Monday 17 December 2007

Carrow Cup


This Saturday saw another good DRC turnout and fancy dress parade for the Carrow Cup in Norwich. As promised by the organisers, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, but that certainly didn't stop anyone from racing hard.

In Division 1 we entered two women's novice doubles (Jane & I and Clare and Emma) and Raedwald also took to the water with John coxing Simon N., Simon H., Tim and David.

Division 2 saw Tim & Simon H. downsizing to a Vet C double, while Santa and his Little Helper represented the club in the Vet F category, and Jane & Malcolm teamed up for a mixed novice double.

Particular congratulations go to:

Clare - for taking part in her first ever sculling race in the middle of December, whilst also wearing a Santa hat.


Simon N. & Tim - for winning the Vet C 2x category. (Although who knows what would have happened if Simon H. and David had been able to race as well?!)

Jane & Malcolm - for winning the Mixed Novice 2x category, despite not having rowed together before. (This also makes it a victory three years running for Jane...and each one with a different man - no wonder she felt the need to jump into the river to cool down afterwards!!)


John & Terry - for their Santa & Little Helper festive fancy dress.


More photos in album (see righthand link)...

Sunday 9 December 2007

54th Scullers Head

December 1st saw Simon and Tim stage a rematch of their epic tussle of the Norfolk Long Distance Sculls but this time at the 54th Scullers Head over the 4.25 mile championship course from Mortlake to Putney on the Tideway.
Some of the top names were missing from the 500-odd scullers starting the race but the Deben contingent were unable to fully capitalise on the opportunity and finished a modest 307th and 280th respectivly. Once again local knowledge was probably the key with a mere 14 seconds separating our noble scullers over the 24 minute duration.
It was first time at the event for both competitors and after a paddle over the course on Friday, Saturday dawned cold but fair. Boating out of Thames RC, the winter sun shone with only a stiff headwind after Hammersmith to trouble the equanimity. After a long wait at the muster it was under Chiswick Bridge and "Go!" from the start marshall. All that remained then was to go bananas for the next four plus miles. Neither of our noble athletes earned a winners pennant but both experienced the ambiguous pleasure of being passed and, yes, actually passing fellow scullers.
Great facilities were provided at Thames and we hope for a more numerous Anglo Saxon invasion party next year.
All in all a great event. Definately to be repeated.

Tim

Mr & Mrs Boatclub (or should that be Notcutt?!)

Many congratulations to Will and Nicola who got married yesterday!!!!

Needless to say, we won't be seeing them down at the river for a week or two (or four!), but we wish them all the very best for their future together, on and off the water!

They've also asked me to pass on many, many thanks for their cards and gifts.



Friday 23 November 2007

Norfolk Long Distance Sculls, Saturday, Dec 17th, 2007



Gruelling, cold and bordering on madness....and that was just loading the boats at 6.30am! The car heaters were on level 4 as the Deben flotilla (well mini-flotilla) headed north last Saturday for this year's Long Distance Sculls - 4,400m of hell on the River Yare. In the first division, myself (Vet B 1x); Tim Earnshaw (Vet C 1x); and Roger and his son Andy (Nov 2x) flew the red and yellow flag (well I would if my one piece had arrived in time..).
Jarrett and son came a respectable 2nd out of five novice doubles finishing the course in 19:36. Great effort, particularly as this was only Andy's second race. Tim E was in among a very competitive field of Vet C boats including many on home water. Tim finished the course in 19:15, placing him 4th from six boats. Again very respectable as this race is as much about the course you steer as boat speed. I was one of three Vet B boats and managed to overtake one half way down the course. I did have the advantage of knowing the river (I used to be a member of NRC) so that helped and I was surprised to find I was the fastest boat, finishing in 19:06. All this marathon training I think. That or the nandrolone.
As a point of interest, the fastest sculler of the day was a (lightweight) chap from Sudbury who finished the course in 17:15! A friend of mine from NRC said he was happily chugging along at 29 spm when this guy went past at 34. Something to aim for next time you're battling the waves at Waldringfield. Or maybe not.
The second division is a shorter 2,500m and is downstream. Clio and Em were entered in the W Nov 1x, with Clio continuing her zippy turn of pace, clinching another DRC victory with a time of 11:56. Em was also on great form and continues to improve, racing home in 13:00. Plenty of good form to build on. Thanks to Terry for coming along and supporting our young members. DRC's very own Obi-Wan Kenobi once again urging us all to "feel the force"..(All we need now is a member called Luke).
Finally Tim and I entered the last long division as Vet C 2x. We'd only been out twice but to blow our own trumpet we fared pretty well....until we got boxed in by a combination of my inept steering and an oncoming gin palace which brought us, temporarily, to an abrupt stop. We claim it lost us about four minutes...but we may be slightly mistaken.
Overall a great performance from DRC - two pots from five status events isn't a bad tally. Bring on the Carrow Cup. They won't know what hit 'em! Simon.


Tuesday 13 November 2007

DRC in 'Rowing & Regatta'


Does anyone know if the club has had a mention in Rowing and Regatta before? Well, I think this might be the first time so here it is for anyone who's not yet seen it.




Bit of a shame about the punctuation, though :-)

Rowing Captain's Report 2006-7

Here is a copy of my report which was written for the AGM. I thought it would be good to publish it here as well so everyone can see what a busy year we've had!

My first thoughts when I realised that I was required to do a report on the past year were "what on earth am I going to say?"! I shouldn't have worried, however, as thinking back, DRC members have had a pretty busy year of racing. (If you've been out racing, but don't see any mention of it below, it'll be because you didn't tell me about it, so no complaints, please!)

The Carrow Cup last December was my first experience of putting in entries and gathering the troops, so it was fantastic to find that not only did we have a trailer-full of boats and a couple of people racing for the first time, but there was also a brilliant response to my (admittedly v. cheeky) suggestion that we should go as the Deben Nativity.

With their go-faster wings and tinsel, Oliver & Jane won the mixed novice double category, whilst Neil and Jamie Cawthorn also blasted to victory in the men's novice doubles. All in all it was going to be a tough act to follow...

After Christmas, there was hardly a moment to spare before thoughts turned to the Cambridge Winter League (a series of three races on the Cam - one in January, February and March). "So, I need to organise the entries, how hard can it be?" I thought and compiled a nice form for everyone to fill in and give back to me with their entry fees. What I hadn't taken into account was how quickly the spaces for the race get filled, or that one of our doubles would chopped in half during a storm, or that we might not be able to get to Cambridge in time for the Division 1 start time of 9am, or that some people would put in their own entries, and probably lots more besides! Anyway, with a little help from my friends, most problems got solved and nearly everyone got to do their desired races. For the first race in January we had 14 DRC boats competing and it really did feel fantastic to see so many of us there on the water and with parents cheering us on from the bank (or was that fishing their children out of the water?!). The entries tailed off a little for the next two races, but Ken and Roger were two members who stuck it out, even braving the early start to make boat sharing easier, and were rewarded by a win in the men's doubles category, so once more DRC brought home pots!

Next on the racing calendar was a special Junior Head in Cambridge, where Clio did what we all knew she soon would, and picked up prizes not only in the J13 and J14 categories, but also for her stylish steering! Hot on the heels of this Clio went on to come 8th (out of 80) in the Indoor Rowing Championships and was then selected to represent the Eastern Counties in the Junior Championships at Nottingham. Not at all bad for a young 'un.

Meanwhile, others in the club were taking part in the Deben Challenge. The conditions were tough to say the least and John C. and Nick R. clearly felt that simply rowing 22 miles in rough water and cold weather wasn't quite challenging enough (!). Many congratulations to the new sons & daughters of the Deben: Jane Gotts, Clio Aubugeau-Williams, Anna Morton, John Churcher, Nick Redman, Ian Parke, Oliver Tomlinson, Chris Jillings and also Will Notcutt who completed the challenge later in the year, even though it nearly cost him his fiancée (in fact, it's still a bit of a sore subject so perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it...).

Also in April, Tim raced in an VIII with Thames BC in the Vets Head, coming a very commendable 3rd (out of 25).

During May we were enjoying coaching from Michael Streat and the fact that lighter evenings meant there was more time for rowing (and catching up on gossip in the Cherry Tree afterwards). Simon H., David H., Michael and I also swapped sculls for trainers and took part in the Woodbridge 10km run.

In June Chris Jillings, Clio and Alex L. went to Peterborough Regatta and...you've guessed it, came back with more pots - hurray! Alex not only lost her novice status, but gained a senior point too and Clio won the J14 single sculls. Not to be out-done by the juniors, John Churcher showed he was prepared to lead by example when he won his event at the Isle of Ely Regatta.

July turned out to be a bit of a disappointing month when, after much hard training and frantic practising of race starts, St Neots Regatta was cancelled due to flooding. It was just as well that we had a club dinner and Sudbury Regatta to look forward to.

What with holidays etc. it can be hard to get crews together for summer regattas, but despite this, there was a good turnout of DRC members who wanted to go and strut their stuff in neighbouring Sudbury. The sun shone, the band played and Ken & Roger, Will & Nicola and Simon Newton made their presence felt on the water. Nicola did very well in her first regatta, Will not only towed the trailer, but also rowed the course countless times, successfully intimidating the opposition only to be unluckily beaten in his Novice 1x final. Simon's excellent steering (the reeds can wade out into the river to get in your way over there, I'm told) and stamina led him to victory in the Vet C 1x, so once more it was a proud day for the club.

After Sudbury, we could all relax a little and look forward to our club fun day and BBQ. Now, as we all know, the slightest whiff of a BBQ can bring out the rain clouds and this year was sadly no exception. There was a brief lull in the downpour that enabled us to get everyone out on the water, including a couple of members who'd only been in a boat once or twice before, in some craft or other. Malcolm, ably assisted by his children, waited in the launch at the finish line to record the race results, while the rest of us (split up into two teams) battled it out from the green buoy to Methersgate. After this, we indulged in a free-for-all race back home...only no-one was quite sure when to start or where the finish line was! Unfortunately by this time, the rain had started again in earnest and we were very glad of all the excellent BBQ food to warm us up as the rain dripped through the roof of the clubhouse. Despite the weather, I'm sure everyone would agree that it was a great day and very pleasing that people also felt able to bring along their friends and family.

September was a very busy month for the club and things kicked off with the Maritime Woodbridge weekend. It was decided that we should get as many boats on the water as possible, and also that the Mayor should be invited to come onboard in the tub IV as we provided an escort for the Sae Wyfling (replica Sutton Hoo ship). The tide was high, the sun shone and I was particularly pleased to see everyone wearing their bright red DRC kit. No sooner were we off the water, than it was time to start boat loading for Cambridge Autumn Regatta the following day.

The junior girls were out in force at Cambridge Autumn, with Clio, Em, Kate, Katherine and Vicki all racing in a combination of doubles and singles. There were some extremely close races and they were all unlucky not to come away with any wins. As the day wore on, the pressure turned to Malcolm and I as we made it through two heats and into the final. We took the lead at the start and were encouraged by our vociferous supporters on the bank, but at about half way the pressure got to us and the other crew started to pull ahead. Despite our best efforts to come back at them, we were unsuccessful and things were made worse by knowing that the guy in the other boat had been the one who knocked Malcolm out of the 1x heat as well! Nevertheless, it was a fun day and we were grateful for Terry's support on the bank, as well as for all the backup and cheering from parents and families - a nice end to the regatta season.

There's no rest for the wicked, however, and the next weekend four members of the club trekked up to Lincoln for the Boston (rowing) Marathon - a 50km race and not for the faint-hearted. Simon N. & Tim were part of a composite Vet C VIII and stole the show by being not only the fastest boat on the day, but also the fastest Vet crew ever! Ian & I were not to be outdone, though, and contented ourselves with winning our category and also setting a new course record for the Mixed Novice 2x - it took a long time coming, but it was a pretty exciting way to get my first sculling pot!

As the next weekend came around, my friends and family decided once and for all that I was certifiably mad as Ian & I decided to race again in the Yare Cup (a mere 3700m). Malcolm, John Churcher and Chris Jillings all raced as well, but on this occasion we had to content ourselves with enjoying the BBQ and sunshine afterwards instead of collecting pots.

The 6th October saw DRC members out racing once more with Chris J. & Clio out on the Thames in the Pairs Head and Terry, John C., Clio, Em and Kate going to the Cambridge Small Boats Head. Once more it was our Chairman's turn to steal the show as he won the Vet E category.

Phew. What a great year we've had - well done everyone!!!!

You can, of course, find out more about all of the above by looking back at the articles on our blog and by clicking on the photos section on the right-hand side of the blog.

I'm going to take this opportunity to wish everyone racing in the Norfolk Sculls this weekend "Good Luck" and also to flag up this year's Carrow Cup on December 15th - put it in your diaries and start planning your festive fancy dress!

Thanks for reading this far and giving me so many great events to write about - we can all look forward to DRC going onwards and upwards over the next year, I'm sure. Well done to everyone who's been out racing, and also thank you to the people who've made it all possible in so many different ways; whether it's training beginners, helping us on and off the water, towing the trailer or keeping me sane during boat loading, it's all been a team effort.

Anna Morton

Rowing Captain Nov. 2006-7

Monday 12 November 2007

Tidal Surge, 9th November

Last Friday the Deben, along with other tidal rivers in the area, experienced a "surge" due to the combination of a high ("spring") tide and low pressure out in the North Sea which also raised sea levels and brought stormy conditions to the East Coast. Luckily we weren't badly affected by flooding, but Simon Newton did get these impressive photos of the high water.


Thursday 8 November 2007

Winter Kit

Hello!

Now that we're offically into winter, it's especially important to keep warm out on the water and also to have something cosy to change into after rowing. As I take my pastoral duties very seriously (wouldn't want anyone to get cold or have an excuse to skive), I've done some research and found a supplier of hoodies and beanies.


Beanies - red fleece hats, with DRC logo in gold stitching on the front @ £9 +VAT
Hoodies - red, with DRC logo printed in white on the back and `Deben Rowing Club' printed in white on the front @ £20 +VAT

Please tell me by 12th Nov. if you'd like to be included in the order.

Wednesday 24 October 2007

DRC AGM, 12th November, 2007, 8pm

This year's club AGM will be held at the Bull Hotel (back room), Woodbridge on Monday 12th November at 8pm.

All club members are encouraged to come along to have their say in choosing a committee for the next year and also participating in discussions about the club.

I'd particularly like to encourage people who've joined the club in recent years to consider standing for a position on the committee. You should be prepared to make yourself available (where possible) for committee meetings (roughly every two months) and should be prepared to give some time to helping out generally, as well as any specific duties that go with the position you're intrested in.

Here is a list of the committee roles:

Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon. Treasurer, Vice-Treasurer, Secretary (as well as possibly new position of Assistant Secretary), Rowing Captain, Vice-Rowing Captain, Junior Rowing Captain, Social Secretary, Membership Secretary, Safety Advisor, Ordinary Members (x3)

Please feel free to contact me or anyone else on committee if you'd like to know more about what's involved. As Anna H. mentioned in her email, nominations should be sent to her.

Monday 8 October 2007

Pairs Head & Cambridge Small Boats Head, 6 October 2007

Last weekend was another busy one for members of the club...

Clio & Chris J. took part in the Pairs Head on the Thames. Despite a nasty headwind, they put in a great effort and completed the course in 15mins, 31secs.

Kate, Em, John & Terry also went to Cambridge for the small boats head...

TD has kindly sent in this report on the race:

"Cambridge Small Boats was a triumph for Churcher Vet E who settled into a good style and rhythm after the bends, then went on to win.

The Davey/ Churcher Vet F in the old ‘HighTec’ double scull Reg (bought from Rob Roy many years ago for £600) went very well despite the antique boat and the crew’s combined age of 122 years. They failed to win a prize as there were no other competitors in the category; I guess the others had heard we were racing!

The junior double of Em and Kate were very stylish down to the start but lost a lot of time in the race through an equipment fault and a brush with the bank side. Even then, they were not the slowest boat. So, well done Em & Kate it's looking good for next time!"

Full results can be found here:

http://www.robroyboatclub.org.uk/events/sbh/2007/results.html (Thanks, Will H!)

Well done all of you!!!

Wednesday 26 September 2007

Yare Cup, 22 September

Last Sunday Chris Jillings, John Churcher, Malcolm Pidd, Ian Parke and I all went to Norwich to compete in the Yare Cup. It was a bright, sunny day and great to row on the lovely stretch of river there (I even managed to avoid the willow trees this year!). After the racing, Yare welcomed all participants back to a BBQ at their clubhouse. Sadly all the pots seemed to go to Norwich RC or Yare on this occasion, but DRC hopefully enjoyed the racing nevertheless and got some good times:

Chris: 16.32, John: 18.32, Malcolm: 16.38, Anna & Ian: 15.33

Monday 17 September 2007

DRC Members Break Records in Boston Marathon!

Sunday 16th September was the day of the annual Boston (Rowing) Marathon, which takes place on a 50km stretch of water, starting from Lincoln and finishing in Boston. This year there were over 200 crews, among them Anna & Ian (Mixed Novice 2x) and Tim and Simon (part of a composite Vet C. VIII).

Not only did we all complete this gruelling challenge, but both crews set new course records in their categories and Tim & Simon's crew was the fastest boat of the day!! Truly oarsome results - HURRAY for DRC!!!

Ian & I also rowed the course in our double last year, so this time we were both determined to get to the finish a bit sooner, even though we only decided to enter two weeks before the event. Ian sat in the stern, with the stopwatch, keeping an eye on how long it took us to get from one km marker to the next, while I battled to steer us round a few corners, past other crews, out of the way of launches, barges & cruisers, and also to keep in time. By the time we got to 13km, where everyone has to get their boat out of the water, over a steep embankment and down onto the other side of the lock gate, we knew we were ahead of our opposition. After this the course got very bendy for a few km, so there was always the possibility that they could have been sneaking up on us without us having noticed. Also from this point onwards, we had the pleasure of a good, strong headwind to make things a bit more challenging. Luckily with all our training on the Deben, we weren't fazed by the wind and waves (well, perhaps only a little) and I did my best to give a running commentary on which boats we were catching up to pass the time and take our minds off the pain; luckily there were quite a few doubles and singles ahead, as well as one junior girls quad who were merrily singing "Build Me Up Buttercup" down the course and a man in a single who was doing the marathon for the 40th time! There were also things to watch...like cows on the bank and cruisers creating nice big waves for us to row through. We had a very strong (or should that be loud?) on-shore support party (comprising of Ian's wife and her sister) whose shouts of "Give it some welly" and "Stop slacking" could be heard long before we could see them; they very kindly took these photos for us too. For most of the course there were markers for each km and once we got into the 40s it began to feel as if we might actually make it to the end afterall. At this point the course straightened out too and Ian told me we were managing to keep to 5mins per km and we started thinking of the remaining distance in relation to what it would have been on the Deben, such as Ramsholt to the clubhouse. It was only as we passed 48km and Ian told me that our time so far was 4hrs, 15mins that I suddenly realised that we might actually have a chance of beating the previous course record for our category...the tower of the church in Boston came into view next (I knew this was beyond the finish) and with more cheering from the bank to spurr us on, we even managed to overtake just one more crew seconds before crossing the line. Our official time was 4hrs 25mins - 20mins faster than our previous time, 3mins faster than the previous record, first in the mixed novice doubles on the day and faster than even some S2 and S4 crews. Ian says next time we have to try and break the 4hr mark...

Tuesday 11 September 2007

Cambridge Autumn Regatta, 9 September


Congratulations to everyone who took part in the regatta on Sunday and thanks to Terry and all the parents who made sure that shouts of "Come on Deben" could be heard all along the course. Also, particular thanks to Malcolm for towing the trailer and steering it so well around the tight corners at the entrance to the regatta site (more than can be said for certain other clubs!).

More photos are in the gallery on the right of the blog & I have others to follow soon (when I have a chance to upload them). Also, there was at least one parent/photographer with a very snazzy camera, so it would be great it anyone could send me copies of their shots to add as well! For now here is a shot of Em & Clio in action in the women's J15 2x:


Em & Clio's race in the double was one of the closest of the day, with both boats running pretty much level up the course for pretty much a photo finish which sadly showed the other girls crossing the line just inches ahead.

Katherine and Vicki also had a great race in the final of the Women's Novice doubles category, taking the lead not long before the finish, but then having an unlucky incident with a crab, allowing the Weybridge opposition to clinch victory.

Malcolm and I competed in the Mixed Novice doubles and won our first two heats, only to be beaten by a couple of youngsters from Derby RC. Even more annoyingly, the guy in the Derby crew was the same chap that knocked Malcolm out of the Novice 1x heat!

Em, Clio, Kate & Vicki all put in great efforts in their singles heats (Clio made it through two and was narrowly beaten in the final) - luck just didn't seem to be with DRC on this occasion - and I'm sure it won't be long before I get to write about them winning races over the winter racing season..!

Maritime Woodbridge, 8 September

Last weekend was the second Maritime Woodbridge festival and this year we decided we should join in the fun. It was suggested that the tub IV should take to the water to accompany the Sutton Hoo replica, Sae Wyfling, as she rowed (?) up and down in front of crowds by the tidemill. Coxed by John, the crew of Anna M., Keith, Robbie and Will H. did their best to heave the boat along. We also invited the Mayor to join us so he could properly get into the spirit of things...it was a great compliment that he trusted us enough to wear his gold chain on-board!


Sae Wyfling...think we could teach her crew a thing or two about rowing - and people tell me I'm skying at the catch!



Row, row, row the mayor gently down the Deben...



"So Mr Mayor, about that new clubhouse..." (Just kidding!)

More photos will be available soon in the section on the right of the blog. Also, if anyone has pictures or comments of their own, I'll be happy to add them too if you send them to me.

Thursday 6 September 2007

Maritime Woodbridge & Cambridge Autumn Regatta

This weekend (8th & 9th Sept.) is a busy one for DRC with two important events taking place:

1) Maritime Woodbridge
This is an event in the town (well, by the river to be precise) which took place for the first time last year and attracted loads of extra visitors and boats to the Deben. This year DRC have been invited to take part and on Sat 8th we will be getting as many boats out on the water as possible to escort Sae Wyfling (Sutton Hoo replica ship) down the river. As well as our normal selection of doubles, singles etc, we hope to get one of the traditional IVs out so that we can provide a water-taxi service for the mayor (I just hope that gold chain won't be so heavy it sinks the boat...). Please be at the clubhouse by 10am if you can join in the fun. Don't forget to wear club colours too as this will be a fantastic opportunity to publicise our club.

For more information about Maritime Woodbridge, click here and for more details about how to take part in the club activities on the day, contact John Churcher who is co-ordinating events.

2) Cambridge Autumn Regatta
This is the last regatta of the year and I'm delighted to be part of an impressive DRC contingent who are planning to take the Cam by storm...
Details of the draw, course and event can be found here. Even if you're not taking part, we'd love to have your support from the bank.

Friday 31 August 2007

WANTED - Cox for Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon (Sunday 16th September) is an annual event along a 50km stretch of river between Boston and Lincoln. Although gruelling, it is a great experience and attracts hundreds of crews of all ages, shapes and sizes from around the UK.

This year Tim E. and Simon N. are hoping to go the distance in a composite VIII and are looking for a cox. If you're small, light and would be happy to guide and encourage the crew along the course, the guys would love to hear from you...

See here for more info on the race: http://www.bostonrowingmarathon.org.uk/

Ian & I, as well as Roger & Alex all took part in last year's event and will be happy to tell you all about it.

Monday 20 August 2007

Club Fun Day & BBQ

A report on the day's events from Will N:

"Thank you all who took part in yesterday’s fun
day in the rain.

For those of you who could not join us, the rain showers eased off sufficiently whilst we were afloat, and the BBQ was eaten within the club house in the rain. This gave those who had not been afloat an opportunity to get damp as the rain slowly percolated through our roof. Perhaps the structure exists just to keep the wind out.

Those competing were allocated, unfairly as it turned out, into two teams; red and gold. All boats were marshalled at the green buoy and then raced back to Methersgate with wind and tide. Out on the water were pairs of yellow perils, double mondegos, ladies doubles, junior ladies singles, men’s doubles, men’s singles, veteran men’s singles. After the sprint race, all returned to the green buoy for the slog for home. Whilst the intent was to start the boats in the sequence of slowest first, with previous race winners penalised by a handicap of anywhere from 12-20 seconds, the sequence turned out to be when pairs were ready: Go. (maybe the marshal was not that comfortable in a single in the choppy conditions). The lack of clarification of the finish line also proved somewhat problematic to the umpire. Malcolm, with children Alexander and Katherine, willingly assumed this role and ably chaperoned the laggards back up the river, but were unable to clarify who had won the individual pairings. Was the finish line in front of the sailing club, or when the boat was on trestles?

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and I think we have a format for future years, whilst still having plenty of opportunity for improvisation and improvement.

With numbers increasing from 23 to 39 less than 24 hrs before the event, catering was a little bit more involved than had been hoped with additional run around purchasing required. However, after costs and on the assumption that those who signed up but did not turn up will still pay up, as a bonus we should have raised a tidy little sum for the club. For those who have not yet paid, £5 please to Nicola.

The key of the day was to have fun, and I don’t think the weather prevented us from doing that.

Thank you all.

W"

And, just a few words to add from me...I'd like to point out that the teams were perfectly fair, but the 'gold' team was simply inspired on the day by shouts of "Go Team Banana" from their captain. Also, apologies for limited selection of photos...combination of rain, lack of batteries and failure to switch on the flash - oops :-(

Thanks to everyone for taking part, helping out and bringing their families along!

Monday 6 August 2007

Sudbury Regatta

Last Saturday Ken, Nicola, Roger, Simon N. and Will all competed in the regatta at Sudbury RC. Particular congratulations to Simon (pictured left), who won his event - hurray! - and has kindly put his journalistic talent to good use with the following report:

There's not many regattas where you can hear a brass band in your ear as you cross the finish line...but Sudbury is one of those events.

Busiest of us all was Will N. Not only did he kindly tow the trailer, he ended up sculling the course four times! After the umpires found Will guilty of employing the "deben shoulder barge" on his Lea oppo as they raced for home in Nov 1x, a re-row was agreed. However, fear of the Deben hillbillies was clearly growing and as Will waited at the start, his young oppo pulled out, leaving Will do an exhibition piece down the course. I'm not certain, but I believe the band were playing Rocky at this point...

Next up it was Mr Notcutt again, this time doubling with Nicola. It was a close race, with a few steering "moments" from both crews, W&N - like many - getting a little too familiar with the reeds as they passed the pillbox. Weybridge eventually pipped Will and Nicola to the post by 3/4 of a length.

As Will enjoyed a well earned rest, the honour of the DRC fell to Ken and Roger in the Vet C double. Rog had donned his purple shorts for the occasion and there was even sight of Ken stretching! The boys meant business.

Like all the DRC crews, Ken and Rog had the Suffolk side of the river. Although the start is staggered, it still means you have to take the long route around the bend. Their opponents, Broxbourne, had come in numbers and powered to a strong lead, eventually winning by four lengths.

Next it was my turn. Lack of numbers meant it was a straight - if rather odd - final, with me (Vet B) racing a guy from Maidenhead Invicta who was Vet C. The age difference meant he had a three second start from the stakeboat. He was so eager he false started before we eventually got away. He powered to the bend but as we entered the straight I managed to take him. Petrified of repeating last year's "oops there's the reeds" moment it felt like I was looking over my shoulder almost every stroke. Crossing the line three lengths up was a nice feeling.

Finally came Will's fourth outing of the day in the final of Nov 1x against a guy from Henley Boat Club. The long day probably told, as Will lost by four lengths but not without a spirited fight. I'm sure that Novice pot won't be far away. All in all a great day's racing in lovely weather. Reminded me why I do this mad sport! SN

Full results available on the Sudbury website: http://www.sudbury.rowing.org.uk/

Thursday 26 July 2007

St Neots Cancelled & Coaching

Unfortunately St Neots RC have had to cancel their regatta this weekend due to flooding. Please see their website for more info. The next regatta on the calendar is Sudbury on August 4th - more details on previous post, entries to myself or Will H. by Sunday 29th July.

Will Mills has kindly offered to run a special coaching session at normal club time this Sunday (29th) - this will be a great chance to pracitse racing starts etc ahead of Sudbury and other regattas coming up later in the summer. Hope to see you there.

Tuesday 24 July 2007

Club Fun Day & BBQ, Sunday 19th August

Following the success of last year's event, Will Notcutt is co-ordinating another DRC regatta and he and Nicola will also be doing one of their famous BBQs. The plan is to meet at the clubhouse at 10am as normal and head out onto the water for some races (full details to follow when we have an idea of numbers, but will also be dependent on conditions on the day), followed by lunch back at the clubhouse.

See the poster in the clubhouse for more information and add your name to the list if you'd like to take part. Families, friends, rabbits and countrymen are all more than welcome to come and join in with the BBQ.

Normal session fees will apply for those taking part in racing. The BBQ is £5 per head; any profit will go to the club.

Sudbury Regatta, Saturday 4th August 2007

This is the annual summer event at our nearest rival club, so it would be great to get a good DRC contingent to splash some red and yellow kit around...oh, and pick up some pots too! The course is 650m upstream and I'm reliably informed that steering can provide a suitable challenge to even the most experience scullers. Full details and regatta poster are available at the Sudbury RC website. Please give your entry details (complete with ARA numbers) to myself or Will Harris by Friday 27th July.

Thursday 5 July 2007

Club Meal & St Neots Regatta

Club Meal, Saturday Evening 21st July - Cornelian
Futher to the many requests for more social events, there will be a club meal at Cornelian (the yummy French restaurant in Felixstowe, Hamilton Rd, disguised as a chocolate shop and run by Clio's parents). Please tell me if you'd like to come - more details to follow on times and menu, depending on numbers.

St Neots Regatta 28th & 29th July
This is one of the highlights of the local regatta season, complete with glass tankards, camping and a disco on Saturday night (oh, and races - 1000m on Saturday & 500m on Sunday - perfect for anyone who thinks they might have a sore head!). We would really like to see a big club turnout at what promises to be a great event. There are good views of the river for spectating and rumour has it that the Nottsies may be doing one of their legendary BBQs! Don't forget, you can bring your family and friends along too, so there's really no excuse for missing out!! Regatta posters can be downloaded from the St Neots website.

If you would like to race, please give myself or Will H. your completed ARA Regatta Entry Form (available to download from the ARA website) with your entry fee by FRIDAY 22 JULY.

Please note: you must have an ARA license in order to race (see ARA website for how to join), and should also equip yourself with kit in club colours, or you could be prevented from racing.

Thursday 28 June 2007

Club Kit


Will Harris is kindly organising an order of club kit (shorts, tranining tops and all-in-ones). Please contact him (or me) for more details and let him know what you'd like and what size you need by 5/7/07. I'm sure fellow club members will be happy to let you try on their kit if you're not sure what size and gear to go for.

As you know, people might be disqualified and prevented from racing if they do not wear club colours to race in, particularly at ARA regattas. It would also be nice to see more people wearing club colours generally to make us feel more like a club and less like a ragged bunch of scullers who just happen to be rowing on the same stretch of surf!! We should make the most of our cheery red and yellow kit to make the DRC presence felt around the region.

We will also be doing another order of social t-shirts soon, so watch this space for more info on that.

Monday 25 June 2007

Isle of Ely Regatta


Congratulations to John Churcher, who picked up a pot at the Isle of Ely Regatta on Saturday!! Great to see our Chairman leading from the front :-)

Thursday 14 June 2007

Alex & Clio Collect Pots at Peterborough


Well done to Clio who collected the WJ14 Single Sculls pot at Peterborough Regatta last Saturday. Drawn in Lane 1 for her straight final over the full 1000 metre course, Clio got the better of her big rival from Norwich RC, next to her in Lane 2, just before the end.

A solid start from both girls saw them slowly draw away from the other competition and engage in a private battle along the road side of the course. The Norwich sculler inched in front of Clio in the middle section of the race with a long, smooth and efficient stroke action. With 150m to go the Norwich Junior was sitting one length up on Clio but was wandering over into Clio's lane.

One brief loss of concentration was enough to make the Norwich girl whack a lane marker, catch a giant crab and slew right over onto Clio's side. Miraculously Clio's blade passed over the front section of the other boat and a collision was narrowly avoided, but Clio seized her opportunity and, with a quick burst, put herself one length in the lead with 100m to go. A big sprint from the recovering opponent was not enough and Clio took the race by half a length.

Down-to-earth again on Sunday, there was no Junior event for Clio, so she joined the seniors and rowed in the Novices for the 500m sprint event, while Alex got her turn to shine in the WS3 Quad

In her heat, superior tactics, and a blistering start saw Clio lead the fleet by one length at the 250m mark but her lack of size and power eventually told and two of the bigger ladies overhauled her before the end. Still - a superb performance and invaluable experience for future races.

A doubly impressive result also for Alex who won her Novice sculling pot and took a senior point too, as part of the awesome Sudbury WS3 Quad who annihilated their opposition. In the straight 4-boat final on Saturday, the big powerful crew lead from the first stroke, being half a length up in the first ten strokes and extending their lead to two lengths before half way. Here they rather took their feet off the gas (to the admonishment of their coach!!) but were still efficient enough to romp home with nearly two lengths of clear water. Well done Alex - from Novice to S3 in three and a half minutes!

CHRIS JILLINGS

Wednesday 13 June 2007

Coaching, Mid-Summer, Peterborough Regatta


Plans for Mid-summer

As next Wednesday (20th) is nearly mid-summer, it's been suggested that we should do something to celebrate...perhaps a club row to the Maybush or sailing club for a lemonade or two (other refreshments may be available!!!!!)?

Coaching

We had perfect weather and lovely calm water for Sunday's coaching session with Michael and, as ever, those who came out on the water got some expert advice...Nicola discovered that she had stomach muscles (!) and Terry found out that there was a technical cure for stopping his thumbs hurting (don't go letting him get away with complaining about them in the future!).
Don't forget that everyone is welcome to come along to the coaching - keep an eye on your email inbox and the calendar at the foot of the blog for dates and times of forthcoming sessions.

Peterborough Regatta
Alex L., Clio and Chris J. went along to compete last weekend...watch this space for a full report and hopefully some photos too, but in the meantime particular congratulations to Alex and Clio for wins in their events. Alex sped to victory in a quad (with other scullers from the club we won't mention!) and Clio was first in the J14 1x category and also gave the other women a good run for their money by coming 3rd in the novice semi-final.

Hurray :-) a great set of results - well done!!!!!!!!

Monday 4 June 2007

Tickets for Henley Royal Regatta

Nick Redman has tickets for the Stewards Enclosure at Henley Royal Regatta and DRC members have first refusal. See below and contact Nick for more details on how you can get tickets to the most prestigious event of the rowing year (excluding the DRC regatta, of course!)...


Guest badges to the Stewards Enclosure - two for each of Wed 4th July, Thur 5th July and Fri 6th July and one each Sat 7th and Sun 8th, but more can be obtained (subject to availability).

Note that dress restrictions apply, details will be given later, but silly blazers are OK, of course!

  • I would like DRC members to have first refusal - on the basis that juniors, unwaged, pensioners, etc go as my guest and others pay the face value into DRC funds.
  • The face values are: Wed - £22; Thurs £26; Fri - £40; Sat - £40; and Sun - £30.
  • First come, first served.
  • Applications to Nick by Monday 18th June at 18:00hrs.

Hopefully, all those interested will see some first class rowing!

Nick Redman

Friday 1 June 2007

Summer Training Camp

This is a great opportunity and also a real bargain for anyone wishing to get some expert sculling training over the summer.
If you want to know more about the course, I'm sure Tim E. will be happy to oblige!


Tideway Scullers are running The Alec Hodges Summer Sculling Course from 30th July - 3rd August 2007. There are places for approximately 40 students and the course is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their sculling ability – from new beginners to confident scullers. The students will be a mixture of juniors (age 11 – 17) and adults who will work together with their coaches in singles and crew boats 2x, 4x and 8x.
The fee of £175 includes lunches and refreshments for the 5 days. To apply, please download and print the attached application form, complete it and send it with a cheque to the address on the bottom of the application form.
Please provide an email address on the form as this will make further communication with you more convenient.
If you have any queries please contact: Carl Brighty, carl@deltaonline.co.uk; 01932 252849

Monday 21 May 2007

Woodbridge 10km

Congratulations to Pete Gotts, Simon Hale, David Hodgkinson and Michael Streat who all joined me in the annual Woodbridge round the town run on Sunday.

Full results are posted here: http://www.woodbridgeshufflers.org.uk/

Provisional times are as follows:

Pete - 44:44 (82nd)
Michael - 47:34 (134th)
Simon - 50:59 (199th)
David - 51:54 (219th)
Anna - 52:22 (224th)

Pretty good for a bunch of rowers who are rather more at home on the water, than on the road!

Thursday 10 May 2007

Summer Racing ("...had me a blast!")

Hello! Hopefully the summer weather will soon be back to East Anglia and it's time to start thinking about enjoying sun and sculling at regattas in our area. Below is a list of some local ones in the next few weeks.

What to do if you're interested in competing:

1) Click on the links below to look at more details about each event
2) Check your diary to see if you're free
3) Talk to your DRC buddies to see if they fancy teaming up with you for any events
4) Tell your captain you're interested (she'll need
AT LEAST 2 WKS NOTICE)
5) Get practising your standing starts & sprint finishes (oh, and that middle bit too, where you settle into a steady rhythm and leave the others for dead!)


RACING KIT - remember for summer races, you need to wear either:

* club colours (red & yellow)
* black & white

If you don't wear the right kit, you could be disqualified...or might be mistaken for another club (ugh!). We will soon be doing another kit order, so watch this space for details.

Sat & Sun 9/10 June - Peterborough Regatta
Sat & Sun 16/17 June - Star Club Regatta (details available from AM if don't show on web)
22-24 June - Henley Women's Regatta (nb. entries close 4 June)
Sat 23 June - Xpress Silver Jubilee Head, Cambridge (details available from AM)
Sat 30 June - Peterborough J14 Regatta
4-8 July - Henley Royal Regatta

Monday 23 April 2007

Junior Inter-Regional Reggatta 2007

Clio did fantastically well in the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta (JIRR) on Saturday, achieving a great result against competitors who were a year older than her. I'm sure you're all as proud of our young star as I am!!

Here is a report from Chris Jillings, who went along to watch:

"Congratulations to Clio who was selected to represent the Eastern Region in Single Sculls at the JIRR at Holme Pierrepoint last Saturday. She performed really well over a long 1500 metre head-wind course, coming a very close 7th from 10 competitors in the Junior 14 event, and contributed 12 points to help Eastern to third place overall from 11 different regional teams.

Clio's first race on a full-sized multi-lane course was a hard fought battle in the first heat which included all the eventual medal winners. From an unlucky draw in lane 1, Clio got away superbly, holding on to the leading charge, and after the first 500m you could draw a line across the bow-balls of the first 5 boats.

Clio held on well to her opponent in lane 2 during the middle sector, but the move was unfolding on the far side of the course in lanes 5 and 6. The eventual Gold medallist moved out from half distance over in lane 5, taking lane 6 with her, and despite some tactical pushes, Clio just began to lose her adjacent competitor during the last 500m, missing the A Final by just 4 seconds.

In the B Final (pictured above) Clio had the centre lane and with a previous time some 20 seconds better than any of her rivals adopted sprint tactics, dominating the race from the first stroke. She looked a different class, paddling in some eight lengths ahead to cap a commendable first appearance on the National Junior stage."

Chris Jillings


See also comment from Michael on the previous post.

And one final thing - Doesn't the DRC kit look good!! I know I may have been heard muttering the odd not so positive comment about it in the past, but looking at these pictures, it really stands out from the crowd. I look forward to seeing a lot more bright red and yellow taking the lead in the regattas over the summer!!