NEW CLUB WEBSITE!

Deben rowing club now has an exciting new website:

www.debenrowingclub.co.uk

Please go to the new site for all of the latest information and news about the club.

6th Suffolk Indoor Rowing Championships, 2014

DRC is once more proud to host the Suffolk Indoor Rowing Champs.

When?  Saturday, 5th April 2014 at 10:30am

Where?  Deben Rowing Club, The River Wall, Woodbridge

Events on offer:
Junior events to British Rowing Gold Standard for Years 7-13
Men and Women’s events at Veteran (over 26, plus Handicap allowance) and Open – 2,000m

Overall 2k winning time (handicaps included) will be presented with the Burton Challenge Bowl

Entry fee: £5 for Adults, £2 for Juniors

For more information and bookings, please contact Neil Cawthorn: NSC@NCALegal.co.uk
01473 736 296

Proceeds to DRC

Katherine Grainger comes to Woodbridge

Catherine Larner reports on an inspirational evening, with thanks to Bridget Wijnberg, Lyn Gameson and Simon Robertson-Young for taking photographs.

Despite terrible weather conditions, an audience of 250 gathered at Woodbridge Community Hall on Friday 11 October to hear Olympic Gold champion rower Katherine Grainger speak about her autobiography ‘Dreams Do Come True’.

Britain’s most successful female rower – winning silver at three consecutive Olympic Games before gold at London 2012 – Katherine had driven 100 miles across country to be at the event, on the invitation of local independent bookshop, Browsers.

The community-minded shop had wanted to help raise funds for a new boat to cater for the growing female membership at the town’s rowing club, and Katherine was impressed with their ambition and made room in her formidable diary of engagements to be there.

The hall was bedecked in bunting and union jacks, and the audience broke into spontaneous applause as a video clip of Katherine’s winning race was played to open the evening. “It took us back to the moment,” said one member of the crowd which had travelled from Kent, Essex, Norwich, Cambridgeshire as well as all over Suffolk. “We were back there reliving London 2012 and all it meant to us.”

Katherine had rushed straight from her car onto stage, yet was relaxed, poised, articulate and entertaining as she told the story of her career in rowing, the Olympic ‘journey’ and her successful initiation into writing: her book has been included in the longlist for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.

Then, with a flourish, she revealed the new boat which was sitting on stage behind her. The Swift, Club A, lightweight double had been named the ‘Katherine Grainger’ in her honour, explained chairman of Deben Rowing Club, William Notcutt. It was paid for through funds raised from the evening and by the ladies section at the club and will be used exclusively by them.

The new boat will serve as a fitting reminder of the evening. Katherine’s humility, determination, hard work and application were an inspiration to all who heard her and the queue to have books signed stretched all around the room.

Katherine’s visit had been scheduled to last two hours, but as time moved on she refused to cut short any of the personal interactions. Family groups came forward and she engaged in conversations, finding out personal details before making an individual inscription in each book and then leaping out of her seat with her gold medal to pose for a photograph with her admirers.

Finally, with the audience gone, Katherine still did not rush away, insisting on thanking the organisers of the event and encouraging the ladies group at Deben Rowing Club in their endeavours on and off the water. She took delight in acknowledging the time and effort that had gone into every element of the evening, including sewing metres of red and yellow bunting and baking themed gold medal biscuits, and wanted to take away souvenirs for her friends.

 

Everyone meeting Katherine Grainger at Woodbridge Community Hall on a wet evening in October felt they had been in the presence of a true champion in sport and in life.

(This article will also appear in next month's 'Regatta' magazine.)

  

Olympic Medallist Katherine Grainger is coming to Woodbridge!

You may have read that Katherine Grainger, who won Olympic Gold in the women's double sculls at London 2012, has just published her autobiography, called Dreams Do Come True, which has achieved some great reviews.

In a rare public appearance to promote the book, she will be visiting Woodbridge on Friday 11 October.

Katherine was invited to the town by Browsers, our own independent bookshop which regularly runs events with high profile speakers and where DRC members Clio Aubugeau-Williams, Megan Stocker and Catherine Larner have all been part of the team.

Katherine was impressed by Browsers' commitment to her book and the shop's willingness to contribute to its local community by offering to donate proceeds from the event to the town's rowing club. This money will be used to purchase a new boat for the growing female membership.

Katherine will be speaking about her experiences rowing, her dedication and commitment in training, her achievements and disappointments in collecting numerous medals before finally winning a long overdue Olympic Gold at London 2012.

The event is taking place at Woodbridge Community Hall on Friday 11 October at 6.30pm.

Tickets: £6 each and are only available in advance from Browsers Bookshop, 60 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge IP12 1AL. Tel 01394 388890.

Katherine's book, Dreams Do Come True, is also available from Browsers at the special price of £16.

Please support Browsers in this very generous contribution to DRC, urge your family and friends to spread the news about Katherine's visit, buy tickets and copies of her book (from Browsers), and let's make this event a huge success!

Peterborough Regatta, 1-2 June 2013

Julian Haywood Smith reports:

That winning feeling!

A full weekend racing at Peterborough was brought to a perfect end late on Sunday afternoon, with Spencer and Kyle winning their Novice 2x entry and Emilie racking up the points with a second win in two days in her IM2 single.

The squad had further success with 2nd places in their singles finals to Megan, Chris and Olivia, Liv missing out on a win by only 0.3s, and Chris by only 0.6s Revenge is being plotted!

The camping was dry but cold, accompanied by 'entertainment' from a boisterous crew from De Montford, and the curious incident of tent peg removal in the middle of the night.

Full results have yet to be posted, but will be available from this link.
www . peterboroughcityrowing . co . uk/events/index . php

We hope to see lots more Deben Racers at Bedford on 14 July, with another chance for camping antics on the 27 and 28 July at St Neots (see poster attached).

Huge thanks to Chris Jillings for his incredibly efficient organisation, enabling crews to relax, safe in the knowledge of exact warm-up, boating and start times, that can only be brought by personalised and laminated race cards. Chris and Megan even managed to compete in different events only 15 minutes apart, sprinting from finish line to boating section encouraged by the camp followers holding bottles and blades at the ready across the lake.

Head of the Cam

 Julian Haywood-Smith reports below - many congratulations to you all!

 2,600m course, in changeable and cool weather, with a difficult cross wind at the start.

A much quieter event than expected, with fewer entries than last year.

This meant some number juggling by the organisers caused a bit of confusion, but the cool headed Deben Racers showed their tremendous form, particularly in the single sculls.

Races of the day were by Dylan in his first single race ever, and by Katy, achieving a win in her first single race as well. This was despite the determined efforts of a Leys school boy determined not to let yet another Deben girl fly past him.

The following wins were recorded:-

J16 1x Dylan Ward (3 entries) 12 mins 10 secs (First time ever race in a single)
J18 1x Chris Game (3 entries) 11 mins 02 secs (a full 1 minute and 14 seconds ahead of 2nd place)
WJ16 1x Katy Wilkinson-Feller (4 entries) 13 mins 06 secs (First time ever race in a single)
WNov 1x Izzy Lelijveld (3 entries) 13 mins 03 secs (improving her earlier division time by 16 seconds)
WJ15 1x Olivia Haywood Smith (3 entries) 13 mins 07 secs (first win in a single and a whole two minutes ahead of 2nd place)
The quad looked the business, but left their watches behind. First time we have seen a strict enforcement of the Green Dragon bridge rule.

In the J18 2x category, Kyle Eadie doubled up with Dylan (10.56) & Chris (10.23) recording the two fastest times amongst the Racers, but sadly, with insufficient entries to bring home a pot.

Katy & Olivia brought their WJ16 2x home with a time of 12.20, but again, had no competition.

The 3rd fastest time of the day amongst the Racers, were Emilie and Spencer Wix in their mixed double, recording a time of 10m 59 secs - faster than many college VIII boats, but with no competition, this was scant consolation.

Thanks go to coaches Chris Jillings and James Parkinson, for getting the singles in such great condition at an early stage of the season. Next event to look forward to is the Peterborough Regatta on 1st and 2nd June.

Norwich Head - short and long courses

Saturday, 2nd March 2013 (all day)

Location: Norwich Rowing Club, Whitlingham Boathouses, Trowse, Norwich NR14 8TR

Click on the link below for the poster for this event with all details.
Cost per seat is £10.
 
James's Junior Doubles/Quads are attending, with the boats then being trailered down to Cambridge for the final Winter league event. We will co-ordinate other entries as required - please talk to your coaches now so we don't miss the entry deadline of 25th Feb.

Norwich Head March 2013.pdf

See also the group space for racers: http://groupspaces.com/debenracer/