WELCOME TO RV E-NEWS

Head Racing continues this week, with almost 250 eager athletes looking forward to the Head of the Barwon!

Crews will be travelling to venues throughout the state this October, starting in Geelong before heading to Bairnsdale, Bendigo, and Nagambie!

Read more announcements and news below.

Stay Safe, Stay Rowing!

Rowing Victoria

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE RV CHAIR

Rowing Victoria Chair, Deb Spring, has made an announcement regarding staffing at Rowing Victoria. 

Please see here or via the link below.

        UPCOMING REGATTAS

KIM BRENNAN - SPORT AUSTRALIA HALL OF FAME

Rowing Victoria congratulates Kim Brennan AM (nee Crow) on her induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame as an Athlete Member for her contribution to the sport of rowing.

As SAHOF have outlined:

"Kim Brennan was seemingly always destined to scale whatever summit she tackled, but as one of Australia’s most decorated, driven and determined rowers, she found her calling.

She graduated swiftly from the Melbourne University Rowing Club to represent her state and her country, competing for Australia in the first of three successive Olympic Games only three years after taking on the sport.

She won the full complement of Olympic medals – silver and bronze medals in London in 2012 in the women’s double sculls and in the women’s single sculls, before turning on a virtuoso performance to win gold in the women’s single sculls in Rio in 2016.

Brennan was a two-time world champion who was inspirational on and off the water, with her contribution to rowing and Olympic movement extending well beyond her competitive career."

Read more about Kim's career via the link below.

Image: News Corp Australia / Sport Australia Hall of Fame

2023 RV BOARD NOMINATIONS

There are two positions open for Rowing Victoria Board Nominations, following the completion of the three year terms of two present RV Board Members.

The positions will be elected at the 147th Annual General Meeting which will be conducted remotely on Sunday 29th October 2023.

UPCOMING OPEN DAYS

BALLARAT CLUBS

Sunday 8th October | 10am - 11:30am

Wendouree-Ballarat Rowing Club and Ballarat City Rowing Club invite you to be part of the energy and enthusiasm that is rowing.

Come along and enjoy taking a tour of the facilities, soaking in the views from the second level in each shed, speaking with club members about rowing opportunities, and seeing what rowing in Ballarat has to offer.

ALBERT PARK LAKE CLUBS

Sunday 5th November | 9am - 11:30am

Albert Park South Melbourne Rowing Club, Melbourne Argonauts Rowing Club, and the Y Rowing Club invite you to explore rowing in Albert Park.

The opportunity is here for you on Albert Park Lake with three active clubs to cater for your level of rowing. Come along and enjoy taking a tour of the facilities, speaking with club members about rowing opportunities, row on the lake*, and seeing what rowing in Albert Park has to offer.

RA ROWER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Do you know someone in the rowing community who has made an exceptional contribution to our sport this year? Or has your club made a significant impact on your local community?

Nominations are now open for the following Rowing Australia awards:

Volunteer of the Year
Official of the Year
Service to Rowing
Club of the Year

Winners will be presented at the 2023 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards on 17 November at the Canberra Rex Hotel.

Please submit your nominations to delwyn@rowingvictoria.asn.au for them to be passed on to RA by 4:00pm AEDT 13 October 2023. They do not need to be long nominations but please do address the criteria, or as many as you can.

ACTIVE LIGHTS

All rowers face the same issue, finding lights that are waterproof and will last. Active Lights Australia has the solution. We stock quality waterproof lights suitable for rowing boats and coaches launches, as well as PFD’s that can be used by coxswains and coaches.

All our products are built to last, these are not the cheapest lights, but we believe they are the best quality ones. Some are waterproof to 1000 feet! Others can withstand a car driving over them, see clip.

All orders are sent out via Express Post, and we pride ourselves on offering a great service.

Interested? Check out our website, or contact owner and rower, Ron Batt, on 0410 583 474, or battron40@gmail.com.

JOPLING FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP

The Jopling Family Rowing Scholarships are Australia’s preeminent university rowing scholarships.

Created to attract the best and brightest rowers to study and row at the University of Melbourne, the two scholarships provide financial support of up to $25,000 per year (plus further in-kind support) for up to four years, depending on the course of study of the scholarship recipient.

Applications are now open and close on Wednesday 15 November 2023.

SPORTING CLUB GRANTS PROGRAM

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

Funding between $750-$4,000 is available across 4 categories. 

Applications close Thursday 12 October 2023.

CLUBMAP WEBINAR

CLUBMAP will be hosting another webinar on Monday October 9th - MEMBERSHIP: LIFEBLOOD OF COMMUNITY.

Learn about proven, new-age methods to grow your organisation's membership.

RIVER SAFETY - BOW & STERN LIGHTS

With the darker mornings and evenings now upon us, it is crucial that all rowers who are on the water (and coaches on bikes and powerboats) between sunset and sunrise 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 and waterways safely and appropriately.

Please follow traffic rules, including correctly using designated turning zones. By following these rules, our waterways are safer for all. 

We have also 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 obeying the law and 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.