Tees Long Distance Sculls event and were the fastest junior women overall and in the Tees Small Boats Head the Men's Junior Under 15 Quad Sculls event was won by Niall Rundle, Christy Masson, Daniel McSherry & Atholl Wallace coxed by Blair Sorbie."
George Watsons College RC were also racing, and also came home with several handfulls of pots.
1 November
Clyde Head: The final draw for the Clyde Head on Saturday has now been published.
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Glasgow Fours Head Results: The results from yesterday's head race are now on the 
