The Rowing Inkling prediction markets (UK) are open for the Munich World Cup regatta so that users can login and trade on the results of the regatta. Planned future markets include the remaining world cups, the Olympics, HRR, HWR, the Met and Marlow. Other regattas and specific events at the above regattas may be added upon request.
The date has already been flagged up, but just a reminder that Lougborough Regatta (UK) is operating as a separate event from the Veteran Championships this year, and entries close at 18:00 on 4th June, under OARA (which is now open). The move to its own day has made many new events available at the regatta, including veteran novices (a full range) and several new junior events. See link above for more.
Help (UK): "Have you a wreck or an unwanted stern section for disposal? The River & Rowing Museum is desperate to find 3.5 metres of cox-and-stroke seat for its In the Cox's Seat display, which simulates coxing a race on the Henley course through a 360-degree vision helmet. The seat is required for a portable version which, it is hoped, will take to the road before this year's Henley. Offers to Andrew Brown at andrew.brown@rrm.co.uk."
Help 2 (UK): "Could anyone please lend Weyfarers Rowing Club a trailer to collect four touring boats from Ireland on either 23/24 May or 30 May/1 June? Being large, the boats don't fit on most trailers designed for racing boats. The trailer needs to have a central pylon with arms at least 90 cm long and 50 cm vertical spacing between the arms. The club would be very grateful if anyone can help. Please contact John Turnbull on 07771 807993 or email weyfarers@aol.com."
Injury hiccough for men's four (GB Rowing, UK) - TJ out and Tom Lucy into the M4- for Munich. Lesser-used-spelling credits to press officer Caroline Searle, nice one. The press release includes the confirmed M8+ and M2-'s lineups. Tom Lucy was originally entered in a pair with Olly Moore before this happened.
A press release from Rowing Canada Aviron (Canada, PDF format) announcing the selection of their first crews for this season. They're going to Lucerne, with some staying in Europe for the Poznan world cup and/or Olympic qualification regatta.
The Saturday and Sunday draws for Durham City Regatta (UK) are online (HTML). Attendees please note that the grass area where trailers are usually parked is still growing, so please use the main car park for trailers, and cars with boats on top should park at the top of the racecourse adjacent to the marshalling area. Campers are welcome on the grass behind the clubhouse - please let the organisers know in advance if hot breakfasts will be required (now that's service).
The Silver Rudder races between Clyde ARC and St Andrew BC (UK) is being revived. Link is to the website for the event being held on 17th May during the Castle Semple Regatta, and includes a video trailer.
Monmouth Regatta (UK, 24-25 May) is open for entries via OARA. Sprint on Saturday followed by 1500m on Sunday, a straight river course. Details on the Monmouth RC website.
RowTV (UK) is starting to carry video clips of the UK summer regattas.
Not normally something I'd do on this page, but there has been a minor flood of positive comments about Wallingford Regatta and in particular their quick results service (UK) so here are a couple which are representative: "Just to let you know I used the results service at Dorney on a mobile - worked great. Results within minutes of the end of races (before the crews had returned the boats to racks) - the way forward for events! PS sent a thankyou to W'ford organisers for a great day's racing: the regatta continues to innovate beyond all others, even doing pre-registration of crews by sending out crew numbers before the day)." And "I would like to confirm that the Wallingford results service worked brilliantly for those with mobile phones. I was racing throughout the day and it was actually quicker to access the website from my phone than to go to the results marquee to see the results. It was also well designed so that it costs very little to access. Perhaps all regattas should have such systems!" 10/10 to WRC.
Tuesday 6th May 2008
The Saturday and Sunday draws for Shrewsbury Regatta (UK) are online in PDF format. Competitors and spectators are advised not to drive through the centre of town, since some roads are shut and some one-way streets have had their direction reversed by the council. See this page for maps, advice and directions.
The draw for Poplar Regatta (UK) is out in PDF format. See the main regatta website for other information including competitor instructions.
There was a piece in a Norwegian paper yesterday apparently, entitled "Farewell to the single life", in which Olaf Tufte confirms he's marrying his partner Aina in October and is also looking for an oarsman partner who is driven enough to double with him after Beijing. "Everyone is a possible just so long as they are bothered to train. Talent is the most overplayed word I know', says Tufte. He singled and doubled last weekend at the Norske Studenters Roklub Arung Regatta - full results here in Excel format (NOR).
Apparently there are plenty more Olympic rowing photos in the various summer Olympic reports published by the IOC after each Games.
Wallingford Regatta's dedicated instant results service worked exceptionally well on the web yesterday (UK), and is probably the fastest way to be sure you can find all the results for a club, event or by specific race number. (Anyone try it on a mobile phone?) The full results page is also available in HTML, with PDF and CSV formats to follow probably some time today.
BUSA results (in part, UK) - results for the first day of racing, Saturday, are already out, though no sign of Sunday's yet. Check back to the BUSA rowing page for updates later.
Picked up on the IOC website, a series of pictures of rowing at the Games. Not chronological, and perhaps the most disturbing is number 28 - if that's a laurel wreath then I wonder how they got them home, let alone on their heads... Gives the lie to the idea that the laurel wreath was a Hitler re-invention though, doesn't it? There are also seven video clips in the IOC rowing collection, though it's a bit embarrassing that so many of them are of either Redgrave or Pinsent.
A reminder that Tees Regatta (UK) closes at 9pm on Thursday 8th May. Entries via OARA are preferred, but could also be accepted by post or email (no telephone entries).
Results of Lea Spring Regatta (UK) in PDF and Word format.
Ramon di Clemente and Donovan Cech (South Africa) are no longer rowing together: Cech having been lost from the squad due to a persistent injury. More detail in Rowing up a new storm (The Times, South Africa).
Due to fast stream conditions and the forecast of rain over the weekend, Marlow Spring Regatta has been moved to Dorney Lake. The programme of racing will be as published: an updated safety plan, instructions to crews etc. will be posted on the regatta website later. The organisers regret that they will have to make a charge for parking but boat trailers and crew buses will be exempt.
The body of Maximilian, the 12-year-old lost in an accident in Leipzig (Germany) just under three weeks ago, has been found. This article from LVZ online has more. Translation to follow shortly (I've got it, just got to format for the web).
The drawfor Bedford Regatta (10th May, UK) is now available. Entries were closed two days early due to reaching full capacity.
The results from Chester le Street Regatta are online in PDF and Word/RTF format (UK).
Henley Women's Regatta (20th-22nd June, UK) is now open for entries via their own online system. Closing date 2nd June at 2pm. The organisers would also like to draw attention to the late change to the rule regarding previous competitors in Home Countries Regattas entering intermediate events. This now reads: "No crew shall contain any oarswoman, who has, in the last 5 years,......e) Raced in a senior event or won a junior event at a Home Countries regatta in the relevant discipline". This brings the rule into line with others in the section. There's also something about "combining lightweight events under elite and senior categories" which I am pretty sure just refers to how you make the entries, not that the lightweight events are disappearing (they are still listed in the full qualification rules).
Belsize Architects (UK), who designed the new University College boathouse in Oxford, also designed a new look for the Lea Rowing Club. See their website - click on Boathouse for Univ, and Lea RC for the London project. Above both big pictures there are thumbnails which give you other views and plans.
Bristol Avon at Saltford Regatta (UK) is open for entries on OARA. The whole thing has altered from previous years - new date, new location and new course. This time it's being held on the Head course, at Avon County RC in Saltford, between Bath and Bristol, over 1000m.
The draw for Marlow Spring Regatta (UK) is on the official website. The organising committee "regrets that the regatta was seriously over-subscribed, so a number of events were withdrawn. Reluctantly this included all of the J13 and WJ13 events. All events with insufficient entries to be classified as 'Qualifying' were also excluded. Notes on refunds on the website."
GB team for the first World Cup regatta (Munich, next week): from bow M4- James/Williams/Reed/Triggs Hodge; M8+ to be selected from Bourne-Taylor/Egington/Heathcote/Langridge/Lucy/Partridge/Smith/Solesbury/Stallard/J West/cox Nethercott, but Heathcote injured currently so he and Lucy not at the moment expected in the VIII for Munich; M2- also Garbett/Bateman and Parker/Moore; M1x Campbell; M2x Wells/Rowbotham; M4x Fieldhouse/Townsend/Gregory/Lucas; W4x Vernon/Flood/Houghton/Grainger; W2x Laverick/Winckless; W1x Bebington; W8+ Freeman/Ashford/Howard/Reeve/Rodford/Page/Greves/Eddie/cox O'Connor; W2- Moffat/Menheneott; LM4- Chambers/Lindsay-Fynn/Mattick/Clarke; LM2x Purchase/Hunter; LW2x both Casey/Goodsell and Hosking/Greenhalgh; LW1x both Dennis and Pauls. Primary selection is not quite finished for the men's eight and pair, the women's double, and the lightweight women's double. GBR intend to try and qualify all three of the other Olympic classes - W1x, M4x and W2- - in Poznan.
It appears that the Dick Phelps reported as having passed away last week is probably not a rowing connection.
Tuesday 29th April 2008
Posters for this year's Veteran Championships & Loughborough Regatta (UK) have been sent to clubs but the file is also available on the Veteran Championships website. Note a message about changes for 2008 on the front page, including vet senior 3 events and mixed quads. There is what ought to be a handy category calculator, but for some reason it's not working properly at present (perhaps only on some browsers - didn't have time to check it in full). OARA will be open for entries soon, and they must be paid for by the closing date, whether online or by post. No exceptions will be made. This year's closing date has been brought forward to 6pm on Wednesday 4th June.
Details for Loughborough Regatta (UK) can be found separately on the dedicated regatta website - the event is on a separate day from the veteran champs this year.
Twickenham Regatta (UK) is taking place on Sunday 25th May, a change from their usual Saturday due to tidal conditions. The regatta is open on OARA and this year is offering two new lightweight events for senior 3 single scullers (open and women). The regatta website has full details. The new events are aimed at lightweight athletes who may not have a chance to compete at national or international level. To mark their inauguration, winners will be presented with engraved pots.
The first oral question in the House of Lords (UK) tomorrow will be: "Lord Lloyd of Berwick to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to discourage the Port of London Authority from felling riverside trees between Putney and Kew." I'm told that: "The format in the Lords is that the questioner asks this and one
follow up, and then there is up to 7 minutes of further follow up questions on this subject. It will start very shortly after 2:30pm and will be available to watch live on www.parliamentlive.tv where it will also be available to watch again for a month, from Wednesday morning. It will also be on BBC Parliament sometime on Tuesday evening, and reported in Hansard.". My source wonders if anyone will bother to put the point that felling improves navigation....
The draw for Wallingford Regatta (UK) is online. The regatta has created a dedicated website, http://didwewin.info/, optimised for use on mobile phones. It will be running on race day with live results, or at any time beforehand to check the draw. Information can be searched by club, race number, or via a menu to reach specific events. There is no premium charge for the service, just the usual internet access rates for your phone. It also works on normal browsers. Neat.
The Metropolitan Regatta (31st May and 1st June, UK) is open on OARA for entries.
FISA has sent out a FISA Family Grandstand order form to all federations for the Paralympic Regatta in Beijing. Each ticket provides a seat for all three days of the regatta (9th-11th September 2008), in the FF&F grandstand. Orders must be returned by 31st May - friends and family looking to book should check with federations for the order form.
India has qualified M1x and LM2x for the Beijing Olympics, via the Asian qualifying regatta.
Entries are open on OARA for Worcester Spring Regatta (17th May, UK). Closing date is 12 noon on Saturday 10th May.
Katherine Grainger was apparently on Question of Sport (UK) last Friday - the first rower to do it in quite a while. Unfortunately it's not on the iPlayer, probably some nonsense about copyright, but the QoS page does have some older programmes, so perhaps the 25th April one will be screened online at some point.
A reminder that the 2008 Henley Races are available on DVD - ordering is secure via Rock The Boat's usual server (UK). The deadline for the first main order has been extended by the Henley Races committee to 30th April, so the first orders will be despatched en bloc around 10th May, to keep expenses as low as possible so that the maximum funds can be raised for the races.
Thursday 24th April 2008
Evesham Regatta (3rd-4th May, UK) say they are getting a healthy entry (400-odd to date, with a limit of 550 spread over the two days). They wish to remind competitors that the regatta may be closed early if necessary (official closing date is Saturday) and that paid entries on OARA will be given priority if numbers are oversubscribed. They are also looking for competition for a veteran F M1x who is visiting from Australia and wants to race (not any special standard).
The results of Abingdon Head (UK) are online - in time order and by event (both PDFs) and online in full. Top link here goes to the header page including winners of the various speed trophies.
Eagle Travel (UK), which does the itineraries for GB Rowing's Supporters Club, has put the details of its Linz and Beijing packages on its rowing page. They still have a limited number of places on the Olympic package. And due to the late selection for the junior team, they are prepared to take refundable deposits for the Senior & Junior Worlds in Linz, subject to son/daughter/relative not being selected. A helpful approach.
Yesterday morning Tyne United RC (UK) was granted planning permission for their new 3-acre site development, with various conditions, and to be built in phases. Plans are on the Gateshead Council website (application number DC/08/00219/FUL).
Thames Ditton Regatta (17th May, UK) is open for entries either on OARA or by post. Details on the link above.
Tees Regatta (17th May, UK) is open for entries on OARA by preference, though postal/email entries (but not telephone ones) can be taken if necessary. Closing date is Thursday 8th May, 9pm.
More London Marathon runners (UK) - Jo Busvine (ex-CUWBC and New Hall women's Head crew '84) finished in 6hrs 25mins 44secs, just a few years after being treated for breast cancer, and with the sole aim of completing the course (well done). She was running in aid of the Breast Cancer Haven (same charity the WeHORR supports) and anyone wishing to donate to the same cause can do so via her JustGiving page. And Dick Smith (CUBC Blue 1991, Goldie 1990 and 1992, now rows from Wallingford occasionally) finished in 5-20:55, commenting "no personal bests this time, I just had a great time running around London in the midst of the fancy dress crowd." He was running for the Cystic Fibrosis group, raising £3k for the charity.
Durham Amateur RC (UK) are holding a predominantly junior capsize drill at Aykley Heads Pool on Sunday 4th May from 1-4pm - contact Alan Granlund if you want to come to it.
Tuesday 22nd April 2008
Walbrook RC (UK) is doing a 24-hour sponsored ergo on 25th-26th April, run by the club's juniors' parents. No attempts to break world records, but everyone in the club involved, and started by former Olympian Phil Simmons this Friday night. "Anyone from the local rowing community is welcome to drink at the bar", they say.
The draw and maps for Chester le Street Regatta (UK) are online. Rules and brief competitor instructions are on the draw page. All files in both Word and PDF. The regatta page also has a warning about parking.
Chester Regatta (Sat 17th May, UK) is open for entries on OARA only. Being the 275th anniversary of the first Chester Regatta, there are commemorative quart-pot prizes for the winners of Elite M1x and W1x and Sen2 M1x and W1x.
This year's Doncaster Regatta (UK) is on Saturday 24th May, a change to the date listed in R & R Magazine and in the Almanack. Entries open, only through OARA, click on the link above for details.
ROWEST, the Rio Abajo RC (Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA) has its website at http://rowest.biz/ now.
Completely missed at the time (first week of April), but picked up on RSR late last week: Rower suffering from hypothermia (West Sussex County Times, UK, about a capsize on the Medway).
Another update from my Leipzig mole (Germany). The missing boy has not been found, and the police feel they have done everything they can for the moment, so the search for what they are obviously assuming is a body has been scaled back. The other boy who was in critical condition in hospital has made what the doctors are calling a miraculous recovery, and is breathing for himself again. No mention has yet been made of any possible brain damage (or not). Only the local papers are carrying the news now.
The Junior Inter-regional regatta (UK) was cancelled on Saturday due to foul weather. Racing was initially delayed and then cancelled after just two events (J16 coxless fours, both boys and girls) were held.
Sons of the Thames (UK) share the London Corinthian Sailing Club, and as a result several rowers have been sailing, including racing with some success. LCSC chief instructor Peter Hopps says he is keen to recruit more rowers, of any age ond either sex. This year's programme includes races and cruises around the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic. One crewman, having both rowed and sailed across the Atlantic, confirms that the sailing trip was the more enjoyable journey, though he didn't lose as much weight doing it..... There is a 10% discount for any rower quoting this website and Sons' name: see C & H Sailing Ltd for details of their 52' yacht Nisida, the programme of events, and contact details.
More London Marathon runners - 'Brett Favre' (a certain Westminster coach, I gather) 'unretired' this year to apparently be the fastest runner wearing a helmet (see picture from the London Evening Standard), in 4hrs 21mins, only 59 minutes behind Vikki Filsell (ex-ULWBC and GB lightweight) in 3hrs 22mins.
Also from Rowing Canada Aviron (CAN), Kevin Light's blog, the most recent picture an intriguing one (read the story). For those with dark colour settings on their monitors, the snap is of what looks like an Aussie (all green and gold kit), quite possibly a rower, given that it's a lycra-like shorts-leg visible. Canada's coming to the Lucerne World Cup, with a partial team staying for the Poznan one, and their team announcements are May 2nd (World Cup) and June 24th (Olympic team).
More London Marathon runners: Will Robins (former RUBC and Bristol UBC rower now coaching Monckton Coombe) finished in 3hrs 56min 49sec, and John Warnock (ex-LRC and GB lightweight) finished in 2-50:50.
Details of this year's Two Cities Boat Race (Manchester vs Salford universities) on May 10th (UK) at Salford Quays.
The ARA website (UK) has just undergone a big makeover. Lots of visual changes and some content. Any problems or feedback, write to sitefeedback@ara-rowing.org.
Thursday 17th April 2008
Shrewsbury Regatta (10th-11th May, UK) is running a race matchmaker service for those who want to be sure of getting competition in the right events for them. For main regatta information see this link.
Wednesday 16th April 2008
Update from Leipzig (see 14th April): The missing boy hasn't yet been found, and they are now using special divers in the area immediately behind the weir, as well as looking further downriver. The one who was injured is still in a very critical condition in hospital. After mistakenly announcing him as dead on Sunday they have clearly decided to be more careful and are not giving a great deal of information to the media. The other three children are out of intensive care, but apparently still in hospital and receiving counselling to help with the trauma. The police are now investigating the regatta organisers, checking every detail of what was planned in the way of safeguards, the river conditions at the weekend etc. What happens next will depend on the results of these investigations. Full article here (in German).
Birmingham Regatta (UK) is now closed to entries, as they're well over their limit (so presumably there is a waiting list).
Competing in Beijing and have, or ever been anywhere near having, asthma or bronchoconstriction? FISA have issued an important bulletin about the therapeutic exemption forms. Note that those who were given permission to use beta-2 agonists in Athens 2004 or Turin 2006 can continue that permission, but must fill in part of the form anyway so that the paperwork is complete. There were stories of some athletes who do not usually have asthma finding it difficult in Beijing last summer - I hope that medical teams for this Olympics are doing all the necessary tests now to ensure that nobody who needs it will be denied the right treatments in the summer. Without being an athlete, I personally found cycling beside the Shunyi lake much more difficult and exhausting on days when you couldn't see the whole course clearly, ie days when the air appeared to be more polluted (RQ).
This month's FISA athlete in focus is Frida Svensson (Sweden).
The ARA (UK) is advertising vacancies for a policy officer and a communications officer, both jobs with the Central Council for Physical Recreation. Closing date for both is March 18th: link is to the MS Word file.
Entries are open on OARA only for Tyne Regatta (31st May, UK). Closing date 12 noon on Sunday 25th May.
London Marathon results - James Cracknell did 2hrs 59min 11sec; Chris Morris 2-54:46; Antonia Van Deventer-Taylor 3-13:01; Richard Taylor 3-26:30. Let me know if there were other rowers running it and I'll stick the times up. See here for searchable results.
Very shocking news (Germany) - Criticism after boy is lost in German rowing-skiff accident (syndicated to Top News, India, and about a JMxd4x+ swept over a weir). I'm told that apparently: "the coxed quad was pushed over a weir by the strong current. The boat broke apart because of the drop. Three kids (two girls and a boy) could be brought ashore safely; one 11-year-old boy is still in hospital in a very critical condition, and the fifth, another boy, aged 12, still hasn't been found." There is more from a local German newspaper and a photogallery showing the area where it happened. Readers may want to use Babelfish or Rock3 for very rough approximate translations.
Late update - The missing boy has not yet been found. Apparently the club organising the regatta had not applied for a permit for the event. Had they done so, the city says they would have had to cancel the racing because of the very strong stream (not actually flooding, but 80 m3/sec through the weir as opposed to 15 m3/sec, on Sunday). There's an updated article (in German) and another photo gallery - picture 11 has the snapped-off green bow of the boat, as well as some sculling blades, lodged in the driftwood. Plus a film clip of the scene, showing the red boat used by the young man who rowed out to help and rescued at least one of the children (he is interviewed in the film). An awful situation from start to finish.
There is a new recreational rowing website (UK) - RecRowing.org.uk. It includes details of this year's ARA recreational tour (PDF poster) from 28th-31st August on the River Severn between Stourport and Gloucester RCs.
Further afield there are two recreational FISA tours this year - Saar & Mosel (Germany, 28th April to 4th May) and Rio del Plata (Argentina, 19th-25th October).
Rowing - When the Tyne led the world (PDF poster, UK), an exhibition being held until 6th July in the Discovery Museum in Newcastle. Open 10-5 Mon-Sat and 2-5 Sundays, free entry.
The National Schools Regatta website (UK) is updated with this year's information. Changes for this year's regatta include reclassification at the J15 and J16 level to mirror the J18 events; Friday 1km time-trials for all events over 12 entries; and crews in 3rd Eight events may include up to three J16s from now on.
Not sure if this works for rowers, who are notoriously single-minded, but the BBC (UK) is looking for potential Sports Mastermind contestants - auditions to be held in late June in various cities. The PDF application form has more information, and can also be completed online.
Blades Retail Cafe (UK, run by Oarsport) has been nominated in the Best Cafe/Deli section of the 2008 Nottingham Restaurant Awards. Voting enters you into a prize draw for a day jet trip to Paris.
Plus the usual huge load of US college stories on the CSTV crew page.
Thursday 10th April 2008
Information on Castle Semple Regatta (17th May on Castle Semple Loch, Lochwinnoch, Scotland). Closing date is Thursday 8th May at 9pm, 1km multilane just west of Glasgow airport.
The BBC's rowing producer Sally Richardson has kindly told me her likely transmission times for the World Cup coverage, ta Sally. Munich 11th May all A-finals live on BBCinteractive, plus highlights on BBC2 probably 15:00-16:00. Lucerne 1st June all A-finals live on BBCi, plus highlights BBC2 probably 14:00-15:00. Poznan 22nd June all A-finals live on BBCi, plus highlights BBC2 probably 15:00-16:00. Times are BST (=GMT+1), though may be subject to change, and all highlights will be available on the BBC's iplayer for 7 days after transmission. Sadly BBC iplayer is not available online outside the UK. I imagine the full live FISA coverage will make up for that though.
Editorial feature: - Seems a shame to waste the Varese trip I took this week on 120 words in the Telegraph (and not even online), so I thought the Rowing Service readers might like a story. So here's a long rambling wibble about what's going on in Italy at the moment. Not very journalistic, but perhaps more useful to rowers. (RQ).
Medway Towns (UK) have a new website, and on it announce the sad news of the death of club vice president David Collins, on 7th April, aged 60.
Rower Chris Morris of Burway RC/Jesus College Cambridge is running the London Marathon for charity - donate online here (UK).
A Row for Life is going to be held at the Eldon Leisure Centre in Newcastle on Tuesday 13th May 2008 (UK). It's an erg event in aid of the Bubble Foundation (a local charity which helps babies born without an immune system). NERN has a PDF poster and more information in a Word document. Local rowers are invited to take part.
Marlow Spring Regatta (UK) is live for entries on OARA. Clubs are advised to enter early and pay online to minimise the risk of rejection if their event is oversubscribed. See the regatta pages on the website for details.
And a very early opening of entries for this year's British Indoor Rowing Championships (UK) because they have moved a full month earlier than usual. This year's date is Sunday 26th October, at the NIA in Birmingham as normal. Entry details here.
Berwick Amateur's annual capsize drill is being held on Saturday 19th April from 4-5pm at the Swan Centre in Berwick (UK). Anyone interested in doing it should contact them via the club's website.
Interesting ways to use a rowing club part 23: City of Oxford RC (UK) is running a Sporty Speed Dating night on 19th April at their boathouse, starting 7:30pm. Tagline - 'are you too busy training to meet someone special? - have you exhausted the talent at your own sports club?' See the website's news page for more details.
Tuesday 8th April 2008
Former international rower Antonia van Deventer and her husband Richard Taylor are running the London Marathon in aid of Children with Leukaemia - charity donations site for them here. They also run a website - www.dietandfitnesstoday.com with fitness information. By the way, i am happy to put up other London Marathon runner details (must have a strong rowing connection please) especially those with charity fundraising to do.
The Great Western Sprint (UK) is being held at the Cotswold Water Park on Sunday 20th April under the auspices of WAGS, and together with the BUSA Sprint Championship. 500m, 4 lanes, now open for entries on OARA. See the website for details.
An outfit called Rhyme Stars (UK) is running a competition to see which nursery rhyme is the most popular in the country. If they get 50,000 votes by the end of April they will 'unlock' a £50k donation from their corporate sponsor. They have 20,000-odd votes so far. They tell me that there was a run of votes on 'This little piggy went to market' over last weekend (from a load of butchers?) and it inspired them to ask if any of you would like to vote for 'Row, row, row your boat'. Not sure how keen you all might be, and I am bound to point out that you may wish to be very careful about how you place your vote. The exercise is quite clearly an information-gathering one, and I suggest anyone keen on privacy should not tick the "I would like more information" box. Those especially paranoid about personal information might like to create a new email address for the purpose..... On the plus side, voting does enter you into a prize draw, and I can't see anything in the terms and conditions breaching the Data Protection Act, so it could be worth it.
Monday 7th April 2008
From FISA, Extending rowing in Tunisia, Introducing Russian rowing's new president and most pertinently, issued last Friday, International rowing federation satisfied with Russian Rowing Federation actions. As a result of this final FISA decision, Russian rowers may compete from now on, provided that they only use the newly elected officials, and newly appointed coaching and medical staff - the 3-year ban on those involved in staffing the squad during the recent doping scandals remains. The 2-year bans on the nine rowers involved also remains. The letter from FISA to the new federation executive is here (PDF format). I note that Russia still has to pay a swingeing fine and all costs, but has been granted an extension of the payment period. Students of the last nine months of RUS/FISA interaction may find the final doping hearing notes instructive, as they contain details of what happened between July 2007 and the New Year, as well as several of FISA's expectations of doctors and athletes. Full FISA information on anti-doping (facts, figures and forms) is here.
FISA's latest World Rowing magazine was published in March. And the latest anti-doping survey (2007) is out as part of the latest circular. China still heads the list by number of tests performed, but now at roughly double the 2005 number.
A website for 8-Spirit, a rowing clothing company in Barcelona (Spain) and selling to the Iberian peninsula and Latin America. Website is in Spanish and Portuguese. Not sure if they make their own clothes - there is a clear link of some kind to Di-Bi - but they do take stalls round the international regattas: see Noticias for the latest plans.
Wallingford Regatta entries (UK) are filling up quicker than expected. 400+ entries were received last week and the organisers expect the event to be full by the coming weekend at the very latest, perhaps before. For example, senior 4 eights (men's, I think) are already at capacity, though not yet all paid. Paid entries take priority over unpaid so get your cheques in now.
A note that the date for Bristol Ariel Head (UK) is actually Saturday 25th October, not 9th November as some calendars have it.
Rowing for gym bunnies? Try Rowbics (USA), though I notice the founder, Victoria Draper, doesn't yet seem to have rowed for the US Olympic team as she says she intended to....
Janousek Racing Boats and Molesey BC (UK) featured on yesterday's Working Lunch programme, available now on the BBC iPlayer. Look about 24 minutes in for the segment.
FISA's bids are in for the next world champs to be awarded. Plovdiv (BUL) is the sole bidder for the 2012 non-Olympic senior and junior championships, while Amsterdam (NED) and Montemar-o-Velho (POR) are bidding for the 2011 Under-23 championships.
Wednesday 2nd April 2008
Entries are now open for the Merseyside Regatta (3rd May, UK). OARA entries only but payments only directly to Liverpool Victoria RC. Closing date 5pm on Saturday 26th April.
I should point out that Peter Toon, who has put up an advert seeking a coaching position, is mainly looking for one in the UK - this isn't entirely obvious from his text.
International regattas coming up this week, the Croatia Open (Croatia, website in Serbo-Croat and English), the International Adaptive Regatta (Gavirate, website in Italian and English),
Left out several times recently through sheer forgetfulness (I do apologise), the information and poster for Evesham Regatta (UK), running on 3rd-4th May, and sponsored by Kamdean International. The regatta has been reorganised this year, to prevent late running, with changes including no doubling within each of the two divisions (only between them), entry limits, one-stop registration and two sets of award ceremonies to prevent waiting. See the link for full details. Entries on OARA only, open shortly, and closing at 2pm on Saturday 26th April.
Entries are now open for the Chiswick Regatta (3rd May, UK). The restriction on more than two-abreast racing on the Tideway has now been lifted, meaning Chiswick hope they will not have to turn any entries away. All details on the link.
Belatedly I have the official Veteran Boat Race results: Cambridge beat Oxford 9min 31sec to 9-43, on the same slack tide the Boat Race experienced the next day. Conditions were rougher than for the 29th March race, course is from the University Stone to a roughly 2-mile point just short of St Paul's.
Monday 31st March 2008
Former St Hugh's College Oxford rower Anthony Taylor (UK) has just finished rowing the Atlantic solo despite a capsize, several tanker near-misses, whale visits and the odd lost oar. Scary diary entries on the link, promises his sister.
ITV (UK) have watch the Boat Race again on their TV replay website - you may need to install an extra application to help your browser load the video footage.
The Tideway Slug has linked up a YouTube clip of the rowing Maltesers advert from 1981. See the Slug explanation for background detail. However, the other YouTube clip mentioned has been removed by the posting user.
Those able to watch TV do look at the ITV special - soon after the start of the programme (I've been told about 4:10pm) they do a segment on the 'Engelmann affair' which apparently includes Thorsten himself speaking publicly about it for the first time.
There will be a later update to the Rowing Voice, published yesterday - the results section is deliberately short at the moment so I will be reissuing with a complete set up to the end of March, probably Monday.
