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News Archive:

2005
2004
2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
July 2002
June 2002

30 August 2002

Weather to Row? I've been checking out weather links and have now put what seems to be a reliable one for 4-day forecasts for Strathclyde Park onto the National Rowing Academy page. It includes wind speed and direction, which many don't. If you follow the link, you can ask it for forecasts for other centres (by town) in Scottish rowing.

FISA Masters 2005: many in the Scottish rowing community will know that Scotland put forward a strong bid to host the 2005 FISA Masters Regatta at Strathclyde Park. We now know that the regatta will be in Denmark that year, but SARA's bid for major events will carry on undiminished. As SARA President Ronnie Goldie says: "It is very unusual to get these major events at the first bid. We will most definitely be continuing with the bidding process for Masters 2006 and indeed other major events that we want to bring to our outstanding venue "

Wanted: GUBC are hoping someone can help them move a boat home from repair, and someone's in the market for a Speedcoach: see the Sales and Wants page for details

29 August

Masters update: I see the full draw is now up (complete with the year of birth of every competitor - I guess there's no privacy in sport, eh?). There is a positive rash of Scottish entries, mostly from St Andrew, Clydesdale, Clyde Masters, Glasgow RC and Inverness (with apologies to any clubs I've missed).

Scots racing at World Masters? Only one crew has advised SARA of its intention to race (this is actually a requirement of SARA rule of racing A12 in case you're wondering why I make the point) at the FISA Masters Regatta next weekend in Racice, Czech Republic. It would help me to report the crews' exploits if some of the members of the Scots crews who will be taking part could tell me names/clubs/events they are competing in. Is there anybody who will be attending the regatta and will have access to a computer who fancies being the SARA web site's reporter on the spot?

Aberdeen Sprint: all the captains seem to back from hols and organising their sprints! Today we have the poster/events for the Aberdeen Sprint on 21 September.

28 August

Glasgow Sprint Regatta: Glasgow are innovating a bit with their events offered on 14 September, so the captain's invitation letter is as much worth reading as the poster/events offered (indeed you'll need to read it for the definition of an 'intermediate' crew).

Inverness Morrison Sprint Draw: thanks to those who mailed me about the broken link to this. I have uploaded a new copy of the file and it seems to be working now.

27 August

Inverness Sprint: Good news: the Morrison Sprint at Inverness this Saturday is on - indeed I spotted competitors from 10 clubs entered on a quick scan of the draw. The draw is now here

SARA Executive news: the SARA Executive meeting last night recorded congratulations to Scotland's Commonwealth Champions in women's coxless pairs, to our 6 other medal-winning crews in the recent Commonwealth Rowing Championships, and to all the crews and coaches who were selected to represent Scotland in the event.

Among a wide range of other business, the meeting also decided that the SARA Chatboard is not serving a useful purpose and it is therefore being discontinued.

26 August

Boat Transport Needed: a SARA eight from the National Rowing Academy fleet has been at Janousek for repair and is now ready for return. Callum MacDonald (development Officer) would be grateful if any club with a trailer heading that way could contact him to discuss whether they could help bring it back.

Planning you winter head racing programme? The events page has been updated with not only the dates (and links where available) of Scottish events but also of the Fours Head, Pairs Head and Scullers Head on the Thames.

24 August

Inverness Sprint: a reminder that entries close Sunday 25th at 6.00pm. The poster and entry form have been on line for some time, and the fact that an e-mail address is included suggests entries by this route can still be made up to that time. It was a shame to lose the first sprint of the season at Loch Lomond due to a poor entry: let's not make it two in a row (no pun intended).

23 August

Inverness RC web site: Inverness have launched a new and excellent web site. Well worth a visit

Faskally Coaching Weekend: details and a booking form for this ever-popular coaching event (18-20 October) are now up. I see numbers have had to be capped at 50, so early responses sound the order of the day.

Video clips from the Commonwealth Rowing Championships: there are now video clips of racing and medal presentations from the Commonwealths on RowTV

21 August

Articles for Rowing Action: the next issue of Rowing Action goes to press shortly. Ailie Ord would welcome articles, club news, letters, pictures etc (and there certainly has been plenty of news made in Scottish rowing this summer!) to reach her by 26 August.

Scotland's gold medallists at the Commonwealth Rowing Championships: I was a bit embarrassed not to have a photo of our only winning crew, so I'm grateful to Gordon Barnes for sending me this of Ali Barnes and Pam Dixon, Commonwealth Champions in Women's Coxless Pairs.

20 August

Above: Gavin Shaw races for the line in LM1x and (left) receives his Silver Medal (one of two silvers he won, the other being in LM 2x with Jonny Logan)

Jo Ganley and Katrine McPherson (above) reach out in the closing stages of their LW2- in which (left) they won Bronze

See it, believe it: that's Scotland leading Australia in a men's heavyweight event.

This is terribly disappointing: Loch Lomond are working hard to redevelop their club and, in this of all years, could really have done with the support of other clubs (expressed in entries) to help them on their way. Here's hoping this is the only sprint to suffer this fate this summer.

Full results from the Commonwealth Rowing Championships are here.

18 August - Day 2 of the Commonwealth Rowing Championships

Scotland ultimately finished these Commonwealth Rowing Championships with 7 medals: 1 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze.

Dan Saoul, John Langley, Tom Morgan, Drew Hendry and Angus Argyle: Scotland's silver medal winners in men's coxed fours. More photos tomorrow, but for now I have a lovely 7 hour drive ahead . . . (photo: Martin Worth)

As the crews came to the line this was one of the best, if not the best, of the day; England took the gold by a second over Scotland, with New Zealand and Australia all but dead heating (but NZ taking it) for Bronze less than a second behind. A real corker, and a superb performance by the Scotland crew who had suffered such a close defeat in the bronze medal re-row in 4- yesterday.

Bronze in Women's Lightweight Coxless Pairs: this was another of Scotland's hastily formed late entries following the musical chairs in the GB squad which saw Leonie Barron called up - and Jo Ganley looking for a new partner. Enter Katrine McPherson. Four boat race, with Scotland trailing for the first 1000m (2 lengths off Wales, third, at that point). Zimbabwe continued pushing from 1000m and took the lead from England at 1100m. meanwhile Scotland pushed to level with Wales, at which point Wales' steering seemed to go awry under the pressure. As Wales responded to warning for steering out of their lane with 250m to go, Scotland capitalised and established a clear position in bronze which they held to claim their medal.

A great start to Sunday with silver for Gavin Shaw for Scotland IN LM 1x. The first half of the race was hard fought, with the Australian taking an early lead but England, Wales and Scotland fighting on level terms for the remaining medals until half distance. Beyond half distance, Gavin started to make his push; the England sculler faltered, then got back. The Wales sculler stayed with him. It had to be an extended push, but Gavin did well. By 1500 the Australian was 10 seconds ahead of the rest, Scotland 2nd, Wales 3rd (but by less than 1 sec), England a length back and Guernsey - whose sculler confessed to never having raced 2000 m before), 40 seconds adrift. In the final 500, Gavin Shaw pushed and pushed - there really was no let-up - and opened a length and a half to Wales. An excellent race and a silver medal well taken.

A sultry, still afternoon with the lightest of breezes from lane 1 to lane 6.

Once again, the Rowing Service are doing summary commentaries coming up shortly after each race

17 August - Commonwealth Rowing Championship (most recent news at top)

In the re-row of men's coxless fours, Scotland went off fast and held a one length lead after 1500 metres. But the England crew pulled through in the closing 500m, reaching level with 150m to go and drawing ahead by a couple of feet in the closing strokes. The English crew take bronze, but the Scots have another go - perhaps for something better even than bronze(?), in the 4+ tomorrow.

Final medal tally at the end of day 1:

• Canada 4 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Bronze (total 6)
• Australia 4 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze (total 5)
• England 1 Gold, 5 Silver, 3 Bronze (total 9)
• Scotland 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze (total 4)
• Zimbabwe 0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze (total 1)
• Wales 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 5 Bronze (total 5)

Ali Barnes never expected to be racing single sculls in this regatta, and with one Gold Medal in her pocket (for W2-) I suspect she will be happy to settle for bronze (given that this year's National Champion, Lulu Butler-Stoney (England), could only manage silver behind Canada.

Silver in Lightweight Men's Double Sculls: Australia had this race form a very early stage with Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England all within a boat's length. After 1000m, England started to be dropped from the group and after 1500m Scotland started to make a positive break into a clear second. They continued to go away from there to the finish.

Re-row news: the re-row in Men's coxless fours will take place at 5.55. Incredibly, this is the second opportunity of being 'saved by the re-row' this England crew has had, they being the Oxford Brookes and Imperial College crew who controversially won the Visitors at Henley after a re-row following complaints of interference from geese on the course. This time it was Kiwis that impeded the ornithologically-challenged IC/OUBC four

Women's Lightweight Double Sculls: England have their first gold of the championships, with Zimbabwe silver and Scotland (Kat Ramsay and Lorna Ferguson) bronze, 4th Wales, 5th Northern Ireland.

Men's lightweight pairs: sadly, the Scottish pair of Henry Westwood and Douglas Murray were somewhat off the pace in this one. Canada gold, England silver, Wales bronze (Scotland 5th)

Controversy in men's coxless fours. Australia had this one bagged from the early stages, with Canada safely second. There was a definite overlap between New Zealand and Scotland (contesting bronze, with New Zealand having the better of it for most of the time) and England sandwiched in the lane between these two and trying to get in on the act. In the closing 100m, New Zealand (lying 3rd) crashed into England (lying 5th) leaving Scotland (lying 4th) to row through to 3rd place. Umpire Mike Haggerty disqualified the New Zealand crew (out of lane when crashed with England) and ordered a re-row for bronze between Scotland and England: time of the re-row still to be announced.

Brilliant start: Gold in Women's 2-. The boats were level after 500 m, all rating about 37. Approaching 1000, Scotland started to make their move on Canada - who were by this stage 2/3 length up. By 1000m, Canada's lead was down to a canvas with Scotland coming through all the time. After 1200m, Ali Barnes and Pam Dixon for Scotland had the lead for the first time and were steadily going away - and that's how it finished. Scotland won by 4 lengths from Canada, England 3rd.

"We're over the moon" said Ali Barnes. "The crew was put together at the last minute and we'd hardly done any work together. It was a fantastic race and it went to plan."

Scorching weather with a stiff cross/slight head wind. Lane 1 favoured. The good news is that all Scottish crews are in good health and will race: there have been some scratchings in other teams, notably Australia who have had a 'bug' sweep through their camp.

The Rowing Service are carrying race-by-race commentary and since it's a Scot doing it (Trevor Chambers, ex AUBC), there's no point in me providing a separate Scottish perspective! I will be doing periodic round-ups, however.

16 August

Reports from the Commonwealth Rowing Championships: the SARA site will be carrying reports from the Commonwealths this weekend, and I believe there will also be live commentary, on some of the racing at least, on the Festival of Rowing web site. Good luck to all the Scotland crews.

15 August

World Rowing Masters Regatta update: in light of the disastrous flooding in the Czech Republic, reassuring news about the Masters on the FISA site today.

National Rowing Academy - Strategy 2002-2003: an on-line copy of the policy document which has been going out in response to Academy Athlete registration requests, and which describes the mission and plans National Coach John McArthur has laid out for the coming year.

14 August

With a little help from my friends: if you/your club has ever had a bit too much in the 'adventure' department getting your boats safely to a regatta, try reading this tale of woe (on the FISA site) about the New Zealand team's efforts to get their boats to the Junior Worlds. Still, they all lived happily ever after . . .

13 August

Programme for other events at the Commonwealth Rowing Championships: there are other events running at Holme Pierrepont (Nottingham) this weekend which take up some of the rest of the 'racing day'.

Saturday

• 1200-1500: Dragon Boat Racing
• 1530-1745: Commonwealth Rowing Championships (race programme here).

Sunday

• 1200-1500: Club Sprint Regatta (draw expected shortly I gather)
• 1530-1830: Commonwealth Rowing Championships (race programme here)

Incidentally, it looks like there will be a fair crowd of Scottish supporters living in the camp site at the Commonwealths. Do I feel a barbecue on Saturday night coming on? (esp with the nice long lie afforded by the programme on the Sunday!). Shall we use the Chatboard as a forum to plan one?

Buyers looking for boats: quite a few people seem to be in the market just now. Today's additions are looking for a 2- and an 8. See Sales and Wants for details.

Talented Athlete Funding and Academy Athlete applications: a reminder that the closing date for applications under either of these schemes to reach John McArthur is this Friday. See earlier news item dated 1 August for details.

12 August

Scotland names team for Commonwealth Rowing Championships (press release today from SARA)

Scotland today announced its team to compete at the Commonwealth Rowing Championships at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham on 17-18 August.

Rowing has not been included in the Commonwealth Games proper since 1986 – when the Games were hosted in Scotland. The Commonwealth Rowing Championships have been sustained by the enthusiasm of the governing bodies of rowing throughout the Commonwealth nations in the years since.

Scotland’s team will line up against stiff competition from some of the great (and much larger) rowing nations like Australia, England and Canada – but team management are confident medals can be won.

The Scottish team includes two members of the current Great Britain under 23 team, 12 current Home Countries Champions, 2 reigning National Champions of Great Britain and 4 Henley medallists of 2002. The team draws on the strengths of most of Scotland’s major rowing centres, and adds extra weight through the call-up of Anglo-Scottish athletes. The coaching team is led by Scotland’s recently appointed National Rowing Coach, John McArthur, based at the National Rowing Academy at Strathclyde Park – where crews are currently based for final training for the Commonwealth regatta.

Team manager Mary Massaro has the highest admiration for the athletes’ commitment. "The Commonwealth Rowing Championships is the highest level at which Scotland's rowers can compete under the Scottish flag,” she says. “The athletes have trained not just for months but for years toward this goal: they must now rise to the challenge of racing against the tough competition we know will come from larger nations - Australia and England in particular."

Nations competing in the Commonwealth Rowing Championships include Australia, Canada, England, Guernsey, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Wales and Zimbabwe.

Commonwealth Rowing Championships 2002: Scottish Team

Saturday 17th August
Women’s coxless pairs: Ali Barnes, Pam Dixon (both Thames Rowing Club). Men’s coxless fours: John Langley, Tom Morgan, Angus Argyle, Drew Hendry (all Aberdeen Boat Club) Men’s lightweight coxless pairs: Henry Westwood, Douglas Murray (both Glasgow Rowing Club) Women’s lightweight double sculls: Kat Ramsay (Marlow Rowing Club), Lorna Ferguson (Wallingford Rowing Club) Men’s lightweight double sculls: Gavin Shaw (Aberdeen University Boat Club), Johnny Logan (George Watson’s College) Women’s single sculls: Ali Barnes (Thames Rowing Club)

Sunday 18th August
Men’s lightweight single sculls: Gavin Shaw (Aberdeen University Boat Club) Women’s lightweight coxless pairs: Jo Ganley (Thames Rowing Club) & Katrine McPherson (Tideway Scullers School) Men’s coxed fours: John Langley, Tom Morgan, Angus Argyle, Drew Hendry (all Aberdeen Boat Club), cox: Dan Saoul (Edinburgh University Boat Club) Women’s eight: Pam Dixon (Thames Rowing Club), Elaine Law (Castle Semple Rowing Club), Clare Haley, Fiona Insch (both Aberdeen Boat Club), Ailie Ord (Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club), Helen Little (St Andrew Boat Club), Olivia Clarke (Aberdeen Boat Club), Alison Hulme (St Andrew Boat Club), cox Caitie Gorton (Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club)

Team Captain: Ailie Ord
Reserve: Martin Harris (London Rowing Club)
Umpires: Jim MacRitchie, Peter Morrison, Mike Haggerty
Team Officials: Mary Massaro, John Bowie, Willie Brown
Team Medical Support: John Dennis
Team Coaches: John McArthur, Ali Paterson, Russ Haley, Matt Arnold, Gary Phillips, Alan Hodgkins

10 August

Scots girl misses bronze by a length in the Junior Worlds. Results were hard to get during racing, but now we know.

In the A final of junior women's coxless fours, the GB crew with Aberdeen Schools' Lucy Buglass on board finished fourth - less than a length off bronze. This is the best A final finish by a Scot in a Junior Worlds event for a long time.

In junior men's quadruple sculls, the GB crew featuring Chris Logan of George Watson's won the C final in a time which would not only have won today's B final but have taken silver in the A final: one suspects either that there is a glitch in the results or a story to tell on their return about disasters in qualifying or changing conditions during finals day.

There have been no Scots in the GB Junior Worlds team for the last couple of years (since Alison Whelpdale in the eight), so two in the team and one just off the medals is a big step forward this year. Congratulations to both athletes.

The best British performance of these Championships was a silver in junior men's coxless fours. Full Junior World Rowing Championships results here.

Congratulations to SARA Treasurer Alison Harrison and her husband Andrew on the birth of their first child, a daughter, this morning. Mother and baby are reportedly doing very well.

9 August

Scotland names team for Commonwealth Rowing Championships (press release today from SARA)

Scotland today announced its team to compete at the Commonwealth Rowing Championships at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham on 17-18 August.

Rowing has not been included in the Commonwealth Games proper since 1986 – when the Games were hosted in Scotland. The Commonwealth Rowing Championships have been sustained by the enthusiasm of the governing bodies of rowing throughout the Commonwealth nations in the years since.

Scotland’s team will line up against stiff competition from some of the great (and much larger) rowing nations like Australia, England and Canada – but team management are confident medals can be won.

The Scottish team includes two members of the current Great Britain under 23 team, 12 current Home Countries Champions, 2 reigning National Champions of Great Britain and 4 Henley medallists of 2002. The team draws on the strengths of most of Scotland’s major rowing centres, and adds extra weight through the call-up of Anglo-Scottish athletes. The coaching team is led by Scotland’s recently appointed National Rowing Coach, John McArthur, based at the National Rowing Academy at Strathclyde Park – where crews are currently based for final training for the Commonwealth regatta.

Team manager Mary Massaro has the highest admiration for the athletes’ commitment. "The Commonwealth Rowing Championships is the highest level at which Scotland's rowers can compete under the Scottish flag,” she says. “The athletes have trained not just for months but for years toward this goal: they must now rise to the challenge of racing against the tough competition we know will come from larger nations - Australia and England in particular."

Nations competing in the Commonwealth Rowing Championships include Australia, Canada, England, Guernsey, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Wales and Zimbabwe.

Commonwealth Rowing Championships 2002: Scottish Team

Saturday 17th August
Women’s coxless pairs: Ali Barnes, Pam Dixon (both Thames Rowing Club). Men’s coxless fours: John Langley, Tom Morgan, Angus Argyle, Drew Hendry (all Aberdeen Boat Club) Men’s lightweight coxless pairs: Henry Westwood, Douglas Murray (both Glasgow Rowing Club) Women’s lightweight double sculls: Kat Ramsay (Marlow Rowing Club), Lorna Ferguson (Wallingford Rowing Club) Men’s lightweight double sculls: Gavin Shaw (Aberdeen University Boat Club), Johnny Logan (George Watson’s College) Women’s single sculls: Ali Barnes (Thames Rowing Club)

Sunday 18th August
Men’s lightweight single sculls: Gavin Shaw (Aberdeen University Boat Club) Women’s lightweight coxless pairs: Jo Ganley (Thames Rowing Club) & Katrine McPherson (Tideway Scullers School) Men’s coxed fours: John Langley, Tom Morgan, Angus Argyle, Drew Hendry (all Aberdeen Boat Club), cox: Dan Saoul (Edinburgh University Boat Club) Women’s eight: Pam Dixon (Thames Rowing Club), Elaine Law (Castle Semple Rowing Club), Clare Haley, Fiona Insch (both Aberdeen Boat Club), Ailie Ord (Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club), Helen Little (St Andrew Boat Club), Olivia Clarke (Aberdeen Boat Club), Alison Hulme (St Andrew Boat Club), cox Caitie Gorton (Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club)

Team Captain: Ailie Ord
Reserve: Martin Harris (London Rowing Club)
Umpires: Jim MacRitchie, Peter Morrison, Mike Haggerty
Team Officials: Mary Massaro, John Bowie, Willie Brown
Team Medical Support: John Dennis
Team Coaches: John McArthur, Ali Paterson, Russ Haley, Matt Arnold, Gary Phillips, Alan Hodgkins

Sponsored row for the Carolyn Jones Trust: many will know of Carolyn’s need for long term care following her canyoning accident in Switzerland last year. Carolyn, originally from Edinburgh, was a member of Scotland rowing teams in the late 1990s. Her club, Wallingford RC, has organised a sponsored long-distance row on the Thames on 21st/22nd September. They hope that as many of Carolyn’s friends and former team colleagues will either sponsor rowers taking part or join the row and recruit their own sponsors – with proceeds going to help provide the care Carolyn needs.

It’s not often I put direct appeals on the SARA site, but I would encourage you to visit the Wallingford RC site and support the row in whatever way you can.

8 August

Another World Juniors Update: the GB junior men's 4x finished 3rd in the repechage this afternoon and therefore goes to Semi Final C

World Juniors Update: the results service from Trakai is working much better now. The GB junior women's 4- has won their repechage today and goes to the A final. The junior men's 4x repechage is this afternoon (see below for Scottish interest in these crews).

World Junior Rowing Championships: in the first day's racing at the world juniors in Trakai, Lithuania yesterday, the GB women's coxless four, with Lucy Buglass of Aberdeen Schools on board, came 2nd in their heat and go to the repechage. The men's quadruple scull, which includes Chris Logan of George Watson's College came 5th (last) in their heat, but also live to fight another day in the repechage. Results are coming up on the official Championships web site, but access seems awkward at times to the (race by race) database driven section.

7 August

Another women's lightweight single scull wanted: see the Sales and Wants page for details.

6 August

More Club Contacts updates: Glasgow University BC has a new captain and secretary (Craig Love and Andy Dickie respectively) and would also invite anyone starting courses at Glasgow Uni this autumn to get in touch as soon as they like about joining the Boat Club. Details (and the club web site) on the contacts page.

5 August

Full Home International Regatta results (with finish times) at last! Pages 1 and 2. Apologies that this has taken so long: bit of a hiccup in our usually very reliable system for getting the results from the Park onto the web.

New captain at Aberdeen BC: ABC have had their AGM and elected Colin Wilson as their new captain (full details on the contacts page.

Other Club Secretaries: please do check your club's entry on the contacts page: if there is out of date information (or if it becomes out of date in coming weeks at your AGM) please do let me know

4 August

Results from the Munich round of the Rowing World Cup are on the FISA site

Vowed to train harder this winter? A Concept Ergo has come up for sale on the Sales and Wants page.

2 August

Sculler seeks single: a potential new buyer in the market today for a lightweight single scull on the Wanted page

Zurich Rowing World Cup at Munich this weekend: results are coming through on the FISA site. Don;t look for Cracknell and Pinsent - they've withdrawn to concentrate on training for the World Championships. But good to see Leonie Barron, who was due to race for Scotland in LW2-, getting a good result in her first outing for GB: 1st in today's exhibition LW2- race.

1 August

Nominations for National Rowing Academy athlete appointments: clubs or coaches wishing to nominate athletes - or athletes wishing to apply in their own name - for selection as National Rowing Academy Athletes in 2002-2003 should contact John McArthur by the closing date of 16th August.

Deadline for Talented Athlete Programme funding applications to reach John McArthur is 16th August. Entry to the sportscotland Talented Athlete Programme is designed for athletes with the potential and the dedication necessary to achieve GB selection. If you think you fulfil these criteria, contact John McArthur to get application details.

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