CLUB AGM 15th JULY 2021

The Annual General Meeting of London Rowing Club will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday 15th July. Unfortunately, because of ongoing Covid regulations the meeting will be held via Zoom only. An agenda and Zoom access details will be circulated by email. If you have not received this information as the meeting approaches, please contact Andrew Boyle (secretary@londonrc.org.uk), a member of the General Committee or an organiser of your rowing group.

In addition to the election of the Captain for the coming rowing year, the meeting will provide an opportunity for the General Committee to update members about the activities and organisation of the Club.

Andrew Boyle
Hon. Secretary

CHAIRMAN’S VIEW

By now everyone should have received details for next week’s AGM from Andrew Boyle. As well as transacting the formal business of the meeting, the committee will give a brief presentation on the works undertaken over the past year and our plans for the season ahead. As ever, your views are important so please take the opportunity to join the debate. Due to the delay in lifting COVID restrictions, please consider joining online if possible.

Our progress on the water continues with some excellent racing results from both the men and the women. It was fantastic to see a London crew racing in the final at Henley Women’s Regatta even if we did not get the result that we wanted. Equally, the support from across the club was impressive with members of the men’s squad trading an outing at Putney to cycle to Henley and back to support the crews.

After a challenging year, we have been hearing some more positive news about Hammersmith Bridge and the lifting of COVID restrictions. However, we are not there yet with either issue. Whilst we wait for progress with the traffic light system at Hammersmith, we must also maintain our guard against COVID infections and associated requirements to self-isolate following contact with someone who has subsequently tested positive. Sadly, the infection rate is increasing rapidly and presents a significant risk to the participation of our crews at Henley Royal Regatta. Please continue to take precautions and if you do feel unwell, please get tested before coming to the Club; none of us would want to be responsible for crews having to withdraw from the Regatta.

Simon Harris
Chairman, London Rowing Club

ROWING REPORT

Henley Women’s Regatta
Henley Women’s Regatta saw the biggest entry the club has ever seen at the Regatta with 21 women racing. It also saw some of the best and most memorable racing to date for the club.

The Aspirational Club 4 – of Marije Plak, Lizzie Cottrell, Catherine Grayson and Deryn Esterhuyse were the stand-out performance of the whole weekend. Round 1 was a comfortable 4 length win over Cantabrigian RC. This was followed by a dominant 2 ½ length win over Tyne in the Quarters. The girls had a good fight with Vesta in the Semi but as the race developed LRC moved into a dominant position taking the win by 1 length. The final was a tussle between LRC and Tideway Scullers. The girls raced well to go even faster than their Semi with Vesta but sadly it wasn’t quite enough with TSS coming away with the win by 1 ½ lengths.

*Left to right: German Pradera, Deryn Esterhuyse, Marije Plak, Lizzie Cottrell, Catherine Grayson, enjoying some refreshments to celebrate their success.*

*The 4- training on the Henley stretch.*

The club had two entries into the Aspirational Club 4x both of which qualified through the TT to race.

The A crew of Rowena Price, Jenny Arthur, Gracie Bake and Amalie Couch put in a big performance in the heat to beat Edinburgh University by a comfortable 4 length margin. The quarters saw a close race with a Tyne/Newcastle University composite but the girls powered through to take the win by 1 ¼ lengths in the end. In the Semi the girls faced Upper Thames, who had enjoyed a row over for their first race of the day. With just a few hours between racing this proved to be very helpful. A close race ensued and Upper Thames came away with a narrow win. The eventual margin was ½ length.

*Left to right: Amalie Couch, Gracie Bake, Jenny Arthur, Rowena Price.*

Bev Goodchild and Fleur Crosby-Tavare took on the incredibly tough field in the Championship 2x. An impressive TT would see them reach the Quarterfinal and take on a composite from Bath University/Nottingham RC. In one of the fastest Quarters of the event the girls put in a fantastic performance.

We were all excited to see LRC legend Jess Eddie and Wallingford’s Katie Grieves take on the Championship 2x but sadly, COVID meant that the crew had to scratch. We all hope to see this combination on the Henley stretch in a few weeks’ time at HRR.

The Aspirational 4x B crew of Harriet Lowe, Meg Cliff, Florence Hockaday and Molly Stalley put in a good performance in the TT to reach the heats but a tough draw saw them face an impressive Nottingham Uni crew that got the better of them.

Meg Jackson in the Championship 1x and Devin Ward in the Aspirational 1x had excellent TT’s to reach the knockout stage against incredibly competitive fields.

The Development 4+ of Alice Bake, Amy Fallon, Bethan Corlett and Dawn Brooks put in a fantastic effort in the TT against a large field with small margins separating the competition.

The Squad
The squad now turns its attention to focus on Henley Royal Regatta, which starts on the 11th August. Between now and then the sole remaining regatta is Henley Town & Visitors which uniquely finds itself coming before HRR.

Henley Masters
This weekend’s results were merely the beginning of a successful series of competitions on the Henley stretch. The 9th and 10th July will see the Millennials race in a Mas.B8+, Mas.B4-, Mas.C2x and Mas.D4x. In addition to this, there will be an LRC/Taurus composite competing in Mas.E4-. It was great to have so many supporters from London cheering on the women and I am sure the Millennials would appreciate members support just as much.

Gregor Maxwell
LRC Squad member

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

11 June: Women’s seat racing at Eton Dorney
12 June: British Rowing Masters Championships
13 June: Bousted Cup (London v Thames) Men
19 June: Marlow Regatta (Dorney)
25 June: Doggett’s Coat and Badge 2020
26 June: Marlow Town Regatta
02-04 July: Henley Women’s Regatta
03 July: Chiswick Regatta
09-10 July: Henley Masters Regatta
10-11 July: Kingston Regatta
15 July: LRC Annual General Meeting
17-18 July: Molesey Regatta
23-30 July: Olympic Games rowing (Tokyo)
25 July: Barnes and Mortlake Regatta
27-29 July: Paralympic Games rowing (Tokyo)
31 July: Henley Town and Veterans Regatta
07 August: Maidenhead Regatta
10-15 August: Henley Royal Regatta
28-29 July: Gloucester Regatta
29-30 July: Ross Regatta
08 September: Doggett’s Coat and Badge 2021

All these dates are provisional and subject to postponement or cancellation, depending on Covid 19 regulations and/or whether Hammersmith Bridge remains closed.

See more detail for these events, visit our Calendar of Events…

IRREGULARS’ REPORT

I received the photograph below from an overseas member Frank ter Voorde the other day.

This is photograph of the interior of the de Hoop Club in Amsterdam and shows a pair of LRC sculls believed to have been donated to the club in 1978. If anyone can elaborate or supply a bit of background then please do get in touch with me. Always good to hear as, more often than not, an interesting story emerges. The net spreads far and wide and this just goes to show that the rowing fraternity transcends boundaries and forges friendships all over the world.

Speaking of boundaries, we have a very healthy response from those interested in taking part in the Traversée de Paris which is scheduled, covid willing, to take place this year on the 19th September. No less than 14 members have put their names down. The very same Frank as above is organising it on our behalf - dank u wel Frank – let’s just hope it takes part. I feel I must mention another overseas member - Kerry Ahearn - who had his name down but now cannot take part sadly. He lives "across the pond" but comes over with his wife for a month a year and enthusiastically joins our Wednesday and Sunday outings. He has told me that one of his ambitions is to row round Paris with the dawn coming up. Well, this would have been his opportunity to do so. I do hope that maybe next year he can fix his month for September!

With summer upon us and Henley approaching, Tubby Bryant season is here. Tubby (the man) is a long serving and very distinguished member who joined the Club in 1952 no less - Tubby (the boat) is a wooden clinker built skiff (ex LRC training boat from the 1920/30's era) which was converted into a double sculler with seating for 2 more. It was donated to the Club by Tubby and then bought and refurbished by members. It is housed at Woottens Boatyard in Cookham Dean. As with most wooden boats (and certainly ones of that age) initially she takes in a lot of water after spending the winter on dry land. A few of us in the owning syndicate are going down to put her in the water shortly and will then leave her for a couple of weeks to get the timber to swell so that she be seaworthy in time for Henley, where she will be seen moored to the boom - rather special as restrictions should not apply to this mode of spectatorship!

If anyone should be interested in hearing more with a view to joining the syndicate please do get in touch.

Eddie Markes

THE ASHTON ROOM

As you may have seen over the last few weeks the Ashton Room has begun to be cleared, and new furniture has been added. Members are welcome to work from home in this room at any time, providing the Covid guidance is being followed. Please keep wearing masks unless eating or drinking, social distancing and be seated in maximum groups of 6.

Please be aware until we have received our updated licence no alcohol is to be consumed in this room. And as with the rest of the clubhouse please make sure the room is left clean and tidy for other members.

It is hoped once restrictions have been lifted in a few weeks we will be able to celebrate as a club the first step of the Ashton Room refurbishment.

Abigail Leek
Membership Director, London Rowing Club

ROWING WITH DAVID KING: Part 3

1962
Because of the sense from the 1961 season that we would have stood a good chance of winning the Thames Cup at Henley that year, Harris and I with David plus Peter Barnes started talking about aiming for the Wyfolds in 1962. We started training solely as a four. It became known as a rebel four. Meanwhile there was a Thames cup VIII but no Grand VIII. We trained very hard and had some early success in the pre-Henley regattas. Closer to Henley, Peter Coni, Tubby Bryant, Peter Fraser and Norman(?) May formed a four.

It became apparent that we might be forced into the Stewards and would be expected to combine with Tubby’s group to row in the Grand to maintain the Club’s "tradition". Separate from the Club we entered ourselves in The Henley Wyfolds under the name Metropolitan RC.*** It looked like the entry would be accepted until Jock Wise and Farn intervened and our entry was then refused on the basis of our “club” not being ARA registered. It was then agreed that there would be a race off between the two fours with the fastest going into the Wyfolds. We won that but then shortly before Henley Farn was persuaded by Coni to reverse the decision on the basis that it was only proper that the faster crew should be in the Stewards. We rowed in the Grand and the Stewards but it was the rough end of the pineapple for me. As before, there were some formidable elite class crews in these events.

We did trial for the coxless fours for that year’s Commonwealth Games but by then I think we had lost our edge.

One incident remains in my mind. At some point that year Chris and Peter purchased a run-down pre-war car for 10/- (at a party). I think the idea was that we could use it to get around to regattas. Only it really needed all of us to operate it. Chris drove, Peter sat in the front passenger seat and operated the handbrake as the foot brake was defunct, whilst David and I between us had to keep a six-inch nail in place as the pivot for the handbrake and keep the leads on the battery in the back passenger well. It would only start on hills, forwards or backwards. Happily, it did not last long as the gears all crumbled in the gear box

1963
Because of the previous year and his own reaction to 1961, Peter Ament persuaded me to row at Twickenham for 1963. That is another story but 1963 was my last Henley with LRC. David went on for several years with some good achievements. The Henley records show he continued with LRC: 1963 and 1964 in the Wyfolds, 1965, 1966 and 1967 in the Grand and 1967 Wyfolds also. In all nine years active rowing with the one club and then a long stint as Club Hon. Steward. He is a legend in the Club.

1964
The only joint other LRC activity I had with David was the 1964 HORR in a “scratch” crew.

A London scratch Vlll, started 83; finished 11th; time 17.58; (LRC I time 17.57) Bow. Nick Waters 2. M Billinghurst 3. Rob Norton 4. Dave King 5. Bob Potter 6. Rob Carpmael 7. Chris Harris Str. ? Morris. Cox. ??

The old LRC Henley Grand policy: It can be said that our actions in 1962 set in train a process that led to LRC finally abandoning the policy of always entering the Grand at Henley. This was despite the fact that the standard of international rowing had risen dramatically since the last full LRC Grand VIII win in 1938. Evidently the logic was that if LRC did not enter the Grand every year they would never get back. The fallacy in this argument was that something needed to be done to bridge that gap in standards and this was never achieved. Also, the Club was continually “leaking” elite class oarsmen to the National Squads. David, however, continued to row for the Club and was in the last fully LRC Grand VIII in 1967.

***As a footnote to this saga, ironically a composite crew from Twickenham, LRC and Leander, which I rowed in for the HORR in 1963, was under the Metropolitan RC banner despite not being registered. Also, I believe that later on LRC registered the name as a separate club in an attempt to get more than one crew into a Henley event. In fact, the Club entered a Met Thames Cup crew in 1967 and 1968. Of course, today UK clubs can enter several crews in one event at Henley... mainly club events I think. No doubt the result of Peter Coni’s influence as Chairman of HRR.

Mike Billinghurst

REPORTING SAFETY INCIDENTS

All members are reminded that if you are involved in or witness a water safety incident, you are required to report it on safety@londonrc.org.uk

The Club will file any necessary reports on your behalf with British Rowing and the PLA. Members should not submit reports directly to either body.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

My thanks to everyone who has contributed to this edition of the London Roar. If you have an idea for an article or would be interested in submitting a piece for inclusion in a future edition, please email me on miles.preston@londonrc.org.uk

Please do not submit an article without first liaising with me.

Miles Preston
Editor of The London Roar