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For the first time in a long time we sent a substantial amount of rowers from one school to this regatta, the public school's State Championships. This year we had fourteen Penrith Highschool students attend the regatta. This in itself is quite an achievement given the program has only been running for one year. They had some good results, with highlights including: WU15 1x: 6th: Gauri Kotera Women's Inter Regional 4x+: 3rd: Gauri Kotera MU15 1x: 3rd: Daming Wang MU15 2x: 3rd: Daming Wang and Tanish Patil MU16 1x: 8th: Alex Vella A big thankyou to Penrith Highschool for their support of this program, without which we would not be where we are now. We look forward to the future of this program. Thanks to Sarah who has been pivotal to the success as a whole and in particular for this event.  PHS rowers with coaches Daniel and Victoria
Edee also attended the regatta, representing her school, Wollongong Highschool of the Performing Arts. Edee had a comfortable heat though her start was not ideal with a not so straight start causing her to crash into buoys. She had a smoother race in the final and went away with the silver.
A wet three days was forecasted and the weather did not disappoint. Unfortunately this also saw the majority of Sunday's racing cancelled with only a couple hours of heats and semi-finals racing taking place. Good work to all those who worked hard for the event and for those who unfortunately did not race, rest assured there will be more opportunities in the future. Special mentions to: Kate Murdoch for winning the Para single and the Para double with University of Queensland rower, Mac. Aimee Wagner who teamed up with Maxine from Glebe to claim the bronze in the lightweight under 21 double. Miles Harrold for placing seventh in the under 19 single.  Kate claiming the gold in the Para single We had twenty Nepean rowers head to SIRC for the RNSW Small boats regatta. This was a good opportunity for all rowers to row at SIRC with some of the major competitions for juniors fast approaching and masters rowers not too far away from their big regatta also. It was a good day of racing with good, though slow conditions. Thank you to everyone for their efforts on the day and for your help to ensure it all ran smoothly. Nepean Rowing Club Camp 2nd-9th January Aimee completing her 110 pushups Another camp was once again upon us. Only one day was missed due to poor air quality but outside of this, the camp went ahead as planned. It saw many rowers make some good improvements and set themselves up well for the peak of the season. We had thirty seven individuals partake in some part of the camp. This was a very busy time for everyone involved. I would like to say a big thank you to the coaches, Jason and Victoria and also to all the parents who prepared food for the rowers. Highlights Aimee's Pushups: As many of you would be aware late last year I had to do one hundred pushups due to losing a bet. Aimee, shortly after this made a bet and subsequently lost, leading to her having to do one hundred and ten pushups. It was good watching someone else do the pushups and not be the one doing them, and I know she enjoyed the experience.  Macayla and Cleo went for a swim mid row in the pair. Sarah, in the background, fell in while trying to come in after her row Falling out: We had a few learn to row participants partake in this year's camp. This saw a lot of falling out, including going for a swim in a quad. We also had a few of our more experienced rowers who also went for a swim, and fortunately I was able to capture this moment.  Mixed Doubles Race: After much hype, the highly anticipated mixed doubles race took place on the final day of camp. Originally it was a race organised after some rowers were talking at the Christmas party last year. This was changed during camp with crews selected by drawing names out in random (though one crew saw a substitute take place which was totally not rigged). The race was approximately 150 metres in length (which was suggested by the social rower of the race) so it was very different to normal racing. The race got underway, and saw 'Danny's Angels' take an early lead (to the surprise of the commentators) however as they approached the line one of the rowers lost their oar (I will not mention names, though the video can be found through the below link) and the rest of the field caught up. It was 'BFF4EVA' who took the win and there was a close battle for second and third, with the judges deciding on Tweedledee & Tweedle dumb taking second and 'Hugh let the dogs out, Hugh, Hugh, Hugh' taking third, though this decision was not well received by one of the crews. This was alot of fun and created some good banter. Thanks for all those involved in the race, cheering crews on and for starting and finishing the race. https://www.facebook.com/nepeanrowingclub/videos/576559192893581/?t=4 Bowling and Laser Skirmish: This year we did a group activity and we saw some good and not so good bowling and laser skirmish skills. This was a fun session and something we will continue to do in the future. Taree Summer Regatta 10-12th January
Friday 10th We were greeted with some rough conditions on the first day of racing but this not deter rowers and all the racing went ahead as scheduled. A few highlights included; Gauri and Harry winning their first races in rowing in the WD2x and MC4x respectively, Monique won her first 2km race and also snapped her first oar. Everyone dealt with the difficult conditions well, we had some good results and a lot was learnt from the day of racing.  This year was the first year all the rowers did not stay together. However, we did continue the tradition of having dinner together at Wingham Hotel. It was a good night and we continued on the tradition of going to the shops afterwards and bought healthy snacks for that night.  Saturday 11th The second day of racing was upon us and while conditions were better than the day before, it was a head wind, which smaller rowers are never happy with (and we have a lot of them). A few highlights included a number of scratch crews performing well including: - WC2x's: Tallara and Macayla; Jacqui and Sarah - WD4x: Sarah, Edee, Cleo and Gauri We were able to put together a women's D and C grade eight this year. The women's D eight raced well on Saturday and while having a tight battle with UTS during the majority of the race, they went away with the win. The crew was: Aimee, Jacqui, Monique, Edee, Macayla, Cleo, Sarah, Annelise and was coxed by Alex.  WD8+: Jacqui, Cleo, Aimee, Edee, Annelise, Monique, Sarah, Macayla and Alex The mixed eight is always a highlight of the entire regatta, but it is also a big deal for our club. It is always an achievement to be part of the crew and something everyone who attends the regatta wants to be part of. This year we went with less experienced girls to lower our handicap. They did not disappoint, and performed well. It was a good race and we were happy with the result, placing fourth in a field of sixteen. Congratulations to everyone who was part of the crew, you should all be proud of the effort you put in.
Sunday 12th The final day of racing was up and there was still plenty of racing ahead for everyone. Highlights included: - Jason racing in a composite masters four and quad and taking out both events - The women's C eight taking out second place: Alex, Aimee, Jacqui, Annelise, Monique, Edee, Sarah, Macayla - Harry winning his first single race in the C single - The scratch crew of Jacqui, Monique, Annelise, Cleo and Alex taking out the C coxed four - AImee and Monique along with Annelise and Sarah taking out their respective B double divisions Final Thoughts I apologies for not covering all racing but I would like to say it was a great effort by all rowers and I am confident everyone gained something from the weekend. I was again very happy to see the great team effort over the weekend. From helping rig/de-rig boats, helping rowers on and off the water, preparing food, cheering rowers on and so much more. A special mention to Mark (who I know will love that he gets a mention) for his efforts over the weekend and for everything else he did and continues to do to keep the rowing program running the way it does. Thanks to everyone who was involved in this year's camp and Taree, and I am confident it will set up everyone for a successful second half of the season.  Partial team photo: Tallara, Daniel, Hugh, Jason, Mark, Jacqui. Edee. Cleo, Macayla, Sarah, Gauri, Alex, Jess, Monique, Miles, Annelise, Vanessa, Jonathan, Aimee The air quality was again a concern on Sunday however unlike the day before, with an earlier start and a condensed schedule due to numerous withdrawals from various clubs, the entire event went ahead. We had very good racing conditions all day and this lead to some good times and results. We had sixteen rowers compete for us on the day and we had some very good results. While it is noted that many withdrawals were present especially in the older age categories the results were none the less very good and something everyone involved in should be proud of. Please find a list of medallists below. I will not detail every race however I will reflect on the performance of the club generally. The amount of wins and medals is something that some could look at as the success of the day but for me this is not the case. I do think we had a very successful regatta but rather because I could see the improvements all of the rowers involved have made over time. For some these improvements are from the start of the year having only begun rowing this year (though some still do not know what way a gate goes) while for others this was a culmination of years of effort. The hours put in before the race are what determines the result on the day in a large part and racing gives rowers feedback on their progress. While I only give praise sparingly (if at all) I will say that I was happy with many of the performances on the day. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day/weekend possible. A moment from the day before I will not forget was when the young boys were struggling to carry their boat and without hesitation two fellow rowers jumped on to help out. This to me is what it is all about, in being part of a club, being part of something bigger than yourself. This report would not be complete without a special mention to Mark who I am sure will thank me for mentioning him in another report. Before I finish I must mention one last thing. As those on the day would be aware I made a bet involving pushups based on the result of a particular race. Unfortunately for me I lost and had to do 100 pushups which was hard in itself and I can still feel the effects 5 days later. I know many rowers enjoyed this sight and found joy in my pain and I will share some photos for those who missed out.
State Sprint Championships Medallist's Gold
Silver
Bronze
 Women's Masters Single: Jacqui Ford The final two regattas of the year were finally upon us. Unfortunately the weather cast some doubt on the events going ahead. The smoke from the recent fires has caused issues for training and now presented an issue for racing. We only had half a morning of racing before the regatta was called off. Good work to all those that were able to compete and as always thank you to everyone who helped make the day possible.
Good work to Miles, Hugh, Aimee, Edee and Sarah who went to Mosman Rowing Club to participate in the first NSW Pathway Schools eight training day on Sunday 24th November. It was a great experience for them and one they enjoyed, especially the 2km r18 erg. Thank you to RNSW for organising the day, to the schools that provided boats and to all the coaches from schools and clubs that helped with the day.
So, I have been busy of late and have not written a proper regatta report for some time, so here it is, please enjoy it. We headed off to Throsby Creek for the Central Districts Rowing Association Sprint Championships. The highlight of the day was the Throsby GIFT relay, which I will go into more detail about later, but there were also plenty of other races to look forward. It was set to be a windy day, but fortunately all the racing went ahead, and the squad of fifteen Nepean rowers performed admirably. Four hundred metre racing is much faster and in turn, sometimes more unpredictable compared to standard one thousand and two thousand metre racing. This makes for exciting racing and a good spectacle for onlookers. Highlights in the singles included Jason taking out both the masters and open categories. Miles taking out the under 19 race and Hugh the under 16 and C grade events. Aimee placed second in the under 17 singles while Edee placed third, and Sarah also placed third in the under 16 event. Annelise took second in the open category. Alliah and Cleo also took out their respective divisions in the D grade racing. Doubles racing saw the high rating duo (so they tell me) of Tallara, and Jacqui take out the open double. Miles and Hugh came second in the under 19 double after qualifying in a tight heat race and leaving their row up to the start for the final to slightly later than some would say was ideal. Jason teamed up with Conrad from Newcastle University and took out the master’s race. Alliah and Sarah also won their D grade division. The big boats, saw some newly formed combinations, as is often the case for us. The open quad of Annelise, Jacqui, Cleo, and Sarah made it through a tough heat to qualify for the final. The final was another tight race, and while the Newcastle University composite crew and Nepean quads had some rough strokes it was the Newcastle University composite that went away with the slim victory. The open coxed four of Jason, Joel, Daniel, Miles and Alex got away cleanly and went away with the win despite bow’s less than desirable sweep technique and three seats lack of training (two was, of course, perfect and stroke almost so, but that is in a big part due to his great coach). The highly anticipated relay race was once again upon us. For those that are unfamiliar with the event, it consists of a mixed double, mixed coxed four, and a mixed quad. The race is over 400 metres and each crew lines up behind each other. When the first crew crosses the line, a flag is waved that, in turn, signals to the next crew to begin racing. We have won the event for two consecutive years, and we went to the event this year with the hope of being the first club in the history of the event, which began back in 2001 to win it for three consecutive years. This year’s crew would have been the fast we have boated to date, but we were not comfortable with resting on this, and we knew that there would be strong competition to overcome to claim the trophy for a third consecutive year. The heat saw us draw the strong Newcastle University and Newcastle Grammar crews. Jason and Annelise got out well and claimed a lead for the four to start with, which they capitalized on and continued to gain a bigger lead for the final leg of the quad. The big strong quad (well some of them at least) of Hugh, Daniel, Edee, and Aimee held onto the lead as Newcastle University began gaining on them, but enough of a lead was established that we were ensured a spot in the final. The final saw us face-off with Newcastle Rowing Club. We headed into the final knowing that we would need to work for it if we wanted to take out the win. The double caught a crab early on, which was less than ideal, but they recovered and were still able to hand the four a lead for their leg. The four were able to hold this lead (rumours are that stroke seat was quite tired by this stage of racing), and it was then left to the quad to close out the race. The quad caught a crab (I cannot recall who caught the crab, that or I am suppressing the memory, so we will say it was the crew) early on, but they recovered well and went on with the job at hand, and crossed the line first. I want to say a big thank you to the CDRA and Newcastle Rowing Club for being so welcoming and hosting such an enjoyable event. This event along with the Berry park regattas are always a joy to be a part of and is something we as a club will continue to attend due to the great atmosphere and competition provided. I know one person has missed these reports as I have not been able to praise his continued efforts that never go unnoticed by myself or anyone who is involved with the club. Thank you, Mark, for everything you did to make the day possible and everything else, I know you will thank me for the mention. I say it often, but again it was great to see everyone chipping in pre, post, and during the event. From loading the trailer through to packing up on the day and everything else that is involved, I was delighted to see everyone help wherever required. Thank you to everyone who cam and gave it a go. Also, a big thankyou to all the Nepean members who helped out on the day. Please check out the Learn to Row page for details for next years Come Try Day or to sign up for private learn to row lessons. We headed off to Berry Park for the first time this season. It is always an enjoyable experience racing at Berry Park and one we always look forward to, especially when the weather is favourable, as it was on the weekend. We had twenty one rowers compete on the day and we had some good results which reflects the hard work rowers have put in during the off-season. Congratulations to all the rowers on their results and thank you to rowers, parents and supporters who helped loading, rigging, cheering, packing up, unloading and with everything else. We will unfortunately not be heading back to Berry Park this season however we will be heading back up to Newcastle for the CDRA sprints on the 17th November. Race results: https://regattas.rowingnsw.asn.au/regattas/4868/
We set off for our first regatta at SIRC for the season. We had a strong contingent of 34 rowers competing and had a full day of racing. We had experienced rowers right through to novices racing on the day. Strong winds could not detract from a great day of racing, despite a handful of races at the end of the day being cancelled. Congratulations to everyone on their results and as always, thank you to everyone who made the day possible. Our first club run event saw a new format being implemented with all boat classes being available to race. We were fortunate to have great conditions and with close to 200 competitors in total, it was set to be a great morning of racing. Twenty seven Nepean rowers took part in the event with the majority competing in crew boats, and they all performed very well. A big thankyou to the seventeen club members who volunteered for the day along with the BRO, Steve. Thanks to this help the event ran smoothly and I am very appreciative of everyone's contributions on the day.
We set off for the final JB Sharp regatta with ten rowers and were fortunate to have good conditions all day. Racing kicked off with Sarah taking out a win in the under 16 singles having been pushed the whole way by a UTS sculler. The women's intermediate quad of Aimee, Edee, Cleo, and Macayla took out a clear water win with a push to the line in the final part of the race. Later that day an open quad was boated with Aimee switching out for Sarah, and again they went away with the win. The final race for these rowers saw Aimee and Macayla face off against Sarah and Edee in the intermediate double. Aimee and Macayla went away with a good win. The novice racing saw our newer rowers take to the wate. Alliah has continued to improve, and this showed in her placing second in the novice single. The Penrith Highschool program continues to progress, and we had four boys rowing at this regatta. Alex, Tanish, Eric and Daming raced in the novice quad against only one other crew, Balmain. Although Balmain proved too strong for them, they worked together well and continue to show they are learning every time they go on the water. Alex, Tanish and Eric all raced the novice single. A special mention to Eric for competing in his first regatta and placing fourth in the single. Congratulations to everyone on your results. It is only very early in the season and is a good starting point for us to build upon for future racing. This series is always a good experience and we are appreciative of everyone involved who make it possible. A special thanks to all members who chipped in and helped with loading, on the day and unloading. It is everyone's efforts that make it all possible, so thank you. Our next event will be our own Head race on the 25th August. 
We celebrated the 2018/19 season on Sunday. We had a lot to be proud of this season and it was great to see so many rowers come and enjoy the day. Congratulations to all the award winners and boat name recipients. Thank you to everyone who helped make this a great season.
We headed off to the first regatta of the season with a squad of nine rowers. Glebe is always a fun regatta with 500 metre sprints always making for some exciting racing. Sarah placed second in the under 16 single, beaten to the line by a Sydney University sculler. The intermediate quad of Aimee, Annelise, Edee and Macayla took out the win. Aimee won the handicap single and Macyala placed third. The novice single saw two rowers go for a swim and Monique go away with the win. A big congratualtions on all those competing in their first regatta: Alliah, Annelise, Monique, Alex and Tanish.
 Sarah, Alliah, Aimee, Macayla, Alex and Tanish Jason and Aimee put their hands up (or were gently persuaded) to compete in the sixteen kilometre Perth to Fremantle race in their singles. They both endured some tough conditions and I know short and long term they have learnt (or will eventually) something from the experience that will help them further their rowing in the future. Aimee won the A-E grade category and Jason placed third in the A-E category. Will recently moved over to WA and lucky for us he put his hand up to jump into a masters composite eight. While cardio has never been Will's strength, we knew he was going into this event not prepared in the slightest, but he gave it a go, and that is all you can ask.
 Aimee, Jason and Will post race |
