ACT Rowing Association February 2010

Transcription

1 ACT Rowing Association February 2010 Mack Wilcox & Chris Ritchie 1 st NSW Championship Men s Elite Lightweight Pairs NSW Championship Success The ACT was well represented at the New South Wales Championships over the weekend. Rowers competed with the best from Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. Gold was awarded to Amy Fowler (U21 single), Matthew Barnier (schoolboy single), Mack Wilcox and Chris Ritchie (Elite LW pairs), and del Rio, Ethell, Moore, Barnier, c:purnell (U19 coxed four) results page 4 From the president Dear Rowers and Supporters On behalf of the ACTRA Executive I am pleased to see the reappearance of the ACTRA Newsletter. This newsletter provides an opportunity for members and supporters to be kept informed about their sport. ACTRA has undertaken major changes since the new Executive was elected in November From

2 January, we now have a new Administrative Officer Anthony Pardy. Anthony has been a senior rower at ANU, and is also employed as an administrator at ANU gym. Anthony's enthusiasm and willingness to change the organisation's modus operandi is welcome. Anthony has already overseen the transition of our accounts to MYOB. This transfer was recommended by our auditor some time ago and the Executive has adopted this recommendation to facilitate a better understanding of our accounts. I would like to thank our auditor, and long term BRO and rowing supporter, Roger Grylls, who has made this transition possible by reconciling and updating our accounts. The association's Executive will now have a clearer idea of our finances, and be better able to plan our future. Clubs will now be receiving accounts for each regatta that list the individual events they are being billed for. This should eliminate some of the confusion that most clubs experienced reconciling their bills with their entries under the previous administration. Our sport and Canberra's sailors, kayakers and dragon boaters have been celebrating an administrative win that allows all of us to enjoy the lake across this summer. We hope that Lake Closures for rowers due to Blue Green Algae are no longer the major threat to the viability of our sport that it was a year ago. I would like to acknowledge that this change involved many individuals and organisations, starting with the National Capital Authority s (NCAs) Lake User Group of Sporting and commercial lake operators who were united by this issue to oppose the NCA and ACT Health's lake management. I would also like to acknowledge; the lobbying efforts on our behalf by Senators Gary Humphries and Kate Lundy; the scientific reviews commissioned by Dr Peter Fricker of the AIS; the publicity generated by the Rowing Centre of Excellence led by Andrew Matheson; and, the support of Rowing Australia's Andrew Dee. I would particularly like to acknowledge the superb effort from Dr Margie Böhm from The Canberra University for her moderate and balanced review of the scientific risk that was published in The Canberra Times. This administrative victory was won by an extensive co operative effort from a lot of Canberra residents to bring us in to line with similar lakes in NSW and Victoria. Thanks you to ACT Health and the NCA for being willing to modify their guidelines in response to our lobbying. The ACT Blue Green Algae in Recreational Water Management Strategy can be found at Blue Green Algae in Recreational Water Management Strategy(PDF File 89k). Parking turmoil solution? The recent changes in parking arrangements on Lady Denman Drive have annoyed many of you and this highlights how little parking is available at all regattas. Parking is one of the many shortcomings of the spectator area at the finish of the 1800m Yarramundi Rowing Course. Big regattas highlight the site's limitations: lack of parking, lack of safety for those walking from parking on Lady Denman Drive, shortage of boat storage space at the site for visiting crews, conflict with cyclists on the bicycle path, lack of amenities, lack of power and lack of fresh water to shower, and conflict between boat trailers, spectators, parking inspectors, rowers, their boats and cyclists. An additional shortcoming has added to our difficulties; the lake depth has dropped with the drought and boating from the fixed landing areas is no longer convenient. At the last regatta, most crews were stepping down into the water before stepping into their boats from the fixed height jetties. Taking boats out was cumbersome and difficult. The ACTRA Executive is exploring the option of relocating the boating area and officials to the old Treehouse Beach at the end of Prescott Lane in Yarralumla, near the mini train on the enclosed map. Spectators would be predominantly to the North of Pescott Lane, Boat storage, rigging and competitors would be located to the south of that laneway. This beautiful venue hosted the 1997 Australian Masters games Regatta very well. 2

3 There is parking close to the spectator area and potential for lots of boat storage nearby that is appropriate for big regattas. There is also power and town water, as well as two toilet blocks. The difference from the Masters regatta is that the beach is 500 to 600 metres from the finish of the 1800m races. I suggest that we can overcome this by having two commentary points to keep spectators informed. One commentator covering the first 1300m, crossing to a second commentator at the finish calling what happens in the last 500 metres. We would have our main Boat Race Officials station at the Treehouse Beach where scratching, weigh ins etc would occur. Judges on the finish line would communicate results though to this Weston Park station. I suggest that spectating at the Treehouse Beach is quite entertaining. The crews are close to spectators, and rowers can hear the cheering on the bank. This has the potential to be a good venue for our sport. I believe it might be the best long term solution for our poor facilities at the finish line. Although having spectators located in Weston Park at Kurrajong Point, on the finish line has been trialed when we had similar problems with low lake depth before, there were a range of shortcomings (including lack of facilities, and distance from the finishing crews) that limit its appeal. David Bagnall ACT Rowing Strategic Planning Workshop ACT Rowing is having a Strategic Planning Workshop this weekend. Each club has been asked an Executive member to reset our strategic plan for rowing. Areas of focus at the Workshop are: Leadership governance, advocacy, representation, strategic relationships Growing our Sport competition and events, pathways, facilities, coaches, officials, juniors, schools Improving our Business management, funding, marketing, communication, systems Developing our People recruitment, retention, education, training 3

4 NSW Championship Results 1 st Canb AIS, F U21 single Amy Fowler 1 st CGS, Schoolboy single Matthew Barnier 1 st ANU, M Elite LW pairs Mack Wilcox, Chris Ritchie 1 st CGS M U19 coxed Four del Rio, Ethell, Moore, Barnier, c:purnell 2 nd CGS, Schoolboy single Angus Moore 2 nd Canb F Adaptive TA/A single Janie Armstrong 2 nd CGS Schoolboy coxed four Photo Peter William 2 nd CGGS WU21 eight 2 nd CGS, Schoolboy 3rd VIII 3 rd Canb/Bunb W elite double Amy Fowler, Alexandra Hagan 3 rd ANU/Canb M elite double Nick Harris, Dave Wright 4

5 3 rd CGS, M U21 pair Angus Moore, Matthew Barnier 3 rd CGS, Schoolboy double Daniel de Rio, Thomas Ethell 3 rd Canb ACTAS F elite quad 3 rd Canb ACTAS F elite quad 3 rd CGS, Schoolboy 3rd VIII Aggregate Club Point Score 1 February 2010* Club Men Women Aggregate Radford RC Canberra Girls Grammar RA Daramalan RC Canberra Grammar RA Gippsland Grammer BC Black Mountain RC ANUBC Canberra RC Lake Tuggeranong RC Capital Lakes RC Shellharbour City RC Melbourne High RA Shoalhaven RC Sydney University BC Nepean RC 1 1 *does not include points for masters crews 5

6 Masters Crews Aggregate Club Point Scores 1 February 2010 Club Men Women Aggregate Black Mountain RC Canberra RC Shoalhaven RC Lake Tuggeranong RC Capital Lakes RC Kangaroo Valley RC 4 4 Shellharbour RC 3 3 North Shore RC 1 1 ACT ROWING ASSOCIATION INC Administrative Officer: Anthony Pardy Swimming Australia Building PO Box 8366 Unit 9, 7 Beissel Street ANU Belconnen, ACT ACT 0200 Tel: (02) Fax:(02)