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The second day of racing is one we always look forward to with the change of distance to only 500 metres, though when you are racing you can feel every metre of it. The anticipated high winds were in the back of our minds but when racing began conditions were great, and we were keen to get going. Jason and Magnus faced off in the master’s single with Magnus having a two second handicap on Jason due to his old age, I mean, because of his age. Jason caught up with the field early and pushed away for his first win of the day and Magnus though unable to hold his lead on Jason, held off the Shoalhaven sculler to take silver. The two then teamed up for the master’s double and seeing as they placed first and second in the singles, the pressure was on them to perform. Shoalhaven put up a good challenge but Jason and Magnus went away with the gold.
Jason also raced the open single which he also won after gaining the lead early. Jack placed sixth in the same final. Paul raced in the lightweight single and while there was a clear winner, he was in the mix for the remaining medals but he narrowly missed out, placing fourth. Will made a surprise appearance in the single to contest the under 23 single. With only one other rower in the race from UNSW it was a straight final. Will got out early and ensured he held off the UNSW sculler who put on several pushes throughout the race and he went away with the win.
Jack, Paul, Will and Miles teamed up for the opens quad and again like Will, it was a two-boat race against UNSW. They got off well and went away with a well earnt win.  MO4x: Will, Miles, Jack and Paul A starter's error along with inexperience lead to Jooya and Hugh missing their start in the under sixteen double and instead of starting the race, they struggled to get their oars under control. Fortunately for the boys the umpire kindly gave them another chance giving them a spot in the final. They raced hard in the final and went away with a fourth placing.  MU161x: Jooya and Hugh On the women’s side Jacqui had a good race in the single, racing her own race and in the late stages taking over the leader from the start to take gold. She then less than thirty minutes later teamed up with Eleanor in the open double and this time in a more comfortable race took another gold. Though with the conditions getting worse as the day went on it would not have felt comfortable.  Fiona and Jacqui heading out for masters single Aimee contested the under sixteen single. She comfortably made in through to the semi final and after a harder race made it through to the final. She put in a good effort in the final but the other scullers were too strong on the day and she went away with a fifth.  WU161x: Aimee Unfortunately, due to strong winds the regatta was cancelled at the lunch break. Meaning many of our races were cancelled. Rumours are that the Nepean open men’s doubles will face off in a sprint on the river in the coming weeks to see who is the fastest crew.
A big thankyou to everyone who helped over the whole weekend. Especially for everyone’s efforts on Sunday. On a few occasions when big gusts came through, I saw several rowers and their families rush to help tie down boats and the like to ensure no equipment was damaged. Also unloading was completed without any incidents which was quite an accomplishment given the strong winds. That is it for the year for regattas. We can now focus on training and look forward to one of the most anticipated regattas of the year, the Taree Summer regatta. The first regatta for the weekend was the Reindeer regatta. While it is a fun regatta in its nature in crews dressing up for the event, we used it for speed testing for crews as we get closer and closer to the major regattas of the season. We were also fortunate to have good conditions that saw some quick times recorded. Congratulations to Trent on competing in the novice single and completing his first race. Hugh went off with a bit too much excitement which he paid for in the later stages of the race. However regardless of this he went on to record a personal best and placed second with the Penrith sculler pushing through him to take first. Jacqui did not get into her rhythm in the early stages of the master’s single but it improved as she progressed through the race and resulted in a third place. The women’s under sixteen single had a lot of entries and Aimee and Sarah placed second and third respectively in their own divisions. Jason pushed away early in the master’s single and went hard the whole way in the pursuit of pulling a quick time. He went away with the win and a quick time but also many points to work on for future races. Miles was the final race for us in the under seventeens single. He faced up against some familiar faces from last season and knew it would be a tough race. He, like his brother, Hugh, went off too hard and paid the price as the race went on. There were some positives to draw from his third placing but again may things to improve on before State next year.
The annual Nepean Rowing regatta was back after a year off due to the bridge construction. Great conditions all day saw a very successful event unfold. The under 19 single was first up and Miles went away with a good win. Paul was the next win for Nepean in the master’s single holding off a Glebe sculler. Miles and Paul together with Jacqui and Tallara teamed up to race in the mixed quad and had a battle with Glebe for the majority of the race, but Glebe pushed away in the last three hundred meters to take the win. Miles and Paul then teamed up with Jack and Hugh and won the C quad. Hugh pushed hard in his single, going away with a personal best and taking away another medal. Aimee contested the lightweight single and performed well to beat Glebe and take away first place. She also contested the open double and quad in composite crews and placed second in both. The D quad of Sarah, Cleo, Fiona and Letisha being a scratch crew gave it their best but were beaten to the line by Penrith to claim second. The big event of the day was the mixed A grade eight. The handicap of four seconds was questionable but the crew just wanted to get out there and give it there best and see what they could produce. The crew were happy with the race but Sydney were too good and took away the $500 prize money with the event being gratefully sponsored by @Print and Powersmart. We were sadly informed during the week that the club Patron, long time member, ex board member and rower Ken Henson passed away. As a sign of respect for Ken’s amazing contribution to the club over so many years all club members wore a black arm band at the regatta. It was a great honour to row in the mixed eight that was only two years ago named after Ken in recognition of his service. A big thankyou to all the club members who baked cakes, setup and packed up the course and helped on the day. Also, the boat race officials contribution was greatly appreciated and without which the event could not have run as smoothly as it did. Thankyou also to all the clubs that came to the event and supported us.
 Mix8+: Tiffany (cox), Jason, Miles, Daniel, Jack, Tallara, Jacqui, Aimee and Genevieve We travelled for the second time to Newcastle to compete in the CDRA Sprint Championships. The penultimate event of the day was the GPA Matrix Linwood Throsby Gift Relay. After last year's victory we were keen to give it another go this year. There was plenty of more racing also which gave everyone the opportunity to test out their sprinting abilities with NSW State Sprint's less than a month away. Non-championship events kicked off our day with Jack and Hugh taking out their division of the D double while Miles and Will put up a good effort but a late substitution in the other boat resulted in the boys placing second in their C double. Jack went on later in the day to claim a comfortable win in the C single.
Next up was the much anticipated relay. Daniel and Aimee were first off in the double. Getting off to a good start they pushed away from the other crews throughout the race with a rough but effective last push in the final stages to ensure a good lead for the next crew. The four of Jason, Tallara, Will, Jacqui and cox Hugh capitalised on the lead and continued to push the other crews further away. The quad of Jack, Miles, Victoria and Hugh started with a less than desirable line but quickly corrected this and sealed a well deserved team victory.
We had some fantastic results in the singles. Jason claimed second in the Championship event and won the Wavecutter invitational. Though rumours are that if he rowed more aggressively like his brother he could go faster but this is only speculation. Tallara won the Championship event with a tight race in the final against Newcastle University though in typical Tallara fashion it looked very controlled, some would say too controlled, but it was enough to take the win. Jacqui claimed the Master's title after a protest in the first race meaning she had to race twice but this proved to be in her favour with her second race being a better one than her first. Hugh and Aimee both claimed third in their under 16 singles.
The doubles were another successful event. Tallara and Jacqui claimed the championship double with a good win over Hunter Valley Grammar. The men's Championship double saw the two Nepean crews progress to the final to face off with each other in the final. Will and Jack had a good race but Jason and Daniel proved too strong in the later stages of the race and they went away with the victory. It was a good accomplishment to have an all Nepean final in this event. In the younger age categories, Miles and Hugh claimed second in the under 17 double while Aimee and Genevieve placed third in the under 19 double.  Tallara and Jacqui: Championship double  Will and Jack along with Jason and Daniel: Championship double In the big boats we claimed a good win in the Championship quad with Jason, Daniel, Jack and Will while in the Championship coxed four the crew of Jason, Daniel, Will, Miles and cox Hugh had a tough race against Newcastle but were able to push enough in the final stages to take the win.  Jason, Daniel, Will, Miles and Hugh: Championship coxed four Retaining the relay title for the second year and winning many other events was a great accomplishment by everyone racing on the day but it all would not have been possible without the support from everyone. From loading, unloading and everything in between. As always, a big thanks to Mark for towing the trailer and looking after the boats on the day.
We had sixteen new comers take to the water and experience rowing for the first time. Everyone enjoyed themselves with many taking on the challenge of the single, with a few going for a swim. Thankyou to all the rowers who came out to help and make this day possible. Our next 'Come Try Day' will be held on Sunday 25th November.
 We had two girls head off to SIRC to represent their schools. Sarah raced for St Paul's Grammar in the year 9 single and placed second in her division. Aimee represent Blaxland High School in the schoolgirl single and placed second in her division pulling a big personal best in the process.
We were off to Newcastle for the second time this year, though this time we had a much larger squad with twenty rowers travelling for the regatta.
The mixed doubles were first up and it was Miles and Jacqui to claim the first win of the day followed by Jason and Aimee who took out the next division. After a short break Aimee and Jacqui teamed up for the open double. They had a tussle with the Newcastle/Newcastle Uni crew early on in the race but they pushed away for a good win. The women’s seeded singles saw Tallara, Letisha and Sarah go away with wins. The Campion squad had six singles in the same event and went away with some good results with Dominica taking the best placing, with a second. The commentator did mention on a few occasions the good technique of a few Nepean scullers but some would say otherwise. Aimee took out another win in the C single and Jason in the seeded single. Aimee combined with Dianne from Brisbane Waters, Will and Miles to take out the first division in the mixed quad and Jason raced with Daniel, Sarah and Libby from Brisbane Waters to take out the second division. While the two races had close winning times rumours were that the second division crew would have been the crew to beat if the two crews had to face off. The women’s seeded double saw Tallara and Jacqui win the first division and Letisha and Sarah claim second in the second division. The final event before lunch break saw the Nepean composite crew of Sarah (BWRC), Eleanor, Jacqui and Tallara with cox Hugh face off against Dominica, Cecilia, Bonnie and Kate with Sarah as cox. The composite crew took out a convincing win but it was great to be able to boat two fours in one event. After the lunch break the much anticipated mixed eight race was upon us. Hunter Valley Grammar was going to be our key competition for the race. As always, we went out at our own pace without concern of what other crews were doing. Hunter Valley pushed out to an early lead but this did not bother the crew. As we approached the final 250 meters we climbed the rate and pressure up with some calls made from the power seat rowers and we began pushing through Hunter Valley. We went on to take away the win with a two second margin. We found out later that at the start of the race a fish landed in the boat and remained in the boat until the end when a rower (who will not be named) threw the fish out accompanied by what was later remarked by another rower as a very high pitch squeal. The women’s D grade doubles saw the first win for the Campion squad with Dominica and Bonnie taking out a well-earned victory. Head Coach Jason was happy for his crew though he had to go out one last time to race in the men’s seeded four with Daniel, Miles and Will with cox Hugh. In the early stages of the race the Hunter Valley composite crew held on but the Nepean crew proved to quick and pushed away for a clear water win. Thank you to everyone for chipping in, from loading and unloading the trailer, helping setup and pack up on the day and for helping each other when needed. As always the support Nepean rowers give to each other is a pleasure to witness. Our first regatta at SIRC for the season was upon us once again. We had good conditions all day and some good racing was on display. Twenty Nepean rowers came out for the day and we were able to boat many crews but also many singles took to the water. Sienna and Aimee teamed up for the B grade double. They had a good start and held with the leaders, Glebe. At the 1000m mark the girls continued to push and first placed Glebe could not hold on and they went away with the win. Tallara and Jacqui made their return to the C grade pair after moving back down a grade. Their training preparation was not ideal and the start of the race was not pretty to say the least, but they made improvements as the race progressed and held out a late push from Sydney to take the win. Jason and Magnus competed in the B grade double. After one practice row that saw the boys work out some technical differences and try and work together to get the boat moving, it was looking good for the race. They had a well paced race and while Cranbrook stuck with them throughout the boys had enough to hold them off and go away with the win. The women's D four of Sarah, Letisha, Cleo and Pal with cox Hugh took to the water without high hopes given this was the first time they had taken to the water in this boat together and three of the girls had very little experience rowing sweep. They had a crash course tin sweep rowing he week leading up to the race, practicing in pairs. They started well and pushed away from the Sydney Women's MLC crew to claim a comfortable victory. Congratulations to Cleo and Jackson for competing in their first regatta. Cleo came fourth in her novice single. Jackson though having a good race in his novice single unfortunately fell out in the final 100m. Though rumours were he was more disappointed he did not get to row the D double with one of the finest technical rowers due to his fall. Sadly this week we were informed of the news that long time member Lee Chaumont passed away after losing her long time battle with cancer. Lee gave so much over the years to rowing not only at Nepean but also to the wider rowing community and this was recognised in 2016 when she along with Tine De Vries was awarded the RNSW volunteer of the year award. She was also awarded the honour of a single scull being named after her in 2017 in recognition of her year's of dedication to Nepean and the sport of rowing broadly. Lee will be sadly missed and her contributions will never be forgotten. As a small token of our respect to Lee Nepean rowers wore red tape on their arms for the regatta.  C quad: Miles, Jack, Will and Paul
 D coxed four: Pal, Cleo, Letisha, Sarah and cox Hugh NRC Scullers Head held on the 18th August was another successful event for the club. With 128 entries, numbers were slightly down from past years, but it was still a well attended event. Thankyou to all the clubs that attended, to the many members who helped out on the day and the boat race official, Greg that all contributed to another successful event. Nepean went away with a win in the under 23 single to Sienna, second in the under sixteen women's single to Aimee and a third to Magnus in the master's single. NRC Head held on the 16th August saw our second largest entries to date with 44 crews in attendance. A strong tailwind ensured quick times but still allowed for another smooth event to unfold. Again the help of many members and the boat race official, Steve, were fundamental in this success. A big thank you to them all. It was great to have the Campion squad boat a women's eight and quad along with a men's quad. The mixed quad of Aimee, Jack, Sienna and Paul took out the win in their category.  Again, we are at that time of year where we can reflect on the season and recognise the individuals who made it all possible. We had another very successful season which has been made possible due to many years of hard work by people both past and present.
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 Jason and Sean (BWRC) rowing to second in the MMA 2x  Jacqui and Rachel placed fourth in the WA 2x  Di (BWRC), Libby (BWRC), Fiona and Sue (BWRC) claimed bronze in the WMD 4x |  Jason, Sean (BWRC), Rhett (Manning River) and Sean (Endeavour) won gold in the MMC 4x  Mark claimed silver in the MMPara 1x  Ian and Magnus going on to win the MMC 2x |
Jason and Flo going on to place first and third respectively in the MMA 1x
It began as just an idea and quickly it became a reality when seven rowers committed to the idea of travelling to Tasmania for the Australian Master’s Rowing Championships. We have not travelled interstate for any Australian Championships since 2011 and Australian Master’s Championships have been held interstate on many occasions but Nepean rowers have not attended. So this marked a big moment for the club. With only a small group we had a mix of experienced and less experienced rowers and they all were keen for the challenge ahead of them. We had Brisbane Waters Rowing Club join us for the trip and they kindly provided us with the opportunity to boat several composite crews together.
A day of driving with an extra stop off to pickup a repaired boat from Sykes, an overnight ferry, an extended trip to the course due to an oversight in directions to the course and two practice rows all preceded the four days of racing before us.
Thursday was wet and cold, just as we dreaded. Racing kicked off with Jacqui and Rachel in the A double. They had a good heat and progressed to the final where they rowed better than their heat and the new combination took out seventh and showed a lot of promise for future master’s racing in the years to come. One of our many composite crews for the regatta took to the water in the D coxed four with Fiona, Lorraine, Sue, Libby and cox Genevieve however the heat was too strong and they were knocked out. Sam and Lisa went out for the C double and the plan was to showcase there improved rowing however there start did not go to plan and they struggled to find a rhythm until the 500m mark. This was too late to contest the race but it was a step in the right direction. Jason and Flo progressed straight to the final in the A pair due to a scratching from another crew. By half way they were in the middle of the pack and it was only in the dying stages that they pushed into the medal race and were able to claim the bronze. Next up, Jason and Flo teamed up with Jacqui and Rachel in the mixed A quad. It was always going to be a tight race but the crew stuck to their plan and got off well and were neck and neck with the Shoalhaven/ADF composite crew at half way. A negative split in the second 500m saw the crew secure the gold and another gold for being the first non-composite crew to cross the line. The Brisbane water’s crew of Sean, James, Libby and Sue coxed by Genevieve went on to claim a bronze in the mixed E four.
Friday was again wet and cold, oh and I forgot to mention the wind. It was really fun. First up was the D quad and Fiona teamed up with BWRC’s Di, Libby and Sue. A well-paced race saw the crew come in fourth and progress to the semi where they were subsequently knocked out. Jason and BWRC Sean teamed up for the A double. They raced their own race and came second in the heat to progress to the final. Another good performance from the crew saw them claim gold in the final. However, all three crews who medalled would face off the next day in the B double, so it was not over. Lorraine made her return to single racing and what better place to do it than on Lake Barrington. She got off to a slow start but she got more comfortable as the race progressed and placed eighth in the straight final in F grade. The A quad of Jacqui, Rachel, Fiona and Lisa placed fourth in their heat to progress to the final where they came seventh. Unfortunately, the women’s coxed B four did not make it to the start but their was still plenty of racing over the next two days to look forward to. The final race for us of the day was the mixed double of Jason and Jacqui. An early lead was held onto and a close to five second win was recorded with the crew claiming two gold’s (one for the win and the other as the first non-composite crew). At a subsequent dinner during the week a friendly competition for next year’s mixed double was agreed upon, and should result in an interesting race next season.
Saturday was upon as and the rain had passed however the wind persisted and it was by no means warm. Up early again and this time it was Jason and Flo to the water first in the A single. With only two automatic qualifying spots up for grabs in each heat it was imperative to secure a top two spot so as not to leave anything to chance (with the two quickest times that did not place in the top two of their heat also progressing). Jason got off well and sat close to the Power House sculler who had the previous day won the C grade single, with the two placing second and first respectively. Flo fought hard and went on to place third but unfortunately it was not enough to qualify to the final. Jason knew he had to have a good race in the final to take it out. Early on in the race it was clear it was a three-boat race with Jason, Power House and Back Mountain (gold medallist in B single). Jason had another well executed race and another strong finish saw him claim the gold. Next up was the composite C eight with BWRC. The crew of Jacqui, Rachel, Sam, Lisa, Di, Libby, Lorraine and cox Genevieve gave it their best but a quick heat resulted in the crew being knocked out. It was a good effort by everyone involved in this eight and we are confident we will continue to build on this and be able to consistently boat eight’s in master’s racing in the future. Jason teamed up with Sean (Brisbane Waters), Sean (Endeavour) and Rhett (Manning River) for the C quad. The race was consolidated to a straight final. The crew got off well and before long they took the lead and a slight mishap with a lost oar did not stop the crew from pushing out and going on to claim the gold by a five second margin in the end. Jason and Sean were up again and this time it was the B double. Glebe were out for revenge and they claimed first in the heat with Jason and Sean taking second to go through to the final. Glebe came out strong in the final and they led the way for the majority of the race. A late surge by Jason and Sean saw them get their bow ball in front just at the right time and they claimed the gold by three tenths of a second. Next up was the much-anticipated women’s A singles. The wind had seemed to relax but unfortunately for Fiona, Jacqui and Rachel, the wind picked up dramatically shortly before their races. All three performed well and showed good signs of improvement but all were eliminated with Jacqui placing tenth overall.
Sunday was promising with very little wind and no rain, things were looking up for the final day of competition. First up was the B quad of Jacqui, Rachel, Sam and Lisa. They had a good race but just feel short of qualifying to the final with only four spots up for grabs and they came in fifth. Jacqui and Rachel were replaced by Lorraine and Fiona and the quad competed in the C grade event to place sixth in their heat to be knocked out. The mixed coxed A four saw a composite crew take to the water with Jason, Sean, Jacqui, Rachel and cox Genevieve. After taking out the mixed quad with a similar crew makeup the crew was confident but they knew the pressure was on to perform. They calmed themselves and inspired by a few words by Jason before the race tussled with the other two crews to eventually push out to a clear water victory, even though it wasn’t the cleanest rowing, they gave it their all. The final race of the day saw Jason back up from the mixed four to contest the champion of champion’s single after being invited by winning the A single. This was a great achievement by Jason and a first for our club. Jason pushed hard but was only able to bring back one sculler after a twenty eight second lead given to the eventual H sculler winner.
We had some impressive results with crews obtaining seven gold and two bronze, placing thirteenth in the medal tally based on pro-rata rate and placed twenty third on the champion club point score. This is a great result for eight rowers, a coxswain and we can not forget the help of Brisbane Waters Rowing Club.
Though the medals were nice and the accompanying points, it was the great team work and improvements in individuals rowing that was far more rewarding to see over the week. Something like this cannot happen without the hard work of many individuals. Thank you to everyone for helping along the way. A big thankyou to Mark for thoroughly (OCD like) packing the trailer both ways, towing the trailer to the course and rigging/fixing boats as required over the four days of competition. Also, a big thank you to Jason for helping coaching over the weekend while also competing himself and for towing the trailer back home.
Racing has not finished yet for the season with the State Master’s Championship’s scheduled for the 26-27th May. I am sure we will again have some good results and see further personal improvements by everyone involved.
A day of driving with an extra stop off to pickup a repaired boat from Sykes, an overnight ferry, an extended trip to the course due to an oversight in directions to the course and two practice rows all preceded the four days of racing before us.
Thursday was wet and cold, just as we dreaded. Racing kicked off with Jacqui and Rachel in the A double. They had a good heat and progressed to the final where they rowed better than their heat and the new combination took out seventh and showed a lot of promise for future master’s racing in the years to come. One of our many composite crews for the regatta took to the water in the D coxed four with Fiona, Lorraine, Sue, Libby and cox Genevieve however the heat was too strong and they were knocked out. Sam and Lisa went out for the C double and the plan was to showcase there improved rowing however there start did not go to plan and they struggled to find a rhythm until the 500m mark. This was too late to contest the race but it was a step in the right direction. Jason and Flo progressed straight to the final in the A pair due to a scratching from another crew. By half way they were in the middle of the pack and it was only in the dying stages that they pushed into the medal race and were able to claim the bronze. Next up, Jason and Flo teamed up with Jacqui and Rachel in the mixed A quad. It was always going to be a tight race but the crew stuck to their plan and got off well and were neck and neck with the Shoalhaven/ADF composite crew at half way. A negative split in the second 500m saw the crew secure the gold and another gold for being the first non-composite crew to cross the line. The Brisbane water’s crew of Sean, James, Libby and Sue coxed by Genevieve went on to claim a bronze in the mixed E four.
Friday was again wet and cold, oh and I forgot to mention the wind. It was really fun. First up was the D quad and Fiona teamed up with BWRC’s Di, Libby and Sue. A well-paced race saw the crew come in fourth and progress to the semi where they were subsequently knocked out. Jason and BWRC Sean teamed up for the A double. They raced their own race and came second in the heat to progress to the final. Another good performance from the crew saw them claim gold in the final. However, all three crews who medalled would face off the next day in the B double, so it was not over. Lorraine made her return to single racing and what better place to do it than on Lake Barrington. She got off to a slow start but she got more comfortable as the race progressed and placed eighth in the straight final in F grade. The A quad of Jacqui, Rachel, Fiona and Lisa placed fourth in their heat to progress to the final where they came seventh. Unfortunately, the women’s coxed B four did not make it to the start but their was still plenty of racing over the next two days to look forward to. The final race for us of the day was the mixed double of Jason and Jacqui. An early lead was held onto and a close to five second win was recorded with the crew claiming two gold’s (one for the win and the other as the first non-composite crew). At a subsequent dinner during the week a friendly competition for next year’s mixed double was agreed upon, and should result in an interesting race next season.
Saturday was upon as and the rain had passed however the wind persisted and it was by no means warm. Up early again and this time it was Jason and Flo to the water first in the A single. With only two automatic qualifying spots up for grabs in each heat it was imperative to secure a top two spot so as not to leave anything to chance (with the two quickest times that did not place in the top two of their heat also progressing). Jason got off well and sat close to the Power House sculler who had the previous day won the C grade single, with the two placing second and first respectively. Flo fought hard and went on to place third but unfortunately it was not enough to qualify to the final. Jason knew he had to have a good race in the final to take it out. Early on in the race it was clear it was a three-boat race with Jason, Power House and Back Mountain (gold medallist in B single). Jason had another well executed race and another strong finish saw him claim the gold. Next up was the composite C eight with BWRC. The crew of Jacqui, Rachel, Sam, Lisa, Di, Libby, Lorraine and cox Genevieve gave it their best but a quick heat resulted in the crew being knocked out. It was a good effort by everyone involved in this eight and we are confident we will continue to build on this and be able to consistently boat eight’s in master’s racing in the future. Jason teamed up with Sean (Brisbane Waters), Sean (Endeavour) and Rhett (Manning River) for the C quad. The race was consolidated to a straight final. The crew got off well and before long they took the lead and a slight mishap with a lost oar did not stop the crew from pushing out and going on to claim the gold by a five second margin in the end. Jason and Sean were up again and this time it was the B double. Glebe were out for revenge and they claimed first in the heat with Jason and Sean taking second to go through to the final. Glebe came out strong in the final and they led the way for the majority of the race. A late surge by Jason and Sean saw them get their bow ball in front just at the right time and they claimed the gold by three tenths of a second. Next up was the much-anticipated women’s A singles. The wind had seemed to relax but unfortunately for Fiona, Jacqui and Rachel, the wind picked up dramatically shortly before their races. All three performed well and showed good signs of improvement but all were eliminated with Jacqui placing tenth overall.
Sunday was promising with very little wind and no rain, things were looking up for the final day of competition. First up was the B quad of Jacqui, Rachel, Sam and Lisa. They had a good race but just feel short of qualifying to the final with only four spots up for grabs and they came in fifth. Jacqui and Rachel were replaced by Lorraine and Fiona and the quad competed in the C grade event to place sixth in their heat to be knocked out. The mixed coxed A four saw a composite crew take to the water with Jason, Sean, Jacqui, Rachel and cox Genevieve. After taking out the mixed quad with a similar crew makeup the crew was confident but they knew the pressure was on to perform. They calmed themselves and inspired by a few words by Jason before the race tussled with the other two crews to eventually push out to a clear water victory, even though it wasn’t the cleanest rowing, they gave it their all. The final race of the day saw Jason back up from the mixed four to contest the champion of champion’s single after being invited by winning the A single. This was a great achievement by Jason and a first for our club. Jason pushed hard but was only able to bring back one sculler after a twenty eight second lead given to the eventual H sculler winner.
We had some impressive results with crews obtaining seven gold and two bronze, placing thirteenth in the medal tally based on pro-rata rate and placed twenty third on the champion club point score. This is a great result for eight rowers, a coxswain and we can not forget the help of Brisbane Waters Rowing Club.
Though the medals were nice and the accompanying points, it was the great team work and improvements in individuals rowing that was far more rewarding to see over the week. Something like this cannot happen without the hard work of many individuals. Thank you to everyone for helping along the way. A big thankyou to Mark for thoroughly (OCD like) packing the trailer both ways, towing the trailer to the course and rigging/fixing boats as required over the four days of competition. Also, a big thank you to Jason for helping coaching over the weekend while also competing himself and for towing the trailer back home.
Racing has not finished yet for the season with the State Master’s Championship’s scheduled for the 26-27th May. I am sure we will again have some good results and see further personal improvements by everyone involved.
Back row: Di(BWRC), Libby (BWRC), James (BWRC), Jason, Fiona, Sean (BWRC), Rachel, Mark, Daniel Front row: Lorraine, Lisa, Genevieve, Sue (BWRC), Jacqui, Sam
The NSW Grade Championships was upon us and we were ready for a big weekend. Having selected crews for the regatta we targeted particular events and were happy with the crews we could boat this year.
Again, the eights were the key events for us in both the men’s and women’s racing. The women’s D grade eight saw Genevieve, Lisa, Sam, Rachel, Sienna, Aimee, Jacqui, Kate and Hugh (cox) take to the water. The crew had a good paced race that saw them move to second place quickly and they sat in that position to subsequently take the silver medal. One crew change was made with Pal replacing Kate and the crew competed in the C grade eight and placed third.
Again, the eights were the key events for us in both the men’s and women’s racing. The women’s D grade eight saw Genevieve, Lisa, Sam, Rachel, Sienna, Aimee, Jacqui, Kate and Hugh (cox) take to the water. The crew had a good paced race that saw them move to second place quickly and they sat in that position to subsequently take the silver medal. One crew change was made with Pal replacing Kate and the crew competed in the C grade eight and placed third.
WD 8+ silver medalists- Sam, Lisa, Aimee, Genevieve, Rachel, Kate, Sienna, Jacqui and Hugh (cox)
Smaller boats were also raced for the women and it was the D grade four of Lisa, Sam, Rachel, Genevieve and Alyssa (cox) who through a controlled race saw them slowly take to the lead in the early stages to go on and take out the gold medal.
The men saw a C grade and B grade eight being boated. The C grade race was a rough race but none the less, successful with the crew of Miles, Jooya, Paul, Florian, Ian, Jason, Daniel, Angus and Hugh (cox) taking out silver. Like the women’s eights one crew change was made for the next race with the B grade race seeing Magnus replace Ian. The crew trailed the field in the beginning stages but were able to push through to pip Canberra on the line to take third.
The men saw a C grade and B grade eight being boated. The C grade race was a rough race but none the less, successful with the crew of Miles, Jooya, Paul, Florian, Ian, Jason, Daniel, Angus and Hugh (cox) taking out silver. Like the women’s eights one crew change was made for the next race with the B grade race seeing Magnus replace Ian. The crew trailed the field in the beginning stages but were able to push through to pip Canberra on the line to take third.
MC8+ silver medallists- Hugh (cox), Angus, Daniel, Jason, Ian, Flo, Paul, Jooya and Miles
Smaller boats for the men saw the B grade pair crew of Angus and Jason take out silver. They then teamed up with Miles and Daniel to take the gold in the B grade four.
To be able to again boat two eights in the men’s and women’s categories was a great achievement and to medal in all four races is something everyone involved should be proud of. We placed fifth on the medal table which is a good achievement given the number of rower we had competing at the event.
A big thankyou to everyone who helped make the weekend possible and while this marks the end of racing for non-master rowers the season continues for masters while everyone else can have a well-deserved break before we start back up in preparation for next season.
To be able to again boat two eights in the men’s and women’s categories was a great achievement and to medal in all four races is something everyone involved should be proud of. We placed fifth on the medal table which is a good achievement given the number of rower we had competing at the event.
A big thankyou to everyone who helped make the weekend possible and while this marks the end of racing for non-master rowers the season continues for masters while everyone else can have a well-deserved break before we start back up in preparation for next season.
We were off to Iron Cove once more, but this time for a master's regatta. This is the second year we have taken rowers to this event and it is a great achievement in our quest to broaden our rowing program from our historical junior base.
We were greeted once again with great conditions which is always a surprise out in the city, which all rowers were very happy with.
The day began with Mark, 'accidently' forgetting his seat for his single and causing him to being unable to race in the first race of the day. The next race on the program for us was the women's C quad which saw Lorraine, Sam, Rachel and Lisa take to the water. Given they had not trained together they gave it a good go but were unable to find the right rhythm and were beaten to the line by the St George composite. Later on Jacqui replaced Lorraine for the C coxless four. A lack of training in this boat did result in steering issues however the crew were able to have some good rowing in the middle of the race and it proved a good learning experience for the whole crew.
In the small boat classes Lisa and Sam showed an improvement on past rows to place third in the C double. While Jacqui and Rachel made their debut as a double in the A category and placed third.
Jason had an impressive day in winning the mixed A double with Jacqui, A single, A double with Sean from Brisbane Water's and the A quad with a composite crew consisting of Brisbane Waters, Endeavour and Manning River.
The highlight of the day was in our ability to boat a composite women's C eight with Brisbane Water' rowers; Sue and Libby and Nepean rower's: Genevieve (coxswain), Jacqui, Rachel, Sam, Lisa, Lorraine and Pal. The North Shore crew were too quick for our crew but given it was a first outing the crew performed admirably and showed promise for the future.
A big thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible and hopefully this sets us up well for the upcoming Australian Master's Championships that commences on the 10th May in Tasmania.
We were greeted once again with great conditions which is always a surprise out in the city, which all rowers were very happy with.
The day began with Mark, 'accidently' forgetting his seat for his single and causing him to being unable to race in the first race of the day. The next race on the program for us was the women's C quad which saw Lorraine, Sam, Rachel and Lisa take to the water. Given they had not trained together they gave it a good go but were unable to find the right rhythm and were beaten to the line by the St George composite. Later on Jacqui replaced Lorraine for the C coxless four. A lack of training in this boat did result in steering issues however the crew were able to have some good rowing in the middle of the race and it proved a good learning experience for the whole crew.
In the small boat classes Lisa and Sam showed an improvement on past rows to place third in the C double. While Jacqui and Rachel made their debut as a double in the A category and placed third.
Jason had an impressive day in winning the mixed A double with Jacqui, A single, A double with Sean from Brisbane Water's and the A quad with a composite crew consisting of Brisbane Waters, Endeavour and Manning River.
The highlight of the day was in our ability to boat a composite women's C eight with Brisbane Water' rowers; Sue and Libby and Nepean rower's: Genevieve (coxswain), Jacqui, Rachel, Sam, Lisa, Lorraine and Pal. The North Shore crew were too quick for our crew but given it was a first outing the crew performed admirably and showed promise for the future.
A big thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible and hopefully this sets us up well for the upcoming Australian Master's Championships that commences on the 10th May in Tasmania.
Leichhardt regatta presented a good opportunity to boat grade based crews in preparation for the grade championships to be held at the end of this month. We were pleasantly surprised to have good conditions all day. With a squad of twelve rowers we were able to boat a few different combinations with sculling being the dominant discipline for the day.
 Will and Jooya placed second in the men's C grade double |  Letisha, Sarah, Fiona and Alyssa in the women's D grade quad |
Genevieve, Jacqui, Tallara and Aimee pushing through in the final stages to take out the win in the B Grade quad
We had 5 rowers represent the club at this year’s event.
Kate had another very successful National’s campaign. She won the para single, double and coxed four. She then, representing NSW, convincingly won the interstate para single. Kate's impressive performances put her in a good position as Australian trials quickly approach.
Miles and Jooya contested the under 17 double and raced well to make the semi-final but were subsequently knocked out. Miles also contested the under 17 single in which he narrowly missed out on a spot to the semi-final.
Jason and Angus contested the club men’s double. The boys had a good heat to progress straight to the final. They then had a good race in the final that everyone was happy with, which earned them fourth place. Shortly after the race, it came to light the third placed crew was disqualified due to breaking a rule. Subsequently, the boys were moved up to third and given the bronze medal.
Kate had another very successful National’s campaign. She won the para single, double and coxed four. She then, representing NSW, convincingly won the interstate para single. Kate's impressive performances put her in a good position as Australian trials quickly approach.
Miles and Jooya contested the under 17 double and raced well to make the semi-final but were subsequently knocked out. Miles also contested the under 17 single in which he narrowly missed out on a spot to the semi-final.
Jason and Angus contested the club men’s double. The boys had a good heat to progress straight to the final. They then had a good race in the final that everyone was happy with, which earned them fourth place. Shortly after the race, it came to light the third placed crew was disqualified due to breaking a rule. Subsequently, the boys were moved up to third and given the bronze medal.
 Kate Murdoch claiming gold in the para women's single |  Jason Waddell, Daniel Waddell (coach) and Angus Harrold bronze medallists in the club men's double |
Kate Murdoch rowing to victory representing NSW in the Interstate regatta
Another opportunity for rowers was upon us and three Nepean rowers, Sarah Berechree (St Paul's Grammar) Letisha Hopton(Cranebrook High), Aimee Wagner (Blaxland High) took to the regatta centre to represent their schools.
Sarah came away with the bronze in the year 8 single while Aimee claimed silver in the year 9 single.
Sarah came away with the bronze in the year 8 single while Aimee claimed silver in the year 9 single.
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On Monday 26th February Aimee Wagner, representing Blaxland High and Johnathon Imber, representing Nepean High took to the regatta entre to represent their schools at the NSW Combined High schools regatta for public school students. This was the first year for close to ten years since Nepean has had rowers competing in this event.
Both rowers performed very well on what was a good day for racing but poor for spectating with rain being present on and off throughout the day.
Aimee won the under 16 single and Johno came second in the under 17 single.
Both rowers performed very well on what was a good day for racing but poor for spectating with rain being present on and off throughout the day.
Aimee won the under 16 single and Johno came second in the under 17 single.
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NSW State Championships: 16-18th February
A small squad of eight Nepean rowers represented the club at this year's State championships. It was one of our most successful State championships in many years and all competing rowers should be very proud of their results. This year's championships was one of the strongest to date with numerous interstate rowers competing.
Kate Murdoch dominated the para events by taking out the single, mixed double and mixed four.
Miles and Jooya placed fourth in the under 17 double. Miles placed ninth in the under 17 single. Jooya took out silver in the under 16 single.
Aimee Wagner placed fifth in the under 16 single.
Angus Harrold came eighth in the under 19 single and ninth in the schoolboy single.
A small squad of eight Nepean rowers represented the club at this year's State championships. It was one of our most successful State championships in many years and all competing rowers should be very proud of their results. This year's championships was one of the strongest to date with numerous interstate rowers competing.
Kate Murdoch dominated the para events by taking out the single, mixed double and mixed four.
Miles and Jooya placed fourth in the under 17 double. Miles placed ninth in the under 17 single. Jooya took out silver in the under 16 single.
Aimee Wagner placed fifth in the under 16 single.
Angus Harrold came eighth in the under 19 single and ninth in the schoolboy single.
The final regatta at SIRC before State Champs always presents as good last chance race practice. Great racing conditions were in play for the majority of the day and saw some good times. Overall we had some good success and we hope to build onto this for State.
 Kate claimed the win in the para single  Miles took out second in the under 17 single  Aimee won the under 16 single |  Jason won his division of the master's single  Miles and Johno on the podium for the under 17 double |
Lisa and Sam in the master's double
Camp
Our annual camp ran form the 2nd to the 11th January. It was another successful camp with around 25 rowers taking part both young and old. A big thank you to everyone who helped out and made this possible.
Taree 12-14th
We had another successful year. With a large squad we were again able to boat an array of crew boats that are not possible at normal regattas. Unfortunately due to high winds we were not able to complete the entire regatta, with the most part of Sunday racing cancelled.
The highlight again was the mixed eights. We had a handicap of twelve seconds this year, compared to four seconds last year. We did not have as high expectations but we went out there and gave it our best shot. We had a great race, even with a minor collision, and came away with second with UTS claiming the win for the second year running.
A big thankyou to the many people that made the weekend a big success.
1st: 17 2nd: 15 3rd: 11
Our annual camp ran form the 2nd to the 11th January. It was another successful camp with around 25 rowers taking part both young and old. A big thank you to everyone who helped out and made this possible.
Taree 12-14th
We had another successful year. With a large squad we were again able to boat an array of crew boats that are not possible at normal regattas. Unfortunately due to high winds we were not able to complete the entire regatta, with the most part of Sunday racing cancelled.
The highlight again was the mixed eights. We had a handicap of twelve seconds this year, compared to four seconds last year. We did not have as high expectations but we went out there and gave it our best shot. We had a great race, even with a minor collision, and came away with second with UTS claiming the win for the second year running.
A big thankyou to the many people that made the weekend a big success.
1st: 17 2nd: 15 3rd: 11
 Setting up for racing for the next three days  Mixed quad: Erik, Miles, Victoria and Maral |  MC8+: Lara, Angus, Joel, Jason, Daniel, Henry, Erik, Will and Miles  Mix8+: Lara, Angus, Joel, Jason, Daniel, Tallara, Jacqui, Victoria, Aimee |
 WC4x: Jacqui, Alyssa, Eli, Lara  MA4x: Angus, Joel, Erik and Henry |  WD8+: Hugh, Aimee, Genevieve, Tallara, Maral, Fiona, Lisa, Alyssa, Eli  End of racing group photo |
We headed out to SIRC for two days of racing and it marked the two final regattas of the year.
Reindeer Regatta 2nd December
Reindeer Regatta 2nd December
 Kate claimef the win in the Para 1x  Mixed quad winners- Kate, Paul, Peter and Sienna |  Miles going away with the win in the under 16  Paul and Jason claimed the masters double  Hugh getting into the spirit of Christmas with his four of Tallara, Jacqui, Sienna and Genevieve |
A storm came in and caused some racing to be cancelled and others postponed. We called it a day and went home to get ready fro the next day of racing.
NSW Sprint Championships 3rd December
Better weather was predicted for the day, and it did not disappoint. A cross/head wind persisted during the day but the day ran smoothly and we had some good results.
Better weather was predicted for the day, and it did not disappoint. A cross/head wind persisted during the day but the day ran smoothly and we had some good results.
 Letisha- Under 16 Single |  Jason took bronze in the Master's single |
 Genevieve and Maral in the under 19 double  Victoria claimed silver in the under 17 single |  Alaaddin: Under 21 single  Aimee took out bronze in the under 16 single |
Aimee and Victoria took out the under 17 double
 Kate taking out the win in the para single |  Kate and Paul won the Para double |
 Miles, Jooya, Johno, Hugh and Aimee claimed fifth in the under 16 coxed quad  Sienna claimed silver in the under 21 single  Tallara took gold in the under 23 single  Erik and Will taking out third in the under 21 double |  Rachel, Sam, Fiona and Lisa placed third in the masters quad  Sienna and Jacqui won the open double  Jacqui and Tallara took out the open pair  Angus and Jason took silver in the open double |
A big thankyou to everyone who made the weekend possible and congratulations to everyone on their results.
We headed off to Newcastle for the Central Districts Rowing Association’s Sprint Championships. This was our first time at the event and we were excited to get some sprints in to break up our usual racing schedule and also provided good practice for the upcoming State Sprint Championships.
Championship events
Championship events saw heats where necessary take place with the top rowers progressing if this was the case.
In the singles we had three wins with Johno taking out the under sixteen single, Victoria the under seventeen single and after assuming she did not win her heat, Tallara after a less than ideal race preparation rushed out for her final in the open’s single to take out the event.
In the big boats we claimed the women’s coxed four with the crew of Alyssa, Fiona, Jacqui, Victoria coxed by Aimee and also the men’s coxed four with Henry, Jason, Erik and Daniel coxed by Hugh.
Non-championship events
Grade events saw straight finals for all racing. Alaaddin and Johno both took out their C grade races and Johno also teamed up with Hugh to win the D grade double.
We again teamed up with Brisbane Waters Rowing Club as we have a few times already this season and claimed two wins in our composite crews. The men’s D grade four of Alaaddin, Madon, Erik, Henry and coxswain Hugh and the men’s D grade quad of Sean, Alaaddin, Madon and Hugh both won their respective races.
Linwood Throsby Gift Relay
The big event for the day was the Linwood Throsby Gift Relay. The event consisted of a mixed double, mixed four and mixed quad with no composites allowed. Five hundred dollars was up for grabs but it was the opportunity to be part of such an exciting event that sparked our interest. Due to five club’s entering the event we had to race a heat first. We drew Newcastle Uni and Newcastle Grammar. The first two legs (double and four) went seamlessly with Newcastle Uni gaining a lead but we were still in contention. The quad started rowing but due to a non-racing crew accidently venturing on the course, our crew collided. This caused us to be unable to finish the race, have damaged equipment and have some hurt rowers. The crew were all thankfully able to continue racing and the equipment repaired or replaced with spare equipment we had brought. We thought it was over, and not in the way we would have ever had thought, knowing we were not able to showcase our best race. Due to the generosity of Newcastle Rowing Club, we were gifted a spot in the final and we would once again face Newcastle Uni and the winners of the other heat, Hunter Valley Grammar School. We knew it would be a hard race but we wanted to put our best foot forward and give it a good go. The double got off to a good start and were holding with the other crews when Newcastle Uni caught a crab that held them back with Hunter Valley. The double of Genevieve and Daniel crossed the line in first with over a length lead which was no surprise to them, but was to many others who doubted them (there were many). The four of Jason, Erik, Tallara, Jacqui and coxswain Hugh capitalised on the lead and pushed out further to give the quad of Henry, Miles, Victoria and Aimee a lead which they pushed out further, leading to our overall victory. Winning this event was great but it was the lessons we can learn from this that are far more important than a cup or money. Being able to move on from bad situations and sticking together as a team were fundamental in our success and attributes everyone involved should be proud of displaying.
Championship events
Championship events saw heats where necessary take place with the top rowers progressing if this was the case.
In the singles we had three wins with Johno taking out the under sixteen single, Victoria the under seventeen single and after assuming she did not win her heat, Tallara after a less than ideal race preparation rushed out for her final in the open’s single to take out the event.
In the big boats we claimed the women’s coxed four with the crew of Alyssa, Fiona, Jacqui, Victoria coxed by Aimee and also the men’s coxed four with Henry, Jason, Erik and Daniel coxed by Hugh.
Non-championship events
Grade events saw straight finals for all racing. Alaaddin and Johno both took out their C grade races and Johno also teamed up with Hugh to win the D grade double.
We again teamed up with Brisbane Waters Rowing Club as we have a few times already this season and claimed two wins in our composite crews. The men’s D grade four of Alaaddin, Madon, Erik, Henry and coxswain Hugh and the men’s D grade quad of Sean, Alaaddin, Madon and Hugh both won their respective races.
Linwood Throsby Gift Relay
The big event for the day was the Linwood Throsby Gift Relay. The event consisted of a mixed double, mixed four and mixed quad with no composites allowed. Five hundred dollars was up for grabs but it was the opportunity to be part of such an exciting event that sparked our interest. Due to five club’s entering the event we had to race a heat first. We drew Newcastle Uni and Newcastle Grammar. The first two legs (double and four) went seamlessly with Newcastle Uni gaining a lead but we were still in contention. The quad started rowing but due to a non-racing crew accidently venturing on the course, our crew collided. This caused us to be unable to finish the race, have damaged equipment and have some hurt rowers. The crew were all thankfully able to continue racing and the equipment repaired or replaced with spare equipment we had brought. We thought it was over, and not in the way we would have ever had thought, knowing we were not able to showcase our best race. Due to the generosity of Newcastle Rowing Club, we were gifted a spot in the final and we would once again face Newcastle Uni and the winners of the other heat, Hunter Valley Grammar School. We knew it would be a hard race but we wanted to put our best foot forward and give it a good go. The double got off to a good start and were holding with the other crews when Newcastle Uni caught a crab that held them back with Hunter Valley. The double of Genevieve and Daniel crossed the line in first with over a length lead which was no surprise to them, but was to many others who doubted them (there were many). The four of Jason, Erik, Tallara, Jacqui and coxswain Hugh capitalised on the lead and pushed out further to give the quad of Henry, Miles, Victoria and Aimee a lead which they pushed out further, leading to our overall victory. Winning this event was great but it was the lessons we can learn from this that are far more important than a cup or money. Being able to move on from bad situations and sticking together as a team were fundamental in our success and attributes everyone involved should be proud of displaying.
Another regatta at Berry Park was upon us. Normally the wind creates issues but today we were welcomed by great conditions. With over twenty rowers competing it presented a good opportunity to boat plenty of crew boats which saw some good results.The first race of the day for us saw the women’s C grade quad’s take to the water and it was the composite crew of Aimee and Jacqui teaming up with Brisbane water’s rowers Kristy and Maggie who took out the win in their division. We had a few composites with Brisbane Water’s over the day and another win was achieved by Jason teaming up with Sean to take out the men’s seeded double.
Single’s results were strong with Tallara taking out the women’s seeded single, Henry winning the men’s seeded single, Aimee winning the under 15 and 17 single, Johno winning the D grade single and Jason taking out the master’s single. Kate won her first single race after an exciting finish which saw her ability to stay relaxed coming into the final stages ensure her win and she even celebrated with an unexpected swim. She later backed this up in teaming up with Marie in the seeded double to take out another win.
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The crew boats showcased some exciting racing. The men’s seeded quad had Angus, Erik, Joel and Henry in a tight battle with Newcastle Grammar with the boy’s coming out on top with a margin of four tenths of a second separating the two crews. Henry teamed up with Miles later in the day to take out another close race in the open double. Joel had a more comfortable race at the conclusion of the day in the seeded coxed four racing with Angus, Jason, Daniel and coxswain Alyssa.
Mixed racing is always fun and CDRA regattas present numerous opportunities. The highlight event of the day was the mixed eight. Three school crews were entered along with us and we knew it would not be an easy race. Aimee, Angus, Henry, Joel, Erik, Tallara, Jacqui, Maral and Genevieve got into their rhythm early and slowly got out to a lead to take a one boat length win. We were also able to boat a second mixed eight crew which we were very happy to be able to do, the crew consisted of Bonnie, Kate, Marie, Dot, Xavier, Sean, Eli, Johno and coxed by Alyssa. Other mixed crew victories included Angus, Joel, Tallara and Jacqui in the mixed quad, Miles and Aimee in the double and Bonnie and Sean also in the double.
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A big thankyou to everyone who made this day possible. As always it was great to see everyone helping each other get out on the water and cheering each other on as they came down the course.
This weekend presented an opportunity for us to race our bigger boats. The largest contingent of rowers we have had to date for this regatta of thirty seven competed over the two days. We were able to mix the young and old rowers together and it resulted in some great racing.
The big focus for us this regatta was our men’s and women’s C and D grade eights. This was the first year that we were able to boat all four eights at this championship regatta.
First up was the men’s C grade eight. The crew of Elizabeth, Angus, Joel, Jason, Magnus, Ian, Daniel, Henry and Paul were confident of a good performance. Having placed fourth in this event last year we were out to improve on this. With a few new additions and everyone else improving from the previous year we knew that a good race would put us in contention. The crew got off to a good start though a few crews had beaten us off the line. The crew continued to get into a rhythm and by the 500 metre mark we took the lead. Late pushes from Newcastle Grammar and Sydney were too late and we went away with the win.
The big focus for us this regatta was our men’s and women’s C and D grade eights. This was the first year that we were able to boat all four eights at this championship regatta.
First up was the men’s C grade eight. The crew of Elizabeth, Angus, Joel, Jason, Magnus, Ian, Daniel, Henry and Paul were confident of a good performance. Having placed fourth in this event last year we were out to improve on this. With a few new additions and everyone else improving from the previous year we knew that a good race would put us in contention. The crew got off to a good start though a few crews had beaten us off the line. The crew continued to get into a rhythm and by the 500 metre mark we took the lead. Late pushes from Newcastle Grammar and Sydney were too late and we went away with the win.
Angus, Joel, Jason and Daniel along with coxswain Alyssa raced in the C grade four final shortly afterwards after having comfortably made the final earlier that morning. It was Newcastle Grammar who lead through the 500 metre mark but a big push from the crew saw us take the lead in the final 250 metres and claim the gold.
Jason and Joel then teamed up for the C grade pair the following day. The plan was to step up from last year’s silver however it was not to be with some technical issues and they had to settle for the silver.
Jason and Joel then teamed up for the C grade pair the following day. The plan was to step up from last year’s silver however it was not to be with some technical issues and they had to settle for the silver.
The women’s D grade eight saw a good mix of older and younger rowers. Though as usual the crew had not had a lot of training together they were all keen to get out there and give it a go. We were unable to boat any women’s eights at last year’s regatta so we were excited to have two entered this year. The crew of Lara, Maral, Victoria, Tallara, Jacqui, Fiona, Pal, Sienna and Elizabeth got off to a good start however MLC had taken the lead and remained there for the entire race to take the win. Newcastle Grammar pushed through to take second place with the girls crossing the line in third however due to a rule violation the girls were promoted to second and consequently claimed the silver.
Pal and Sienna raced in the D grade double the following day and after progressing through their heat they got off to a good start in the final however it was there consistent speed through the entire race that saw them claim a very close second place. Sienna then went on to race in the D grade single to again row a well paced race which saw her claim gold. Jacqui and Tallara backed up shortly after the eight to race in the C grade pair. Though they do not regularly train the boat they have proven to work very well together and together took away a silver which was a step up from the bronze Tallara earnt in the same boat class the previous year.
The next day saw the women’s C grade eight take to the line. The crew of Lara, Maral, Genevieve, Tallara, Victoria, Eleanor, Jacqui, Alyssa and Aimee were not going to be out done by the boys of the previous day and got off to a quick start. This was bound to make the crew pay as the race progressed but the lead just kept extending as the other crews faded and they went on to claim the gold.
Tallara, Jacqui, Eleanor and Victoria along with coxswain Lara competed in the C grade four. This again was a dominant performance by the girls which saw them lead from start to finish. The D grade four of Maral, Genevieve, Fiona and Alyssa with Elizabeth as coxswain had a tougher race. Newcastle Grammar pushed off early and were just too quick however the girls pushed off from the remaining crews and claimed silver. We only boated two quads over the weekend. The girls C grade quad of Maral, Victoria, Genevieve and Aimee progressed through their heat but they had to work hard for it. The final was a tough race with the girls pacing the race well and seizing the opportunity to takeover crews as they faded in the later stages in the race and went on to claim the bronze.
The men’s D grade eight was the final eight for us for the weekend. The crew of Aimee, Angus, Daniel, Will, Erik, Airtarn, Johnathon, Miles and Alaaddin were keen to bring home a fourth medal and continue on from last year’s victory in this boat class. Leichardt pushed off early but Newcastle Grammar, St George and ourselves were neck and neck in the dying stages. A push for the line was not enough and the crew had to settle for fourth.
The parra events once again featured Kate and again saw her dominate in her class. She won the single on the Saturday and then teamed up with Paul to take out the double on Sunday with Peter and Ben following in second.
Due to the great results we claimed for the first time since the inception of this regatta the title of the point score champions for the weekend. A big congratulations to everyone who raced over the weekend. As always, the results are great however it is the help of everyone behind the scenes that make weekends like this possible, so a big thankyou to everyone who helped from rigging/de-rigging boats, coaching, cheering and everything in between.
Results summary
1st: 7
2nd: 6
3rd: 1
Due to the great results we claimed for the first time since the inception of this regatta the title of the point score champions for the weekend. A big congratulations to everyone who raced over the weekend. As always, the results are great however it is the help of everyone behind the scenes that make weekends like this possible, so a big thankyou to everyone who helped from rigging/de-rigging boats, coaching, cheering and everything in between.
Results summary
1st: 7
2nd: 6
3rd: 1