Down your Wey
The Guildford Rowing Club Newsletter
Headlines
- Juniors win Victor Ludorum at Molesey
- Regatta wins throughout the Summer for all squads
- A GRC wedding
- Head wins in the early Autumn, including Pairs’ Head
- Adult and Junior Beginner courses produce new intakes
- New double scull has arrived
- The BIG ROW happened!
Rowing
The rowing year seems to end and start again without a break. This is a summary of wins at regattas and head races between July and October; well done to all our rowers who continue to represent our club wherever there is a river and a race it would seem:
Molesey Senior
Mas C/D 1x Richard Cooper
Mas D 2x Richard Cooper,Greg Stadler
Molesey Junior
J18 1x James Reckord
J15 4x+ Zac Harrison, Joe Bryant, Josh Ingham, Ben Nolan cox: Reece Marriott
WJ14 4x+ Adelaide Oakey, Rebecca Boddington, Aimee Newenham, Francesca Morland cox: Sofia Palau
WJ13 2x Imogen Wells, Ellie Young
WJ12 4x+ Olivia Howie, Mimi Anderson, Trinny Vasanthan, Maya Macfarlane cox: George Simms
GRC winners of Victor Ludorum
Staines
J18 1x James Reckord
J15 4x+ Zac Harrison, Joe Bryant, Eddie Vaughan, Ben Nolan cox: Reece Marriott
J15 2x Zac Harrison, Eddie Vaughan
WJ15 2x Jess Bebbington, Grace Perrett
J13 4x+ Morley Pendred, Jacob White, Reece West, Joseph Kennedy cox: George Simms
Maidenhead
MxADA 2x Chris Boys, Hilary Birkinshaw
MADA 1x Chris Boys
Isis Sculls
Mas B 2x Colin McCoombe, Justin Wells
W Mas A 1x Amy Marshall
Wallingford Long Distance Sculls
Mas G 4x- Neil Hopkins, Paul Woowat, Robert Hall, Jeff Watling
Mas G 2x Neil Hopkins, Paul Woowat
W Mas A 2x Helen Gray, Sue Hancock
Pairs’ Head
Mas H 2x Robert Hall, Jeff Watling
Bedford Autumn
Mas D 1x Richard Cooper
Mas H 2x Robert Hall, Jeff Watling
Mas F/H 2- Robert Hall, Jeff Watling
W Mas D 4x- Rachel Townsend, Claude Chiplin, Emma Dodd, Sue Loughlin
WJ15 4x+ Adelaide Oakey, Aimee Newenham, Francesca Morland, Rebecca Boddington cox: Sofia Palau
Weybridge Silver Sculls
Mas F/G/H 2x Robert Hall, Jeff Watling
The most significant result above was that of Robert and Jeff in the Pairs’ Head raced in London amongst an international field in atrocious conditions – many congratulations to Robert and Jeff for an outstanding win.
Harold’s winning crew at Richmond regatta earlier in the Summer
Forthcoming events:
Sat 10 Nov Henley Long Distance Sculls
Sat 24 Nov Hampton Junior Head
Sat 1 Dec Burway Small Boats Head
Sat 8 Dec Walton Small Boats Head
BR Indoor Rowing Champs
Sun 16 Dec Club Christmas Regatta
Sat 19 Jan Weybridge Winter Head
Bosun – Boat & Equipment
The new double scull has arrived. We have decided to try a new manufacturer – Kanghua – for our latest new boat. Kanghuas are made in China and fitted out by Eric Sims at Dorney. The boat crew weight is 60 – 75kgs so is aimed at the Women’s and Junior squads. This is also our first wing-rigger double scull. No name confirmed yet but it will be a Lewis Carroll character of some sort. Make it feel welcome by looking after it.
Someone keeps on messing up my bench: I think it’s a small army of orcs and goblins who get genuine pleasure from emptying the contents of the cupboard and tool kit all over the bench then adding as much rubbish and bits of boats as they can find. Then, to really finish the job off, they ensure all the old slides and shoes are scattered around the floor and stamped on. If they can smear a bit of fibreglass resin over everything that really makes their day. Thanks a lot.
Social
Many congratulations to Ben and Annika who tied the knot in Germany over the Summer, with some help from a couple of GRC sculling blades and other rowing friends.
The Crew Supper last month was a great success and enjoyed by 40 members. Many thanks to Keith and Mark for organising a fun evening.
Coming soon: GRC Christmas Regatta. This is an annual event which this year will be on Sunday 16th December. The regatta is open to all members of the club and consists of several fun events which are competed for in mixed crews of 4 on land and on the water. Pre-entry is recommended – how to enter will follow. Unique GRC medals are awarded to winning crews.
If you don’t want to compete please come along and support the event. We will need volunteers to serve mulled wine, mince pies and other refreshments. It runs from 9.00am until 12.00 so plenty of time afterwards for Christmas shopping.
Committee Notes
Next Committee meeting is on Wednesday 7th November. Amongst other things they will be looking at the equipment plan for the next 5 years as proposed by the Captains and Coaches.
Robert Hall has decided to step down from the Captain position. This role will be filled by the Chairman and Secretary until a more permanent solution is found. Please support Paul and Richard whilst they work to ensure rowing at the Club continues to be organised for the benefit of all members.
Safety
Winter rowing – dos:
- Check the weather forecast when planning outings
- Wear several thin layers
- Wear a warm hat
- Bring spare clothing to the club
- Think carefully about solo sculling – what happens if I go in to that water at that temperature
- Look after your coxswain as the person coldest and most vulnerable, especially during head races
- Wear bright clothing if rowing early morning and at dusk (high-viz vests are available at the club)
- Continue to wash the boats and equipment thoroughly after use – higher rainfall and dead vegetation cause man-made drainage channels to over-flow into the river this adding effluent and other rubbish.
Winter rowing – don’ts:
- Ignore Red Board warning signs
- Lock yourself out of the boathouse whilst on the water
- Leave the clubroom door open
Wow! What a day.
After a false start or two it finally happened on Sunday 21st October and the weather gods smiled most favourably on the GRC flotilla of 6 coxed quads (Juniors), a coxless quad (Senior Women), a double (Father and Son and Guest) and adaptive single (Adaptive Squad skipper) as they made their steady proprogress along the 15 miles of the River Wey from Weybridge to Guildford.
The fleet was shepherded through the 11 locks and 2 sets of gates by 5 teams of lock operators and escorted throughout by bicycle orderlies.
The arrival at Guildford was a grand affair with hot food, mountains of cakes and the chance to stretch tired limbs and rejuvenate aching and sore bodies with liquid refreshments. The Deputy Mayor of Guildford greeted the first arrivals and our Club Secretary, Richard Warne, starred on Radio Surrey in the build-up to the event.
We’re still counting the money raised but there are still Big Row mugs and water bottles available to purchase as souvenirs of a memorable event – and Christmas presents as they will be collectors’ items in years to come!
Special thanks to the Big Row coordinator Richard Warne and all the helpers, and congratulations to all the rowers who completed this epic journey.
And finally…….
Chris Boys, our Adaptive squad captain, is rowing 1,000,000 metres this year on a rowing machine to raise money for the Samson Centre for MS in Guildford. For a change of scenery he put his ergometer on a boat, ‘Impossible Dream’, at Molesey Rowing Club and pulled 14,500m while cruising up and down. Who says Ergos don’t float?
You can donate to Chris’s appeal here:
Here is Chris completing his 14,500m on the Thames recently as part of his Challenge. Don’t think he meant to go that far but you can see he had moral support from his coach – already prepared in case ergo’s do sink!
PS
We’re attacking the rats who live around the club by using poison. Dog owners please note.