LOOKALIKES

Alexander Brown

Captain George


Devlin

Ali

Training Aid

Lawson

HRR '07
The Rabbit's Guide has finally been updated for 2007.

www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/hrr/

If the weather keeps on like this (and rain is forecast for everyday this week except Tuesday) - there are three things to consider...

  1. Bring Wellington boots
  2. Don't camp (unless it's up a hill on a site with good drainage or in a caravan)
  3. If you must drive, then park away from the course - or you may find the car park is more of mud-bath.
p.s. for an insight into what HRR can be like in the mud - check out the attached Pathe News clip from 1963

www.britishpathe.com/images//preview/00000000/00054000/00054560.WMV

THANKS DUE
A belated update (got lost in e-mail ether for a week) from Sons of the Thames RC who would like to publicly thank all the clubs and regatta officials that came to their assistance following the break down of the club's towing vehicle in the early hours of Saturday 9th June on the way to Peterborough Regatta.

With a full trailer languishing by the A1 they were only able to compete thanks to the efforts of so many others who helped in a variety of ways:

The response to the club’s crisis was truly remarkable and they are very, very grateful for all the assistance offered and given. The spirit and generosity shown was summed up by one club who said:
"it happened to us last year and when we heard about your situation we just had to help".

Thanks go to everyone concerned. It would be impossible to list everyone that helped but Sons would like to highlight the assistance provided by Peterborough Regatta, Peterborough City Rowing Club, Bedford, Derby, Mortlake Anglian & Alpha, Norwich and the University of East Anglia."

Alas, the breakdown of the Sons’s towing vehicle was not the only disaster to impact the club’s attempt to take part at Peterborough.

Whilst other clubs and regatta officials rallied round to help the Sons crews race, two breakdown recovery vehicles were sent to pick up their truck and trailer and take them back to Hammersmith.

Unfortunately the breakdown truck sent to collect the trailer itself apparently broke down and a third rescue vehicle had to be despatched. Just to pour oil on troubled (Tideway) waters the Sons’ Men’s Stampfli VIII and Women’s Stampfli 4+ were both damaged while in the care of the breakdown company and are currently out of action!

MUD, MUD GLORIOUS MUD
Henley women's regatta day 1 - not dissimilar to Glastonbury - but with less drugs & music and more mud...

More to follow when I get time.

THE DEMISE OF THE GIN PALACE?
Mind you - it applies to coxn's, bowsteers and coaches driving launches too...

Alcohol limits for leisure mariners to be introduced

CHANGING STATUS?
Stratford regatta was cancelled recently following flooding, which meant that one question raised by competitors was never answered...

The regatta was advertised as being "primary" (one of the few relics of the competition review which hasn't curled up and died yet), so there should have been at least two races for all novices and senior 4s, and even better - no points to be picked up, just what inexperienced crews need at the moment.

However, one club entries secretary got a call the Sunday before the race, during the draw, to inform him that "Due to high entries, we have decided not to offer a second row" (i.e. how about we just take the extra money from the other crews who want to enter instead?)

"Oh, ok, so will it now be qualifying?!?, is it still primary?!?"

Suffice to say the National Competitions Commitee were not impressed.

MASTERS OF THE UK...
There wasn't a lot of lettuce doing the rounds at Veteran Championships and Loughborough Regatta last week weekend, no doubt helped by the fact that it was a beautiful day for Holme Pierrepont - with sun and light winds, indeed The slug only saw one meagre capsize (on the line).

There was a big Belfast and Bann entry over from Norn Iron for the day (who did well at the shopping competition too) and the overall impression was of lots of smily happy Vets (yes, it can happen) thanks to an extremely well run and on time event.

That said, there were quite a few miffed vets around too - or rather they got that way when they discovered they were only fast locally and not at national level ...

Nige M was on his usual top form on the commentary - definitely a three shredded wheat breakfast for him - though his Father's Day was slightly ruined when his daughter came to see him and announced
"here's your card, you're in trouble cos you left the fridge door open" we suspect he was too scared to go home after that!

The Provisional Results are now available on The Vet's website (excel spreadsheet).

LECHLADE TO PUTNEY
Guy and Cherry successfully completed their their four day scull down the Thames in memory of son Locke at 5pm on Saturday.

Some photos taken after they arrived at Thames RC are linked below.

www.flickr.com/gp/7156547@N02/164f7D

Their fundraising total for the Neuroblastoma Society is now in the order of £25K.
www.justgiving.com/lockeblanchard

BUMP AND GRIND
The Fenland festival of comedy rowing crashed and bashed its way down the Cam last week, ending with Caius seeing of a challenge from Trinity to retain the men's headship and Jesus extracting the women's title from Pembroke on day one then successfully resisting their attempts to take it back.

Outside of the top division, the usual entertainment was on display, Addenbrookes men's crew were disqualified before they even got a chance to race after being categorised as "unfit for purpose" - cue many jokes about the NHS, they were shocking rowing in 6s, never mind all eight, and definitely fell foul of the organisers 10 outing rule, indeed, it was questionable if they'd ever been in a boat before... .

LMBC W1 tried a spot of cross country rowing, beaching themselves well and proper on the way INTO first post corner on Thursday and managed to get bumped by Downing who they bumped the day before. Bow pair of the LMBC crew eventually had to get out of the boat to relaunch it from the paddock. Their exploits pissed FaT, who were chasing Downing, off quite a lot too, though in the end it worked to their advantage thanks to overbumping Clare on Friday after LMBC had bumped Downing for the second time.

When Queens M1 (who picked up wooden spoons) got bumped by Tit Hall, they briefly considered stopping before deciding against it, and continued to row over the course at race pace then celebrated not being bumped when they crossed the finish line(?). Their coach then milled around the control desk and half heartedly tried to say he was convinced their hadn't been a bump (nice try) but it didn't take much persuasion at all that the inevitable had indeed happened.

Full results can be seen at www.cucbc.org/files/Mays2007_Results.pdf

CRACKNELL KO'D
It would appear that the biggest night of Charity Celebrity boxing in the UK didn't go too well for one James Crackell . The match, for Sparks charity, took place at Old Billingsgate last Saturday.

Crackers trained at the Fitzroy Lodge Boxing club in London but forgot everything they'd taught him when he got in the ring, and he didn't even last the first round after being knocked out by New Zealand cricketer Kerry Walmsley a mere 45 seconds in - or as the Daily Mirror put it "IT'S JAMES WHACKNELL".

His trainer advised him not to fight but because it was for charity he went ahead with it (he actually weighed in at 90kg, not the 100 kg they announced.)

Silly boy.

The "golden moment" happens 3 min 58secs into the video linked below (just incase you want to grab some popcorn and watch it repeatedly - which I'm sure a few ex-GB squad members will be more than happy to do).

www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=No_z9NyIf8s

Remember, it was all for charidee, so if you'd like to show your appreciation and watch it over and over, full screen, in glorious detail, then why not BUY THE DVD

FLAMBUOUYED
The slug can confirm that, contrary to polular belief, the PLA have not actually replaced the riverview buoy with an unlit smaller black one... Rather it was set ablaze in the small hours of Saturday morning by a couple of people in a small launch with a can of petrol.

From analysing the CCTV footage, it would appear that they also managed to set the front of their own boat on fire at the same time, so if any of you see a tin fish or similar with unaccounted scorch marks on it the PLA are very keen to hear from you... as replacing the buoy (which should be done by the end of next week), will cost over five hundred pounds.

More worringly, they have stated that if the replacment meets a similar sticky end, they will probably be forced to replace it with a metal buoy - unfortunately these only come in rather larger sizes and are less carbon fiber friendly.

You have been warned.