British Rowing Establishes Social Rowing League

British Rowing (South East Region) is in the process of establishing a new Social Rowing league.  The idea is to encourage participation in our sport and to provide access to a series of races for recreational clubs like ours. Recreational clubs or sections typically don’t enter the larger BR Regattas but would still like to participate in less daunting, shorter (300 meter?) races.

British rowing

Groups of clubs would take it in turn to organise and host what is essentially a round robin series of events. This would clearly avoid the need to transport boats (hosts to provide) and should ensure that both costs and the effort to organise can be kept to a minimum. Please note that participants would must be 18+ and be British Rowing Silver members

Because the British Rowing South East Region is so large, 4 semi-independent groups are being proposed. The GGBC would be a member of Group 1 along with Falcon, City of Oxford, Abingdon, Wallingford, Reading, Phyllis Court and Marlow RCs.

We have already indicated our interest in being part of this exciting initiative and an initial meeting of all Clubs will take place during the Weybridge Regatta on Sunday 2nd June 2013.  Geoff Arnold will attend this on behalf of the GGBC and will update you once things start to fall into place.

£10 challenge launch

Over the weekend we launched our ‘£10 challenge’ with a series of fun races, in our usual round the island format. It might be less than 3k, but racing in our restricted fours over that distance really makes you feel like you have had a workout, and racing turns are a skill that not enough rowers practice. Thanks to everyone who took part, and we look forward to all the Apprentice/Dragon’s Den style entrepreneurship!

Fundraising event
Out on the river
Fundraising event
Neck and neck
Fundraising event
Fundraising event
Fundraising event
Tucking in

 

Regatta planning meeting

Every year the club holds a unique Regatta at the water meadows in Streatley.

This year the Regatta is on the 20th July. It is a glorious mixture of events: a traditional Regatta, with serious, not so serious and some downright light-hearted, rowing; a country day out by the river, with craft stalls, country food, a really big beer tent, Pimms galore,  live music from local musicians and gazebos by the river; and a funfair and entertainment for the kids, both big and small!

Many club members participate in the Regatta as do many more people who just want the challenge, entry lists of 50 crews are usual! Their families can cheer from the meadows and congratulate/commiserate/revive exhausted sportsmen afterwards.

As you can imagine, this event, which attracts upwards of 3,000 happy people each year, takes some organising and willing hands to put on and run. . There are two categories of volunteer we are looking for, Firstly, those who can help the regatta chairman, Brian Barnes, with a couple of hours each week between now and July 20th as we plan, organise, book facilities, attract advertisers for the programme, deal with the local authorities and  generally prepare. Secondly, closer to the date, we will be looking for hands on volunteers to come down to the site for a couple of days beforehand and a single day afterwards, to help set up and dismantle our Regatta!

If you are interested in helping, we are holding a kick off meeting at the Elephant in Pangbourne at 7:30 next Thursday the 14th March. Here we will outline the tasks to be completed, direct our available talent in the appropriate direction and set out a draft timetable to the event. If you want to help but can’t come to the Elephant, please e-mail us (regattachairman@goringgapbc.org.uk) and let me know that you want to volunteer as soon as possible. Please also email us if you are coming, so we know how many to expect.

 

Rowing!

Amazingly enough, it looks like the river is, for the first weekend in a goldfishes memory, rowable. So come down and remind yourself what an oar looks like. Might be worth bringing wellies though, because the ground will be wet!