Head Race Information: Details are now available for the Clydesdale "Clyde Head of the Rive Race" for fours and eights (frontpage, event invitation and entry forms) and for the Aberdeen Eights Head run by the Committee of the Dee.
And some results from last weekend: Results for GUBC's Western Eights Head held on Saturday. Fastest mens crew of the day was the GUBC eight and fastest women of the day were the CARC/SABC composite (unless you count stern pair of the Watsons' octuple scull, which came an impressive 4th in their division).
Rowing Action: If anyone has any articles for submission to the next edition of Rowing Action, could they please email Ailie Ord as soon as possible to let her know what they are intending to send - deadline for sending articles is the end of this week.
Regatta Organising Committee: The ROC would like to welcome any volunteers who are interested in helping with the organisation of Strathclyde Park Regatta to their next meeting, this Thursday at 7pm (3rd February), 7pm at Strathclyde Park. If anyone from any Scottish club has any ideas they would like to put forward for discussion, please get in touch with Ailie Ord before Thursday.
Racing Licences: Sandy Walker has sent the following note:
While applications for new licences have been coming in reasonably well this year, all applicants are reminded that forms must be submitted via their Club licence contact, be fully completed with d.o.b. and status and be accompanied by the correct fee. It should also be noted that it is not acceptable to enter events and having done so then submit an application. A two week turn round time is required to process a licence and with the entry date for Tideway events on the near horizon with other events following on, this should be borne in mind. Fast tracking of applications will not be possible and failure to obtain documentation in time may mean entries will be rejected.
30 January
New SARA Webmaster: After many years of excellent service, Terry McNeill has passed on the gauntlet of running the SARA website. I hope that I can live up to his standards and keep the information flowing to Scottish rowers.
If anyone has any news items, information about races, items wanted or for sale, changes in details, or anything else you think is newsworthy, please email me, Jo Wherrett.
28 January
Western
Head start order: hot off the press, the start order for
tomorrow's Western Head on the Clyde is now here.
What's your excuse for not doing your ergo?! My
thanks to Concept 2 for this photo of Carole McNally (left) of the
Oarsome Indoor Rowing Club competing at last weekend's Scottish
Grand Prix.
Carole was so determined to score points toward her Grand Prix
campaign that she rowed with her leg in plaster. So the next time
you're trying to think of a credible excuse to give your coach for
why you can't do this week's ergo, remember Carole . . . !
That’s all folks! Sadly, this will be my
last posting as webmaster for Scottish Rowing. A recent decision
by the SARA Executive, in my view, breaks a point of principle about
which I feel sufficiently uncomfortable that I have decided to resign.
I’ve enjoyed editing this website since I created it in 1996/’97,
and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the pieces and found the
information useful. I wish my successor well.
26 January
Strathclyde
University Small Boats Head:
the start orders for Division
1 and Division
2 (this Sunday) are now here. I gather GUBC are doing the start
orders for Saturday's Western Eights Head tonight, so hopefully
have them up tomorrow.
24 January
Junior
action from the Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships (above)
and (below) Guy Taylor (in light blue) en route to his win
in M J18 Lwt over Jamie Watson (dark strip with white side-stripe).
Photos, like so much else that makes indoor rowing events
such a success, courtesy Concept 2.
Fitzgerald is fastest racer - and new mile record is set:
fabulous atmosphere at Sunday's Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships
and Grand Prix, largely generated by an entry level which was 100
competitors up on last year and a standard of close competitive racing
which we haven't previously seen at the event. Full
results here and the Concept 2 site has a brilliant facility where
you can replay
your race as the spectators saw it on the big screen.
Gerrard Fitzgerald justified his trip from Limerick with not only
a win in his Men 40+ Hwt class but also by recording the fastest
2K time of the day - 6:09.7. Edward Harden (St Andrews University,
6:10.6) spoiled Colin Williamson's chances of a hat-trick of victories
over 3 years in U23.
Becky Thorpe (David Lloyd Centre, West Bridgeford) won both Women's
Lwt (7:35.0) and Women's Hwt (7.39.7), with Lindsay Dick (Glasgow
RC, Women 30+ Hwt) setting the fastest women's time overall in 7:08.7.
In junior racing, Guy Taylor (Peterborough City) won Men's J 18
lightweight in 6:43.3 in a very hard-fought contest with Jamie Watson
(Windsor Boys School, 6:44.4). This was not the closest finish of
the day, however. In Men's U23 Lwt Jonny Logan (Glasgow University,
6:35.8) scored an incredibly close win over Thomas Carter (Northwich
RC) by one tenth of a second.
We also witnessed the first events for participants in SARA's 'TotallyRowing'
programme, with pupils from the host Dalziel High School and visitors
Holyrood Secondary School competing in 2 min, 3 min and 4 min races.
There were countless 'PBs' set on the day, but a special highlight
was the successful attempt by Guy Taylor (Peterborough City) to
set a new world record of 5:25.5 for the men's junior 18 lightweight
mile: the sight (and sheer racket) of a couple of hundred Scots
cheering an Englishman to sporting success on Scottish soil is not
what you normally read about in the press but, I assure you, it
happened yesterday.
20 January
Finalised
race schedule for Scottish Indoor Grand Prix: the
detailed draw is now here.
Please check the time of your race - there have been a couple of
minor changes. A reminder that we have a local
map to help you find your way (if coming by train to Motherwell,
the station is marked top right of the map and is only a few hundred
yards walk from the school).
For anyone coming to their first indoor rowing
championships, the event is a good one for family spectators, and
they are very welcome. Your progress is displayed on a giant screen
so your friends can see whether you're winning or how much encouragement/screaming
it might take to spur you on to a win. We look forward to seeing
you all on Sunday - don't forget to check in at least an hour before
your race!
19 January
Is
there a doctor in the house? Ian 'Chalky' White (right)
of St Andrew BC is boldly going where he hasn't gone in at least
15 years - 2000m on an ergo - this Sunday in a fund-raising effort
for his club's project in memory of Lesley Stewart. Lesley, a St
Andrew member, ubiquitous veteran oarswoman and FISA umpire, died
last year (in her 40s). Proceeds from the club's fund-raising project,
of which Chalky's bold effort in the Men 50+ heavyweight event at
Sunday's Scottish Indoor Rowing Grand Prix is just one part, are
to be divided between Cancer Research and the purchase of a new
boat named after Lesley.
Chalky's challenge has approval from the race committee who would
encourage you to support both worthy causes in memory of a valued
colleague in the sport. His club-mates will be accepting 'sponsored
guesses' as to Chalky's likely finishing time (anybody got a calendar?!)
And is there a doctor in the house ? Of course there is - though
as it happens Doc Ron Wallace will be a bit pre-occupied during
Chalky's Challenge, competing in the same race (albeit in the lightweight
class) which he will just squeeze into following his 50th birthday
tomorrow.
New SARA boat booking policy: as everyone knows,
SARA owns a fleet of modern Janousek boats, from pairs to 8s, based
at the National Rowing Academy. These are always available for hire
by clubs or crews visiting to train at Strathclyde Park and are
also available (so is the trailer) by prior arrangement for booking
for use in races at other venues. The policy
and arrangements for booking these boots have recently been
updated and clubs contemplating hires should acquaint themselves
with the new system.
17 January
Scottish
Indoor Rowing Grand Prix draw: the provisional
draw is now here. Please check that you have been correctly
entered: if you find any mistakes - even spelling - please email
me using a subject heading 'Draw Correction' and stating your
name AS SPELLED IN THE DRAW, the event you are shown in IN THE DRAW
and then detailing the correction required. Allocation of individual
machines will only be done once the draw is finalised.
Remember you must check in at least an hour before your race, with
lightweights required to weigh in between one and two hours before
their race. Event registration opens at 0900, first race is at 1000am.
This direction
map from Junction 6 on the M74 should make it easy to find the
venue.
We're looking forward to welcoming you to a brisk day's competition:
I notice quite a few competitors from Ireland, Wales and far-flung
bits of England, so we wish you a safe journey up/across.
Tideway Men's Head of the River: will all Scottish
Clubs intending to enter the Head of the River Race on the Tideway
in 2005 please note that SARA Clubs should use paper entry forms
and NOT attempt to enter 'on line' using the OARA system. This request
has come from the HORR Secretary, Andrew
Ruddle, who can be contacted by email if there are any queries.
Forms have gone out to all Scottish clubs who entered in the last
5-6 years. Please note that this applies to the Men's Head only
- not to the Women's Head or the Vets Head which are run separately.
Whopping entry for the Scottish Indoor Rowing Grand Prix:
330 racers to be precise - almost exactly 100 up on last year. We
hope to have a provisional 'draw' on this web site later today and
would ask competitors at that time to check their entry has been
correctly recorded and email any corrections to an address which
will be published at the same time as the draw. This is important
not just in terms of making sure you are in the right race, but
also the spelling of your name: your timing certificate comes from
the same database and will be spelled the same way as on the draw,
so now's your chance to ensure your British Record time (!) has
your name spelled correctly on it.
New on the market: lightweight women's 1x - check
the Sales page for details
13 January
Scottish
Team Selection policy: the Scotland Senior Team selection
policy for the Home International has been formalised and is now
here. The junior
selection policy will come separately but there is an appeal to
any eligible juniors aspiring to represent Scotland but who row
for clubs elsewhere (eg Englandshire!) to make themselves known
as soon as possible to Jim
Ferguson.
12 January
Closing date
reminder: one reminder I forgot to add in my note about
the Scottish Indoor Rowing Grand Prix was that entries close
this Friday. Full details as before in the links from the
yellow panel on the right.
10 January
Scottish
Indoor Rowing Grand Prix: a reminder of this annual festival
of post-Christmas torture at Dalziel High School on 23rd January.
This year the SARA indoor event is upgraded an recognised as a formal
round in Concept 2's bRitish Indoor Rowing Grand Prix; we're looking
forward to welcoming a larger entry from south of the border to
spice up the competition. Around 230 'pullers' last year made for
a great atmosphere and a busy day's racing. Links to the relevant
entry information are in the yellow panel on the right.
Western Eights Head and Strathclyde Small Boats Head (29-30
Jan 2005): remember all those seats and stretchers that
got cannibalised from your eights to get all your fours on the water
during the autumn? Well, it's time to put them back in the eights!
First eights head is the Western on Saturday 29th, with a 'roll-over'
to the Strathclyde Uni Small Boats Head on the Sunday 30th January.
The official Western
Eights poster has all the events offered, rules etc, with a
covering letter
of invitation. The GUBC site has an easy-to-follow online
entry system. Meanwhile the Strathclyde Uni Small Boats Head
has a separate poster
and entry pack. I rather liked the unofficial
poster which proves conclusively that GUBC are indeed a bunch
of cowboys . . .
But you'll need a licence . . . : a reminder from
Sandy Walker (race control convenor) that all Licence renewals for
2005 should now be progressed. As in previous years he will only
deal with one point of contact in each club and will not accept
individual applications from competitors.
A 2 week turn round time should be allowed for processing a licence
and this should be borne in mind when making regatta entries particularly
for events such as Tideway where a Scottish Licence is required
if competing for a Scottish club. Under no circumstances will numbers
be made available over the phone. There will, Sandy insists, be
no exceptions.
Fees for 2005 are as follows: Senior £25; Student £19;
Junior £12; Cadet £6
Counting on you: the counters on the SARA site
have been reset for the new year. The 2004 total of 221,132 visits
was almost identical to 2003.
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their latest (free) v6 updates
Western
Head start order: hot off the press, the start order for
tomorrow's Western Head on the Clyde is now 
Is
there a doctor in the house? Ian 'Chalky' White (right)
of St Andrew BC is boldly going where he hasn't gone in at least
15 years - 2000m on an ergo - this Sunday in a fund-raising effort
for his club's project in memory of Lesley Stewart. Lesley, a St
Andrew member, ubiquitous veteran oarswoman and FISA umpire, died
last year (in her 40s). Proceeds from the club's fund-raising project,
of which Chalky's bold effort in the Men 50+ heavyweight event at
Sunday's Scottish Indoor Rowing Grand Prix is just one part, are
to be divided between Cancer Research and the purchase of a new
boat named after Lesley.
