WELCOME TO RV E-NEWS

Get excited, the return of regattas is here! Whether you’ve been working hard over Winter, or looking to ease into the new season… we are very excited to see you all back on the water, starting this weekend with the Saltwater Challenge!

Although the chilly weather appears to be sticking around for a little longer, the energy and action within the community has certainly lifted!

Within this edition you can find a number of important notices to help you prepare for the season ahead. 

Read more below.

Stay Safe, Stay Rowing!

        UPCOMING REGATTAS

2022/23 DRAFT REGATTA CALENDAR

Please be advised that an extended 2022/23 Draft Regatta Calendar has been released, now including regattas from September to April. This can be accessed above or a PDF outline is available HERE.

Any questions or concerns related to the calendar can be sent to adam@rowingvictoria.asn.au.

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE ROWING VICTORIA ANNUAL AWARDS

Nominations for the below awards will close on Friday 7 October 2022.

Awards will be presented at the 2022 Rowing Victoria & Hall of Fame Gala Awards on 19 November 2022.

CLUB & SCHOOL OFFICE BEARER CONTACTS

In the lead up to the new season, we understand that there is considerable staff and committee turnover within our Clubs and Schools. We ask that you please review and update your contact list on Rowing Manager at your earliest convenience, to avoid missing any important communications from Rowing Victoria.

If you do not have access to adjust these, please contact kieran@rowingvictoria.asn.au.

RULE CHANGES IMPLEMENTED

In collaboration with the Umpires Commission and the RV Rules Working Group, the RV Board have ratified a number of rule changes for the 2022-23 Regatta season. These include changes to:

Documents summarising these changes are now available on our website under 'About' -> ‘Rules and Policies’ -> 'Rules'.

CHILD SAFE STANDARDS

As discussed at our Child Safety Forum's, the new Child Safe Standards are now in place, with organisations advised to work towards adherence by January 1st 2023. To assist the broader rowing community in understanding the expectations of Rowing Victoria, and our member clubs and schools, we will be highlighting one of the new standards within each E-News edition.

VOWA LUNCH

The Victorian Oarsmen and Women's Associated Incorporated invite the Victorian rowing community to lunch on Sunday the 2nd of October. Lunch will be preceded by the Annual General Meeting and the Presentation of the Tom Rodda Award. All welcome. For more information, please see the full invite via the link below.

CLUBMAP WEBINARS

CLUBMAP's webinars continue with a new webinar on Monday September 12th - HOW SUCCESSFUL CLUBS SHARE THE LOAD.

Discover ways to develop the right structure to share the load at your organisation, reduce burnout and increase the lifespan of volunteers.

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).

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.