Aberdeen University take two from three in Boat Race series:
on a cold and blustery afternoon during which the early stages of
the Alumni Race were all but obscured from view by a white-out, Aberdeen
University won their 9th successive boat race and, for the first time
since the late 90s, added the Alumni title for good measure.
The Robert Gordon University had to content themselves with a win
in the 'Freshers' event.
Top: crews round
the Duthie Park with RGU still 'in touch'. Centre: AUBC on the
way to victory, about to shoot the railway bridge. Bottom: RGU try
to find more power.
19 February
Scottish Rowing Awards: time to launch this year's Scottish Rowing Awards recognising achievements in the 2003 rowing year. You can nominate those you admire in the sport for recognition as Scotland's senior or junior oarsman/oarswoman of the year, crew of the year, coach of the year or volunteer of the year.
The scheme has run very successfully in recent years - nice to see some recognition going to sports people outside footie and rugger! The details are here, together with an on-line nomination form. If your computer won;t let you use the on-line form, there's also a snail-mail nomination form. Nominations close on Friday 19th March 2004.
The Scottish Rowing Awards Dinner will take place on Saturday 3rd April in the Thistle Hotel, Glasgow. Full ticket information soon - but if you want to get your order in early, contact Mary Massaro.
Scotland Junior Trial - don't go to the wrong place! A reminder that this Saturday's junior trial is at Castle Semple in Renfrewshire, starting at 11.00am.
16 February
Inverness
Eights Head results:
good conditions rewarded the many competitors who traveled to Inverness.
Fastest crew on the day was Glasgow University (photographed by
Roy Sinclair). Ron Wallace also has a bunch of photos from the event
on the Committee
of the Dee site, including one of a most improbable modification
to an MG Midget to roof-rack a single scull(!). Maybe there's hope
for the British automotive industry yet (the inventor/owner is featured
in the final shot of the sequence)
Death of Tristan Hewins: Tristan Hewins, a post
graduate student at Edinburgh University and coach to the university's
senior women's squad, died in hospital last Saturday from injuries
sustained in a cycling accident in Edinburgh on Thursday. Edinburgh
UBC president, Jonathan Cowie,
offers the club's condolences to his family and friends. Anyone
wanting to know funeral arrangements (none yet) is invited to contact
Jonathan who will pass these on once they are available.
13 February
Inverness
Eights Head - extra advice to competitors: please note
this extra advice on
trailer/car parking, timing, facilities, etc for tomorrow's head
in Inverness. Read ALL of it is my advice - since I notice that
last para is about hazards which might damage your boat if you're
not careful! Also worth noting that the Jacobite Queen is not available
to us for shelter etc, so check the weather forecast and come prepared.
SARA to employ local part-time coaches: following
a review of the role of the SARA development officer, the governing
body has decided to move forward with a scheme putting greater emphasis
on coaching delivery at local level. There is a very full paper
which describes the opportunities for coaches and clubs, both senior
and junior.
Mid-Year SARA General Meeting: formal
notice of the mid-term meeting of clubs
Performances at GB trials: notes from John McArthur
that in the U23 lightweight trial Scots-based athletes Gavin Shaw
finished 1st, Jonny Logan 8th and Dave McNeill 12th. Scots-born
Olympic medal-hopeful Katherine Grainger (world champion in 2-)
finished 4th in the single sculls trial.
Have you volunteered for the FISA Masters support team
yet? If you're not actually planning to compete in the
Masters at Strathclyde Park in September 2005, why not join the
300-strong team of volunteers who will be making the event possible
fro the 3500 or so competitors we expect to be hosting. The Masters
is a very different regatta from most - none of the stuffiness,
and an apres-row social scene which is quite something to be part
of. Bob Neill is gathering the list of volunteers and is keen to
hear from anyone who can offer time to the event - not for interminable
committee meetings for the next 18 months, more to actually do the
hands on work during the 4 days of the regatta. Why not e-mail
Bob now?
Park Life: work at Strathclyde Park to widen the
course to 8 lanes is in schedule - which means we should get access
to the water again during March some time.
11 February
Inverness
Eights Head draw
now up: also local
rules and information for crews. Just under 100 boats entered,
so a good day's racing in prospect. In a sign of the times, perhaps(?),
I hear from Inverness that over 50% of competitors used the on-line
entry system, and that it ran smoothly.
Club bids for catering franchises at regattas at Strathclyde
Park: no regatta is complete without bacon rolls! SARA
awards franchises to clubs to handle the tea tent and bar at Strathclyde
Park Regatta and the Scottish Rowing Championships - with much of
the profit going to their club funds. The details
of the scheme are here, complete with the invitations for 'tenders'
to be returned by 28 February.
9 February
Sun and snow at Aberdeen Eights Head: it really was a very
pleasant day at the start of the first division - then a few flakes
of snow added character during the second. By the prize giving,
it was full on driving snow and we were all glad it hadn't happened
when everyone was on the water. Full results here.
The photo is the Inverness RC women's R2 eight: they didn't win,
but they were the only visiting club and the only folks to send
me a photo. There must be a lesson about PR in that somewhere.
Clydesdale Head for Eights and Fours: poster,
detailed info (both
PDF) and an entry form
(MS Word so you can fill it in legibly!) for the CARC Head on Saturday
21st February. Entries close this Saturday 14th (reminder to amorous
types, that's Valentines Day) so best get your skates on.
4 February
Aberdeen
Eights Head: the start
order for Saturday's Aberdeen Eights Head is now up. From the
much reduced and very local North/North East entry, it looks like
the central belt clubs must have exhausted themselves with last
weekend's 2 days of racing on the Clyde!
1 February
Licences:
You have been warned! Copy of a formal notice sent today
to all club secretaries: "All Scottish crews must be in possession
of a current SARA Licence when competing in Scotland AND down south.
Tideway for example may not accept entries which are not accompanied
by current documentation. As I have advised on numerous occasions
I require a two week turn round time to process licences and do
not intend to compromise this stance by rushing things through.
The entry closing date for Women's Tideway is 15 February which
is now less than 2 weeks away so anyone who does not have an application
in my hands now is unlikely to be processed in time. The HORR closes
on 21/2 and Vets on 1/3 and time is tight for these events as well
as the Schools HORR.
Additionally I will not be available next week and therefore will
not be in a position to process applications received after the
weekend until after Inverness on 14/2.
Sandy Walker, Convenor of Racing Control SARA"
Glasgow Uni seek driver for Head of Trent: as
predicted by many when the new driving regs came out, it's really
starting to clobber the university boat clubs. Glasgow have entries
for the Trent Head on 22 February - but no member who can tow a
trailer legally. If you can assist, please contact their captain,
Andy Dickie, asap.
Weekend results round-up: the results from Saturday's
Western Head of the
Clyde and Sunday's Strathclyde University Head (also of the Clyde)
Division 1 and 2
are now up
We're all 'Doomed'! In case there is anybody out
there who doesn't know about it, there's a nasty worm called 'Mydoom'
doing the rounds - and it has really taken hold in the rowing community.
It doesn't actually wreck your computer, it just replicates itself
to everyone in your address book, and then everyone in their address
book, and then, and then, and so on. Typically it will have a generic
subject heading like 'hello' or 'test' or (more cunningly) 'message
delivery failure notice' with an attachment which may be a .exe,
.scr, or other such extension. DON'T OPEN THE ATTACHMENT! When you
see an e-mail like this of which you are suspicious, delete it without
opening/executing the attachment. Then empty your 'deleted items'
folder for good measure.
Scottish
Rowing Awards
Get your nominations in now for
Oarsman, Oarswoman, Junior
Oarsman, Junior Oarswoman, Crew, Coach and Volunteer of the Year
Awards to be presented
at Scottish Rowing Awards Dinner, Thistle Hotel, Sat 3rd April.
Tickets £35 from Mary
Massaro
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Scottish Rowing Awards: time to launch this year's Scottish Rowing Awards recognising achievements in the 2003 rowing year. You can nominate those you admire in the sport for recognition as Scotland's senior or junior oarsman/oarswoman of the year, crew of the year, coach of the year or volunteer of the year.
Inverness
Eights Head 
Sun and snow at Aberdeen Eights Head: it really was a very
pleasant day at the start of the first division - then a few flakes
of snow added character during the second. By the prize giving,
it was full on driving snow and we were all glad it hadn't happened
when everyone was on the water. Full results