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RACT Blind Auction for Singapore Airline ticket – raising funds for the 2015 U23 Aussie reps

Blind Auction for Return Singapore Airline Ticket to Europe

Singapore Airlines have once again provided a return ticket to Europe to be used as a fundraiser for Junior & U23 ACT Australian reps.  The ticket will be given to the person with the highest bid in a blind auction.  Instructions on how to bid are on the flyer.  All bids accepted.  Biddings are now open & close 4pm 2nd July.

RACT Presentation, Fundraiser, Celebration

Get together with your crews and come along to the Presentation and Fundraiser Night and celebrate this years rowing in the ACT.  Hear Hannah Every-Hall (World Champion light-weight) tell us her rowing adventures and take part in silent and live fund-raising auctions. Items to be auctioned on the night include:

  • 2012 Olympic zootie signed by all Aussie rowing medallists,
  • ClubLime membership voucher,
  • coaching session from Lyall McCarthy (2015 WCII gold medallist Kim Crow’s coach),
  • coaching session from Andy Randell (2015 WCII silver medallist Australian women’s 4s & women’s 8),
  • 1987 Grange Hermitage.

See you there
Singapore Plane

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Sarah Davis added to National Under 23 Team

Former Radford and ANU rower Sarah Davis has been added to the Australian team to contest the World Under 23 Championships in July in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Davis is part of a US-based College women’s four, which will be coached by ACT’s Vicky Spencer. The US-based Australian athletes were provided with the opportunity to gain selection into a limited number of U23 boat classes that had not been filled by Australian-based athletes in the April trials. Sarah comes into this crew having rowed 6-seat in the undefeated Ohio State College eight, who were US College Champions. The US Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association awarded Sarah their prestiguous First Team All-American Freshman of the year award.

The U23 Australian Rowing Team will travel to Lake Rama, Bosnia for a training camp from 8 July before they travel to the U23 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv. Sarah will be joined by compatriot Luke Letcher from Black Mountain who will be competing in the Men’s Double Scull. Sadly Cara Grzeskowiak has had to withdraw from the National team because of injury.

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By-Laws Updated for Regatta Sub-Committee Charter

 

The By-laws have been updated to incorporate a Charter for the Regatta Sub-Committee.  This involved removing the text from the body of the May version of the By-Laws and attaching an expanded Charter.  The changes include making the Executive Officer a voting member of the Sub-Committee but also provide more information on its operation.

Given the breadth of the By-Laws, and the need to ensure they remain current, continued updates can be expected.

The By-Laws are accessible directly through the website menu.  (/About/Governance/By-laws.)

 

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Catherine Garrington Now a National Level Umpire

Rowing ACT wishes to congratulate Catherine Garrington on becoming our newest National level Boat Race Official. At the Australian Masters Rowing Championships over the weekend Catherine passed a series of theory and practical tests to attain her new qualification. This is a well deserved and significant achievement for Catherine as a Boat Race Official, and is testament to the time and commitment Catherine has made to rowing as an umpire over many years.

Well done Catherine!!

 

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Andrew Randell Awarded Cliff Hill Trophy for 2014-15

Rowing ACT has awarded the Cliff Hill Trophy for 2014-5 to ACTAS Head Rowing Coach Andy Randell for his outstanding season. Cliff Hill was a former Boat Race official, and the trophy is awarded annually by the Association for outstanding efforts from any member or group within the rowing community. In the past the award has been presented to crews, officials, volunteers, whole clubs, and individual rowers.

Andrew Randell has been enormously successful in his first 12 months as Head Coach at ACTAS. His coaching of Cara Grzeskowiak pushed her through the rankings to Australia’s best under 23 sculler, despite Cara still being eligible for under 21. Her third place in the Inter-state single behind Olympians Crow and Hore put the ACT on the Inter-state podium for the first time since 2006.

The ACTAS squad under Andy also included Tom Perry who improved significantly to be at the forefront of lightweight senior scullers. Tom will stroke the Men’s Lightweight quad that will race at the World Rowing Championships at Aiguebelette in France in August.

Another sculler to benefit from Andy’s coaching is Luke Letcher, who won national Under 23 Championships in the single, double and quad to establish himself as a good chance at the World under 23 Championships in July in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where he will be racing in the double scull.

Apart from coaching these and other elite athletes, Andy has also set up and supervised new local programs including a University Pathway Program, and a Talent Transfer program to help athletes from other sports transition into rowing, he has fine tuned the talent search program, recruited former national coaches Nigel Harding and Pedro Albisser back into coaching, conducted coaching education seminars and multiple training camps, re-established connections with the club coaches, and had a Kings cup squad training together through winter, with the fifth place at that event a credible placing given the talent in the bigger states.

Andrew is unique among the various state Head coaches: he is in charge of both High Performance and Talent Development, and recently he has been appointed coach of the Senior A women’s eight to attempt to qualify that boat for Rio for Rowing Australia.

So Congratulations Andrew for lots of hard work and a resultant great season.

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Winter Time Trials – Open to all rowers

As earlier indicated, entries to the 2015 Winter Time Trial Series will be managed through Rowing Manager with the deadline closing at 10:00pm on Sunday 17 May.  The extended use of Rowing Manager provides a more consistent and accessible entry system and lessens the RACT workload associated with managing these non-regatta events.

Rowing Manager does not currently allow non-competitive rowers to enter into an event.  However, following discussions with the developer he has indicated that a fix can be applied before WTT2.  In the meantime, we have found a work-a-round for WTT1.  This involves temporarily assigning competitive status to social rowers entering the event which we will later reverse when a durable fix is in place.

So, good news, any rower may enter the Winter Time Trial Series and only those who later compete in regattas will attract the registration fees.

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By-Laws Updated

 

Interim By-Laws were published on 25 March to allow further consultation.    That consultation period has ended and the Board agreed, last night, to updated By-Laws.

Comments on the Interim By-laws were only received from one person and a minor change was made in respect of composite crews for school events (Section 18 refers.)    The Board noted that it will look again at the Regatta Sub-committee terms of reference following further consultation with its Chair.

The Board would like to thank all those who contributed to the development of the By-laws since consultations were initiated in January.  The Board noted that it would expect to continue to refine the By-laws over time in the light of feedback and changing circumstances.

 

 

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Winter Time Trial Series 2015 – Update

Welcome to the Rowing ACT Winter Time Trial Series 2015!

Entries

This year entries to the Winter Time Trial Series will be managed through Rowing Manager, not via the provision of an entry spreadsheet to RACT.

Entries will close at 10:00pm on the Sunday before the Time Trial weekend.

Please be aware that all rowers entering the Winter Time Trials must be financial, competitive members of Rowing ACT.

Safety

Please be advised that appropriate safety precautions for cold weather rowing should be taken when partaking in the time trials (e.g. pre-trail check of equipment / appropriate clothing layers).

If you have members who are not yet competent with rowing a single scull but are keen to trial in this boat class, please encourage them to improve their sculling skills before entering. This is for their own safety.

Winter Time Trial #1 – 23rd and 24th of May

Entries for Winter Time Trial #1 are now open and will close this Sunday the 17th of May. The event page can be found at https://regattas.rowingact.org.au/?regatta=2051

If you have any issues with entry please don’t hesitate to give me a call.

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End of Season Forum on 14th May

Rowing ACT is holding an End of Season Forum on 14th May.

This End of Season forum is open to all local rowing members and supporters and provides the opportunity to give feedback on matters that are not covered in the Regatta-Sub Committee.

The Association is particularly keen to hear how our community feels we can grow our sport.
We are open to constructive suggestions about our sport.

All suggestions welcome from rowers, parents, volunteers and supporters.
End of Season Forum
Date: Thursday 14th May 2015
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Canberra Girls Grammar ‘Elizabeth McKay’ Aquatic Centre, Alexandrina Drive, Yarralumla.

This End of Season Forum precedes our Strategic Forum at which we decide a strategic plan for 2015-2020.

Our Strategic Forum is restricted to club presidents/MICs and our Executive, whereas this End of Season Forum provides an environment where all supporters and members can make suggestions.

Quite separately, the Regatta Sub-Committee establishes regatta dates and the scheduling of regatta events.

Regards

David Bagnall

President – Rowing ACT

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