Club News for 2008
Older News itemsA simpler password
Following numerous requests... I've implemented a simpler password for the members' section. I'll send an email around to this effect shortly.The old combination still works, so if your browser already knows this, you need do no more.
Report submitted by - Neil Wallace - Webmaster, Inverness Rowing Club - 29th April 2008
Strathclyde Park Regatta - 26th/27th April 2008
Inverness Rowing Club achieved success and many good performances at the two day Strathclyde Park Regatta in Hamilton last weekend in variable weather conditions.In the difficult windy conditions on Saturday, a number of fine performances were achieved by Inverness crews in various events. Tom Baker and Alastair Duff raced in two double sculls events, achieving fifth and second places in Restricted 2 and Veteran events respectively. In Veteran single sculls, Hazel Geddes and Mary Clouston claimed second and third places respectively, whilst Geddes was joined by Hazel Smith, Katie Van Exan and Susanne Standish-Hunter in an exciting Veteran quad sculls event losing out by a narrow margin to a crew from Strathclyde Park RC. Juniors also produced some determined performances in the fickle windy conditions in Junior 13 double sculls when second place was achieved by the Meghan Hunter/Rachael Wells crew with the Jennifer Warwick/Sarah Cameron combination in fourth place. Colin Sinclair qualified in second place in his semi-final in Novice single sculls but just missed out on the bronze medal position in the final of this event. He also raced in the Mens Junior 18 single sculls finishing just outside the medal positions.
In the calmer conditions on the Sunday the Inverness younger junior squad members Sarah Cameron (bow), Jennifer Warwick, Rachael Wells, Meghan Hunter (stroke), and Adam Geddes (cox) excelled in the final of the junior 13 coxed quadruple sculls winning by several lengths over a crew from Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association. All five, plus Shaun Hunter took part in a variety of junior 12 and junior 13 single and double sculling events throughout the regatta with commendable performances in these events.
In single sculls, Alastair Duff achieved a fine second place finish in his Veteran single sculls event.John Sharkey finished strongly in the Veteran single sculls event with a similarly impressive performance being produced by Mary Clouston in the Novice single sculls. Dave Rothwell and Ken Andrews achieved a fourth place in Veteran double sculls and along with Sharkey and Moritz Bauer claimed another fourth place in the Veteran quad sculls event. In the final of the Restricted 2 single sculls, Colin Sinclair was within one second of second place in a blanket finish and later sculled to fourth place in the Restricted 1 event. Hazel Geddes and Katie Van Exan sculled to a fine third place finish in the final of their Veteran A double sculls event whilst Susanne Standish-Hunter and Hazel Smith completed their weekend with a solid second place in the Veteran C double sculls finishing closely behind their Strathclyde Park RC opponents.
The next main season regatta at which Inverness athletes will be competing will be the the Castle Semple Regatta which takes place on Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire on 17th May.
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 28th April 2008
Aberdeen North East Regatta - 19th and 20th April and SPR 2008 Preview
Inverness Rowing Club had two representatives at last weekend’s Aberdeen North East Regatta on the River Dee.On Saturday, Colin Sinclair took part in the Mens Novice and Open single sculls, achieving success in his two earlier rounds in the Novice event but in the extremely close final missed out by a mere two feet to Feargal O’Shea of Robert Gordon University Boat Club. In the final of the Open event the experienced Andrew Crosland of Aberdeen Boat Club crossed the line approximately three lengths ahead of the fast finishing Inverness sculler.
Hazel Smith, rowing in the colours of Victoria Bridge Boat Club was in the crew which won the Womens Veteran Double Sculls on Saturday with a win being recorded on Sunday in the Womens Veteran Fours event, beating crews representing Aberdeen Boat Club in both of these events.
Next weekend sees a sizeable contingent of Inverness members taking part in a variety of Veteran, Senior and Junior events at the popular two day Strathclyde Park Regatta on the 2000 metre International rowing course near Hamilton.
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 21st April 2008
Spring Regattas
This is a friendly reminder that there are three regattas approaching rapidly - NE Regatta in Aberdeen - SPR - and Castle Semple next month.Entries to the NE Regatta in Aberdeen (19+20 April) and Strathclyde Park Regatta (26+27 April) must be with me no later than this Friday evening at 6pm. Please check the attached event lists, especially noting the race distances, and let me know which events you would like to enter. Entry fees are £7 per senior and £5 per junior for both these regattas.
Please would you also indicate which boat you would like to race in as I need to consider potential boat clashes.
I am also attaching the event list for Castle Semple so that you can plan ahead! Entries for Semple imust be with me by Sunday 4th May.
Happy training...
Susanne
Report submitted by - Susanne Hunter - Captain, Inverness Rowing Club - 9th April 2008
Comittee Meeting Minutes
Latest minutes are up in the members' section.Report submitted by - Neil Wallace - Webmaster, Inverness Rowing Club - 3rd April 2008
Personal epistle by Alan Sinclair on HORR 2008
So, as promised, my 8's Head story! But before I start, this is a pretty detailed account - so my apologies to those with less rowing interest!!!Finding out that we would be rowing as Leander IV, it was somewhat demoralising. It meant we, being a new entry, would start 212th - a big disadvantage, having less stream, bouncy water and inexperienced crews to steer around. But despite this initial negativity, we took it on board as another challenge and opportunity to turn some heads. The crew formation got changed around just over a week beforehand and I was promoted to stroke. Doing some pieces against Leander II (Ladies Plate), we knew we were going well, when not only we were beating them on percentage, but on actual time!
So in the couple days before the race, we moved from the Henley stretch to the Tideway to get used to the different water. And differing to my past experiences of Tideway training, it was rather enjoyable!!!
On the day of the race we moved from Mortlake boathouse to the ARA boathouse. It’s incredible how much atmosphere there is in that tiny shed beside Hammersmith Bridge! Squeezing 4 crews and coaches upstairs for changing, race chats and toilets is a challenge in itself. But the thing I noticed and appreciated most in the last hour before launching for the race was how relaxed everyone was. Having just as much, if not more jokes and laughs as in training, it made it impossible to get nervous.
So getting changed into the borrowed kit and ready for race, we then had our pre-race chat. Main emphasis of the day being on 'Clear Heads, Big Hearts!' Hands on the boat and all the ex-Leander boys give you a clap/cheer as you walk down to the stage. With the club Photographer snapping away as we step into the boat, I felt almost like a celebrity! But as soon as we push off, it’s down to business and on with our warm up. We swerve around crew after crew and scrabble together as much as we can preparation-wise just before finding our marshalling point just upstream of Barnes Bridge. There, we had over an hours wait until we moved up again and started. Entertaining myself by teasing my 7man for getting stage-fright, trying to pee into a bottle and cheering on crews I knew, the time flew by.
We moved up and pulled on race kit ready to go and pumped up for a gruelling 18 minutes of pain.
Rowing through the start-line having built up the rate to 38 we had 45 seconds before we lengthened out to our pace. Striding out to 34, we began reeling in the crews ahead. Despite the very uncomfortable water, we shot through two crews at Barnes and made our way into the pack of relatively novice crews. I honestly don’t remember much up until Hammersmith Bridge - where the majority of spectators watch. And boy, what a noise! Instantly, without any call from the cox, I could feel everyone, including myself pushing harder. It was an incredible lift that would give us the boost right up until the finishing stretch along Putney Embankment. Lifting the rate in steps, we powered up to a scrappy 38/39 over the line followed by a collapse over the handle. It’s only at this point I really feel the lactate scream up and down my legs. And being a Head race, when compared to side by side racing, you dont know if you've won or lost.
Getting back to the club, we de-rigged, got changed, loaded boat onto trailer and most of us went separate ways. I met up with Annamay and joined a few of the other lads for a drink in the pub round the corner. Halfway through my pint and more significantly, mid-sip, I get this massive smack of my shoulders with a scream of 'F*****G NINTH, F*****G BRILLIANT!!!!' in my ears. I honestly thought it was a joke to start with. But I was wrong, we managed to exceed expectations by about 10 places. The first race this year I have felt really happy with result. I hope there's more to come!!!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=m-_n0xAY5Zo - 3mins 11seconds and you'll see us rowing off Hammersmith Bridge.
Speak to you all soon
Al
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 24th March 2008
Site Updates
Please note that a new duty rota is out.You should have received a copy by email, but a reminder that it can also be found in the members section.
To access the members section, a reminder that the username is "admin" and the password is a phrase which describes the distance of our head course.
Also to be found in the members section are draft minutes from the AGM, and minutes from comittee meetings.
Finally we have a few new pictures in the gallery.
Report submitted by - Neil Wallace - Webmaster, Inverness Rowing Club - 20th March 2008
Tideway HORR
On Saturday 15th March in the Tideway Eights Head of the River on the River Thames, Alan Sinclair was the stroke man in the Leander Senior 2 crew which started at number 212 in a field of 420 crews.In spite of starting halfway down the field where there was less assistance from the ebb tide, the crew raced past another 12 crews and finished in 9th place overall and just five seconds outside the winning time for the Senior 2 pennant posted by Durham University which started at number 15.
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 20th March 2008
Aberdeen Universities Boat Race 2008
Three Inverness oarspersons took part in the Aberdeen Asset Management Aberdeen Universities Boat Races on Sunday 9th March. All three were involved in the Alumni event with Black Isle rowers Ruth Hobson (now studying for her PhD at Reading University) in the bow seat and Alan Sinclair (now rowing with the Leander Club in Henley on Thames) in the No 7 seat of the Aberdeen University Boat Club’s crew. Hazel Smith was a member of the Robert Gordon University Boat Club’s crew which lost out by a margin of just under two lengths in a fine competitive race with their Aberdeen University opponents.Next Saturday, Sinclair is in the stroke seat of the Leander S2 Eight which challenges with an international field of 420 other crews in the Tideway Eights Head of the River on the River Thames.
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 11st March 2008
READING HEAD OF THE RIVER
Reading University Head of the River Results 2008(PROVISIONAL)
23rd February 2008
Division 1
Overall Finish position
1 12m 47.5s 1 Elite ISIS
2 13m 17.2s 2 Elite LEANDER
3 13m 22.0s 5 S2 OXFORD BROOKES
4 13m 27.9s 6 S2 LEANDER
Alan Sinclair was a member of the Leander S2 Eight
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 25th February 2008
ABERDEEN EIGHTS HEAD – Saturday 23rd February 2008
Inverness Rowing Club were represented by two crews at the Aberdeen Eights Head which took place in bright but difficult windy conditions on the upstream course on the River Dee on Saturday 23rd February.
The Mixed Veteran Eight of Roy Sinclair (bow), Katie van Exam, Ken Sinclair, John Sharkey, Hazel Geddes, Hazel Smith, Susanne Standish-Hunter, Tom Baker (stroke) and A Newman (cox) recorded a fine time of 12minutes . 01 seconds on the flood tide to overcome the equivalent Aberdeen Boat Club crew by exactly one minute. This included a determined push at the King George VI Bridge where some experienced coxing assisted in a delicate overtaking manoeuvre narrowly avoiding a serious clashing of blades and in doing so overtook two other crews in the process. This crew also took part in the Division 2 of this event, recording a satisfactory time of 13 minutes 19 seconds against the river flow on the ebb tide.
Also taking part was junior single sculler Colin Sinclair who recorded a satisfying time of 13 minutes 49 seconds in Division 1.
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 24th February 2008
Head of the Trent - 17th February 2008
Results for Head of Trent Division 11 E 8+ - Cambridge (15.47) Blue boat
2 S1 8+ - Cambridge (16.02) Goldie
3 S2 8+ - Oxford Brookes (16.23)
4 S2 8+ - Leander (16.33) (stroke - Alan Sinclair)
5 S1 8+ - Agecroft (16.34)
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 17th February 2008
Tenon Ltd Inverness Eights and Small Boats Head and Scottish Squad Time Trial Assessment
INVERNESS ROWING CLUBTordarroch
Belmaduthy
Munlochy
Ross-shire IV8 8PF
Phone/fax 01463 811747
Email:Roy.Sinclair@tesco.net
ATTENTION--SPORTS EDITOR—and other interested parties
TENON LTD INVERNESS EIGHTS AND SMALL BOATS HEAD AND SCOTTISH SQUAD TIME TRIAL ASSESSMENT
An excellent entry of 80 crews was received for the Tenon Ltd Inverness Eights
and Small Boats Head which took place in dry, sunny and calm conditions on
Saturday 16th February on the superb rowing waters of the Caledonian Canal
in Inverness. Rowed in two divisions over the 4.5km course, the first race started at 12 noon with the
second at 2.30pm.
Fastest mens crew of the day was the Mens Open Eight from Castle Semple/Stirling/Clydesdale Rowing Clubs with a time of 15 minutes 56.64 seconds whilst the Womens R1 Eight from Clydesdale/Glasgow/Dundee University Rowing Clubs was fastest womens crew of the day with a time of 17 minutes 19.30 seconds.
Inverness crews which performed with distinction were the Mens Veteran Eight (Morton) which took second place in the Veteran Eights with an adjusted time of 17 minutes 18.97 seconds, the Inverness/Reading Womens R1 Eight (Standish-Hunter) with a second place time of 19 minutes 00.45 seconds, the Mens Veteran Double Sculls (Rothwell) in an adjusted time of 20 minutes.20.29 seconds, the Mens J!8 Single Sculls (Sinclair) in a time of 22 minutes 16.61 seconds and the Mens Novice Double Sculls (Bauer) in a time of 22 minutes 29.48 seconds.
As a prelude to the Tenon Eights event, the Scottish Senior and Junior Time Trial Assessment was held earlier in the day with athletes from as far away as Reading taking part. Fastest crew in the Time Trial was the Mens Coxless Pair of Andrew McConnell and Chris Philips from Clydesdale ARC with an excellent time of 19 minutes 7.38 seconds over the longer 5000 metre course. Fastest womens crew was the Womens Coxless Pair of Ellie Dorman (Clydesdale ARC) and Stephanie McDowell (Aberdeen University Boat Club) with a fine time of 20 minutes 45.64 seconds.
Results – Winners
Division 1
Mens Open Eights – Castle Semple/Stirling/Clydesdale Rowing Clubs (Murray)---15.56
Mens R2 Eights – Robert Gordons University Boat Club (O’Shea)---17.31
Mens Open Coxless Pairs – Clydesdale ARC (McConnell)---18.24
Mens Open Single Sculls – Clyde ARC (Logan)---18.40
Mens J18 Eights – ASRA (Wallace)---18.59
Mens J18 Double Sculls – Clydesdale ARC (Gourlay)---19.57
Mens Veteran Double Sculls – Strathclyde Park/Clydesdale RC (Hewitt)---20.49 (18.07)
Mens Novice Single Sculls – Strathclyde Park RC (Wong)---21.01
Mens J16 Single Sculls – Clydesdale ARC (Murty)---21.27
Mens Novice Double Sculls – Inverness RC (Bauer)---23.05
Womens R1 Eights – Clydesdale/Glasgow/Dundee University RC (Gorton-Philips)----17.19
Womens Novice Eights – Aberdeen Boat Club (Schooling)---20.52
Womens Veteran Double Sculls – St Andrew Boat Club (Rutter)---21.15 (21.04)
Womens J16 Single Sculls – Clydesdale ARC (McCahill)---22.09
Womens R2 Single Sculls – Clydesdale ARC (Fowler)---23.05
Division 2
Mens Veteran Eights – Castle Semple/Stirling/Clydesdale RC (Murray)---16.03 (15.53)
Mens R1 Eights - Aberdeen University Boat Club (Robinson)----16.38
Mens R2 Double Sculls – Clydesdale ARC (Irvine)---18.50
Mens Lightweight Single Sculls – Clyde ARC (Logan)---19.06
Mens Novice Eights - Dundee University Boat Club (Warner)----19.35
Mens J16 Double Sculls – Clydesdale ARC (Gourlay)---20.27
Mens J18 Single Sculls – Clydesdale ARC (Murty)---21.05
Mens Veteran D/E/F Single Sculls – Aberdeen Boat Club (Matheson)---21.55 (19.04)
Mens Veteran A/B/C Single Sculls – Loch Lomond RC (Arnold)---22.10 (21.30)
Womens Open Eights - Clydesdale/Glasgow/Dundee University RC (Gorton-Philips)----17.21
Womens J18 Eights – ASRA (Bonnamy)---18.35
Womens R2 Eights – St Andrew Boat Club (McDonald)---19.01
Womens R2 Double Sculls – Clydesdale ARC (Limond)---19.49
Womens Novice Double Sculls – St Andrew Boat Club (Mendum)---24.13
Womens Novice Single Sculls – Castle Semple RC (Robertson)---25.45
Prizes were presented to winning crews by Inverness Captain Susanne Standish-Hunter – on behalf of event sponsor Tenon Ltd
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 17th February 2008
SARA Racing Licences for 2008
re. SARA RACING LICENCES for 2008 - Roy Sinclair 17:40 3rd February 2008SARA Racing Licences for 2008
2008 Racing Licences have now been received for the following members:-
Moritz Bauer
Gary Hunt
Lesley Moore
Dave Rothwell
Kenneth Andrews
Meghan Hunter
Shaun Hunter
Ian Hunter
Susanne Standish-Hunter
Tom Baker
Amanda Towrie
Ken Sinclair
Hazel Geddes
Patrick V. Walsh
Colin R. Sinclair
Roy R. Sinclair
Hazel Smith
Mary Clouston
John Sharkey
Alastair Duff
Iain R. Morton
Adam Geddes
Neil Wallace
Contact Roy Sinclair to uplift your racing licence
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 3rd February 2008
Tenon Inverness Eights and Small Boats Head 16th february 2008
REMINDEREntries must be in to Hazel Geddes by Friday 8th February at the very latest. If you have not already applied for a Racing Licence a\s at 31st January and are selected to compete in this event, you are required to make an application for a SARA Day Licence to allow you to compete
Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 3rd February 2008
Tenon Ltd Inverness 8s and Small Boats Head.
I am pleased to announce that details can now be downloaded from our Events PageReport submitted by - Neil Wallace - Webmaster, Inverness Rowing Club - 30th January 2008
Tenon 8s and Small Boats Head
details later today.....Report submitted by - Neil Wallace - Webmaster, Inverness Rowing Club - 30th January 2008
Info for the Regatta?
Hi NeilWas wondering if you had got the info onto the SARA website yet?
Report submitted by - Hazel Geddes - Treasurer, Inverness Rowing Club - 29th January 2008
SARA RACING LICENCE APPLICATIONS 2008
So far I've received three applications together with the correct application fees. Can everyone else who wishes to race in 2008 please take a look at the SARA newspage to get the appropriate information and application form, complete it and send both the completed form and cheque for the correct amount (made payable to SARA)to me ASAP so that I can get a decent size batch of applications off the SARA Racing Control Convenor Sandy Walker at least two full weeks before anyone is due to compete in the first event in this seasons regatta calendar. Your prompt co-operation would be appreciated.Report submitted by - Roy Sinclair - Vice President, Inverness Rowing Club - 6th January 2008
