#stopthechopper

<insert lots of stuff about the start of the season, awesome nationals campaign, amazing learn to row program etc>

Right, now that's out of the way, let's get down to brass tacks.

You might read in the news that WARC is launching a gentle protest against a floating helicopter landing pad earmarked for a site 200m east of the club.

You can read all about it here and here. 

The reason we are launching this soft campaign is when the prospect was first mooted, we contacted the Swan River Trust and the company involved, Skyline Aviation, to ask if we could have the opportunity to have a bit of input. The former told us it was too early for comment, and the letter never responded.

Then this Tuesday, it went to the City of Perth for approval (they're not the approving body, it's just that their opinion is sought through the process). The notes provided to the City of Perth don't once mention rowers - but do mention cyclists and pedestrians. You can read all about it here.  The relevant section is on pages 11 and 12, or you can use the "find" function to search for "helicopter".

Our concerns are as follows:

• Operations starting at 7am is dangerous as choppers may be flying out over the river as athletes are returning close to the site. A start-time of 9am during the week and 11am on weekends would be much safer.
• The helipad needs to be appropriately lit. Brightly!
• Ideally it would move east somewhat so it is not in the middle of our 1500m training course, preferably back up near Point Frasier.

This is the little video* we put online to get attention. It worked - tonight it has been viewed almost 1000 times and seen by more than 2500 people:

From here, the matter will go to the Swan River Trust. We have contacted the SRT but not heard back at this stage. If you want to voice your view, you can contact them on planning@swanrivertrust.wa.gov.au (as mentioned in the video. They're probably hating us for this though!)

Of course, all this could have been avoided if at any point they'd looked at the river and thought "gee I wonder what impact causing strong winds on the water at 7am will have" and come to say "hi." With all the consultation done with us through the EQ, Barrack Square and deck grant projects, I would have had a sufficiently high profile to be taken into account.

Anyway, we'll keep you in the loop. We are confident we find an agreement through this process that will allow us to keep operating, it's just another of the very many hurdles WARC has jumped in more than 145 years of rowing. 

*Why video: Facebook metrics favours moving pictures above all other content, so if we're trying to get your attention, we'll use video. Otherwise, we'll just do normal picture and text posts!

General update

Our new jetty number

Welcome to the first blog update of 2015, the 110th birthday of the building.

There's a bit to discuss so get on board. 

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SR76

You may have noticed Wakeford's vinyl handywork on the back side of the club. This is to bring us into compliance with yet another river requirement - which is to have our jetty number clearly displayed. You may recall from a previous post SR76 was painted on the club, but was removed long ago. These numbers are supposed to be there, so don't mess with them.

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Australia Day

WARC will be part of the Perth Latin Festival on Australia Day, Monday January 26. There are limited tickets available, cost is $79.

https://www.facebook.com/PerthLatinFestival 

To buy a ticket:

https://tickets.myguestlist.com.au/v254acf44d318f5/skyshow-oz-day-fiesta/evs54acf44d331ea/ 

Please note: The entire building is closed to all but ticket holders for this event. If you want to come along, you will need to attend the ticketed event.

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BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series, Sunday Feb 1

WARC is hosting the third BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series Swim the Swan event on Sunday, February 2. This is a major event for the club and we provide a great deal of support for this high-profile event, which is also a major contributor to our bottom line. 

Volunteering and tasks:

Derigging: All inside riggers will need to be removed by Thursday, January 29. This means anyone rowing on Wednesday, Jan 28 and Thursday, Jan 29 need to spend some time derigging afterwards. I would like someone to coordinate this so if you're planning to be rowing on those days, please put your hand up to corral the troops into action. Let me know on president@warowingclub.org 

Speedboat drivers on Sunday, Feb 2: We need about 10 speedboat drivers to help marshall swimmers etc during the race. You need a skippers ticket and to bring a packed lunch, hat, sunscreen and anything else you want out on the water. Mobile phones for live tweeting the event are encouraged, of course. #swimtheswan email captain@warowingclub.org to sign up.

Barbecue, morning Sunday Feb 2: WARC will be hosting a sausage sizzle at the spectators and awards area on the Swan River foreshore for this event. Janet is coordinating and will be looking for barbecue experts. Email janetmcsmith@gmail.com to put your hand up.

A rhyme for rowers

Today is international day of the volunteer. I thought I'd put a thanks together in rhyme for all the stuff this club does.

Every day we scrub the deck

Resulting in stinky socks, what the heck

Patch the hull, mend the door

Replace the planks, mop the floor

Coach the noobs, meet the board

Enter the crews, check the dinghies are moored

Rig and derig and rig again

And derig and rig just to begin

Order new riggers, replace the shoes

Collect the names to put them in crews

Fill out tedious forms for cash

Drive someone to hospital due to a gash

Straighten the fin, check it is linear

Go down to Bunnings and pick up vinegar

Mix the fuel and make sure it’s two-stroke

Service the speedboats so they don’t choke

Beg for money from big corporates

Ask again and again until we feel murderous

Take names and numbers and forms and fees

Know your homepage is set to seabreeze

Measure and pitch and polish and label

Oil the ergos, make sure they’re stable

Cringe at the hefty insurance bill

Be careful so the fuel can’t spill

Fix the tap, plug the leak

Return the oars so Sam won’t freak

Tow the trailer in the morning

Help Bill Irvine fix an awning

It is this stuff that keeps Wests afloat

So we can all get out in a boat

Happy international day of the volunteer.

Educating the masses

Rowing WA hosted its first ever rowing conference this weekend, and we sent WARC coach and all-round-bogan-hero Jimmy O to learn some stuff.

This is what Jimmy had to report:

Nutrition 

Nutrition is a key ingredient for rowing well. All rowers need to make sure they are taking n enough fuel during the rowing season. This fuel is best found in carbs which are required to allow your body to recover after hard sessions. If you have special dietary requirements due to food allergies etc it may be important to speak to a nutritionist about how best to manage your situation and make sure your body can recover properly. Emily Eaton works part time with WAIS and has experience working with rowers and is a qualified nutritionist who also works in private practice. Her email is emily@nutrionworks.com.au or website www.nutritionworks.com.au.

(Ed note: The Vine above was not from Jimmy. That was the president learning to use new social media toys. Badly, I might add).

Volume:

Australian rowers don’t row enough. Nationally Rowing Australia has come to the realisation that our athletes don’t row enough distance to be competitive across multiple boat classes.

 As a result they are increasing the workload on National level athletes and this is likely to flow down to lower levels. As a result, for the club to be competitive next year we will need to increase the distances we are rowing. To do this in the same length of training session will require u to become more efficient in our stroke and provide greater speed.

Style/Technique:

There is no perfect style or technique! If you look at all of the current rowing world champions you will see a variety of rowing techniques and styles. The key thing all of these rowers do is move the boat well and they work together with the rest of the crew they are in. It is important that as rowers we work together and listen to the coach. This requires a compromise by all in the boat to help the boat move as fast as it can.

I learnt a few other things but I'm going to keep those under my hat for now.

- Jimmy.

So, that's the latest word from our senior coach.

On other things going on around the Club:

Parking and access

The never-ending Barrack Square works are ongoing and the western end of the service lane will be blocked on Monday and Tuesday. If you want to access the loading bay, you'll need to enter from the eastern end and reverse back out again. PLEASE don't drive on the bloody wooden planks, they're expensive and irritating to replace.

Jetty Inspection

The Department of Transport will be inspecting jetties on the Swan River in coming weeks. For the record, our jetty number is SR76, presumably meaning we were the 76th jetty to be registered on the Swan River. We'll be affixing this numeral to a visible spot on the river-facing side of the club. The ever-reliable Vos-dog did send through this pic where you can just see the requisite 76 to the right of the picture. He confessed he'd never known why it was there but this process has revealed yet another strange secret of WARC history.

(from left) the mostly naked person is Guy Negus, with Vossy (centre) and Clem Williams in the lemon-coloured shirt. 

Lots 9 & 10 at Elizabeth Quay:

I caught up with Stewart Johnston who is project manager for Lots 9 and 10 at Elizabeth Quay. I gave Stewart the run-down on the club, how long we've been here and how we operate. Stewart is now aware the City of Perth has given permission for Leighton Broad to build a second exit from the service lane to the east of the club (see previous post) which will negate the need for the rowing trailer to negotiate Barrack Square. Stewart is confident Fareast (the Ritz-Carlton site developer on Lot 10) and probably Brookfield (site 9) will support the retention of this additional exit throughout construction of their sites as well.

You can check out the details of the development here.

Welcome Daniel Tackenberg and Deirdre James

Luke Callier has left the position of CEO over at Rowing WA and Daniel Tackenberg has taken up the role. We're looking to invite Daniel to a famous Sassys breakfast soon to catch up and talk all things WARC. We'd also like to welcome the very accomplished Deirdre James. Deirdre will be taking up the position of functions manager here at WARC over the next few weeks as our beloved Stefanie travels through Europe. 

Bit of a monster blog today, so hope you got through it all. Happy rowing all and keep your eye out for a newsletter next week that will encompass upcoming events and the Chevron Work/Life balance event.

18,695km to Boston

To circumnavigate the globe, one must travel 40,075km. 

Given it is 18,695km one-way from the WA Rowing Club to the Charles River in Boston, it would be fair to say the West Australians who competed in this year's Head of the Charles were literally the ones who traveled the furthest to get there.

Want more proof?

Using this swanky online tool, the exact polar opposite of Boston is... out in the ocean off the south-west of WA. Check it:

So, I thought I'd take this opportunity just to put some perspective on the achievements of the Boston Four, their trusty addition Jules from Freo (who technically is further from Boston than WARC) and Kev.

Well done gang.

Length and drive, six and five

Over two separate weekends, more than 400 people came and visited WARC. It was a great chance not just to have new people come and visit the club, but for those who have not seen the inside of the club in a decade (or five) to come and reconnect with WARC and her athletes.

I was particularly thrilled to meet Esther Perozzi - a woman who, for most of my time at Wests, was nothing but a name on a boat. Esther told how they had spent weeks and weeks fundraisiung for the club so it wouldn't be closed during the 90s, and how the current condition of the deck was reminiscent of what the floor of the club itself was once like. Of course, we're hoping Esther comes back to row, and might bring back some of the other familiar names of Wests... like Andrea Smith (here's hoping you both read this blog).

Speaking of old WARC names, above is a picture we were sent this week from Jim Booker, who is the fine rowing specimen in six seat pictured above.

Jim wrote:

Hi Peta

To supplement the scanned copy of "The Poppet" dated 11.3.1968 I attach a West Australian photograph of the Maiden Eight Crew that went to Henley

• Cox            T. Scook
• Stroke        D.Ninham
• 7                 R.Spurling
• 6                 J. Booker
• 5                 R.House (who couldn't make the shoot was substituted on the day and his face photoshopped at WANP)
• 4                 R.Hambley
• 3                 R.Webber
• 2                 G.Power
• 1                 B.Smith 

Terry Scook's  Henley Report on page four and five of "The Poppet" described our valiant efforts.We weren't victorious but I'm sure we had a lot of fun.I vaguely recall some tight squeezes getting the boats through the very narrow archways of the many bridges on the course.

I can easily recall Terry's megaphoned shouts for "length and drive, six and five". Too bad it rhymed so well; it seemed to Richard House and myself that it was like a tune Terry couldn't get out of his head.  

Jim Booker

Take the weather with you

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, here is the gorgeous, beautiful, talented Angels Tsun reading the news from the balcony at WARC.

The WA Rowing Club has been quite the media starlet of late with appearances in the West, on Channel 7, and both ABC and 6PR radio stations.

We are thankful to all the journalists and media types who have taken an interest in our story, and even more grateful to more than 400 people who visited WARC during her open days, both Heritage and architecture-related.

The weather in this clip might be out of date, but Angela is still awesome.

And the award goes to...

The Annual Dinner on Friday night just gone was a kickarse event recognising the very (very) many of athletes who worked to make 2014 a stellar year.

We had a few interesting new highlights. Of course, Dean Neal's incomparable movie work was much anticipated and so we post it here for those who missed out. This amazing footage covers 16 regattas, from four different types of cameras, 831 video clips, and one fairly big edit for 12-minutes.

Sit back, put it on full-screen HD, crank the music and enjoy, we are so lucky to count Dean as one of our members.

We also need to recognise those who couldn't make it on the night. To Joe Morris, who got married - and some of his crewmates who were there to support him, congratulations.

To the Boston Four, you were certainly not forgotten on the evening and we look forward to a beverage or six when you get back.

And to Kevin Wall, who was in Sydney for the next Time Trial, we wished you the absolute best of luck.

To Rhett Ayliffe who recounted the power of motivation (as inscribed on a coaster), the challenges facing Western Australians to make it to the Olympics and his reflections on training and club life, we also thankyou (and say welcome back to WA!)

And to Janet, Amelia and Stef who organised the evening, fantastic work. I think the "Night Garden theme resulted in probably one of the best set-ups we've ever had. Congrats.

In terms of a photo gallery from the night, I'm sure we'll have more pix come trickling through in coming days. In the meantime, you can see photos from the night on Instagram by searching #warcdinner.

Now, here are the award-winners:

Most Improved Male Rower:

• Nominees: Jono and Lewis
• Winner: Scuba Steve Harman

Most Improved Female Rower:

• Nominees: Alison, Kirsty and Nan Sammut
• Winner: Lauren Reeves

Most Improved Sculler:

• Nominees: Dean Neal, Joe Morris, Peter Klemm
• Winner: Kirsty Augustson

Most Consistent Male Rower:

• Nominees: Joe Morris, Deano and Matt Cochran
• Winner: Darryl Salisbury

Most Consistent Female Rower

• Nominees: Kirsty Augustson, Deb Mason, Nel Austin
• Winner: NAN SAMMUT (needs caps, she was possibly the most stoked award winner we've ever had)

Most Consistent Sculler

• Nominees: Matt Cochran and Wakeford
• Winner: Nel Austin

Most Prominent Coxswain

• Nominees: Darryl Salisbury, Jono, Nel Austin
• Winner: Genevieve Vinciguerra

Young Member of the Year

• Nominees: Gen, Bella Lie and Lewis
• Winner: Jono Ashby

Club Member of the Year

All nominees received a coveted WARC gold (bowside) oar blade keyring in recognition of going above and beyond the call of duty.

• Nominees: Janet Smith, Jess Coyle, Matt Cochran, PBR
• Winners: Kirsty Augustson and Dean Neal

Best Rower of the Year

• Nominees: Hannah Vermeersch and Nel Austin
• Winner: Matt "Butz" Cochran

For the curious (basically Su Guy and Marie Limb who I know will read this post right to the end) the coaches gifts were a very speccy watch for Shaun from the women; and a carton of Emu Export for Jimmy plus a voucher of some description from the men; a pair of Tiffany earrings for Gen in recognition of her coxing; a set of George Jensen candlesticks for Wakeford for being captain which is, as we all know, a job for mugs.

(the Blog Boss isn't sure not sure what the development squad gave Deb and Nick but we're sure it was awesome.)

And I should give a special mention to Kirsty, who presented Shaun with his award and titled her speech about his exploits: "Redemption." Well done champ.

Until we do it all again in 2015,

Row well WARC.