CHAIRMAN’S VIEW

I write following a busy and beautifully sunny weekend at LRC. On Saturday, 2nd September, the first day of squad training, I boated early and could hear a bustle and noise from the Long Room through the open doors. By the time I got back to stretch in the gym I couldn’t find enough floor space, such were the number of familiar and new faces. This certainly augurs well for the year ahead.

Sunday, 3rd, was another special day as we held the Doug Melvin Challenge Sculls in memory of our distinguished late President and member of over fifty years. Doug’s children Jan, John and Simon and their spouses attended, awarded the prizes and named the Empacher quad after their father.

John won a silver medal at the 1983 World Rowing Championships in Duisburg, Germany and told me it was time he sold his Carbocraft single, the very boat in which he competed. It has only taken him 40 years to part with it. Anyone need a rack?

I chatted to Laura Bates, daughter of Chris, Nottinghamshire County Rowing Association, seven time Henley winner, multi-World champion and long-time friend (and often rival) of LRC.

It struck me how special it is that the Club is truly generational. Next week my niece is due to show up for coxing duty.

Most members will know Paul Reedy, Olympic and World medallist for Australia, successful LRC coach from the noughties and 2012 Olympic gold medal winning double of Kat Copeland and our own Sophie Hosking. Paul has kindly agreed to chair the Rowing Sub Committee and will provide support, advice and guidance on all aspects of rowing at LRC. Welcome to your new role Paul.

Club Pride Day took place last Sunday with numerous members volunteering to help. Thank you all for your help.

Bill Baker
Chairman, London Rowing Club

CAPTAIN’S REPORT

August saw the return of our Summer Fight Nights. In mixed eights, quads and coxless fours, rowers across the membership battled it out in friendly competition down the Thames with a hydrating visit to the bar afterwards.

A big thank you to Jenny Arthur, Basil Amin and Jason bowyer for organising the crews and even bringing Crabtree into the fold.

David and Aoife standing behind the new quad.

We were lucky to have Doug’s children, Janet, Simon and John present on the day, and to honour the illustrious sculler further, we named the newest addition to the fleet, the Empacher quad, the Doug Melvin.

A big turnout to witness the boat naming.

Left to right: Elizabeth Cottrell, John, Janet and Simon Melvin, and Mike Baldwin.

A fantastic day to remember the many contributions that Doug made to the Club and to the sport.

The 2023/24 season has begun with new and returning faces in the squad. It is always a pleasure to tell new members about how supportive the Club and entire membership are to rowers who join. It reminds me how LRC is a community that values not only a love of rowing but the hard work and determination needed to achieve aspirations at all levels. The squad this year look forward to building on last year’s triumphs and are hungry for success.

I look forward to another amazing season.

Bang the Drum!

Elizabeth Cottrell
Captain, London Rowing Club

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

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

IRREGULARS REPORTS

The Irregulars have made a lot of new friends in the club over the last couple of months.

There was always a few of us taking part in the August "Fight Night " series - we learnt that a ruling of max stroke rate of 24 actually meant about 32 - we survived!

We had coaching on Wednesday evenings also during August - very good reports were received from those that took part - thanks to Stu and Killian for this.

We afford a big welcome to a returning member Henry Dunlop who had his first outing with us last Sunday - he said he enjoyed it!

Henry was a Cox and a Resis in the eighties and proudly announced that Richard Philips was one of his crew. Henry has been in Hong Kong for the past 30 years odd but has kept up his rowing skills as well as doing some coastal rowing. He will be a great asset to the club.

From the left Tony Lynn, Phil Hannay, Andrew Boyle, Henry Dunlop, Mike Newsom Davis, Eddie Markes, Philip Carre and Miles Preston.

Many congratulations to Ronnie Maddox for competing and performing creditably in the Doug Melvin Trophy on Sunday last.

Finally, a number of us participated in the Club Pride Day last Sunday and, as is befitting for us older lot, we were well to the fore with gardening tidying up duties!

Eddie Markes

YOUNG IRREGULARS REPORT

The Young Irregulars have been rowing a great deal in summer, taking advantage of the daylight on weekday evenings - though some outings this summer have felt more like January!

We also had good participation in the Fight Nights, which were tremendously enjoyed. Many thanks to the organisers and volunteers.

Throughout the summer, we made the most of the coaching provided by the Club's coaches - notably Killian - having done the most sessions with us. He was sincere and professional in this task.

From left to right - Honoria Simpson, Silvana Schloegl , Colette Lipp, Amy Johnson, Maura Mahoney, Victoria Wilson, Kathryn Roberts, Emma Ratnavel, Eilidh McCormick and, of course, Killian.

In September, we have welcomed a new member, Maura Mahoney, and signed off another steer, Kathryn Roberts.

Rachel Evans took part in the Doug Melvin Challenge - turning out a very good performance and doing us all proud!

Supporters and Rachel, from left to right - Victoria Wilson, Camille Lanckneus, Rachel Evans, Kathryn Roberts.

Kathleen Curran

GOM for GOLD

Following some glorious summer outings in a pair, disrupting the Henley campaigns of local clubs and on the hunt for a new challenge, myself and Alex Fothergill decided to branch out and look for some off-tideway races to compete in. Having planted the seed of an idea in Fothers head to look to undertake a long distance race, we began scouring the country for something suitable. With the Boston Marathon ruled out due to neither of us having the desire to revisit "the weed filled ditch in the flatlands", we were left with the Great Ouse Marathon in Norfolk.

Fothers initial misgivings about going to Norfolk were slightly alleviated by my confession to having family up there and that only a few of their toes were webbed. A brief review of previous results led us to believe we would have the best chance in the open pairs category, so we began an intensive training program including a 45km round trip to Teddington lock and back (including a few well earned hydration stops).

The crew partaking in some isotonic refreshment during training.

Rumours abound that hearing the mighty LRC were leaving the tideway scared off any competition in the open pairs category, so unfortunately we were moved to the double and racing Masters C as we "extensively out-pointed any of the open crews"; the unfortunate weight of success we assume. Having kindly been gifted blades so weightless they were like lightsabers by Chief Coach Stu and a shell so stiff it must have taken two blue pills by James Brooks, we were ready to race after just one and a half outings together in the new format.

We received a most warm welcome from West Norfolk Rowing Club who hosted the start of the race, and it has to be said marshalled it with the utmost panache of organised chaos. "We are running half an hour ahead of schedule so please just boat whenever you feel like". And, despite what you may have heard, they did all have the correct number of fingers and thumbs, albeit not evenly distributed across both hands.

With a push off the pontoon and quick check of our nuts as well as the boat we approached the startline (a full 3 strokes away from the launching point). We took a racing start through the timing point with cries of amazement from the bank and leaving a very bemused mixed pair who had started ahead of us bobbing in our wake; we were away! I wish I could give a more detailed report of what happened next but so focused was I on our steering as well as matching the metronomic rhythm being laid down in front of me, that I am afraid it was all a bit of a blur. Some highlights were Fothers having to climb down the stern to release a large chunk of weed from the fin, cheering on two PR1 scullers who were racing and providing great inspiration to all, claiming several scalps of other crews (including a local mens double that quite literally dislocated their wrist in a futile attempt to hold us off), and the frankly glorious sunshine.

Before we knew it we were round the last bend of the course by Prickwillow and on the 5km straight for home. With a cry of "take it home" our rate as well as our spirits rose as kilometer marker after kilometer marker fell behind us and the crews ahead grew closer and closer. Driven on by the Ghostbusters theme blasting from our on board speaker, we pressed on for the finish, "there's something strange in the neighbourhood" seemed rather fitting for our sculling by that point. With a bellow of adrenaline we pushed on to claim one last crew in the dying meters of the race, a blast of a horn, a collapse over our handles and with that the race was over.

Still looking remarkably fresh by the end for a 22km race.

Post race breakdown revealed not only had we rated a pretty consistent 28 nearly the whole way but also that we had won our category and placed 12th overall in a race containing all boat classes from singles through to eights. All that was left was to de-rig and collect our prizes: would it be a pot or maybe another medal to add to the collection? No, instead we had our pick of some fantastic foliage as the prizes were trees! Unfortunately the options of a Rowan or Crabapple were not available. With that, a lovely weekend was finished and we look forward to future races giving us wood when we win.

For anyone wishing to watch our race sped up here is the link.

MasC 2x Winners proudly displaying their wood.

Basil Amin

NEW MEMBERS

We would like to welcome the following new members to the Club:

Helen Poxon
Annie Jackson
Adam Tucker
Maura Mahoney
Sam Strong
Jack Mitchell
Mark Livingstone
Christian Butter
Rizz Cibiliovaite
Felix Craig-McFeely
Jamina Collington
Oliver Bailey
Matthew Horvat
Bob Sutherland

We hope you will enjoy being part of the London Rowing Club community and will help us build an ever happier and more successful club.

We are always pleased to have more members so, if you know of anyone who you think might like to join the Club, please either let us know or encourage them to get in touch with us themselves.

There is information on becoming a member on our website: https://www.londonrc.org.uk/membership-enquiries or you can contact the Club’s Membership Secretary, Jessica Salter, whose email address is: membership@londonrc.org .uk

Andrew Boyle
Honorary Secretary, London Rowing Club

CASAMAJOR

I am pleased to confirm latest Casamajor Club draw winners:

£75:

Simon Gurney

James Roslington

Michael Gormley

Ailing Green

Tom Westbrook (Wyfolds winner….)

Georgios Dimitropoulos

Richard Columbine

£30:

Rupert Hare

Tom Blackett

John Pearson

Mike Blogg

£15:

Chris von Patzelt

John Auber

WELCOME SASKIA GILL

Following Jessica Salter’s retirement at the end of August, I want to take this opportunity to welcome Saskia Gill to the editorial team of The London Roar.

As many of you will know, Saskia is a members of the Club’s Women’s Squad and has recently taken on the very important role of Membership Secretary. Part of her job is to help me produce the monthly newsletter.

Welcome Saskia. I am looking forward to working with you.

Miles Preston
LRC, Editor of The London Roar

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 using the following email address: 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