WELCOME TO RV E-NEWS

Rowing Victoria would like to welcome all of its members to 2023! We hope you have returned from the festive season feeling fresh and ready to race!

This weekend we will be heading up to Lake Moodemere for the MRA Rutherglen Regatta. With hot conditions forecast, you are encouraged to prepare appropriately.

Further regatta updates can be found below.

Stay Safe, Stay Rowing!

Rowing Victoria

        UPCOMING REGATTAS

With many of us heading up to the MRA Rutherglen Regatta this weekend, we would like to the recognise the efforts of our host clubs - Corowa Rowing Club, Rutherglen Lake Rowing Club, and Wahgunyah Rowing Club.

These clubs faced some very difficult flood-ravaged months at the end of 2022, with limited shed and waterway access interupting their training.

The Murray River rose to above 8 metres in Corowa during November, with the Corowa and Wahgunyah rowing sheds falling victim to the water levels. 

Despite being unable to use their facilities or row on the Murray, it was fantastic to see spirits remain high, with a group of Corowa rowers making a trip to Sydney to get involved in some rowing action! A number of crews competed at the Reindeer Regatta and Sprint Race Championships, bringing lots of medals back to the border, well done!

These clubs have been working hard to ensure the beautiful Lake Moodemere is clean and ready to go for our first taste of racing action in 2023. We look forward to supporting them and indulging in their fantastic catering this weekend at the MRA Rutherglen Regatta!

(Images: Corowa Rowing Club)

BARWON REGATTA - 28TH & 29TH JAN

The 142nd Barwon Regatta will be held on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th of January on the mighty Barwon River in Geelong, despite the multiple flood events in the boat sheds in November and the landing grass being submerged for weeks. The landing has been rejuvenated under the watchful eye of Project Manager Fletch, with 500 square metres of turf laid in one and half hours just before Christmas and continually watered by the Geelong Rowing Community to present the best the landing has been for a regatta.  

Come and celebrate with the Premier Rowing Club in Victoria for the 2021-22 season as Corio Bay Rowing Club commences its 150th year of rowing on Corio Bay and the Barwon River. There will be additional trophies commemorating the 150 years of Corio Bay Rowing Club for selected rowing events, these will be a piece of rowing history for those that win.

This years Barwon Regatta also features many more Masters events in eights, fours, quad sculls, double sculls and single sculls. Again, there will be commemorative trophies provided by the Premier Masters Club in Victoria for 2021-22, Corio Bay Rowing Club, for some of these events.

The Barwon Regatta is the largest club and school regatta in Victoria, also on that weekend is the Cadel Evans bike ride which will stream past spectators on the south bank along Barrabool Road in the afternoons for the womens elite event Saturday, and mens elite event (4 times) Sunday afternoon.

Saturday evening after the Regatta the Corio Bay Rowing Club will be open with refreshments (including soft and zero) and nibbles to commence the Clubs 150 year celebrations and the traditional ‘story telling.’   

Below: Project Manager Neil Fletcher (Fletch), The Geelong College Boatman, admiring his turf this week.

UPDATE - HEAD OF THE YARRA

HRC has determined that it cannot reliably host the proposed late season race (April 15th, 2023).

The permanent landing redesign does not yet have complete approval, and the mooted temporary landing has been determined to be unfeasible. The land works have only just been completed, delayed by the exceptional recent river flows. New piling locations have been found, and the floating structure is being remade. The new piling positions have not yet received the new pylons.

With multiple uncertain factors in play, April 15th was not certain.

The potential of a new landing with significant time to trial, means that we will hope to be open to a large entry in Nov 2023, as in previous years. The events for 2022 eventually gave significant warning time to cancel the event : we would have cancelled with a week's notice due to river conditions.

Longer term, HRC is working with the council to ensure access to the parking area above the club and park, which is essential for interstate crew parking, and school transit, and is the key to a larger event. Three years without an HOTY is disappointing, but even HRC cannot control a global pandemic and exceptional floods.

I hope we meet again in Nov 2023.

Peter Wilson
Chair HOTYOC HRC

COASTAL COME & TRY

The Royal Geelong Yacht Club and Sykes Rowing will be hosting a series of Coastal Rowing “Come and Try” days in January. This is an ideal opportunity to showcase the new form of our sport in an ideal location. These “Come and Try” days are scheduled to coincide with the annual Festival of Sails, the Cadel Evans Road Race and some Beach Volleyball.

DETAILS
Dates: Thursday 26th January (Australia Day) and Friday 27th January 2023
Times: 8 am to 2pm
Venue: Eastern Beach Geelong adjacent to the Royal Geelong Yacht Club and basically under the Ferris Wheel
Entry/Seat fees: Free – no need to register

This will take place on the 2 days before the Barwon Regatta. Schools and clubs planning to compete at the Barwon Regatta should perhaps consider making a long weekend of it down in Geelong or on the Bellarine Peninsula – or bring a friend because this is open to everyone including non-rowers. Safety equipment and support craft will be at the event too.

See you at the Sykes tent on the beach - there will be Solo and Double Scull Coastal boats and Concept 2 oars available for everyone and lots of entertainment, food and refreshments in the precinct.

Contact Mark (0439 966 044), George (0413 077 041), Alex (0421 811 880) or Norm (0434 670 372).

AUSTRALIAN ROWING IMAGES

Did you race at the 2004 or 2022 Nationals?

If you did, images of your crew can be found at Australian Rowing Images. There are plenty of other regattas and years covered.

The Hebfotos and Guerin collections are gradually being made available online for the rowing community. The first 30,000 images are online, mostly being high definition scanned images from the Hebfotos and Guerin collections.

If you like an image, you can buy the electronic version online, or alternatively, order packages. All proceeds go to help maintain and develop the Australian Rowing History website.

You can also be a direct part of this exciting project by providing your own photos or becoming one of the ARI photographers, either as a volunteer or as a professional.

If you have rowing images that the rowing community should see and you are happy to make available to all, we can add them to the site with attribution to the donor. If you have questions, or have some images for the site, or wish to become a photographer, or simply want a certain regatta to be the next regatta added to the site, contact Andrew Guerin.

VALE PETER BRIGHT

Rowing Victoria are very saddened to hear of the passing of Footscray City Rowing Club member, Peter Bright, this week.

Peter was a Life Member of Footscray City, having contributed to the club with his coaching, advice, and humour for more than 35 years.

Sincerest condolescences to Peter's family and friends. 

SRV SPORTING CLUB GRANTS PROGRAM

The Sporting Club Grants Program provides funding for grassroots sport and active recreation organisations across Victoria. Access to this funding helps clubs and organisations address barriers in participation, develop safe and sustainable practices, and build social and active local communities.

This program assists organisations to purchase sports uniforms and participation equipment, increase the skills of coaches, officials, volunteers and management committees, and supports improvements to club capacity and accessibility.

It is fantastic to see that 11 of our clubs have been successful in receiving this funding across the last 2 years.

Round 2 applications open in February 2023, however we encourage clubs to consider and prepare an application in advance. For those who are unsure where to begin, Club Builder offer services to assist in preparing an application. You can contact them or read more about the grant requirements via the links below.

LOCAL SPORTING CHAMPIONS

ARE YOU:

1. Aged between 12-18 or 12-24 (Para)?

2. Coaching, officiating, or competing at the State Championships or ARC this season?

If the answer is YES, then you may be eligible for a grant from $500-$1,000 towards the cost of attending!

RIVER SAFETY - BOW & STERN LIGHTS

With the dark mornings now upon us it is crucial that all rowers who are on the water (and coaches on bikes and powerboats) between sunset and sunrise all have adequate lighting for your safety and the safety of others. 

Rowing boats, in restricted visibility and between sunset and sunrise, are required to exhibit;

• Two all-round white lights - one attached to the boat at or near the forward or bow end, and one attached to the boat at or near the stern end.
• Bow light - A continuous white light is considered acceptable if it is visible in clear conditions from a distance of 1 kilometre.
• Stern light - A flashing white light is considered acceptable if it flashes at least once per second and is visible in clear conditions from a distance of 1 kilometre.

Not withstanding the above, it is considered acceptable for a light to be masked so as not to interfere with the vision of the vessel’s occupants, provided at least one light is visible from any direction (see diagram below).

SAFETY REMINDER

Rowing Victoria would like to remind all members the importance of using our equipment safely and appropriately.

The police have been made aware of a number of incidents where rowing coaches have been sighted either riding without helmets, using megaphones at incorrect hours, or using mobile phones while riding (both in conversation or filming their crews).

For your own safety, to avoid fines, and to respect other members of the community, we ask that you please ensure you are not partaking in the behaviours above.

WATERWAY ACCESS & INCIDENT REPORTING

Could all waterway users please ensure they are acquainted with their local waterway rules; traffic direction, turning points, stationary obstacles etc.

So that RV, Maritime Safety Victoria and now, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority can support the community in providing safe waterways, please register all incidents via the RV Report an Incident tile on the home page of the RV website.

A consistent management of reporting will assist us in ensuring we are kept safe on the water and the chances of equipment damage is mitigated.