Broxbourne Rowing Club

Winter racing

Angela Cook — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:48:45 +0000

With the summer racing season drawing to a close, I have started drawing-up a list of events for the start of the winter season. You can find it by looking at the Future Races page under Racing. It is based on events we attended last year or anything that has been mentioned at the Rowing Committee to date. Take a look and if you are interested in doing any of them, discuss with your Vice Captain. Similarly, mention anything not on the list to either your VC or me (entries at broxbournerowingclub.org) and we can discuss it at the next Rowing Committee meeting!

New Kit Design – Have your say!

Penny Churchill — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:05:10 +0000

The club is considering a new kit design in the hope that people will stop referring to us as Reading! Please vote for your favourite in our online poll.

Annual Dinner & Dance tickets go on sale Saturday 4th September

Penny Churchill — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:24:36 +0000

For details of this years annual dinner dance check out the new social page of the website! Ticket are £40 and go on sale at the Rowing AGM, Saturday 4th September at 11am.

Help needed for the Dinner Dance

Penny Churchill — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:38:23 +0000

Hello everyone!

The dinner dance is fast approaching and there is lots to be done. I need some volunteers to take on the following tasks:
1. Sell Dinner Dance Tickets at the Rowing AGM on Saturday 4th September.
2. Sell raffle tickets on the night.
3. Donation of prizes for the raffle.

Items we need to borrow for the event:
1. More fairy lights. Thanks to Amy and Amanda for the lights they have lent us!
2. An Easel

If you can help please email social@broxbournerowingclub.org

Many Thanks,
The Dinner Dance Organisers,
Beth Turner, Jo Perryman and Penny.

The Great River Race in a Dragon boat

Ian Brown — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:14:43 +0000

A few people where I work have been selected volunteered to take part in the Great River race on the 25th of September. I was one of the ‘lucky’ ones who get to take part. Whilst we are doing this for fun, if you wish, you can sponsor the Team and help raise funds for the Ellen MacArthur trust. You can find details of the charity on the web (www.ellenmacarthurtrust.org) If you have decided to do so you can either make a donation on this website or on the following website created by the team. (http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com) and search for the team by their name “Reach for the Paddles”.

Regards

Ian.

Annual Boat Cleaning and ‘MOT’: Your help required!!!

Michelle Turnham — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:41:07 +0000

We are very lucky at Broxbourne to have such a fantastic range of boats for our members to use. Now that the summer season is coming to a close it is time to give the boats their annual clean and service. This helps to keep our boats in good working order and was completed very successfully last year. Each boat will need to be thoroughly cleaned and any repairs, however small or trivial, can be addressed. Now is your chance to point out that pair of shoes or wobbly seat that has been annoying you!

This is obviously a huge job, so we need to enlist your help in completing this task. Each squad has been allocated boats to clean and check over, so please see your vice-captain or squad co-ordinator to see how you can help out, they have all been provided with lists of boats and instructions. Dave will also be on hand to provide parts or guidance. Whilst we appreciate that this may interfere with some rowing or socialising time, it is important to reduce large repair costs in the future and allow us to continue to expand our fleet.

Your help with this is very much appreciated.

Many thanks
Michelle (Captain) on behalf of the Rowing Committee.

Coxing Co-ordinator

Penny Churchill — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:48:22 +0000

So far the post of coxing co-ordinator has not been filled on the rowing committee. It would be great to have someone fill this role for the forthcoming year. If you are interested get in touch with Michelle (captain@broxbournerowingclub.org) or Craig.

Coxing Co-ordinator
Current post holder: vacant
Role: This is a trial role and is designed to see if we can resolve the ongoing lack of coxes and training at the club. Although the post holder would not have a formal vote on the committee he/she the post holder would help the vice-captains with the recruitment and training of coxes.

Neil rows lake Geneva tomorrow

Penny Churchill — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:47:30 +0000

After a few non-starts due to Peterborough-like weather conditions, Neil will finally row a very small boat over a very large lake tomorrow (76km’s!!). Please support him if you can. It’s for a very good cause! Details can be found at Neil’s justgiving website. Good luck Neil!

Saturday at Peterborough

Angela Cook — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:01:40 +0000

The weather this Saturday made Peterborough Summer an interesting event this year! During the first rounds of races that morning, in proper down-pours, both WIM3.2x crews (Sarah/Lizzie and Angela/Louise) unfortunately got knocked out in their heats. However, the WIM3.4+ of Katie, Charlotte W and two of our vacation students Charlotte L and Sarah M-P, stormed through their heat!

The day progressed with mixed success. The WIM3.4x- (Sarah G, Lizzy, Anne-Marie and Amanda) put up a good fight but were pipped to the post by Staines and Oxford City in their heat. The IM1.2x of Tom Jenkins and Robin Mould made it to the repechage. Tom suffered some back problems during their second race though, after he was hit by an 8 during training last week, so they didn’t make it through to the final. However, a good effort from the both given Tom’s injury and the fact they originally wanted to race IM2.

Steve, Graham, Matt and Dominic were racing IM3.4+ but didn’t make it to the final. They were back racing on Sunday also (although I don’t know the outcomes for Sunday!). The WNov.8+ all had a good close racing against City of Cambridge losing by no more than a length – well done to Belinda, Sue, Helen, Emma, Chloe, Penny, Jane, Liz and cox Ollie. Well done also to Helen who braved the single in the Women’s Novice category. She made it to the rep but after close encounters with waves, buoys and swans, she didn’t quite make it to the final!

Congratulations of the day go to Hugo and Andy who won in their MasD pair. The WIM3.4+ also repeated their success from the heat in both the semi and the final. So, congratulations also go to that crew, especially to Charlotte W who lost her novices!

Bankside Bob tests out t’Internet

Bankside Bob — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:20:38 +0000

It’s been a fair while since I was last asked to write some words; I’ve now been to a number of regattas and ingested a fair few cups of tea yet I still have not found myself behind the oar of a boat.

So I’ve been thinking, what makes a good regatta? A few old chaps dressed up to the nines with megaphones; a guy with binoculars trying to work out what’s going on (the commentator); the cost effective tea and cakes stall; the obligatory burger bar wafting the tasty smell of fried onions with the sole purpose of annoying the rowers on the water. And, of course, a varied selection of clubs and crews trying not to take people out whilst carrying their boats and oars about the place.

In all these regattas I can’t help thinking that some rowing clubs need to put in a bit more effort with their boats (especially the clubs with lots of cash). It’s all well and good having a sizeable clubhouse and the latest Janousek. But that’s not enough; everyone has a reasonable looking boat. What’s the differentiator in making the crew really feel at home in the boat? I mean, where are the alloy riggers, the metallic painted hull? And inside the boat, the chrome footplates, the oak veneer runners, the leather-trim seat pads. The piece de resistance? Blue under-boat lighting. After all, nothing says ‘I’m going to win this race in style’ than blue under-boat lighting.

A bit more effort needed I fancy.

Well back off to the clubhouse to read my copy of Which? Boat. Or perhaps I’ll have a go on the erg to get myself ready for the water? Cup of tea on standby, please!

Bob