News & Events
Sign-out procedure for club boats
8th November 2021
I am writing to update you on a new procedure for the signing out and usage of Cygnet boats being introduced from today, 7th November 2021. Please read below in full which explains the new Boat Log and the responsibility of crews, steers and coxes.
NEW BOATING SIGN OUT PROCEDURE: CYGNET BOAT LOG
You will now find a Cygnet Boat Log book in the Cygnet Changing Rooms (to be kept on the set of drawers by the door) which will be used for the signing out of all club boats during organised and independent outings from today.
The Boat Log applies to every class of club boat: 1x, 2-/x, 4 - / x / +, 8 + and will be used in addition to the Boatshop Whiteboard that will continue in the usual way.
It will be the responsibility of the Boat Steer / Cox to ensure the boat is signed out in the Boat Log before going afloat, and for signing back in once the boat has been cleaned, checked and returned to the rack.
The purpose of the new system is to allow the Captaincy and Committee to monitor club boat usage and for logging any issues, problems and damage to any boats for the awareness of other users. It will help us to keep track of when boats are in use to assist the maintenance of the fleet and keeping equipment in good working order. Any usage of club boats that is not logged in this way will be considered to be unauthorised usage.
The Log is self- explanatory and records all the information you would expect. It includes a section for recording any issues, incidents or damage to boats that have occurred or been noticed during the outing to flag to other crews of potential issues and problems.
Any damage or safety incidents that occur must also be brought to the attention of the Captain and recorded in the appropriate way:
- Safety Incidents: https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/spage-safety_matters-file_an_incident_report.html
- Report Damage: https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/ssform-facilities-the_fleet-report_damage.html
- If you are unsure which of the above to use or whether you need to make a report, simply contact The Captain for guidance or to flag an issue. I would much prefer to be notified and be made aware of minor or major issues than discover them or hear about it third hand.
It is the responsibility of all boat users to ensure that equipment is well looked after and left in an appropriate clean and usable condition and for any issues to be reported. The Steer/Cox as the named individual takes ultimate responsibility for this, in the same vein as responsibility for the safety and conduct of the boat whilst afloat.
Whilst the requirement to sign out using the Boat Log is mandatory for the usage of all club boats, this requirement does not apply to Privately Owned singles, but voluntary usage of the Boat Log is welcomed and encouraged, particularly for flagging any issues that happen on the river for the benefit of others.
As a timely reminder, there is a helpful section of the Cygnet website which provides an aide memoire for checks of boats that should be conducted pre- / post- outing.
I am grateful for the assistance from all club members in following this new procedure - I hope this will help us in keeping track and maintaining the standard and condition of our fleet for the benefit of us all. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime please do ask.
A copy of these instructions will be placed in the changing rooms for reference and included on the Club Website.
Best wishes,
The Captain
Malcolm Burman
27th September 2021
Malcolm James Burman
1951 - 2021
Shock and sadness greeted the news that Malcolm Burman had succumbed to a fatal heart attack on 15 September, barely a month after his 70th birthday. A larger-than-life character, Malcolm was a member of Cygnet Rowing Club for half a century, initially as a fit young blade, followed by a decade-long stint as club treasurer and latterly one of two independent examiners.
Malc, better known to his close rowing contemporaries as 'Big Malc' aka 'Beermeister', joined Cygnet in 1971. As a British Telecom employee, a privatised offshoot of the Post Office, he came closer than most to fulfilling the founder members' vision of a club intended primarily for employees of the General Post Office.
Lest his expanded girth of later years suggested otherwise, Malc was regarded as 'a real boat mover' in his day, initially rowing in a pair with life-long pal Mick Yetman, before settling into the engine room of the successful club Vllls of 1972-73 and 1977-78. Hard to imagine now, but in those days the crew weekly training regime found Malc pounding round the local gym, weightlifting and running through Richmond Park - shy and retiring he was not.
Remembered by his contemporaries as a 'gentle giant' who was rarely if ever riled, Malc was always generous with his time: Norman Cowling, among others, recalls a 'bedrock club man' who always took an interest in new members. 'Dusty' Miller, the first club historian, characterised Cygnet as 'ever a club to foster the social side'. Malc fitted that mould to a tee, striking the less than perfect balance between work, sport and play that we all readily identified with. Career development was never high on our list of priorities in those days.
An 'ale man' to his core, many anecdotes revolve around the demon drink. Fellow crew member Gary Fettis recalls an infamous trip to the West Country (regattas) during which 'much cider was taken' and one of their number ended up 'before the Beak'. Others recall the notorious Treen Avenue set (Dave Morgan, Steve Reeves et al) who were always on hand to lead Malc astray; needless to say, local hostelries were more than happy to oblige. Many a fitful night was spent on the legendary bus seats in the club bar, the last train or bus home having long since been missed.
Cygnet has always been a marriage bureau first and a rowing club second and the club duly delivered at the 1978 annual dinner dance when a chance rearrangement of the table plan found the future Mrs Malc strategically sat opposite Malc. By the end of the evening, it was clear that their individual quests for a life-long soul mate had reached a mutually satisfactory conclusion. Henceforward, (for Malc) the daily drudge of living hand-to-mouth on some dubious ready meals - the merits of tinned dog food had apparently been contemplated on one particularly impecunious occasion - and copious infusions of alcohol ceased.
Marriage and parenthood ensued, and the world was blessed with the Burman babes Rachel, Rheanna and Georgina, not to mention some more recent grandchildren. However, while rowing took a back seat, Malc found time to turn his auditor skills to the club treasury, conjuring up the necessary funds for new boats and blades, much to the collective relief of the captain (me) and expectant active members. A wise head on all things financial, Malc would later become a school bursar having taken early retirement from BT.
Retirement proper allowed Malc to concentrate on the things that really mattered namely family, living in a warm climate (Spain), the odd beer festival and the bi-annual canal trip with the likes of 'Warp' (Yetters), 'ngineer' (Wylie), 'Schedule' (Alan Cox) and 'Mumsy' (Rawks P). Life in Spain settled into an agreeable social rhythm; Malc's formidable grasp of general knowledge earned him a reputation as a mean quiz master among the expatriate community; and Cygnet receded into the background. However, fate has a habit of springing surprises and a spur-of-the-moment Spanish real estate purchase found club chairman Nick Wylie unknowingly taking up residence but a stone's throw from the Burman household. History does not record Mrs Malc's reaction!
Canal trips were Malc's guilty pleasure. Colloquially referred to as the 'Fat Bastards Canal Cruise', these trips were meticulously planned by Malc down to the last lock-mile with the day's mileage strictly adhered to between breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, opening and closing locks can be thirsty business and the so-called 'in betweenie' pint became a regular fixture of afternoon cruising, while an Indian restaurant was always de-rigeur for dinner, followed by a night cap on the poop deck. Those occasions often provided an opportunity to ponder the night sky - many a time airplane landing lights were mistaken for shooting stars or lost galaxies.
Unlike some crew members, Malc never 'lost form', a stabilising influence and the voice of reason until the end. Looking back over the years, one or other of the crew nearly always befell some accident on these trips, leading Malc to add 'A&Es' to the landmarks of note when planning the schedule. As he wryly remarked at the end of the last cruise in 2019 'it's nice to have finished the cruise with the same number of crew members we started with'. Sadly, the next cruise will start without its customary commander-in-chief - crew anarchy awaits.
Paul Rawkins (aka 'Mumsy), September 21
Spring 2022 Training Camp
27th September 2021
Dear all
By popular demand, I am very excited to announce plans for a Spring 2022 Training Camp, which we will be looking to hold between the Winter Heads and Summer Regatta Seasons in April next year on 6th-10th April 2022.
More details are below, along with instructions for signing up / expressing interest.
This will be a chance for four days of rowing, training and coaching with multiple outings to build fitness, develop as a squad and as crews and to refine technique for the summer season. A springboard for our regatta racing campaigns if you will.
We have an excellent venue lined up for the camp on quieter stretches of the Thames on the Berkshire-Oxfordshire border between Goring and Pangbourne. A chance to treat ourselves after the long slog of a winter of tideway rowing with the opportunity to enjoy some rowing a bit further afield and away from tideway conditions with training and coaching on and off the water.
The site is about an hour and a half from the club, just over an hour from central London by public transport, so very accessible. We plan on this being a residential training camp (as the name suggests). To get the most out of it, we are really looking for people to attend for the full camp period (rather than dropping in for a couple of days), so will require a couple of days annual leave / family cover. The camp is open to all abilities and would really encourage you to come along and join in.
Key Details
Arrival
Weds 6th April (Evening Arrival after work)
Training Camp Programme
Thurs - Sunday 3 and half days of training, rowing together with coaching on and off the water, developing as a squad and as crews
Return to Club
Sun 10th April (Afternoon)
Location
Pangbourne College Boat Club. Lovely quiet stretch of the Thames away from London with plenty of water time
Costs
Precise costs tbc. Less than £500 all inclusive
Sign up
What I need from you at this stage is an expression of interest to get a good idea of numbers to guide costs and accommodation requirements which will help us to firm up all the relevant details for you.
Please use the link to sign up / express your interest. If you know that you definitely cannot attend, please also complete this so we can get a good estimate of our likely numbers.
https://forms.gle/L5dRAWkjhnPD2yQGA
Any questions, please log via the form or email me directly to find out more.
Really hope as many of you as possible will be able to join in and participate in an enjoyable few days away with the Club and some great rowing. If you've read this far and would like a bit of a sneak peak and some inspiration, check out this link from a previous TSS training camp to get an idea of the waters and scenery on the Pangbourne waters.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Rupert
