Future forum:
three roadshow discussions to debate Scottish Rowing's forward development
plan: SARA has been working on a modernisation and development
plan in partnership with sportscotland and other agencies - regular
web visitors will have read the report on the Dunkeld
springboard weekend in August which identified issues and aspirations.
The SARA executive has now drafted a forward plan which is up for
adoption at this year's AGM, but the Exec are keen to widen the
discussion as far as possible ahead of the AGM. Three open house
presentation/debates will take place in the next couple of weeks,
led by SARA president Mary Massaro and senior members of the Executive
Tuesday 28th September, 7.00pm, Clydesdale ARC, Glasgow Green
Thursday 30th September, 7.00pm, Aberdeen BC
Tuesday 5th October, 7.00pm, George Watson's College, Edinburgh
All members of all clubs are invited (indeed encouraged) to attend.
The plan will affect everyone from aspiring Olympians to 'Sunday
rowers' - including those who haven't even taken up the sport yet.
The future, as they say, is in your hands.
Holiday: I usually manage to keep the web site
up to date even when I'm working abroad. But even I get a holiday,
and I'm not taking my laptop on holiday with me next week! There
will be no updates to the web site posted in the week 25 September
to 3rd October.
23 September
Courses filling
up: the British Rowing Technique seminar and the Rowing
Instructors Course, both at the National Rowing Academy in October,
are now full. There are still, however, a small number of places
on the British Rowing
Technique seminar in Aberdeen on 3rd October.
20 September
"Ten
men went to row . . ." (except
that some of them were women): Inverness RC stopped off in
Nairn on their way home from Saturday's Aberdeen Sprint to
take part in the Nairn Harbour Festival. Here, some of their
members are seen piling on the power in the 10-oared 'Moray
Gig' (photo, R Sinclair)
Strathclyde Park Small Boats Head (and big boats for small
people head): SPRC have their annual 'round the island' head
race on Saturday 9th October, in which you get to
row to all the places you would get torpedoed for rowing on other
days of the year. In addition to the conventional small boat classes,
this year they have introduced 'big boats for small people' classes,
namely (corrected) J14
coxed quad sculls for each sex and J13 mixed coxed quads. Please note
that mixed here means 2 boys and 2 girls. Full details and entry info
on Strathclyde
Park RC's web site.
Blustery day at Aberdeen Sprint: 79 races made
Aberdeen Sprint one of the busier such events of recent years. A
strong wind made racing conditions difficult for some of the younger
competitors, but at least it didn't rain! Winners
list now here
Michael Thompson is certifiable - official: while
other Scots were indulging in semi-sensible rowing pursuits at home,
Michael THompson of Aberdeen BC took his single scull to the Boston
Marathon in Lincolnshire. He finished the 50km course in 3 hours
50 minutes, the second fastest single sculler in the race, and raised
£700 for charity in the process. I still think he's mad, though
. . .
17 September
Spaces left
on upcoming courses: there are a few places left on each
of the forthcoming SARA courses.
In each case, the links are to the info and application forms.
16 September
Aberdeen
Sprint Re-Draw: groveling apologies from the organisers
- apparently a number of entries were missed from the initial draw.
The Committee of the Dee dispatched Thunderbird 9 (pilot, Doc Ron)
to do a redraw which is now on line. Competitors are asked to look
carefully - a lot of races have changed times.
15 September
SARA Annual
General Meeting: the SARA AGM takes place on Sunday 7th
November at the National Rowing Academy. Formal notice
of the meeting is here, together with the call for motions and
nominations for office bearers.
Aberdeen Sprint draw: the draw for the Aberdeen
Sprint this Saturday is now here.
GB Trials Information: BIRO have posted full
details on this year's GB Senior and Under 23 Trials on the
web. The first trial (compulsory for all except 2004 Olympic team
members) is at Boston on 23rd October, registration closes on 13
October. Usual caveats about being 'on a recognised pathway' and
fulfilling qualification standards, so do read the information carefully
if you think you are or may become a GB candidate for 2005.
Missing riggers: Watson's returned from Scottish
Champs less one pair of single scull 5 stay riggers for a Stelph
single. It would be greatly appreciated if clubs could check if
they have an extra pair and let Jim Ferguson know - j.ferguson@gwc.org.uk.
This notice was first published during the summer, but have been
asked to give it another bash now the schools and unis are starting
to come back.
Transport available to/from Janousek: Jim
Ferguson expects to be taking a trailer on a return trip to
Janousek in the next few weeks: anyone who would like him to deliver/uplift
boats is invited to email him.
ARA entries
system goes on line - for Scottish clubs too: This via
Sandy Walker, SARA's race control convenor: The Amateur Rowing Association
is developing an Online Entry System as part of Online ARA (OARA).
The Head of the Rivers Fours race (6th November, 2004) has agreed
to pilot the system this coming November. The OARA entry system
interfaces with the ARA database, and therefore only registered
Clubs and eligible members who are recorded, will be able to enter.
Any SARA affiliated rowing clubs wishing to enter the HOR4's this
year should contact ARA Clubs and Regatta Secretary Irene Townsend
(irene.townsend@ara-rowing.org) to register their Club, where the
following details will be required:
Club Name; Club Address; Club Secretary contact details (phone/address/email)
On successful registration your club will be asked to nominate
an OARA Administrator (http://www.ara-rowing.org/OARA/OARAadministrator.php
) who will be responsible for entering their club's crews into OARA
competitions.
The OARA Administrator will be issued with a password allowing access
to an online application where they can enter the details of the
individuals from their club who are to compete at the HOR4's. These
details include:
Title; Surname; Firstname; D.o.B.; Sex; SARA number
More information can be found on http://www.ara-rowing.org/OARA/home.php
No such things as a free lunch - but here's a free eight!
I kid you not: check the Sales/Wants page
for a couple of recent additions, also some updates information
on the contacts page.
Faskally Coaching
Weekend: this year's SARA coaching weekend (15-17 October)
at Faskally (Pitlochry) is targeted at over 18s who have either
recorded their novice win or have at least 12 months' rowing experience.
A well known combination of rowing and fun. Full
details and the booking
form are here.
Instructor's Award course: this is the first rung
on the British Coaching Award Scheme. Full
details here of the next course on 23-24 October at the National
Rowing Academy, Strathclyde Park.
Telegraph puts it in perspective: Recommended
reading, this: Sue
Mott's excellent 'compare and contrast' piece between GB's successful
Olympians and England's current footballers in yesterday's Daily
Telegraph. A brilliant reflection on ethos for success in sport.
7 September
World
sets course for Masters 2005 at Strathclyde Park: by the
end of a frantic four days on the Scottish Rowing stand at the FISA
World Masters 2004 in Hamburg, competitors from no fewer than 38
nations had registered for the 2005
World Masters Regatta at Strathclyde Park.
Aside
from nearer neighbours in Europe, intending competitors include
the 'Golden Eight' men's crew (left, all over 75 years old) from
Long Beach California, crews from, among others, Japan, New Zealand,
Australia, South Africa and Peru - not to mention Alistair Neil's
new Brazilian friend (right), one of a sizeable contingent from
that country who seem set to liven up the parties nicely!
All team members worked in shifts on the stand, 3 hours on/3 hours
off, canvassing entries and pre-registering competitors on a bank
of four laptops. Long days wearing kilts in the 30 degree heat was
pretty tiring all round.
Meanwhile, in the regatta itself, Ailie Ord of Clydesdale topped
the Scots medal table with four wins, with Alison Hulme of St Andrew
close behind on three.
6 September
Apologies
for the silence! Took my laptop to Hamburg where I was
working on the SARA stand at the FISA World Masters Regatta, only
to find no facilities in the hotel or on the course. Argh! I hope
to post more of a report on the Masters later in the day.
Shaw 6th at FISU: racing as the GB lightweight
single sculler, Gavin Shaw finished 6th in the FISU World Universities
Rowing Championships at Brive (France) at the weekend. His campaign
stumbled in the first round, where he came 6th in a race in which
coach John McArthur thought he saw signs of heat exhaustion. The
repechage was rowed in less taxing temperatures at 0900 hrs; Gavin
came 2nd, going to the A final.
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World
sets course for Masters 2005 at Strathclyde Park: by the
end of a frantic four days on the Scottish Rowing stand at the FISA
World Masters 2004 in Hamburg, competitors from no fewer than 38
nations had registered for the 
Aside
from nearer neighbours in Europe, intending competitors include
the 'Golden Eight' men's crew (left, all over 75 years old) from
Long Beach California, crews from, among others, Japan, New Zealand,
Australia, South Africa and Peru - not to mention Alistair Neil's
new Brazilian friend (right), one of a sizeable contingent from
that country who seem set to liven up the parties nicely!