News & Events
Cygnet Captaincy Update – April 2026
23rd April 2026
Evening all,
Now the Head season has come to a close, and we move into the regattas (the first being Hammersmith this weekend) I thought i would give a brief update from the captaincy.
Head season round up
Cygnet has fielded competitive 8+s in both Hammersmith Head and HORR, and a 4x in Vets Head. Hammersmith Head - 293rd and 11th in the division.HORR - 312th overall and 14th in the small club. Importantly though, as the crew passed the club they were overtaking the crew in front.Vets head - 6th in the OP D 4X-
Overall it was a fitting end to the head season, showing that the hard work in the shed has paid off, and set us up well for the summer (arguably more enjoyable) regatta season.Training update
Well done to all those who did a 2k last week, and for those that havent we will have another in a few weeks so no escape! Now the weather is improving, it has been great to see more of the squad down at the club ( "fair weather rowers" ) and look forward to this continuing throughout the summer season. Tuesday night sessions have returned, starting the 28th April. 7pm OTW, so please arrive before this (6.45). Note additionally, these sessions will only be ran with a minimum of a 4 man boat, so please sign up on fitclub.Scamp
Scamp will be held over the weekend of 5th – 7th June, to coincide with Walton and Weybridge regatta. More details on specifics to follow, but please mark the diary.Dates for the diary
- Boat naming ceremony 23rd May
- Scamp 5th-7th June
- Cygnet OGM 19th July
Please continue to update on fitclub your availability for the various regattas, outlined in the below email chain.Learn to Row
The club is looking to run a learn to row course during the summer/early autumn, but require volunteers to help run this! It is a great way to get to meet the new members, and encourage the next crop of Cygnets. Of course you will be supported by the wider Cygnet captaincy and coaching, but please let me know if you want to help out with running this process/want to know more information of what's involved.Club admin
I have been informed there are some outstanding subs and races fees - please can you settle up with our treasurer (or via our website), before naming and shaming begins...Thank you if you have managed to get to the bottom of this email, hugely appreciated!
As ever, please don't hesitate to speak/message me on any thoughts at allJordan
John Simkins
30th March 2026
John Simkins, 1948 – 2026
John Simkins, who has died at the age of 78, joined Cygnet in early 1974. If truth were told, he always regarded rowing as something of an elitist sport, yet as a British Telecom (tunnelling) engineer he perfectly matched the original criteria for Cygnet membership – an employee of the Post Office.
In contrast to the late 60s and early 70s, when graduate civil servants featured prominently among new intakes, Simkins (as he was invariably known) and his cohort were painters and decorators, electricians, plumbers and engineers. While tunnelling was not in high demand, John wasted no time in applying his skills to overhauling the boat trailer, painting the changing room and refurbishing the showers, ably assisted by his contemporaries, among them Noel Durkin, Peter Grebot, Jack Phillips, Nick Wylie and Dave Wynne.
Perhaps somewhat to John’s surprise, he rapidly developed an affinity for rowing. An early triumph was the Len Freeman Cup Novice lVs event in April 1975 which had attracted twelve entries. In the event, John stroked his crew (Messrs Wylie, Wynne and Phillips) to a four-length win, a performance that would be matched in other club events like the Balfour Fours. These were halcyon days: Phil Beckett and Wylie recall carefree outings on summer evenings coached by Alan Azzaro, followed by lengthy debriefings in the club bar afterwards. Beer and, for a short experimental period, wine flowed late into the night.
Winter training presented its own challenges, inviting suggestions of certain lifestyle changes such as moderating one’s alcoholic intake and giving up smoking. For a committed pipe smoker like Simkins, this was out of the question and he never acquiesced, notwithstanding missives from on high. Thus, minutes of a committee meeting in February 1976 noted that the captain suggested, to general agreement, that smoking in the showers and the changing room was undesirable. A notice making the committee’s view clear was duly posted (and firmly observed in the breach).
Despite this breach of etiquette, by now it was becoming clear that Simkins was seen as a safe pair of hands, always a bad sign in a bureaucracy-bound club like Cygnet, and by 1976 he had been sucked into the committee. Little did he know that he would be on fast track to higher office. Late 1976 found the club with a pool of 20+ senior C oarsmen, an iconic coach (George Plumtree) and a contested captaincy election. In the event, Richard du Parcq defeated John Bull to become captain, John stepped in as deputy and Nick Wylie as vice. And so, the stage was set for the Plumtree Years.
Throughout 1977–78, John rowed in the powerhouse of the Plumtree VIII (Pictured below at four in the senior C pennant winning VIII of 1977) while acting as George’s all-important point man, taking the pulse of the crew and conducting a delicate balancing act between coach and captain. Nothing less than six days training a week would do and John ensured that we all kept up to the mark, although he loathed doing sprint runs (in wellington boots) to the band stand and back before outings.
Nevertheless, the training paid off, and a bunch of rookie senior Cs ascended through the ranks to senior A by the close of 1978, having made two appearances in Thames Cup at Henley Royal along the way. John more than played his part, rebuilding the Joe Lee, an anachronism of a boat (pictured below), convincing a wavering crew to enter Henley in 1977 and pushing hard for a new boat – a state-of-the-art Carbocraft no less – in 1978.
When Alan Azzaro stepped down as captain in late 1978, John was the obvious choice for the job; he was joined by Richard Kemball-Cook (deputy) and Phil Beckett (vice). The victory years of 1977–78 were a hard act to follow and 1979 proved to be an uneventful year on the water, yet John kept the show on the road with the same steadying hand he always displayed.
By the mid-1980s, a romantic interest (Gill) found him transferring his allegiance to Auriol Kensington Rowing Club where he swiftly ended up with the task of secretary of Hammersmith Regatta. One of his last appearances on the water at Cygnet was in the 1990 Business Houses Head (pictured below, John third from right, back row) when the club marked its centenary with a captains’ VIII.
Sadly, ill health led to Gill’s untimely demise. John took redundancy from BT, started a boat chandlery business in St Neots and qualified as a gas engineer to ‘MOT’ pleasure boats. Somewhere along the way, he met Christine; they married in 2000 and emigrated to Portugal where he ended his days. Christine predeceased him. We are grateful to John’s niece, Lorraine, for informing us of his passing. John’s funeral was held in Portugal on 19 February. There will be a private customary sprinkling of his ashes on the Thames at some point, followed by a memorial gathering later in the year.
As fellow Cygnet member Rod Beer commented on being informed of John’s demise, he was an unassuming soul who loved his rowing and the Club. Whatever else, he surely hid his light under a bushel.
Paul Rawkins, 27 March 2026
Cygnet Captaincy Update – February 2026
20th February 2026
Afternoon All
It's been a while since I've sent any emails around, so – thought it was about time – lots of dates so calendars at the ready please!
First of all its been great seeing the shed so full over the last few weeks – we have a great structured plan in place at the moment, so absolutely encourage everyone to continue to commit to the shed sessions, and I'm confident we will see the rewards in the summer when we spend more time on the water.Key dates for the diary
As promised, this is a provisional regatta plan for the summer - please hold in your diaries to avoid any unfortunate clashes!- HORR 28th March
- Hammersmith Regatta 25th April
- Chiswick Regatta 2nd May
- Borne at Chiswick Regatta 9th May
- Peterborough Regatta 30th May
- Walton and Weybridge Regatta 6th June
- Barnes and Mortlake Regatta 13th June
- Marlow Regatta 20th June
- Kingston Regatta 11th July
- St Neots Regatta 26th July
- Henley T&V 1st August
7th March
A group of 4 civil servants ("Team Ordinary") will be joining us for some rowing training, as part of their preparation of rowing the Atlantic! More details to follow, but please make every effort to make yourself available to row with them.Weekend of the 28th March
As per tradition our German friends, from Benrath, will be racing in Vets HORR and so please come down and show your support/grab a beer afterwards.Reminder
With the upcoming tideway head races, please help with volunteering for the boating - this generates vital funds for the joint clubs and so all volunteering is hugely appreciated! See link to sign up - Tideway Head Races - Boating & Catering Volunteers 2025/26 - Google Sheets
Thames Rowing Tour
A message from our President has asked if anyone is interested in the Thames Rowing Tour 13–15th July. This involves rowing from Windsor to Weybridge in boats similar to the Rheine Marathon. Currently there is a contingent of five Benrath members and various Cygnets. Please can you let Nick know if you are interested in this!.That's all from me. As ever drop me a message/email if you have any thoughts or ideas that you'd like to share.
Thanks
JordanColin Dominy
23rd January 2026
Colin Dominy, 1936 – 2026
Earlier this month, Lynne Dominy wrote to the club to inform us that her uncle, Colin Dominy, had passed away on 3rd January. He was just weeks short of his 90th birthday.
Colin joined Cygnet in 1954 at the tender age of 17 having just come to London to take up employment as a civil servant with the Air Ministry. On his application form, which we still have, in answer to the question ‘Previous Rowing Club’ he proudly wrote NONE. Yet he took to the Thames like a fish to water and would become one of the most experienced and sought after coxswains on the Tideway.
Colin counted the likes of Mike Arnold-Gillat, Barney Frith, Derek Bush, John Ellis, Len Hoskins, Len Huggett and Peter Roche among his contemporaries. They were the club stalwarts of their day who would pass the Cygnet ethos on to new members. One way or another, they would all leave their mark on the club and Colin was no exception. Indeed, flicking through the index of C H Genever Watling’s write up of the club history from 1950-76, no member receives more mentions than Colin Dominy.
Two members – Norman Cowling and Lawrence McVeigh – were kind enough to share their extensive memories of Colin with me. Both recall an individual who may have been short of stature but was utterly dedicated in everything he did whether it be coxing, rowing or cross-country running. Norman opined that he was literally a light weight, but in every other way a heavy weight with a determination to win. Lawrence concurred: he was an excellent cox and could be fairly aggressive in a race, particularly if he felt he could get one over on an opposing crew.
Colin first rose to prominence in the second half of the 1950s when Cygnet was enjoying something of a resurgence following a lean patch during the early post war years. Thus, in 1956, a ‘junior’/’junior-senior’ Vlll won a string of victories with Colin at the helm. Further victories would follow, many captured in the club’s photo archives with Colin invariably sat centre stage. By the end of the fifties, Cygnet could look back on its most successful period since the thirties: the club had undoubtedly won more events in the junior and junior senior Vllls class than ever before and Colin had had a hand in most of them, variously coxing and coaching.
The 1960s were nowhere near as successful as the previous decade. With competitive Cygnet crews few and far between, in 1965 Colin accepted an invitation to cox Nautilus, the forerunner of the National Squad, coached by George Plumtree, rowing out of Twickenham RC. Lawrence recollects: Colin’s first contribution was coxing a brand-new Stampfli lV+ doing a piece in the cut inside Eel Pie Island when a boat appeared unexpectedly and took the bows off completely. He was embarrassed but they didn’t throw him out. Nautilus had its moments, winning The Golden Oar in Antwerp among other international events, but it never fully lived up to expectations and by the late 1960s Colin was back in the Cygnet fold, becoming club captain in 1968-69.
Rowing was never the be-all and end-all for Colin; he was also a very fast runner. In an era when running was a central feature of winter training, he regularly led the pack on Tuesday and Thursday evening laps round the bridges or through Richmond Park. An indispensable team participant in the Oarsmen’s Cross Country organized by Black Heath Harriers, he usually led the Cygnet contingent home, not least in 1969 when Cygnet won the event outright.
No obituary of Colin would be complete without mention of his wife Isobel pictured here at a Cygnet dinner dance in the 1960s. Lawrence claims a small part in this union: I invited Isobel and some other young women I knew through work down to a Cygnet party and the Civil Service Boathouse worked its usual magic. ‘Issy’ took up rowing at St George’s, who also rowed out of the CSBH at this time, and they were married in 1967. As Norman notes, together they were a formidable rowing couple in the boathouse.
By the time I joined Cygnet in the early 1970s, being piloted by Colin was a rite of passage for any self-respecting crew and they all trusted him implicitly. Yet, like every cox, Colin yearned to row. And so it was, in 1974-75, that Colin joined myself, my brother Andy and Steve Reeves in a novice lV that would win the non-status John Cork Cup before securing the ‘real thing’ at Barnes & Mortlake regatta. Norman recalls: I remember the pleasure everyone took when he won novice fours. The trophy was huge and we refilled it many times.
Being a lightweight could have its drawbacks. Thus, on one occasion, while rowing bow in an Vlll he caught a humongous crab which lifted him out of his seat and catapulted him the length of the Vlll. As he sailed over our heads, the rest of us reflected that there must be easier ways to conduct seat trials. Yet, true to form, Colin took it all in his stride and simply added the episode to his rich tapestry of a life afloat.
Colin would remain in evidence at Cygnet until the 1980s when the Civil Service Boathouse Executive asked St George’s to look for new premises. They settled on Twickenham RC and Colin and ‘Issy’ duly relocated with them before upping sticks again to Caversham where he joined Reading RC for a time. In later years, he took up golf, playing regularly with local friends.
Colin and ‘Issy’ were both early supporters of Henley Women’s Regatta and contributed financially to its success. He also attended the Cygnet Veteran’s Lunch at Leander, happily conversing with ‘old hands’ over a beer or two, but never staying to dine. After ‘Issy’ died he moved into sheltered accommodation in Reading for a time, while continuing to play golf. His twilight years were spent in Tisbury in Wiltshire, his birthplace, where he moved to be nearer to his family.
Coxswains come and go, but few display the longevity, commitment and sheer skill that Colin Dominy did. He was one of a kind and Cygnet was lucky to have him. His funeral will be held on Thursday 29th January at 2pm at Salisbury Crematorium, Barrington Road, Salisbury SP1 3JB.
Paul Rawkins, 23rd January 2026 (with thanks to Lawrence McVeigh and Norman Cowling)
Captain's update – November 2025
22nd November 2025
Just a small update and key points from the captaincy:
Fours Head weekend
Well done to those who raced, it was tricky conditions at times so a very solid effort for everyone involved. This forms a very solid base to shift our focus to Head of the River in March. I’m excited and cautiously optimistic we may be able to get two 8s into it – selection will be based off training, scores achieved and technical progress over the next few months.5k Test
Monday 8th December evening – we'll use this as a base and then go again in February (date tbc) to assess progress over winter, and inform our crew selections for HORR.Help with LTR Grads
Huge thanks to everyone who has helped so far, but for the upcoming sessions please can everyone help with signing up to support in the boat or in the shed. This is especially the case for recent LTR grads themselves. Our aim for our new cohort will be to race in Plum Puddings in late December, so they need all the support we can provide, see link emailed by the captain.Breakfast club
Friday morning ergs – 7am start. Noticed we are lacking fitness and an extra session on the erg, before work each week will really help with this. Someone will provide some sort of breakfast after for those who want it, on a rota basis. Please sign up on FitClub.BBL/Cygnet Xmas Party
As per Charles’ email, it is a very fun night which BBL kindly organise. The more Cygnets there the better! Please see the (emailed) link to sign up and pay.As always please reach out on any thoughts/feelings.
Thanks all,
JordanJohn Ellis
26th September 2025
John Ellis, 1933 – 2025
Not everybody craves the limelight; some like John Ellis, who died on the evening of 8th September aged 92, are destined to play a support role, and so it was that John often appeared alongside his wife Dame Diana Ellis, chair of British Rowing, at countless official events throughout her long term of office.
Although Cygnet was the main civil service rowing club post war, there were others, among them Crescent, another post office club based on the River Lee. Throughout the 1950s and 60s Crescent would often field crews for the annual civil service regatta, frequently walking away with the silver. For some Crescent members like John Ellis and Len Huggett, the draw of the Tideway was hard to resist and both would defect to Cygnet in the late 1950s.
John may not have been a noisy individual but, as Lawrence McVeigh remembers, he was a successful Cygnet stroke, noted for his long, graceful smooth technique. Thus, the early 1960s found John rowing in several club eights at a host of Tideway regattas and the Serpentine. In due course, John met Di, a fellow stroke, rowing for St George’s, who also boated from the civil service boathouse (and stroked the GB Women’s Vlll at the European Championships in 1966) and another successful matrimonial union was struck.
John, probably wisely, never quite succumbed to the Last of the Summer Wine set, which met at the boathouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, John and Len Huggett remained lifelong pals, often meeting up during retirement, Len ever full of bonhomie and John always on hand to see him safely home. It was a tried and tested combination. On those rare occasions when John put his head above the parapet, so to speak, it was usually at the annual president’s lunch at Henley or the veterans lunch at Leander, both of which provided the few picture opportunities that we have of John.
Di passed away in 2017 and John spent his last few years in a care home in Sussex. He is survived by a daughter, Claire and grandchildren Dan & Joe. The funeral will be held at 12.00 on 10th October at Wealden Crematorium, Horam Road, Horam, East Sussex TN21 0FX.
Paul Rawkins, 25th September 2025
Richard du Parcq
4th September 2025
Dr Richard du Parcq, 1943–2025
George Bernard Shaw memorably wrote I’m sorry this letter is so long. I didn’t have time to write a short one. Richard du Parcq, du P to his friends, who died on 25 August at the age of 82, took this famous utterance to new heights or perhaps lengths. He was completely incapable of writing a short email, still less mastering an answerphone. Zoom presented a whole new set of challenges, while firewalls, malware and the like simply defied comprehension.
Richard first encountered email in 1994; thousands of electronic missives would follow, each imprinted with his own unique turn of phrase, always running to many paragraphs, often tangential to the topic in hand. Thankfully, I rarely deleted them; they form a rich tapestry of his life, not to mention an invaluable aide memoire to writing this obituary.
About a month before he died, Richard wrote to the secretary at Cygnet informing him that he would be unable to attend the forthcoming ordinary general meeting. Typically, he went into further detail, describing himself as a well-disposed old fart, living just across the river, active 1968-1990s, who now has a mystery set of medical symptoms which has been puzzling Kingston Hospital once or twice a week in recent months. His symptoms would defy diagnosis until very late in the day, yet he had nothing but praise for the fifty-something professionals from every corner of the globe who had ministered to him, reflecting that just now, I find it hard to argue against immigration.
As it happened, the date of the OGM – 23 July – was a poignant one, coming just a week after Richard’s 56th anniversary as a member of Cygnet. His application form, dated 16 July 1969, informed the membership secretary that his full name was Richard Poole du Parcq, living in a basement on Kennington Road SE11, while gainfully employed in the Management Services Department of the Metropolitan Police, where he would remain for the whole of his working life. He listed his previous rowing club as Exeter College, Oxford.
Richard was born in 1943 in Godalming, Surrey, the eldest child of John and Ann du Parcq. Growing up in an academic household, he seems to have been a studious child who steered well clear of most sport, especially rugby while at Cheltenham College. In 1961, he went up to Oxford, where he would spend the next seven years studying his mother’s subject (chemistry) at his father’s college (Exeter), emerging with a PhD in 1968. Yet his formidable intellect betrayed an enduring love for English and History.
Life at Oxford had many compensations. It was here that he developed his passion for rowing, while making lifelong friends of Phil Beckett and Neil Jackson (also Cygnet members), among others, as well as starring in a notorious episode of University Challenge with Stanley Johnson, inviting a strong rebuke from quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne for unscholarly behaviour towards the opposing team.
Richard was never under any illusion that he would make the blue boat. In his own words: my rowing owed more to enthusiasm, and great love of the sport, than to physique or any innate ability. Nevertheless, 1962 found him rowing in the college’s second VIII; by 1963 he had graduated to the first VIII, stroked by Phil Beckett, rowing in open competition at Reading and Marlow. Longer acts of endurance followed in the Boston Marathon in 1964 and ’66. In those days, it was customary to preseason at Leander, where he recalled sharing a shower with Jack Beresford of 1936 Olympic gold medal fame. Their paths would cross again in the Tommy Steele movie ‘Half a Sixpence’, when Richard played a bankside extra at Henley and Beresford an umpire.
Richard joined Cygnet – the best rowing club in the world – a time when it was starting to draw away from its post office roots, attracting a new wave of graduates. Among them was Normal Cowling who recalled: he (Richard) was the spare man for the 1972 Thames Cup VIII, a difficult role that he carried out with good grace and humour. After Henley he came back into the eight and was a key man in picking up some consolation pots (to add to his coveted novice IVs win at Worcester earlier in the year). Further consolation followed with a star appearance in an advertising feature afloat for Double Diamond; said to work wonders, it was no match for Richard’s lethal homemade wines.
Older hands at Cygnet are fond of quipping that Cygnet is a marriage bureau masquerading as a rowing club. Richard rarely let his work interfere with life outside the office and he was unaware of a colleague, Diane Clark, who worked at Scotland Yard concurrently. Yet fate was already on the case: Diane rowed at Chiswick for the Civil Service Ladies Rowing Club and their paths would duly cross in the bar après rowing. They married in 1973 after a stag night that appeared to go on for days (when it was not fashionable), setting up home in Barnes and begetting five children (and six grandchildren) during 52 years of marriage.
None of the children shared their parents’ love of rowing, but they all have fond memories of terrorising the club on a Sunday morning while awaiting their parents’ return from their respective outings. Yet all appreciate the overarching role rowing played in their father’s life. Phoebe du Parcq opines: The rowing club encapsulated so much of what was important to dad – a community that welcomed everyone and built on a shared set of values.
What Richard may have lacked in physical attributes on the water, he more than made up for on land, serving as captain twice (1979, 1989–90), along with long stints as secretary, treasurer and committee member, interspersed with coaching, coxing and even gym instruction. His enduring legacy will be the Ten-Year Boat Buying Programme which he devised in 1979. This would transform the club’s fleet from what we jokingly used to refer to as firewood into one of the best stocked boat clubs on the Tideway, one of which was named after him. A Civil Service Merit Award would follow in the 2000s for long service to sport and recreation in the public sector.
He will be remembered, too, for his high-brow coxing commands such as four, I fear you are the architect of your own misfortunes, which often drew a blank from the hapless recipient, but a wry smile from the rest of the crew. A Tideway Scullers veteran VIII who he coxed a few times, regarded him as the most entertaining coxswain on the Tideway and he was much in demand for the annual Speaker’s Summer Regatta between Lambeth and Westminster Bridges. Wistfully recollecting the 1986 event, he noted: The racing was rubbish, but I did see ex-prime minister James Callaghan falling in and there was plenty of freebie drinking afterwards on parliament’s terrace.
Richard’s talents were not confined to Cygnet. He also spent 35 years ‘before the flag’ as a licensed umpire before I lost my rag with the National Competition Committee. In one sense, the role of umpire suited him perfectly – he knew the rule book inside out; however, the practical side sometimes proved more of a challenge – he once started an VIIIs race that overtook the previous race causing some consternation at the finish. Still, such occurrences were mere hiccups along the way and in 2022 British Rowing presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the sport. Receiving it, Richard mused this may represent respectability ... something I haven’t always craved.
Be that as it may, the award also recognised the 18 years (2005-22) he had devoted as Entries Secretary of the Fours Head. Entries for this event always far exceed the number of spaces available resulting in endless instances of ‘special pleading’ night and day as the closing date approaches. The du Parcq household fielded these resolutely, knowing that such pleas were futile. As fellow Fours Head committee member Helen Smalman-Smith remembers, Richard was always firm and never unfair, showing inexhaustible patience in gently enlightening the confused. Entries-related correspondence has been much duller since he retired and certainly includes less Latin.
Richard’s life was not defined solely by rowing. Family life absorbed much of his time, and he would often regale us with their antics. Phoebe recalls that driving holidays and camping were the mainstay of du Parcq summers, but because of his pathological fear of motorways they always went the scenic route. Yet Richard was game for most things: Phil Beckett related how he ran 24 road marathons, including one in New York and another where he visited every public lavatory in south London due to an untimely upset stomach. In 2013 he joined others in a valiant attempt to scale Kilimanjaro for charity. At a more mundane level, he was always on hand for club bungalow working parties: he may have displayed no obvious DIY skills, but his stream of anecdotes was priceless.
Richard never missed a funeral if he could help it, travelling the length and breadth of the country in his stripy club blazer to bid a last farewell to the great and good of Cygnet and BBLRC. At Ann Southey’s funeral last year, he set a new trend appearing in his carpet slippers, which had escaped Di’s attention before they set off. His own funeral promises to be a tightly choereographed affair, right down to the last hymn. It will take place at St Mary’s, Barnes, a church Richard regularly attended – unless the hymns weren’t up to scratch – and one where he fulfilled the role of treasurer on the Parochial Church Council for some years.
Finally, as club historian I have written countless obituaries over the last decade. Each and every one of those benefitted from Richard’s meticulous proof reading and pearls of wisdom. It is doubtful whether this one would pass muster; hopefully, readers will excuse stray Oxford commas here and there.
Paul Rawkins, 2 September 2025
You are warmly invited to join us in remembering and celebrating the life of Richard du Parcq on Friday 19th September 2025 at 3:00 PM at St Mary’s Church, Barnes. Following the service, a private committal will take place at the crematorium for family and close friends. All are welcome to gather for refreshments and remembrance from 4:00 PM at The Coach and Horses on Barnes High Street.
Please feel free to wear something that reflects your relationship with Richard, for example club blazer or college tie. No flowers, please. Donations, if desired, may be made to The Amyloidosis Research Fund at The Royal Free Charity in memory of Richard du Parcq. Your presence and support are greatly appreciated.
Captaincy update – August 2025 (from your new captain)
27th August 2025
Hello All,
I hope we are all enjoying an extremely well-earned rest!
As my first email to the wider group, I just wanted to share some initial thoughts and plans for the upcoming months. First of all I would like to thank Dom and the outgoing captaincy for all of the hard work they have put in over the last year, and time spent helping me in the last few weeks – it's been thoroughly appreciated. We are certainly in a great place as a club and I really hope we can build on this and achieve even more success this upcoming year.
On this topic, I would like to congratulate all of the squad that raced at Henley T&V regatta, where there was some very competitive across the board. A particular congratulation to Tom and Dom in the 2- who beat the RAF, and won their category.
Looking forward to the upcoming months, we please look at the following key dates for your diary and sign up on fitclub accordingly. Note, the sooner you're able to sign up we will be able to set up some crews - and as shown across the summer, apparently training together makes you go faster!
- Scullers Head 28th September
- Pairs Head 4th October
- Upper Thames Head 26th October
- Fours Head 15th November
- Vets Fours Head 16th November
- Walton Small Boats Head 6th December
- Plum Puddings 13th December
- Quintin Head 25th January
- Head of the Nene 7th February
- Henley Fours and Eights Head 14th February
- Hammersmith Head 28th February
- Head of the River 28th March
These are head races that we have identified as possible targets to make the Head racing season slightly more exciting, and less "Shed based" - and as some are off Tideway we will have to plan accordingly. Please sign up on FitClub, and we can get planning.On the topic of the shed, training will return a proper from the first week of September. We will move our midweek sessions back into the shed - with weights on Mondays and an "exciting" erg on Wednesday. As long as the weather complies, we will keep our weekend sessions on the water where possible. Its worth mentioning, a key reason why there was success at Cygnet during the regatta season, and one of our best HORR results for years, was due to the hard work put in in the Shed, so i encourage everyone to build on this platform and put in the effort this Autumn and Winter.
Other dates for the diary
- End of season dinner
You should have already signed up for this, where on Fri 29th August will be our end of season dinner to come together as a club and celebrate our success this year. - Scamp 5th - 7th September
Its looking likely, due to sign ups, that we wont go to the Bungalow but instead go for a long row to Richmond and back, please look out for further comms on this. - Learn to Row
LTR is back for 6 weeks, from the 8th of September, where we will need volunteers to help support our new intake of LTR participants - please look out for further comms on this. - Team Ordinary Session
A crew of civil servants rowing the Atlantic, are coming down to our boat house so we can help them with rowing technique/take them for an outing. Please sign up on fitclub to help out. Date: Wednesday 10th September, AM. Please see the link to their website - The Oardinary Crew - Sun 14th September - Cygnet and BBL joint club day
This will involve some mixed races and a BBQ. Further details to follow.
Thank you to anyone who has got this far down the email - I will endeavur to be more succinct going forward.
I hope these restful few weeks has made everyone as excited about the year ahead as I am.
Thanks
JordanCaptain's update, 13th July
15th July 2025
Mea culpa, I haven't done a squad update in a while but as the below shows, it has been a busy summer! 3 months of intensive regatta racing, brilliant training, and the odd social beer(s) means that time has flown.
Regatta summary
I won't go through every regatta in detail, but a big shout-out to everyone who has committed to the squad during the summer season. We have progressed leaps and bounds, building on the engines we built during the winter in the gym to excellent improvement on the water in the summer.
The regatta season started with Hammersmith in late April, where we had a 4+ and a 4x- race very competitively, but ultimately both lost to the eventual winners. It was the first regatta for many, and good dusting off the cobwebs for everyone else. We then had a few race at Chiswick in early May, before a great day's racing at Peterborough later in the month - with the Tom/Dom pair reaching the final in a competitive pairs field, ultimately just being outdone at the last hurdle.June saw us compete at Walton & Weybridge in a 4x-, before a bumper entry at Barnes and Mortlake where again we were within just feet of winning both the 4+ and the 4x-. Annoying but it showed the progress we had made over the summer. A quick lessons-learnt and on we marched to Kingston....
And Kingston saw us get our first win of the season, in a high-calibre coxless four category - with wins against Maidenhead and UCL/Bentham in the final. A particular well done to Benjy, Jordan and Tom for their first win in Cygent lycra!We have one regatta left, Henley Town and Visitors on 2 August. We have a bumper entry across pairs, fours and an eight, and so it represents a great chance to go out with a bang!
S'camp
A key part of the squad's improvement has been a very successful "S'camp" weekend at the bungalow. Particular thanks to Tom and others who led on organising it - a massive success. I love the bungalow - a great chance to just row (oh, and drink the odd beer...) - but particularly this year where it was a lot of people's first time visiting. We are planning our next trip for early September so please do sign up on Fitclub so we can start organising accordingly!
Social
It has also been a great period for squad socials - none better than our weekend celebrating 60 years of the relationship with our German partner club, Benrath. The highlight was the Friday at Henley Royal Regatta - our annual social on steroids! Particular thanks to Neil and all others who organised the event - I think it is fair to say everyone enjoyed it!
OGM
Finally, there is the club OGM on Wednesday 23 July at 8pm after the squad training session. Please do come if you can - we will be taking a vote on buying a new boat (a coxed four) and also be voting in a new captaincy. It has been a pleasure being the Captain of Cygnet for the past 12 months - do let me know if you are interested and want to discuss it in more detail.
Onwards!
Regatta Crews
Hammersmith Regatta
4+ Clara, Jim A, Tom C, Dom M, Jordan H
4x- Benjy H, Theo T, Ollie R, Mustafa OChiswick
2x-: Ollie R, Mustafa OPeterborough
2- Dom M, Tom CWalton and Weybridge
4x- Charles J, Peter R, Jordan H, Benjy HBarnes and Mortlake
4+ Clara, Dom M, Tom C, Mickey W, Jordan H
4x- Charles J, Ollie R, Peter R, Will P
4x- Mustafa O, Octavian P, Alex H, Martin DKingston
4x- Charles J, Ollie R, Peter R, Will P
4- Dom M, Tom C, Benjy H, Jordan H (Win)Captain's update, 28th April
28th April 2025
Morning team!
And the summer racing season begins!
It’s been a very good month for us, building on the back of HORR. We’ve followed it up with some very strong 2k tests with PBs for the vast majority of the squad. We’ve established strong racing crews and done our first regatta.
We had two entries into Hammersmith this Saturday. The 4+ of Clara, Jim, Jordan, Dom and Tom C lost to the eventual winners of the event (UCL), and the 4x- of Benjy, Ollie, Theo and Mustafa gave a very respectable performance in the final, losing narrowly to London RC . We will build on this and be back stronger!
Thanks also to everyone who helped at the club day on Saturday. The boathouse and surrounding area are looking much better!
Looking ahead, we have a couple of crews entered into Chiswick regatta this Saturday- good luck! There is then a bit of a gap because a couple of events were cancelled. Please could you all detail your availability on the squad WhatsApp group poll with the regattas you can do so that I can plan crews again in advance.
I’m also really looking forward to s’camp in a few weeks time at the start of June. This is a great weekend and more detail is on Tom’s email or on the website here. The downside is organisation is required so please do help us by signing up asap, and do just ask if you have any questions!
Onwards,
DomCaptain's Update, 31st March
31st March 2025
Morning team
What a month! Apologies firstly - I hadn’t realised it had been so long since I last sent an update but it’s been a very busy March!
Head of the River – well done to the racing crew. There was great commitment from the whole crew which saw us overtake several crews and come 4/10 in our category. I’m pretty confident in saying this is the best Cygnet result for over ten years. I told you all that pesky work in the shed would pay off!
I’d also like to say thank you to all who volunteered over the weekend. These things don’t just happen, from launch drivers to directing 60+crews – it was a phenomenal effort. Particular thanks to those who were on hand to help during the awful events on the Sunday where one racer unfortunately passed away.
Racing season
We now get to the ‘proper’ racing- side by side regattas. We are very lucky to have several right on our doorstep, starting in late April. The provisional list that I want to send crews to is below - please sign up where you can before, ideally by cop Monday. I want to plan ahead with the captaincy and coaching team this week.In terms of crews, we are aiming for an intermediate 4, a development 4 and then a masters crew. I can only go so far in organising these - so I ask that once we set provisional crews, that you work together on organising outings etc. I don’t want to repeat the precedent from previous years of scratch crews at regattas!
Finally, please note scamp 6–8 June. We will be in touch with more details – although there is quite a bit of background on the website. Needless to say it’s a great opportunity for all to get some great water time, particularly in small boats for our newer members (the Thames is a nice swimming pool up there…)
Cheers,
Dom- 26 April, Hammersmith
- 3 May, Chiswick Amateur
- 10 May, Borne at Chiswick
- 31 May, Peterborough
- 7 June, Walton and Weybridge (as part of scamp)
- 14 June, Barnes and Mortlake
- 28 June, Richmond Regatta
- 12/13 July, Kingston Amateur
- 2 August,Henley Town & Visitors
Captain's update, 27th February
27th February 2025
Morning all,
A few key notices now that our racing season for 2025 has begun!Hammersmith Head
Well done to all those in our VIII on Sunday. The conditions were challenging but we put in a really strong performance - and given it was the first race for half the crew, it gives us a really strong base to build upon. I hope those of you new to racing enjoyed it - if not the 2 hour wait beforehand!!HORR
Which leads us now on to the big one next month (22 March) with the Head of the River Race. This is a chance to race against c 400 of the best eights in the country and we have the potential to get the best Cygnet performance for many years. Most importantly it also symbolises the end of the winter season - so can I ask all who are available for the race to sign up today on Fitclub, as well as to commit (as much as possible) to the remaining 3 weeks of training - both on the water and in the gym. We have worked too hard this winter to fall at this stage!Training times
As part of our drive to make sure we maintain strong numbers, we are making a few changes to training times:- We will do 2 water session on Saturday. The first - at 8am is going to be a long paddle (c.12–14K, eg to Pink Lodge and back); the second at 10am will see us do some racing pieces.
- We are going to do just one session on Sunday 9–11. This follows feedback and relative success of trialling this over the past few weeks.
- Shed times will remain weights on Monday, and ergs on Wednesday. Numbers have dropped considerably for these session – I cannot stress enough how important they are!
- We are looking at putting in possible sessions before work on at least one day per week. Simon will provide comms on this. But certainly after HORR, and with the slightly longer days, we will also look to do evening water sessions.
Finally, we are keen to up the social aspects of the club, so please do sign up on the form Charles sent around the Whatsapp group re dinners!
Any questions on any of the above, do just let me know!
DomCaptain's Update, 19th January
1st February 2025
Dear Cygnets,
It’s been a strong start to the year with full sheds, lots of hard work on the water, and no one getting hypothermia! Bit of an all-sorts email so do please read.
First, next Saturday is Quintin head. We are not racing as we wanted to stay in small boats in January, but we do still need club volunteers to help- as previously said, this helps bring in important funds for the club. Plus, there will be bacon sarnies on sale so it’s generally a good thing to do! Please sign up on the link in the WhatsApp group. We will train on the water first so not a big time commitment to stay for an extra hour or two- plus you’ll get to see more on how head races work.
Second, just a reminder to double check the club when leaving. If you are the last one out, check the lights and make sure all doors are locked. There’s been a couple of instances recently!
Third, this year is a special anniversary for the club. It’s the 60th year of our relationship with German club Benrath. There is more detail here. We want to celebrate this at henley this year as well as to send more crews to the annual Rhein marathon in the autumn. Thanks to Neil and co for doing some great organising so far!
Any questions - let me know. I’m away for the next week or so but still contactable on email or WhatsApp.
CheersDomCaptain's update, 5th January 2025
5th January 2025
Dear Cygnets
Happy new year! I hope you all had a good break wherever you spent it and have set the resolution to drop 20 secs off your 2K...
It's back to all systems go with Cygnet. I have already been impressed with our first weekend's training - in pretty cold conditions on Saturday, and then heavy rain on Sunday - not many other clubs were out! This update covers upcoming races, the plan for training in the next couple of months, and a special plea from me.Upcoming races
Our attention now turns to the big end-of-winter race: the Head of the River (HORR). This takes place on 22nd March. For those who are new to the sport, it is fantastic spectacle of 400 eights belting down the Thames from Chiswick bridge to Putney (c. 7km) in a time-trial. It is a chance for us to see how our winter training has gone and ranks us against clubs from across the country, and indeed some international crews.
Whilst that is the focus, we will also be entering an 8+ for Hammersmith Head on the 23rd February. This is a slightly shorter race but will allow us to get invaluable race experience.Please can you sign-up with your availability for these races as soon as possible, as well as your availability (as far as you know at the moment) for the water sessions over the next couple of months (just as an indication). Key selection criteria will be outlined below. To enter we also require people to have their British Rowing membership up to date - with the 'Race' membership. Details can be found here.
Training
We will continue with our training days being:
Monday 7pm - Weights
Wednesday 7pm - Ergs
Saturday 8am - Water session; 10am - Erg
Sunday 8am and 10am - both on the waterOn the water, we want to continue focussing in January on getting people out in small boats. This allows us to improve our technical ability, and we will then use the small boats to test people's boat speed - potentially with a few races in the coming weeks - which will help us select the crew for HORR.
As part of this, I'm really happy to see how well people are doing with our new 'floats' for singles with Simon. There has been fantastic progress and we will continue doing this throughout January.On the land, the main thing is building up our endurance base for a 20+ minute race in March. I will shortly let you know when the next 5K test will be (likely late Jan/early Feb), but we will look to do at least two before HORR.
Coaching
A key part of this is our coaching. Simon has been great in getting so many people into singles in recent weeks and that will continue. Wes is due to return in early February - and will then reume retaking the weights and Sunday sessions.Special plea
We are short of a couple of voluntary postions at the moment. One is someone to run our '300 Club' - details can be found here. Another really key one is for a organising in advance the boating for races where Cygnet hosts multiple clubs (and this brings in money which allows us to buy new equipment).
If you are interesting in volunteering for any roles in the club - please do just drop me a line!Cheers,
DomRoy Ellison
29th November 2024
Roy Ellison, 1933–2024
It is with sadness we record the death of Roy Ellison at the age of 91 on Saturday 23 November following a short illness.
Roy joined Cygnet in the early 1960s (his application form has long since gone astray) and counted Mike Arnold-Gilliat, Colin Dominy, Len Huggett, Peter Jeffs, Lawrence McVeigh and Peter Roche among his contemporaries.
The 1960s were a lean time for Cygnet and silverware was sparse. Nonetheless, Roy and his generation were no strangers to adversity, having been among the last to do National Service, and he and his contemporaries kept the club going through this lacklustre era when Cygnet found it hard to boat competitive crews.
Roy’s first love was football: a gifted amateur, he had honed his talents while serving in the RAF in the Far East. As an ex-national serviceman, he came to rowing relatively late: aged thirty something, he would have been classed as a veteran. However, his innate strength and agility stood him in good stead and he soon acclimatised to life on the water.
Lawrence McVeigh, a lifelong friend, recalls I think he joined Cygnet in 63 or 64 as I raced with him, Mick Clifford and Jimmy Dunlop. We won Novice Fours at Peterborough in 1963 or 64. Hamstrung by a lack of new members and poor equipment, it would be some time before Roy ascended through the ranks to ‘junior’ and ‘junior-senior’. Still, there was no shortage of in-house events to keep him occupied.
Business houses and public sector rowing were in their element in the 1960s. Scratch Vllls events, the forerunner of the Business Houses Head, were regular features of the rowing calendar, along with private matches against Oxford and Cambridge colleges and the Armed Forces. As an active committee member, Roy played his part in organising these in-house contests, not to mention addressing the ever present concern of fund raising. His legacy lives on as one of the team who successfully launched the then 200 Club in 1969.
Norman Cowling, one of the new intake of graduates in the late 1960s, recalls Roy as a great club member, down to earth and usually wise cracking. Roy was strong and someone you enjoyed rowing with - a vital sort of club man who would turn out in any crew in any seat, someone we looked up to and relied upon.
Patience was rewarded in the fullness of time. Thus, in 1969 he rowed in an Vlll (pictured with Roy at four) that won ‘juniors’ at Chiswick and Putney Town before competing in ‘junior senior’ class at Richmond, Kingston, Staines and Barnes & Mortlake. While silverware narrowly eluded them at the latter events, the message was clear: Cygnet was no longer in the doldrums.
In 1972, club fund raising received a shot in the arm when Cygnet was invited to do a waterborne publicity stunt for Ind Coope Brewery extolling the virtues of Double Diamond: I’m only here for the beer….it’s DD. As Roy Alder, the bow man in the eight which took part, recalls, Roy was one of the fortunate four who appeared on the advertising hoarding, rowing at three.
The poster lives on in the club’s annals and for many years a larger than life version adorned a wall in our sister club Rudergesellshaft Benrath, a relationship that was forged during Roy’s era. Indeed, Roy was one of the party that made the second club visit to Benrath in 1972, in the wake of the inaugural visit in 1965. These were pioneering times.
Stardom had its place, but for Roy the best was yet to come. In 1973, together with Messrs Huggett, Jeffs and Roche, he won a veteran IVs event at Vesta International Veterans Regatta beating Barclays Bank and Frankfurt, Germany. It was a fitting finale to his competitive rowing career and an especially gratifying win for him and Jeffs, a fellow footballer turned rower.
In later years, Roy continued to make appearances at Old Blades on Henley Friday, as well as the ‘old hands’ winter gatherings at Leander Club and the Civil Service Club. Always cheerful, he never missed an opportunity to liven up the proceedings with the odd wise crack.
Roy is survived by Julia, his spouse of more than half a century, son James, daughter Sarah and a multitude of grandchildren. His funeral will take place at 16.30 on 6 December at Loughborough Crematorium.
With thanks to Lawrence McVeigh, Norman Cowling, Roy Alder and Richard du Parcq
Paul Rawkins, 28 November 2024
Captain's update, 25th November
25th November 2024
Morning all,
It has been a busy few weeks since I last did an update but here are the main things to update on:
Racees.
It was disappointing that the fours head races this weekend were cancelled, but definitely the right decision. Our focus will now shift to the head races after Christmas, and in particular the head of the river race on 22 March. I’m hopeful that we can get two eights out for this- and will base the selection based on the training that has been done, the scores achieved, and the technical progress.Training.
We continue to see real improvements across the board. Our consistently full shed for weights is paying dividends, and erg scores are continuing to improve- as shown by everyone improving their 5k scores. We will look to do one more erg test before Christmas - details shortly.On the water, two things to update on. First, for those with relatively less experience- whether on the LTR this year or last, or just without experience of small boats- please do sign up to the sessions with Simon at the weekend. We have bought special floats (essentially stabilisers) for single sculling. I can’t recommend this highly enough- you improve your technical skills far quicker in a small boat.
For those with more experience, we’ve now rigged up two of the boats as pairs, and two as doubles- with the intention of doing more battle paddling between now and Christmas.
For the water sessions, safety is paramount at this time of year- and so please do accept my apologies if there are any last minute change of plans!
Coaching.
Just so you are all aware, Wes is going back to spend the next few weeks with his family and will be back after Christmas. But fear not, he will send me the programme for weights and ergs, and Simon will be with us for some of the water sessions.
Christmas social.
Hopefully you’ve all seen the email from Charles with the latest social info. Please do sign up!Think that is everything, but please do drop me a line if you have any questions!
Thanks, DomCaptain's update, 1st November
1st November 2024
Morning all,
Hope you’ve all had a good week. Hopefully nothing scary in this post Halloween update:Upcoming races. You’ll have seen that I sent around the provisional crews for Vet 4’s and 4’s Head later this month. These were based on the recent training records – well done to those selected. They are provisional still on confirmation from the organisers (these races are over subscribed so they do have to cut a few – the tideway ticketmaster!), but I also want to make clear that they can change – we need people signing up and coming down so that they are not scratch crews on the day. Lots of people are working hard and want your seat!
Upcoming erg test. On this note, we will do our November progress test – a 5k free rate – to see how the training has paid off in the past month. It also gives some of our new LTR graduates a great chance to benchmark themselves in the squad. I’ve been really impressed with some of erg scores recently- so make sure you are there at 7pm on Wednesday. Please sign up on fitclub so that if necessary, we can stagger the use of the ergs.
Safety. I’ve previously written about the safety. Unfortunately I saw multiple instances last weekend of bad practice- all related to getting in and out of boats. First, speed is vital during the winter – so please do not hang around – from putting the boat on the water, you should be kicking off in less than a minute. Second, there was an instance of stepping on the bottom of the boat which could have put a hole in the boat and left those still in there in trouble. Despite being told by multiple senior members of the squad, the individual persisted. If I see this again, water sessions will have to be limited. If you are not sure, please do just ask me or other experienced oarsmen.
Social. Thanks to Charles, we will be doing a club fireworks on the 9th Nov – please do come along to celebrate the time when some bloke from Yorkshire tried to cause havoc in Westminster (how I got a job in the civil service is beyond me).
Charity. Finally, we have had contact through the website from a former member asking for a bit of help with some fund raising. All information is on the website- do please consider it as looks like it will help your erg scores and also, more importantly, raise some much needed funds for MND research. https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/article-all_in_a_good_cause8.html
Onwards,
DomCaptain's update 14th October
14th October 2024
Morning all,
Hope you are all having a good start to the week. Lots of notices this week!Pairs Head. Thanks to all who came down to help at the boathouse on Saturday, and those who cheered me and Jordan from the bank. We had a solid race coming third in our category of the Open Club 2-. A good first race of the year and something to build on!
Fours head. Which leads me onto the next big race on the tideway. The Fours Head takes place on 24 November. Entries open shortly and I intent to enter two crews (a quad and a four). Please could insert your availability on FitClub this week. I will be selecting crews based on training scores and experience. I will set these crews at the weekend so that we have 5 weeks to train in them beforehand. If you want to race, it is also critical you commit to the sessions running up to it.
Training. It has been fantastic to see a full shed in our recent sessions, and there has been great commitment to match- well done. The 2k and 5k erg tests give everyone an excellent benchmark for the months ahead. One plea from me is to get signed up early where possible, and to show up ready to go on time.
Weather. Lots of us commented this weekend that it felt like the start of winter. The temperature has dropped and it’s darker. In the depths of winter – conditions and weather won’t always play in our favour. Rest assured the Coach and Captain both keep a very good eye on the forecast – we will update you if plans change, please bear with us and if you know the weather is bad, keep a good eye out for comms about outing changes. If we end up not going on the water, you are still expected to attend a training session you are signed up for on land. Remember warm clothing and if it’s still a bit dark when we are boating, to wear high visibility clothing if possible, as well as lights on boats.
Boat maintenance. If you spot a problem with a boat please do let us know. Boats are expensive and spotting issues early can help massively. And obviously remember to clean the boats after use!
Any questions/ comments, let me know!
DomCaptain's Update: 7th October
7th October 2024
Hi team,
Apologies for not sending an update email for a few weeks, but here are a few updates across the club.Rhein. Well done to all who rowed the 42.2 km across northern Germany. A gruelling event but hopefully you all stayed hydrated throughout the weekend…
Pairs head. Next weekend sees the first race of the season. Jordan and I will be racing in a pair down the 4.5km course between Chiswick bridge and harrods wall. I’ve sent round the form for helping to volunteer on the WhatsApp group. These events are really important for the club to bring in revenue, so please do spare some time- we will be unable to run water sessions on Saturday.
Water sessions. Hopefully the water will be better by next weekend. It is currently at a yellow flag but very fast conditions for less experienced rowers. As a result, I’m sorry to all who signed up over the weekend and had to just go in the shed, but from experience this land training is often far more productive than a risky session on the water where you may go swimming/ get wrapped around a bridge.Otherwise training is going well. It’s been great to see some busy sheds in the week and some improving erg scores – as well as the Monday socials, of course. Now that we are about a month in, I’m keen to put the developing squad out as one, and the more experienced rowers out in separate crews – grateful if there is coordination among these crews to see if we can build stability in selection. This is particularly important in the run up to fours head next month (reminder, please sign up if available).
Have a good week!
DomCaptain's update: 15th September
15th September 2024
Hi team,
Very solid weekend of rowing in some glorious sunshine, albeit on some wild water of west London!Parish notices this week:
Final call for scamp, with the link in the previous email below. We will make a decision as to whether this goes ahead on Wednesday as we need enough numbers to make it viable. If we don’t go ahead, fear not- we have a back up plan of sticking to the tideway but putting in some extra miles and possible bbq
Charles sent an update to the social events for the next few months. Please do get in touch with him if you have any comments/questions, but particularly keen to get the Monday night dinners post weights going!
Very well done to all with this weeks training- a very strong start. I strongly encourage all to attend the Monday shed sessions – if nothing else you get to see Mustafa bend the bars, and the bars bend me…
Thanks,
DomCaptain's update 8th September
8th September 2024
And we are back!
Great commitment from all those who did the start of the season 2K yesterday. I was really impressed by a number of the scores, and also by the desire by all to push themselves. This start of the season test is critical to provide a good benchmark for the season ahead, so well done all! For those who couldn't come down - you will have another chance either on Wednesday or for the second session next Saturday – no hiding!
We had a really good squad meeting yesterday - which I've summarised and circulated by email. Any questions, please let me know.
Training times. The times for training until Christmas are now confirmed as follows:
Monday 7pm - Coached weights and HIIT sessions with Wes
Wednesday 7pm - Squad ergs
Saturday 0800 Long row (uncoached)
Saturday 1000 - Cross training (erg/run/cycle/HIIT)
Sunday 0800 and 1000- Coached sessions with WesThe Sunday sessions will be key for progressing technically. I found this morning's training hugely beneficial as I try to remember how to single scull. They will be two relatively short sessions with a strong technical focus - with West alongside in the launch. I'm even going to break the habit of a lifetime and try weights as my new season's resolution - so please come down on Monday if you want to see me almost certainly fail at squats....
S'camp is taking place 27–29 September, please do sign-up if you are free. It is a great chance to get people in smaller boats, and to escape the Tideway for a weekend. Tom C is the man if you have any questions, but sign ups are here.
Races. The races for this year are both in the attached doc and also on FitClub. Please do sign up as early as possible so that we can organise crews with as much prep as possible.
Finally, we had a great End of Season Dinner last week, so huge thanks to Charles for doing such a great job organising! And a belated well done to all who showed up to training the next morning!
Thanks team - let's go!
DomLen Hoskins
31st August 2024
Len Hoskins 1931 – 2024
It is with sadness that we report the death of Len Hoskins on the 28th July.
Born on 18th November 1931, Len was a post office engineer when he joined Cygnet RC on 13th September 1953, the same day as Peter Roche. Both Len and Peter had previous rowing experience and they were part of a significant influx of new members. Indeed, the club would enter four crews for that year’s HoRR.
In retrospect, 1953 would prove to be a turning point in Cygnet’s post-war fortunes on the water and Len Hoskins would be an important part of that story. Len rowed at seven in a Junior/Junior Senior Vlll that made its debut in 1954 winning at Richmond & Twickenham, Horseferry, Willesden and Kingston regattas. By all accounts, they were a very fast crew, putting in times comparable to some Thames Cup crews that had competed at Henley Regatta a few weeks previously, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the Daily Telegraph’s rowing correspondent. Hoskins was to enjoy one more Vllls win at Maidenhead in 1955. Thereafter, his name disappears from the regatta roll call. Nonetheless, he was one of a number of highly proficient oarsmen who put Cygnet back on the map in the post-war era.
An amusing tale is told of the crew’s win at Richmond and Twickenham in 1954. As winners, the club took possession of the Twickenham Cup, a magnificent piece of silverware housed in a wooden crate of some dimensions. During the course of the evening’s celebrations, John Bull, the coach of the successful crew, thought it prudent to remove the cup to a member’s house overnight for safekeeping. Another members’ ancient Riley was called into service and three of them staggered up several flights of stairs to a flat in Fulham with the crate, blissfully unaware that the pot was still doing the rounds at closing time in a pub at Richmond.It was at Cygnet that Len also met his wife-to-be, Eve Bailey, who was then a member of St Georges Ladies RC. They recalled very happy memories of their time rowing to their children, who remember accompanying their parents to Henley regatta. Eve passed away in 2021
Len's family have requested that, rather than flowers, donations should be made to Cygnet Rowing Club in his memory. Donations can be made online here or please contact the Treasurer for details of donations by cheque or Bank Transfer.
Len: top row, third from left
Len: front row, far right
Captain's Update 18 August
19th August 2024
Afternoon all,
Hope you are all having a good summer so far. I’m currently on my way back from the alps, albeit with a bit of a limp after learning the hard way that I’m probably too old for downhill mountain biking!Anyway, few things from me:
Start of season meeting.
I’ll post on the WhatsApp group but I’m keen to get as many of us down at the boathouse in early September for a short meeting about the year ahead. This will be followed by an erg test so that we can get an idea of where everyone is. Possible dates are Saturday 7th September or the 14th at 0800.S’camp.
Tom has been hard at work organising September’s camp at the bungalow (28-29 September). All the details on the website, including sign up details- please see herehttps://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/sspage-news__amp__events-rowing_stuff-sculling_camp52.htmlLogging sessions.
It’s been great that we’ve maintained a good regular training pattern through the summer but if you are taking a boat out- either in an organised session or independently- please make sure the steer signs the boat out in the book in the changing rooms as well as on the board in boathouse. This is importance for us to log usage, and if there are any issues with boats. Speaking of which, please make sure boats are washed down after sessions. Important for maintenance but also a courtesy for the next users!LTR.
Got a friend who would be interested in learning to row, or inspired from the Olympics? Then please send them a link to the LTR page on our website! Bonus points if they are at least 6ft4, can squat over 100kg and have less than 10% body fat!Thanks all,
DomCaptain's Log 4th August
4th August 2024
Afternoon team,
Short update this week so I won’t keep you from watching the Olympics for too long…End of season dinner
Charles has sent out a final call. Please do respond by tonight - I’m sure it will be a great evening.Steering
I’m keen to get more people signed off as steers. Going out in small boats is going to be a big part of the programme in the autumn, and so once we restart the coache sessions in a few weeks, I’ll be making sure as many as possible get practice. Here is a helpful short video https://youtu.be/j9ENJdm4emU?feature=shared And here is a helpful long video….https://youtu.be/GHeJ0M3L4ok?si=oI_LKjGRiJ9XzA00Training
Some really good sessions from the novices this weekend, making the most of the water and weather to get lots of drills done. Well done to all. I’ll be around this week but will miss the next couple of weekends as I’ll be doing some pre season training in the alps…Others in the captaincy will set the crews for these sessions.Club blazers
There is an option of getting a club blazer (pictures of which can be seen on the website). Cost is £175. Please get in touch with Charles if interested.And speaking of the Olympics, there has been some absolutely fantastic rowing. If you can watch the highlights of the men’s 8, I’d highly recommend it – the way the GB broke away in the third 500 was amazing, particularly whilst still looking so damn relaxed. That’s the aim!
Thanks,
DomCaptain's update 27th July
31st July 2024
Dear all,
I just wanted to flag some upcoming events so that you can all update your diaries. I’ve been a bit quiet this week as I’ve been in the US for work so would have been about 8 hours too late to send through crews – but hopefully we can enjoy a few great sessions in the sun this week!
Training. We’ve had some great sessions in the better weather recently, and whereas rowing clubs often close down in August, I’d like us to keep pressing on with a quieter river albeit noting a lot of people will be away. In early September, once people are back from their holidays, we will have a squad meeting – but I’ll also set a few tests on the erg and on the water so that we can set up a squad programme that works for everyone. More details on this shortly.
Racing. We will not enter Peterborough in mid-August, as there aren’t the numbers. Which means we will look to use a quieter river in August to get ready for the head races in the Autumn. However, if we can get the numbers down for sessions in August, I’d love to make the sessions more competitive with side-by-side pieces.
Upcoming events
As per Mustafa’s WhatsApp earlier this week (with more details to follow shortly)
- 30th August: End of Season Dinner at the Crossing Pub
- 7th September Club Day
- 27-29 September- Autumn S’camp.
Upcoming races
- Scullers Head 14 September (please let me know if you are interested)
- Pairs head 12 October
- Fours Head 24 November
Finally, we’ve had a few issues with boats recently – today we had a malfunctioning rudder. If you come across a boat which needs something fixed, please flag it to me so that we can get it sorted as quickly as possible!
Thanks,
Dom
New Captain's update
21st July 2024
Dear Cygnets,
Last week I was elected as Captain at the club’s OGM – a fantastic honour, and a role I’m looking forward to carrying out.
First – thanks to Martin and the previous captaincy. The squad’s grown in the past year and that is no small feat, and we’ve seen progress across the board. Second, a big thank you to Mustafa and Tom for agreeing to stay on as Vice and Deputy Captain!
I just wanted to run through where we stand with upcoming races and training for the rest of the summer. I’ll write shortly with more details on plans for the upcoming year.
Immediate priorities
Peterborough: there is the opportunity to enter a great regatta on the weekend of 10–11 August. We currently only have two signed up on FitClub. Could people who are available and interested please sign up by Friday so that we can decide on whether/what to enter.
Training: Unless there are any objections, I suggest we keep with our current plan of:
- Monday and Tuesday (1900): Water outings
- Thursday (1900): Ergs
- Sat (0845)/Sun(0745): Water outing
Again, I know it is not possible to get timings that work for everyone, but if you have any suggestions, please let me know. I’m particularly keen to explore the potential for morning sessions pre-work in the week.S’camp: After the really successful camp in June, we are looking to hold another in September. More details shortly once a weekend is confirmed.
Upcoming races
- Peterborough 10-11 August
- Scullers Head 14 September (please let me know if you are interested)
- Pairs head 12 October
- Fours Head 24 November
Finally, a big well done to those at ergs on Thursday: Jordan, Nathan, Fillippo, and Tom B. We did a great session of 500m relays – a bit of competition mixed with a lot of lactic acid! But great to see some decent numbers and strong efforts. Let’s keep it going!Onwards!
Dom
Ann Southey
24th June 2024
We are very sad to report that Ann Southey died peacefully on 19th June after a short battle with cancer.
A larger than life character who had a distinctive turn of phrase, Ann Southey was a trailblazer in more ways than one. Professionally, she was one of the first female metallurgists, working for Wilkinson Sword, in a predominantly men’s world. During her leisure hours, she poured heart and soul into rowing, preserving the name of her beloved St George’s Ladies Rowing Club, coaching and officiating and playing a key role in the foundation of Henley Women’s Regatta, the success of which speaks to her unwavering dedication. She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her.From the British Rowing website:
Ann was a stalwart of St George’s Ladies RC, which later became part of Twickenham RC, and then – for a great many years – of Civil Service Ladies RC (now Barnes Bridge Ladies RC), as well as of many major competitions.As a rower, a career highlight was winning the Women’s Coxed Fours with St George’s Ladies RC at the inaugural National Championships in 1972. Her crew, which also contained Beryl Mitchell (later Beryl Crockford) and was coxed by future British Rowing Chairman Di Ellis, went on to be selected to represent England at the Home Countries International Regatta, which they also won.
In 1988, she was one of the group who founded Henley Women’s Regatta, and was the committee member responsible for compiling the Regatta programme for 15 years until 2002. She will be deeply missed this weekend in the Chairman’s Enclosure where in recent times her many friends in rowing have enjoyed her friendship, lively conversation and insight.
Ann was a very deserving recipient of the Amateur Rowing Association Medal of Honour in 2008. This recognised her enormous record of volunteer work as a member of the ARA Council as a divisional representative, member of the Women’s Rowing Commission, member of the Competition Committee, organiser of the Women’s Head of the River Race, co-founder and long term member of the Henley Women’s Regatta Committee, member of the Pairs’ Head Committee and National Championships Committee, coach and umpire.
Ann's funeral will be at 11.00 on Tuesday 30th July 2024, at West Berkshire crematorium. For anyone not able to attend in person, there will be an on-line link which will be live at 10:00 UTC (please contact us for login details).
All are encouraged to attend a celebration of Ann's life after the service, to reminisce in a way that Ann would have enjoyed. This will be at John and Ann's house, in Whitchurch on Thames. Please let John know if you are able to attend, so he can plan catering (please contact us for more details and John's email address). Rowing blazers or similar are encouraged, both for the service and the celebration.
No flowers please, but donations to Cancer Research in Ann's memory would be much appreciated. This link allows you to include Ann's name.
Ann (right) with friends Jackie Darling and Penny Haslam-Palfrey in 2010
From the captaincy – 17 Jan
17th January 2024
Hello Cygnets,
Racing
Head Races on the Tideway back on with Quintin 8s Head Race and it’s fast approaching. As always, we are in need of volunteers to help with boating visiting crews. Please check below Google Spreadsheet and sign up where you think can help on the day.Training
As Club, we're currently aiming for Hammersmith Head and the training program as following;- Mondays:19:00–20:00 weights – 6 weeks program is on the shed board
- Wednesdays: 07:00–07:40 – circuits (the program till end of March is on the shed board)
- Thursdays:19:00–20:00 squad ergs
- Saturdays: 07:00–08:30 / 09:15–10:30 & Sundays 07:30-09:00 water outings
Sign up via FitClub – cut-off time for the water outings is Thursdays at 19:00
Thursday Supper Club is back.
Thanks to Hannah for re-organising it. For more information and to show your cheffing skills on a Thursday, please get in touch with Hannah Steadman (BBL) who is coordinating. You will also have have a had an email about Supper Club from Hannah, please do get involved.
Dates for your diary – for both on and off the water.
- 20th Jan: Quintin 8s Head Race. Followed by Laurent's Farewell do from 3pm.
- 27th Jan: Burns Night (More information on how to sign up etc. will be sent by Rupert)
- 11th Feb: Cygnet AGM. 16.30 at the boathouse
- 11th Feb: following the AGM, Cygnet Birthday Drinks at The Crossing Pub
- 18th Feb: Hammersmith Head Race
- 23rd March: Head of The River Race
- 24th March: Masters Head of the River Race
- 30th March: University Boat Races
- TBC: Spring Sculling Camp
- TBC: Spring Learn to Row Starts
2024 Subs
7th January 2024
A quick reminder that subs are now due for 2024. The club account is, as ever, 09-01-55/71834000.
As the CSSC (Civil Service Sports Council, aka our immediate landlords) are urgently trying to find good reasons to make the members of both clubs in the boathouse responsible for incurring the costs of the building in full, the committee considers it imperative that all Cygnet members are also members of the CSSC, at least in the short term. So a request to the last few holdouts to join up - please find a friend in the squad who is already a member of CSSC - they will have to go here: https://www.cssc.co.uk/account/referrals and create a personalised invitation (limit - 6 links per existing member) that can then be used for sign-up. You also get a host of other benefits with CSSC, such as free entry to Kew Gardens, discounted Sainsburys vouchers, etc.
All current and new CSSC members should confirm their CSSC number to me to continue receiving the discounted subs rate.
Those currently on direct debits should have been rolled over for the new year earlier this afternoon - if anyone wants to change payment frequency please let me know.For members wishing to join the direct debit scheme, the sign-up link is here. Please enter details and then contact me to confirm rates and frequency of payment. The club now offers payment by credit card, details here.
Membership rates 2023
£360 • CSSC MEMBER
£440 • Non-CSSC MEMBER
£180 • STUDENT MEMBER
Direct Debit rates:(slightly higher to cover the extra admin charges)
CSSC • Non-CSSC
£366 • £447 Annual - January
£186 • £227 Bi-annual - January + July
£93 • £113 Quarterly - January, April, July + October
£32 • £39 Monthly
And finally, please ensure you have current membership with British Rowing. Anyone who wants to compete should have "Race" level membership, and anyone else who goes afloat in a Cygnet-registered boat or trains in the shed should have "Row" level membership. This ensures you are properly insured with public liability and personal accident coverage for your sporting endeavours.
Matt Byrne
Treasurer, Cygnet Rowing ClubThursday Supper Club
3rd December 2023
Dear BBL and Cygnet folk,
I am writing to you to announce our attempt to re-launch our cross-club Thursday Supper Club. For old timers, hopefully this is welcome news, and for a good number of you who have joined since then, it is thankfully a fairly simple plan to explain...
Every week on Thursday evening, a volunteer chef offers to cook up a dinner of solid rowing fare for any that would like to stay on after their training (or to come down especially, people not training that day are still very welcome!), and we will send an email each week, listing who is cooking and providing a link to sign up.
The chef sets their deadline for when they need to know how many are coming and the price per head, but we ask that chefs plan a meal that will cost between £3 and no more than £6 per head, we are looking for good training food and nothing too extravagant:) The chef will likely let you know the final price on the night, and sort out how best they want you to pay (I suspect gone are the days when it was just a simple cash tray!).
You can list any dietary requirements when you sign up, and our chef will do their very best to cater accordingly, but be aware it may not be possible every week and may depend a little on the volunteer's skill set! (They will let you know if they don't think they can manage that week).
And with no further ado, our first dinner is this Thursday 7th Dec, with the lovely Anna B stepping up as chef - please add your name here if you would like to join and I hope to see you there: https://xoyondo.com/op/7fvat22a660cu0x
Please do let me know if you would be up for volunteering as a chef in the future.. (and feel free to email/message if you have any issues)
Thank you!Hannah
From the Vice Captain
27th October 2023
Hello Cygnets,
1 - Training program on Fitclub is ready to sign up until the end of the year with the following schedule.
Mondays 19:00-20:00 weights
Wednesdays 07:00-07:30 circuits
Thursdays 19:00-20:00 squad ergs
Saturdays 07:00-08:30 / 09:15-10:30 - Sundays 07:30-09:00 water outings
*Cut off time for the water outings is Thursdays at 19:00* . Full details of each training session, including the social events can be found on Fitclub.2 - The kit window is now open till 6th of November, get your orders in till then to have them before Christmas. https://www.crewroom.co.uk/collections/cygnet-rc
Password: contact the vice captain3 - Volunteers needed both for Vets Head and 4s Head. Please sign up via the below details.https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16vZ8X1DVvG0W8ge6BDEVEjwZg8hLiAU0AUoLbRWwqKw/edit#gid=695075575
4 - Calling all potential moustache growers for a great fundraising event - Movember.This November Cygnet members and friends everywhere are invited to grow a mo, in the name of men’s health. It’s simple: shave clean on 31st of October, and watch your moustache flourish throughout the month.
We’ll be raising money for the biggest global men’s health charity, Movember, who fund research and projects for testicular cancer, prostate cancer and mental health and suicide prevention.
Simply set yourself up a fundraising page and join the cygnet and bbl fundraising team here: https://uk.movember.com/team/2444365?utm_source=qrcode&utm_medium=mo_app&utm_campaign=movember&utm_content=app_share_teamspace_qr
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. Never ones to be left out of a fundraising effort, our next door neighbours BBL will be running a Mo & Row event on 18 November. We’ll plan our outings in the usual way, but there will be a joint club brunch on offer for a small contribution afterwards. Fill out this form to let them know you’ll be there https://forms.gle/XrE4Q15YpLtWwp1H7.
To take this opportunity I'd like to list some other dates for your diaries;
4th Nov. - Veterans Four Head - We've entered 2 crews as Masters A and G4th Nov. - Barnes Bonfire Night - at the club bar from 18:30
5th Nov. - The Fours Head
18th Nov. - Row & Mo brunch
9th December - Cygnet Waddle followed by BBL Christmas Ball - more information will be circulated via email in due course.
5th December - Vets Christmas Lunch at the RAF Club
Best wishes,Mustafa
Invitation for research participants
15th October 2023
Hi ,
I am writing to you as I am conducting some post graduate level research as part of a psychology course at the University of Wolverhampton. It's a study entitled, 'Race against time: Understanding the relationship between adult rowers’ basic psychological needs and their age.' I am inviting any adult members of Cygnet Rowing Club to take part. I would be very grateful if you would use whichever social media group you prefer to circulate details to your members.
As we get older, we experience many changes. The relationship between our basic psychological needs and adult athletes’ age is not well understood. This study aims to fill that gap. By taking part, you will help us to gain a better understanding of how adult rowers’ need for autonomy is currently being met and whether this changes due to age and other factors. It has the potential to inform coaches and clubs and provide them with information to develop better products for adult rowers.
If you are willing to support the research, your members will be asked to complete a short questionnaire. The survey concludes with some basic demographic details. It should take no more than about ten minutes to complete.
I am keen to include as wide a range of active rowers, from all areas, ages, experience and backgrounds as I can. It would be great if Cygnet Rowing Club would be part of that.
To be eligible, participants must be 18 or over and fluent in English. They should also be active rowers or scullers (on the water on average twice or more every 28 days).
Please follow the link here or use the attached QR code to become involved.
I got your details from the British Rowing website. If you are not the right person to receive this email, please accept my apologies. It would be useful if you are able to forward it onto someone more appropriate.
Please feel free to contact me by replying to this email or at D.A.Houchin@wlv.ac.uk if you have any questions, otherwise, thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards
Dave Houchin MSc, FHEA, CPBP, CMgr FCMI
The new Captain's log - September 2023
20th September 2023
Dear all
Welcome back from a rather disappointing summer to an even damper Autumn. Firstly, it is a huge honour to be asked to be asked to be your captain for the next year. I am sure you will all join me in resoundingly thanking Rupert for being a great captain over the last two years.
Secondly, some business. As you know it is our End of Season Dinner this Friday, can I encourage as many people as possible to wear club colours please. For those of you joining the Waddle we are starting at the club at 5.30pm. For those of you that don't know what a waddle is, come and find out! It promises to be a great evening- with some (very short) speeches!
For those of you that have had sight of the sign-up sheet for the Learn-to-row, can I encourage as many people to sign-up to help as possible. A huge thank you to Mustafa, Laurant and Charlotte for organising. Last night there were 6 guys in the tank at Barn Elms and all looked promising. If you are free this Saturday at 1.30pm, please sign up or contact Mustafa. We would ideally like to get an VIII out but need some boat sitters.
This Sunday is our first head race of the season. Again, please sign up on the volunteer sheets sent around. Scullers head is however, not too onerous, and tends to police itself so if you want a gentle introduction to volunteering for a head race this is it.
Now onto training. The training starts next week after the EOS Dinner. Our new weights sessions will be on Monday nights. We will be initially following last years schedule, until we find a new S&C coach. Ergs will be on Thursdays. We have full use of the shed on these nights. Sharon (BBL Captain) will review these arrangements at Christmas. At weekends, the shed is open access to both clubs but if we get a run of red flags, then one day will be priority Cygnet and vice versa (captains to decide).
Our first squad meeting will be on Thursday 28th Sept at 8.00pm, after our erg. Please come along with an idea of races you want to enter.
Finally, some social news. Our first joint social with BBL will be on Thursday 5th October so please put in diaries and make sure we have a good attendance.
See you all this Friday
MartinPhil Brown
10th September 2023
Philip Brown, 1946 – 2023
Not everybody who rows at Cygnet seeks copious silverware at high profile regattas; some are quite happy to beaver away quietly in the background, contributing to the greater good. One such member was Philip (‘Phil’) Brown, a club vice president, who passed away quite unexpectedly in his sleep on Monday, 30th August. He was 77.
Phil joined Cygnet in the mid-1970s. He had rowed at his Cambridge college and was keen to continue wielding a blade on a recreational basis. Cygnet amply fulfilled this aspiration. The club boasted a large pool of casual oarsmen in the 1970s and 80s, ably organised by Chris Gates who welcomed Phil as a co-convenor of this sometimes disparate squad. From there, it was but a short step to assisting (and ultimately organising) the London Business Houses Head, a head race for up to thirty likeminded business houses rowing clubs.
Phil was one of life’s boffins. Fresh out of university, he quickly found his niche in the Ministry of Defence. Richard Kemball-Cook, a contemporary rower and MoD employee recalls: “he (Phil) was more front line than me: in the late 1970s I remember him going on about these little toy planes that were to be the future of warfare. How right he was!”
Shaping the future of warfare may have been his day job, but attending to the minutiae of club business consumed much of his leisure hours. He rowed in various gentlemen’s Vllls (see below at bow in a Business Houses Head race), sat on various committees, served as club secretary and bungalow secretary, often appeared at regattas as a supporter (with his faithful caravan in tow) and cajoled family members into producing endless felt pennants for Tideway events. Chris Gates had trained Phil well and they would both become staunch supporters of St Neots regatta, always a firm Cygnet favourite.
A great believer in the ethos of civil service rowing, Phil and his long-term companion Rubina Curtis, president of BBLRC, regularly attended annual conferences of the Civil Service Sports Council. Many a time, unsuspecting CSSC officials were caught off guard by searching questions from the floor as Phil and Rubina grilled them on policy towards rowing, rarely missing an opportunity to remind them of the proud history of the Civil Service Rowing Association.
Earlier this year, he accepted an invitation to attend a regional AGM of the CSSC. As he reported back, it was clearly a disappointing experience: “Most of the attendees could be described as ‘mature’ and few looked ‘athletic’. It was a meeting of friends who made no attempt to welcome me, or even talk to me”. Never one to mince his words, he concluded “if this is typical of CSSC operations around the country, the interest in team sports is minimal”.
Still, lest anybody thought Phil was a blinkered bureaucrat, he was a great steam train enthusiast, regularly volunteering with one of the local heritage lines. Gadgets fascinated Phil and he often arrived at regattas with the latest cameras, not to mention smart cars. An IT whizz, Phil kept everything on his computer and had built up a large digital library of civil service crews, a valuable supplement to both club’s archives.
For many of us, our last encounter with Phil will have been at Old Blades on the Friday of Henley Royal Regatta, when he and Rubina could be seen ‘working the room (or perhaps the garden on this occasion)’. A steadfast companion of Rubina’s, he never failed to enquire about members’ health and wellbeing and always had the club’s best interests at heart.
Phil’s funeral will be held on19th October at 12.30pm at St Peter's Church, Church Lane, Wrestlingworth, Sandy SG19 2EU, a few miles east of his beloved Biggleswade on the B1042.
Paul Rawkins, September 2023
Ken O'Brien
17th August 2023
Kenneth O’Brien
1947 – 2023
It is with great sadness that we record the death of Ken O’Brien on Thursday, 3 August, at the age of 76, after a lengthy hospital confinement.
A loquacious individual, which earned him the nickname Kenny O’Burble, Ken was a member of Cygnet for a relatively short space of time (1981–84), yet no one could deny that he left his mark.
Ken initially joined the club as a social member and swiftly set about running the 300 Club (with Phil Beckett, an unlikely combination) and organising social fixtures from afternoon teas to stag nights at the White Hart. A people person at heart, he had a knack of lubricating the wheels of social intercourse, often keeping us late into the night at the club bar or the Sun Inn, one of our favourite haunts at the time.
Always up for a party, Dave Jillings recalls “Kenny throwing petrol on the bonfire at a CRC/CSLRC Guy Fawkes night with predictable consequences. When he arrived at A&E they said he was the first casualty of many they were expecting that evening”. Singed eyebrows notwithstanding, it was “his irrepressible optimism and bounciness that made him so likeable, and I hope that is the main thing he will be remembered for”.
In 1982 Ken surprised everybody by announcing that he had decided to join the ranks of the active rowing squad. Not the most obvious physical build for the sport, he nevertheless defied the naysayers, thundering around the Chiswick gym on Tuesdays, weightlifting on Wednesdays and jogging round the five-mile run on Thursdays. Few could doubt his sheer determination; stones of weight were shed, and he made his debut competitive appearance in the 1983 Head of the River Race, rowing at bow.
However, his greatest achievement afloat was winning Novice Vllls at Hammersmith Regatta a few weeks later. Coxed by Colin Dominy, the crew was a sight to behold ranging between tall and short, large and small, young and old. Nonetheless, once in motion it proved to be an unstoppable force, cruising to an easy win in its maiden regatta. Further regatta appearances followed, culminating in the Rhine Marathon, all 42kms of it, a true feat of endurance as fellow crew member Charles Pepino recalls, “but we lived to tell the tale and sink one or two Altbiers afterwards”.
Professionally, Ken was an insurance broker, which played to his people skills. However, he was never at one with the paperwork and saw his true calling in life as proprietor of a local wine bar, plying the upwardly mobile of Barnes with vodka cocktails in the then defunct Waterman’s Arms, opposite the boat club. Market research followed with flurries of questionnaires handed out at Barnes Station. Sadly, his bankers were less convinced and it remained a pipe dream but, such was his indomitable spirit, he clung to the scheme for years afterwards. One wonders what he would have had to say about the Waterman’s latest incarnation as a cocktail bar and fancy restaurant.
Ken had given up active rowing by the mid-1980s, but he remained a fixture on the social scene and never more so than at semi-annual gatherings with our companion club Benrath in Germany. The accompanying photograph was taken following the 1983 Rhine Marathon with Ken characteristically centre stage. Benrath found Ken something of an enigma leading one of them to ask “What is the function of Kenny in your club”. The answer must surely be “all of the above”; he was fun to be around and just carried on regardless.
Ken’s funeral will be held at 2.20pm on 11 September at Kingston Crematorium, Bonner Hill Road, Kingston KT1 3EZ. All welcome.
Paul Rawkins, August 2023
Captain’s Valedictory Log: Thank you Cygnet
12th August 2023
Dear Cygnets, this is your (former) Captain speaking!
I hope you will forgive one last Captain’s log as I sign off as your Captain.
This week we met (virtually) for our summer Ordinary General Meeting and with a great deal of pride having led Cygnet as your captain for the last two season, was pleased to pass the baton on to the incoming captaincy team who will take the club forward into the next Heads Season and beyond.
As I reflected on Monday evening, it has been a great privilege to row with you and serve you as Captain for the last two years, having taken the mantle on from Cristobal, and I hope have guided Cygnet forward and upwards through Heads, Regattas and much else beside on the river and off! Whilst it has been a long recovery from the seasons impacted by covid, coupled with the many challenges of being a small(er) upper Tideway club, I am proud of all that we have achieved out in the fairway and for our development as a club around the boathouse and beyond in the wider rowing community.
Most importantly I take enormous pride in our continued strength and achievements as a family of Cygnets, with such a proud history and treasured connections across our generations of rowers and many traditions it has been a privilege to be part of and now in standing down to pass on.
I’m incredibly pleased with the progress we have made as a squad and all of the hard work, training and racing efforts that our rowers have put in continuing to compete and hold our own on the Thames and further afield whilst creating the environment for us all to thrive and enjoy the sport - and social bonds - of rowing with Cygnet.
We’ve taken some great strides forward these past two seasons and from this I’m sure our best is certainly to come. My huge thanks and gratitude to Beth for all her support and expert coaching that has been so integral to so much of our development as individual rowers and as a squad. We wish Beth every success with Putney Town Masters Women.
I’d like to extend my thanks to both my captaincy teams, Martin and Pete for all their work in my first season and to Henrik and Matt Gutteridge for their immense efforts and support to me and the club this year - especially for the outreach and development support both our current rowers, our bonds with the civil service and the future of Cygnet Rowing.
I’m also immensely grateful to our longstanding Chairman and now President, Nick and Charlie having taken the Chairmanship this season, for their guidance, much wisdom and support as I’ve sought to lead Cygnet in its most recent chapter.
Rowing is of course at its best as a team sport so my immense appreciation extends to the Committee and the many selfless volunteers who have stepped forward time and again to lend a hand, to pitch in and help make Cygnet a great and better place to row. We couldn’t row and we couldn’t function as a family without your efforts, oftentimes unseen, to keep us moving forward in the very best of Cygnet spirit. Thank you to each of you.
I wish Martin, my successor as Captain, and Tom C and Mustafa, as his Deputy and Vice, the very best of luck and all my support for the 2023/24 season ahead - Cygnet will continue to thrive under your leadership and encourage one and all to row in behind to support their efforts and to actively involved in helping to make Cygnets next chapter an even greater success.
My heartfelt thanks to all of your cygnet friends and family for your patience, kindness and help along the way - as my predecessors will know, a Captain’s work is never done and challenges there are many but I and we as a Cygnet family have made the best of it and I’m grateful for your enthusiasm and support towards our collective endeavours.
I’m looking forward to the next season and rowing from the backbenches whilst supporting the incoming team and the club with the hard efforts and successes to come in the year ahead.
I hope many of you will be joining our end of season celebrations in September, but until then Cygnets, thank you and row well.
With warmest wishes,
Rupert Bailey
Cygnet Captain 2021/22, 2022/23
Captain's Log: August
2nd August 2023
Hello Cygnets
This is your Captain speaking with a round up on this week’s racing action and some key dates ahead for your diaries over the summer.
1. Regatta Report: Henley Town and Visitors - Sat 29 July
The squad wrapped up its summer racing campaign with an exciting day out in Henley for the Town & Visitors Regatta for our coxed four, quad and eight, who were all in action. Special thanks to our trailering team of Jo Broadhurst & Henrik Jonstromer for towing our boats safely out and back.
Against our old friends of the RAF (who pressed on for a convincing victory) and Poole Amateur RC Cygnet was in a real tussle right up to the line for second place, coming up short by just a canvas.
Meanwhile the quad came second of three (easily) against Curlew and Falcon rowing clubs in an all avian final, another strong showing by the Cygnet crew against a much stronger Curlew.
Highlight of the day goes to the racing eight with a real tussle down the course up against Linacre College Boat Club who got off to a strong start but the resurgent Cygnet viii just ran out of river in the final battle to the line of which topped off some exciting side by side action. The verdict on the line was 1 length - all agreed “it was much closer than that”.
Special mention and congratulations to Chris Jageurs racing in Vesta colours for a triumphant race in the Open Doubles to beat Oxford Academicals and Falcon RC.
8+ Noel Davison
Cox Clara Fennessy, 8 Henrik Jonstromer, 7 Dom Marshall, 6 Matthew Gutteridge, 5 Tom Clarke, 4 Rupert Bailey, 3 Octavian Puzderca, 2 Tom Broadhurst, 1 Mustafa Özyurt4x Quad: Big Malc / Collier
4 Henrik Jonstromer, 3 Octavian Puzderca, 2 Tom Broadhurst, 1 Mustafa Özyurt4+ Neil Pickford
Cox Clara Fennessy, 4 Matthew Gutteridge, 3 Dom Marshall, 2 Rupert Bailey, 1 Tom Clarke2. A Special thanks and farewell: Coach Beth
With the end of our summer racing, so our formal training comes to an end and with it our time with Coach Beth Davidson who has now been with Cygnet for four seasons, having seen us through the highs and lows on the water and off, guiding us through two seasons disrupted by Covid but in the time we’ve spent on the water brought a huge amount of development to the squad and the club. I’d like to pay enormous thanks for all that Beth has done for us, for all the efforts on and off the water and the real progress that we have made under Beth’s stewardship. Beth is not going too far up stream and will be coaching Putney Town Masters Women’s Squad for next season, where we wish Beth every success, and look forward to opportunity to celebrate at our end of Season Dinner in September.
We continue to search for our next Cygnet coach.
3. Summer Training & Outings
With the arrival of August we enter now our traditional ‘off-season’ as we take a bit of down time and the incoming captaincy team has the opportunity to prepare for the season ahead, outings will now be much more informal and organised around those who are around and available, mostly on a show and row basis.
For signed-off steers there is the opportunity for more independent outings, please take a moment to refresh your knowledge of the navigation and safety requirements of the river and ensure boats remain well looked after. Fleet.
Please continue to log boats in an out (whiteboard & Boat Log Book) and report any incidents or damage as necessary. It’s of course best practice to go afloat with others and to stay within you experience level / comfort zone. More info on navigation and our steers policy is available here.
Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more about steering boats and getting signed off.
4. Ordinary General Meeting
A reminder that this year’s OGM and Captaincy elections will be taking place on Monday 7th August at 19.00 – Club Secretary will be circulating details of the online option for joining but the nominations sheet is up in the Cygnet Changing Rooms with a number of positions on the captaincy and committee being available.
5. CSSC Matters
We recently attended a series of Civil Service Departmental sports days at the Kings House Sports Ground and in Teddington as we look to build our links with the CSSSC and the wider civil service. These were very successful in attracting Whitehall talent to complete our 250m erg challenge and to drum up recruitment to return to row and learn to row from the autumn. A huge thanks to my fellow volunteers who lent a hand with these days to raise our profile and help build the civil service pipeline of rowers.
6. Upcoming events – We have a host of events to look forward to before Heads Seasons gets fully under way, please note for your diary, with more info to follow from the new captaincy team when in post.
- Autumn Sculling Camp 1st September – 3rd September,
- Club day 9th September
- Autumn Learn to Row 10th September – 15th October
- End of Season Dinner Friday 22nd September, 19:00 (to be preceded by a short waddle)
Kit Window
3rd May 2023
Delighted to inform you that by popular demand we have set up a new kit window with Crewroom for the next week, closing on Monday the 8th. The login password has been circulated by email
A great opportunity to top up your kit drawer or invest in some fresh racing kit. A reminder that our primary racing strip is the all blue all in one. As usual, a minimum order applies. Any questions or problems, please contact the captain
Tim Senior
27th February 2023
Timothy James Senior
1971 – 2023
It is with great sadness that we record the untimely death of Tim Senior at the age of 51. Tim collapsed and died while competing in the Henley Fours and Eights Head on 11 February 2023. A highly accomplished individual both on and off the water, for many of us our most recent memory of Tim will have been at the University Boat Race in 2022, when he was much in evidence as the new Chairman of the Boat Race Company.
Tim enjoyed an illustrious career as an oarsman on the Cam, the Isis and the Tideway and was rarely far from a boat throughout his lifetime. Here at Cygnet, we like to think we played a small but decisive part in his rowing achievements. Tim rowed in some of the most successful crews at Cygnet during the 1990s, not least an entry for the Henley Wyfold lVs in 1996 which won several heats, greatly raising the club’s profile at that time. For me, there was the added satisfaction of watching the crew power its way down the Henley course in a boat bearing my name.
Memories of that era are best told by some of the crew mates he rowed with at that time, notably Mark Davies, who was club captain, and Guy du Parc Braham. Guy was the first to break the news, which reached us on the eve of the club’s 133rd birthday, thus enabling us to take a moment to remember Tim.
Guy wrote: “I have just heard that Tim Senior, Chairman of the Boat Race Company and ex-Cygnet member, died tragically today while racing at Henley 4s and 8s. Some of you will remember Tim rowed with us in the mid-90s. I was in crews with him that raced at HRR as well as in various Heads. I think Paul (Club Historian) has previously described this period as our most successful for the club. My strongest memory of rowing with Tim was not Henley Royal but the best Cygnet race I ever had, which was the Business Houses Head of 1996. It was a perfect piece of rowing from start to finish. We won the whole event by more than 40 seconds”.
Mark Davies has since penned a more fulsome account of his memories of Tim which is reproduced in full here:
“My memories of Tim are of a highly confident and motivated individual who joined Cygnet in the mid-1990s as a civil servant fresh from Uni and with no rowing points but with plenty of ambition and rowing experience gained at Cambridge University.
His rowing status meant he was eligible to row any level including Novice and Senior 3 crews which my predecessor as Captain, Chris Shea, selected him in (as would any canny captain juggling points to construct competitive crews) but then left it to others, like me, to break the news to him knowing that the reaction would be less than ecstatic. The best way to avoid selection in those crews was to win many races, which Tim subsequently did at such Cygnet regatta favourites as St Neots.
He was always destined for better things and a few years later in 1996 with the maximum twelve rowing points accumulated Tim was in the VIII that won the Business Houses Head Race by nearly a minute, one of the finest VIIIs rows I’ve had.
He was also in the Elite 4– crew that had many successes that year and beat two crews at Henley Royal Regatta to reach the Friday, traditionally club day for Cygnet.
Shortly after that Tim moved on to London RC and latterly UTRC.
In the Cygnet elite 4- crew he was easily the most dedicated to training, achieving phenomenal ergo scores. In the run up to Henley following a relatively disappointing Metropolitan Regatta, Tim proposed an ‘alcohol ban’ as part of a ramping up of our efforts; this was initially met with incomprehension and the proposal was negotiated down to (I believe) something close to one alcohol unit/day. However, he was less than pleased when at a subsequent training outing one of the crew announced he’d already had his monthly quota the night before.
Another thing that was anathema to Tim was quiet reflection: after warming up for the HRR qualifiers we had an hour or so before going afloat so the crew decision was to leave the busy boating area, sit quietly in the car and focus, gathering thoughts conserving energy etc. Not Tim: after less than a couple of minutes he exploded with nervous energy, burst out of the car and had to pace up and down for the remaining time.
I like to think that differences of approach within a crew are part of what makes a successful crew - a bit of antagonism but pulling together when it counts. Tim helped to provide that focus for us.”
Tim’s father, Eddie, recalls with great pride “the privilege of following the Umpire’s launch several times at Henley”. The Senior family would be very pleased to hear from anybody at Cygnet who rowed with Tim. Please share your thoughts and memories in he comments below. If you would like to email Tim's father, Edward, please contact the webmaster who will forward on details
Tim is survived by his wife, Sarah, a daughter and two sons, both of whom have turned into very able oarsmen (courtesy of Radley College), as has a niece, Alice, who has taken to coxing like a duck to water. – the legacy lives on! Tim's family have also donated a trophy to Cygnet to be presented to the most promising novice.
A private funeral for close family will be held in Kent; a service and celebration of Tim’s life will be held in Henley at a later date (to be advised by the family).
Paul Rawkins, February 2023
Captain's Log 01/02/23
2nd February 2023
Hello Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking… Well that’s January done!
It’s been cold, dark and neither weather nor water particularly conducive to rowing at times. But still we rowed, with a couple of bonus land sessions thrown in - my thanks to all who have put in the hard meters on the ergs and on the water and made the best of January’s Tideway conditions! Of course, it’s not too late to start those New Year’s resolutions to get back into the swing of training and get the work done…
Thanks to all who helped out with hosting duties this weekend with boating and traffic and generally lending a hand on Sunday for our visiting Quintin Head crews, nice to see the boathouse and hard busy again.
We enjoyed a fabulous post-race Burn's Night, courtesy of Martin (huge thanks for organising and cooking) there was haggis and whisky aplenty and a jovial night all round.
QUINTIN HEAD
Congratulations to our veterans crew, a Guildford-Cygnet composite, for representing Cygnet out on the course, a solid effort from the racing crew. Whilst injuries meant it was just the one VIII out this time, we are looking ahead to Hammersmith Head (26th Feb) and beyond to Head of the River Race (18th March) to round off our head race fixtures. Now is the time to update availability and get the training in.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - Sunday 19th February 12.00
Our AGM is now just around the corner and a number of key positions are available and a great chance to get involved with the club and its future direction. All applications to join the committee are encouraged, there’s plenty to go round and lots to be involved in, so please do get in touch if you’d like to find out more. Formal notices will follow.
THE SOCIAL CLUB
The next few weeks are looking positive on the social front, fresh off the back of last weekend’s burns night, we have our birthday to celebrate and yet more opportunities for food and beer. (P.S. we are on the hunt for a budding social secretary, so get in touch if you’d like to be the socialiser-in-chief to take forward the clubs social calendar in the coming year..)
Club Birthday 12th February 12.00 onwards
The White Hart in Barnes for some post outing beer and food available (with the six nations to follow). The more the merrier, please drop myself or Paul Rawkins a line if you’d like to join.
Hammersmith Head Supper Club 26th February
Some post race food and beer once racing and hosting is done. Please drop me a line if you’d like to stick around for some food and an extended post race debrief from racing crews no doubt…
WeHoRR - Saturday 4th March (Afternoon Race)
The ladies will take to the river for Women’s Head and it will be all hands on deck on land for hosting duties for visiting crews. Please save the date to lend a hand and give Barnes Bridge a cheer, to be followed by a pizza party in the boathouse bar. Great to see as many of you there as possible to help run the day and make the most of the atmosphere.Squad Training Timetable Reminder
MONDAY: Shed Session - 19.30 (or own time) Erg or Weights
TUESDAY: No scheduled Training
WEDNESDAY: Shed Session - Strength and Conditioning with Charlie: 18.30 or 19.30 (Sign-up on FitClub Essential)
THURSDAY: Shed Session - Squad Erg 19.15, for 19.30 Start incl. fortnightly benchmark erg This week: 30 minute Benchmark Ergs are due, squad members don’t forget to log your scores on FitClub.
FRIDAY: No Scheduled Training
SATURDAY: Outing 1: 0700 for 0710 briefing, 0715 on the Water. Outing 2: 0935 On the Water
SUNDAY: Outing 1: 0715 for 0730 on the water UT2: Row / Erg / Cycle / Run- 29th January: Quintin Head – Tideway
- 26th February: Hammersmith Head – Tideway
- 18th March: Eights Head of the River (HORR) – Tideway
- 19th March: Vets Eights Head of the River – Tideway
Captains Yule Log
24th December 2022
Dear Cygnets, far and wide
With Christmas Eve upon us, I write to wish each and every one of you a happy and peaceful Christmas, wherever you are celebrating.
In many respects it has been a momentous and turbulent year - Cygnet has seen a few of those since 1890 - but just as Father Thames continues to rise and ebb, so Cygnet continues to row. Returning from a disrupted couple of pandemic years, to continue to have been afloat, modest training, regular racing and occasional silverware are all achievements in their own right!
My fondest memory of the Cygnet year, has to have been seeing so many of you, the Cygnet family, back together again, reunited for the Centenary Ball, sharing so many happy memories and cups of good cheer to the Cygnet name.
I’m hugely grateful to all who have helped us this year and for the tremendous support from the many of you who keep the club going and our efforts afloat. Thank you too to the hardy squad, continuing to train and keeping the Cygnet name on race cards near and far. And to our hard working coaches on land and on water for keeping us honest with encouragement and challenge. Thank you for all your efforts and achievements.
This Christmas, we again joined Barnes Bridge for the Christmas Ball and our veterans put forward their best efforts in the Quintin Plum Puds.
And recently I have also pleased to welcome a select few new members who have joined in recent weeks, with whom I’m looking forward to getting afloat more in the new year.
Twixtmas Training
For those wishing to keep up some training amongst the festive cheer, our land coach Charlie has set a Christmas special programme to do from home/garage/garden – alongside runs/rides/ergs of choice to keep active between helpings and board games.
Looking ahead
2023 is full of promise with Quintin Head just around the corner (29th Jan) and Hammersmith and HoRR hot on its tail before the days lengthen and we’re back to summer training. The year ahead has much to offer as we aim to build our base and boost our numbers to take Cygnet forward.
Full Squad training resumes Sat 7th January on the water & Weds 11th for coached weights with Charlie in the shed. New Years Eve show and row for those local will be available.
Calling all (ex)Masters Rowers
In need of a New Year’s resolution? Tempted by a reunion? Fancy the occasion paddle? I’m looking to see if I can tempt any of you and our alumni for the occasional row, a chance to drop by the boathouse. reconnect and get a float again once in while.
Interested? Drop the Captain a line and let’s see what we can manage for an occasional Masters row on the tideway in 2023.
Recruitment
We are particularly looking for experienced rowers, those looking for a change of scene, rowing somewhere new or rekindling the rowing flame: more details here. Please pass on the good word!
That’s all for now, and I shall end how I started with warmest festive wishes to you and yours this Christmas time and throughout the year ahead.
Merry Christmas Cygnet, and Happy Rowing.
Rupert
Captain's Log 2611
26th November 2022
Good evening Cygnets
With apologies for a delayed Captain’s log, but pleased to report following a successful Fours and Vets Fours weekend – congratulations to all who raced (and the many sore glutes afterwards) and a huge thank you to all the helpers who supported a successful weekend on land and on water – I really appreciate the hard efforts of our small army of dedicated volunteers who show up and lend a hand on these busy weekends.
Key date for diaries: Squad catch up This Thursday (1st December) 1900 in the club bar. Looking for full squad attendance please.
1. Fours Head / Veterans Fours Head Races
Congratulations to the three crews who raced in the end, some beautiful conditions to row in and good to see Cygnet colours out on the river and the brilliant support from Middlesex and Surrey banks.
Fours Head:
4- Open Club: Matthew Gutteridge, Cristobal Cabrera, Rupert Bailey, Mustafa ÖzyurtVeterans Fours Head:
4x Masters H: Paul Rawkins, Rhodri Walters, Stephen Reeves, Nick Wylie
4- Masters B: Henrik Jonstromer, Martin Drage, Rupert Bailey, Mustafa ÖzyurtWell done to all crews.
2. Next Races:
Our next race will be Sunday 18th December with Quintin Plum Puddings (Pink House to Quintin, followed by Christmas celebrations @QBC). I am hoping to enter two crews (one Vets, one main squad) – Please sign up via Fitclub or via me.
Promises to be a fun event to round off the term and set us up well for the Christmas break. An excellent way to blow away any cobwebs from the BBLRC Christmas party the night before…
2022
- Sunday 18th December: Quintin Plum Puddings
2023
- 29th January: Quintin Head – Tideway
- 26th February: Hammersmith Head – Tideway
- 18th March: Eights Head of the River (HORR) – Tideway
- 19th March: Vets Eights Head of the River – Tideway
3. Training:
Let’s keep at it and keep the lights on the shed as we get towards the end of Heads Season and– that momentum and consistency is really key for building our performance and rowing well, as well as building our squad and crews.
A reminder that all training sessions are online. The Captain is very cognisant of very busy lives and long winter months, but if I can please make a plea for land training sessions and good attendance, especially Charlie’s strength and conditioning – please do sign up and attend whenever to keep up the training effort (which has been making noticeable gains in our boats on the water). The shed is a highly sought after resource and it’s a real shame to see empty spaces / low attendance for Cygnet sessions.
Those who hope to race in forthcoming events, please review your availability, get signed up to race and get booked in for training to attend weekend sessions so we can get race crews out – Race crews are selected with this in mind so please get signed up so we can get our crews on the water.
Those of you who are due to take steering tests, please get booked in with Charlie as we look to complete sign-offs and get coxes and rowers signed off for steering responsibilities.
4. Barnes Bridge Disruption
Many of you will be aware of the defects discovered in Barnes Railway Bridge, this will be a significant disruption to train travel for the foreseeable and may also result in closures to the arches and navigation re-routing – please keep a good look out for inspection boats in the area and any changes to navigation, including bridge closures. We will endeavour to keep you updated but changes may happen at short notice.
Please also note the series of forthcoming planned Barnes Bridge arch closures in November and December which will impact on navigation There are two NTM’s with dates and times when Barnes Bridge arches will be closed u16of2022.pdf (pla.co.uk) and u17of2022.pdf (pla.co.uk)
5. Recruitment campaign – return to and experienced rowers welcome!
Matt, Henrik and I are pushing forward a recruitment campaign in the local area and via the civil service, specifically targeted at those returning to row and looking for a more balanced approach to training that accommodates busy lives and careers.
If you are thinking of getting back into rowing or know someone who might be interested in joining the squad, please do get in touch.
Very grateful for any and all efforts to spread the word, so please help by spreading the message and if you know a good place for advertising the club and our squad, we will be very pleased to hear it!
6. Christmas is Coming…
Cygnet Veteran’s Annual Christmas lunch at the RAF club is planned for Friday 16th December. Please Contact Lawrance McVeigh for more details and to sign up.
BBL Christmas Party on Saturday 17th December at George IV Chiswick. More details to follow in the coming weeks.
Captain's Log: 31 October 22
31st October 2022
Bit of a bumper Captain’s log this week, but lots of important information including crew announcements, safety/navigation matters and some key things coming up where we really need Cygnet helps around the boathouse so will be grateful to all who can lend a hand. All rounded off with a couple of exciting Christmas events to look forward to- yes it’s that time of year already!
Please have a good read and shout to one of the captaincy team if you have any questions or queries.
1. Fours Head / Veterans Fours Head Crew Announcements
I am pleased to announce the racing crews for the forthcoming Fours Races on 19th and 20th of November
Fours Head:
• 4– Open Club: Matthew Gutteridge, Cristobal Cabrera, Rupert Bailey, Mustafa ÖzyurtVeterans Fours Head:
• 4x Masters F: Paul Rawkins, Rhodri Walters, Rhodri Walters, Nick Wylie
• 4x Masters E: Richard Warne, Arnold Paikin, Brad Bryant, Iain Golder (Cygnet / Guildford Composite)
• 4– Masters B: Henrik Jonstromer, Martin Drage, Rupert Bailey, Mustafa Özyurt2. Steering Tests:
Saturday 12 November, we will be conducting written steering tests in the Boathouse. Please can I ask that all squad rowers and coxes who have not yet completed the test sign up to attend so we can get our sign off procedures up to date. Whether you have previously steered or not, it is important that all senior rowers have a good understanding of the river and our rules of navigation – my expectation is that all squad rowers complete the sign-off process. This also helpfully increases our pool of available steers.
Please contact me sign up if you need to complete the test so I can put in place the arrangements with the Safety Adviser. If you cannot make this date, please get in touch to arrange a separate session.
3. Training:
Those who are racing in the forthcoming events, please review your availability over the next two weeks to see whether you can attend more weekend sessions so we can get race crews out – Race crews are selected with this in mind so please get signed up so we can get our crews on the water.
A reminder that all training sessions are online. The Captain is very cognisant of very busy lives and long winter months, but if I can please make a plea for land training sessions and good attendance, especially Charlie’s strength and conditioning – please do sign up and attend whenever to keep up the training effort (which has been making noticeable gains in our boats on the water). The shed is a highly sought after resource and it’s a real shame to see empty spaces / low attendance for Cygnet sessions.
4. Help around the Boat House – Extra hands needed, please sign up:
Working Day – Shed and Building Maintenance Next weekend
You will have seen the message in the boathouse recently – the Boathouse Exec is organising a maintenance day next weekend after outings on Sunday 6th November. Please do hang around and lend a hand for a couple of hours or come down later in the day. Chris Jageurs has a long list of jobs and maintenance tasks he wants to get through, so please do come, armed with elbow grease.Vets & Fours Boating Operations
Fours weekend will be one of our busiest of the year and is one of those events when we really do need all hands on deck to help out with traffic and boating for a couple of hours on raceday. This is a request for all club members to help make the hosting operation a success – we are looking quite light on Cygnet numbers on the current count. Those who are racing either Fours or Vets4s, please sign up for a shift around boating – it’s particularly important that racers lend a hand to make the day a success. On the boating front, we are currently forecasting a really packed weekend, with both days booked to full capacity.Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16vZ8X1DVvG0W8ge6BDEVEjwZg8hLiAU0AUoLbRWwqKw/edit?usp=drivesdk
5. Safety Matters
There is a bumper set of safety announcements online – all crews (and especially steers please take note) in particular a large barge/tree removal operation happening this week on the Hammersmith bend at St Pauls.
Also please note the series of forthcoming Barnes Bridge arch closures in November and December which will impact on navigation There are two NTM’s with dates and times when Barnes Bridge arches will be closed u16of2022.pdf (pla.co.uk) and u17of2022.pdf (pla.co.uk)
6. Christmas is Coming…
Cygnet Veteran’s Annual Christmas lunch at the RAF club is planned for Friday 16th December. Please Contact Lawrance McVeigh for more details and to sign up.
Save the Date: BBL Christmas Party Saturday 17th December at George IV Chiswick. Details to follow.
2022
- 19th November: Fours Head – Tideway
- 20th November: Vets Fours Head – Tideway
2023
- 29th January: Quintin Head – Tideway
- 26th February: Hammersmith Head – Tideway
- 18th March: Eights Head of the River (HORR) – Tideway
- 19th March: Vets Eights Head of the River – Tideway
Captain's Log: 05 October 22
6th October 2022
Hello Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking!
We survived the Rhine!
In what were some of the worst conditions in living memory our three crews fought hard against the water, weather and each other to complete the 42km challenge. Coxed by our Benrath friends Mucha, Tichel and Kett, we counted the boats out and counted them back in again.
It was a hard fought competition and a close margin across the three crews when the final times came in, but experience was triumphant on this occasion and the plaudits go to the Chairman’s Veteran Quad (2:48:39), followed closely by our Senior Mens Four (2:49:06), ahead of the CYG / BBL composite who completed the course in 2:52:28. Congratulations to Wylie, Martin, Tom, Neil and Mucha in victorious form as top of the boats!
Huge credit to all our crews and racers, it takes real stamina, determination and character to get those boats over the line and an extra dose of grit was required in the last 10km this year! Particular shout out to our novice racers Matt G, Mustafa, Anna and Samantha for taking on the challenge this time out, the jury is still out on whether it’s an adventure to be repeated- but we wish glutes and blisters a swift recovery!
Huge thanks of course to our good friends and hosts at RG Benrath who blessed us with warmest hospitality and looked after us splendidly all weekend, keeping the Alt Bier topped up and an enjoyable Erdedankefest to boot. We look forward to welcoming them back to the Tideway for Head of the River in March.
Pairs Head
The Tideway was also in racing strip this weekend and congratulations to Iain and Brad for completing Pairs Head and racing well in Cygnet colours completing the course in 17:35.90.Thanks to those who helped out on the day and were able to lend a hand. Please mark 19–20 Nov in your calendars for Fours / Vets Fours where we really will need all hands on deck for hosting our visiting crews: not just a nice to have so the races can run but an essential source of funding for the clubs which we cannot do without help.
Training & Race Availability
We’re well into Heads Season training now so for the Squad now is the time to make the gains on land as well as on the water. Please keep the shed well populated and training up Mon - Weds - Thurs as per the updated training plan on fitclub. We have no self-rowing ergs and the weights don’t lift themselves!Please look ahead to the next races:
Upper Thames Head 30th Oct and (V) Fours Head of the River. Entries are already opening and filling fast so get your race and training availability up to date through to the end of November please.A reminder too that your BR Race license must be valid for the race day in order to be eligible for racing - this is the rowers responsibility to check and update on British Rowing.
Committee Vacancies
We are still looking to fill two crucial vacancies on the Cygnet Committee - Secretary and Social Secretary, please get in touch if you think you might be interested and able to help with the running of the club and our social scene. Two pivotal roles that help keep the club running in some form or other: Volunteers urgently needed. Please get in touch.
Racing Calendar
2022
- 30th October: Upper Thames Autumn Head – Henley
- 19th November: Fours Head – Tideway
- 20th November: Vets Fours Head – Tideway
2023
- 29th January: Quintin Head – Tideway
- 26th February: Hammersmith Head – Tideway
- 18th March: Eights Head of the River (HORR) – Tideway
- 19th March: Vets Eights Head of the River – Tideway
Off-Season: Monday 20th March – Monday 10th April
Captain' Log: Issue 22
3rd October 2022
Good afternoon (Guten Abend from Benrath) Cygnet, this is your Captain speaking
It was a delight to see so many of you at last week’s ball in what was a fantastic evening of celebration and excellent company - all in all a memorable knees up. Huge thanks to the team behind the scenes who put in an immense effort to make it such an auspicious occasion - thank you all.
Thanks too, to all of you who came from near and far, it was great to see so many old friends and some very long overdue reunions. We celebrated BBLRC’s centenary, toasted a lifetime of achievement and contribution from BBLRC President Rubina Curtis and bid farewell to our dear Marj, celebrating her immense successes and efforts for Cygnet - thank you Marj!
You will have seen a select few pictures from the evening via the website and the full set of pictures is available here, should you wish to view or upload your own.
RETURN TO THE RHINE
This weekend sees a healthy contingent return to our very good friends at RG Benrath – we are excited to be back and ready to race in the 2022 Rhine Marathon with three crews of Cygnet and BBLs taking to the German waters. Best of luck to all crews - good odds now being offered in the three way sweepstake.
Mixed Quad BBL/CYG Composite – 62
Cox: Tichel, Anna Barkemeyer, Anna Constantini, Samantha Bailey, Rupert BaileyMens coxed Four – 78
Cox:Kett, Cris cabrera, Mustafa Özyurt, Matt Byrne, Matt GutteridgeVeteran Quad –119
Cox: Mucha, Neil Pickford, Martin Drage, Tom Broadhurst, Nick Wylie,PAIRS HEAD
Pairs Head also returns this weekend with plenty of visiting crews we are expecting a thriving Hard and busy boathouse.
Very best of luck to Iain Golder & Brad Bryant representing Cygnet in Pairs Head, going off Crew Number 57 as a Masters E 2-. From the boathouse and from Germany we will be cheering you on.
Please do sign up to help for a slot with boating or traffic for an hour or so - every little helps and is greatly appreciated. A few extra Cygnet hands will be a very great help.
Learn To Row. Spread the Word – 9 October
Our Learn to Row Sunday 9 October is launching next weekend, please spread the word far and wide, we are very keen for a healthy intake this autumn so please to share across your local and professional networks as we look to grow the club and build Cygnet momentum. Please contact Henrik / see the attached for more details.
Committee Vacancies
We are still looking to fill two crucial vacancies on the Cygnet Committee: Secretary and Social Secretary, please get in touch if you think you might be interested and able to help with the running of the club and our social scene.
Two pivotal roles that help keep the club running in some form or other: Volunteers urgently needed.
Racing Calendar
2022
- 1st October: Rhine Marathon – Düsseldorf, Germany
- 2nd October: Pairs Head
- 30th October: Upper Thames Autumn Head – Henley
- 19th November: Fours Head – Tideway
- 20th November: Vets Fours Head – Tideway
2023
- 29th January: Quintin Head – Tideway
- 26th February: Hammersmith Head – Tideway
- 18th March: Eights Head of the River (HORR) – Tideway
- 19th March: Vets Eights Head of the River – Tideway
Off-Season: Monday 20th March – Monday 10th April
Captain' Log: Issue 21
22nd September 2022
Hello Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking,
The Season is now well underway with our squad meeting quickly followed by Scullers Head and weekend outings to get us afloat in earnest.Pleased to be building momentum as the long evenings (and longer ergs) of Heads Session set in...
I look forward to seeing a very many of you this weekend for the Centenary Ball at Richmond Hill Hotel - huge efforts going in by the organising committee (to which we owe huge thanks), it promises to be a splendid dinner and dance and I look forward to seeing you all in your Black Tie finery and an opportunity to catch up with reunited Cygnet friends.
Scullers Head
Huge congratulations to our four racing Cygnets this weekend Pete, Cris, Charlie and Chairman Nick who represented Cygnet in beautiful weather (if not-so-beautiful-water) and did Cygnet proud. Pleased to see the Heads racing season get off to such a strong start.Scullers Head, Cygnet Results
207 • Club • P Goldsworthy • 25:13.78 • 251st
209 • Club • C Piguet • 25:41.35 • 295th
396 • Masters Novice • C Pretzlik • 26:52.17 • 365th
365 • Masters H • N Wylie • 27:36.17 • 403rd
A big thank you too, to all the helpers who assisted with hosting and boating this weekend - as you know these races couldn't happen without you. Next up is Pairs Head Sunday 2nd October – please sign up to lend a hand, with a number of Cygnets back racing on the Rhine, any folks staying local who can help and lend a hand with boating and traffic will be very much appreciated.
The Season Ahead: Squad Training Plan.
A big thank you to all members of the Squad who joined last Thursday's Squad kick-off meeting to meet with the Captaincy and Coaching team to discuss our plans for training and racing during Heads season. You'll find a summary of this here (pdf) and in the clubhouse changing rooms, we really want to make the most of the platform we built last season and step up our training and performance over the coming season. Please take some time to digest the plan and how we plan to approach the coming year. It also sets out the racing schedule and training sessions - also all available on Fitclub. Land training will be a premium with the shed sessions in high demand from Cygnet and BBL - please do make the most of these sessions and the training on offer.
Learn To Row: Spread the Word – 9th October
We will be launching our Learn to Row Sunday 9 October, please spread the word far and wide, we are very keen for a healthy intake this autumn so please to share across your local and professional networks as we look to grow the club and build Cygnet momentum. Please contact Henrik / see the attached for more details
Committee Vacancies
We are looking to fill two crucial vacancies on the Cygnet Committee - Secretary and Social Secretary, please get in touch if you think you might be interested and able to help with the running of the club and our social scene. Two pivotal roles that help keep the club running in some form or other: Volunteers urgently needed.
Racing Calendar2022
- 17th September: Scullers Head – Tideway
- 1st October: Rhine Marathon – Düsseldorf, Germany
- 2nd October: Pairs Head
- 30th October: Upper Thames Autumn Head – Henley
- 19th November: Fours Head – Tideway
- 20th November: Vets Fours Head – Tideway
2023
- 29th January: Quintin Head – Tideway
- 26th February: Hammersmith Head – Tideway
- 18th March: Eights Head of the River (HORR) – Tideway
- 19th March: Vets Eights Head of the River – Tideway
Off-Season: Monday 20th March – Monday 10th April
Ronnie Lambe
14th September 2022
Ronald Edwin Lambe
1925 – 2022
‘Ronnie’ Lambe, who died at the age of 97 on 30th August 2022, had been a member of Cygnet Rowing Club for 75 years. Almost certainly the longest standing member of the club to date, he was also the last surviving link with ‘Wally’ Wheldal, the most memorable of the club’s founding fathers, whom he recalled meeting in person in the late 1940s.
Ronald Edwin Lambe was born into a large family on 7th May 1925. The family was originally from the East End but had upped sticks and moved to Walthamstow by the time Ronnie appeared on the scene. These were harsh times: the country was still coming to terms with the aftermath of the Great War and some of his earliest memories were of his father and uncles relating tales of their battle-weary times in France. “They lived most of their lives in mud and shit, but their recollections were not unhappy ones”.
His father was a successful insurance agent and the family moved around a lot, eventually settling in Putney where Ronnie went to Elliott Central School, a seat of learning that catered for “moderately bright young men who had not quite managed to gain a scholarship”. Ronnie always maintained that the school’s chief task was to mould boys into “clerks for the City, who were content to touch their caps and be nice to their masters as long as they got paid reasonably well”.
Upon leaving school in 1943, Ronnie went straight into the Royal Navy where he served for three years. To his eternal regret he never went to sea which may perhaps explain why he jumped at the opportunity to join Cygnet RC, having been invited to do so by his old school chum Vic Reeves. Messrs Reeves and Lambe were duly elected as new members on 16th August 1947, he under the happy impression a sparkling career as a club oarsman beckoned. In truth, and as Vic Reeves confessed some 60 years later, they had only ever intended him to be a coxswain, a role that he accepted with his customary equanimity.
In 2005, Ronnie penned some of his memories of those early post-war years: “Many members were returning from the armed forces which tended to engender a rather relaxed air in contrast to the enforced discipline they had become accustomed to.” Beer drinking was popular – Jenner’s Golden Ale was the chosen tipple – and Ronnie recalled the huge consternation that greeted the submersion of the club bar in the floods of 1953. Still, there were ‘pots’ to be had and Ronnie shared in the club’s haul of silverware throughout the heady days of the 1950s.
An astute observer of his surroundings, Ronnie recalled that “The river was rather different in those days. Not only was it very dirty, but there was a considerable amount of commercial traffic – mainly tugs pulling eight to nine barges loaded with coal up to the old Brentford gas works”. Nonetheless, “we still sometimes swam at the top of the tide through Barnes Bridge and back”. Small Profit Dock, opposite the boathouse on the Surrey side, was still in occasional commercial use and “it was…. there that I, as cox, put a brand new eight aground on its first outing”. Plus ςa change!
Despite his long tenure at Cygnet, Ronnie was never a civil servant. However, as an employee of a nationalized industry, he always considered himself to be one. Having been ‘demobbed’ in 1946, he initially became a vacuum cleaner vendor before taking up a clerical post at British Gas primarily because it was close to home, and he needed a stop gap until something better came along. He never left, serving 40 years as a “gas employee”; yet in all those years he never seems to have been tempted to join Horseferry, the gas board’s counterpart to Cygnet.
The Civil Service Boathouse has always been a marriage bureau first and a rowing club second and Ronnie duly married St George’s lass Anne Crewdson in 1960. Procreation followed: Stephen was first on the scene, then twins Philip and Rosemary. Thereafter, Ronnie’s active rowing days were few and far between. Nonetheless, while he may have vacated the coxswain’s seat, he never relinquished his quill.
A natural bureaucrat, he amply fulfilled the aspirations of Elliott Central, performing secretarial duties at Cygnet, the Civil Service Boathouse Executive, Putney Town and Borne at Chiswick regattas, Ranelagh Sailing Club, ‘Cygnets’ bungalow committee and the Hamhaugh Islanders’ Association among others. At times he must have felt his very sanity was on the line: Marjorie Israel, his successor as Secretary at Cygnet, recalls a classic occasion when he found himself writing a letter to himself at the CSBE from himself as club secretary. Nonetheless, he stayed the course as club secretary for almost two decades, while his association with Putney Town Regatta extended over half a century.
A safe pair of hands (and an obvious choice as a club trustee), Ronnie steered Cygnet through some turbulent times, not least the ultimately abortive negotiations for a merger with BBLRC. Yet he always remained above the fray and enthusiastically embraced the age of the word processor. Neil Pickford recalls that in later years he attracted the (affectionate) nickname of the ‘The Lambinator’ amongst the younger, active members of Cygnet and BBLRC, a pun born out of his predilection for creating laminated signs for the boathouse at every opportunity.
Among his contemporaries, Ronnie was unusual in escaping the clutches of the Golden Oldies and he rarely imbibed with them at the Boathouse on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. Still, he was never above having a good time. Family gatherings on Hamhaugh Island were common, while he and Vic Reeves were instrumental in founding the ‘veterans’ lunch at Henley which became the Leander lunch.
Bungalow committee meeting lunches at ‘Cygnets’ held a special attraction in latter times with all the great and the good – Peter Sly, Vic Reeves, Mike Arnold-Gilliat and Nina Padwick to name but a few – in attendance. Very much the gourmet, these occasions lent themselves to all sorts of Lambe culinary delights. His meat pies at Borne Regatta were legendary.
For many of us, one of our last memories of Ronnie will have been of him wearing his stripy club blazer at Old Blades on Henley Friday. In 2009, Ronnie sat down with Vic Reeves and recorded a Talking History looking back over a lifetime at Cygnet Rowing Club. At the close of that recording he reflected that “joining Cygnet was a major action in my life and a source of the greatest pleasure”. Anne predeceased him in 2009; he is survived by Stephen, Philip and Rosemary, five grandchildren, and a wealth of committee minute books.
Ronnie’s funeral will be held on Friday, 23 September at 10.30am at Guildford Crematorium and afterwards at Philip and Viven’s home, 13 Hamhaugh Island. Please contact the Secretary if you plan to attend the reception.
Paul Rawkins, September 2022
Captain's Log: Preparing the Season Ahead
12th September 2022
The 2022/23 Season
After several quiet weeks on the rowing front since marking the end of the 2022 Regatta Season and my re-election as Captain, I am pleased to announce the final preparations for the forthcoming 2022/23 season, along with the new Captaincy Team: Deputy Captain Matthew Gutteridge, Vice Captain Henrik Jonstromer.
The Squad, together with Coach Beth and the Captaincy Team, will meet at 1900 on Thursday 15th September at the Club to kick the season off and present our training and racing plans for the forthcoming Heads Season. Please join us and pass the message on to any who may wish to join.
Land training sessions resume from Wednesday 14th – details/sign up on Fitclub.
Finally, a heartfelt thanks from me to all who have wished Samantha and I well and for our wedding on 27 August, we have enjoyed some wonderful celebrations and a very relaxing honeymoon but both very much looking forward to our return to rowing and getting back in our respective boats! Thanks to you all for the best wishes and kind messages.
Look forward to seeing many of you on Thursday and many more of you at the Centenary Ball on the 24th.
Best wishes
Rupert
Captain's Log: Issue 20
19th June 2022
Good Evening Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking,
I hope you’re keeping cool Cygnets amidst the sweltering heat of the last few days. I am pleased to say racing and training continues apace and those working hard through training are really seeing the dividends on the water, we’re hoping for a strong finish at the remaining regatta this season.
Our summer learn to row (this year a Get Fit & Row) is just around the corner, hot on the heels of Henley Friday. Please spread the word for both – all the details you need are below.
We send our congratulations to Barnes Bridge Ladies who took a fleet of boats to race at Henley Women’s Regatta on Friday, including qualification in the coxed four event – well done BBLRC for a strong showing and marking the Centenary Year on the Henley course.
Barnes & Mortlake Regatta Report
We had a good showing at our last local regatta of the season at Barnes and Mortlake on Saturday 11th July. The return of the Ozyurt/Bailey 2x saw us take Vesta in the Semi Final despite some challenging conditions with a convincing victory of 3 lengths. Alas the youthful exuberance of Team Keane saw us outmatched by 1¾ Lengths in the final but we fought them to the line and were pleased with a semi final win and well contested final.In the 4x straight final, sandwiched between two Fulham Crews, we raced well and raced hard with our best performance of the season clearing third place Easily and to miss out on victory by 1 ¼ Lengths to the winning crew.
The takeaway from both events and from the recent training is that the effort and commitment is clearly paying off, those attending regularly are making great strides of progress with some really competitive racing with Coach Beth taking us through some key changes and big steps forward – well done to those of you involved, keep up the hard work and the rewards will come.
Learn to Row Course 2022 – From 03rd July 2022
Spread the word: This summer’s learn to row kicks off from the 3rd July and we’re hoping to run a full Get Fit and Row Course, but we need your help to spread the message and get recruiting to get the most from the event. Details can be found here, the course will be a mix of land and water training. All offers of volunteers will be welcome – all enquiries to Deputy Captain Martin Drage who is organiser in chief. Spread the word if you know of keen rowers-to-be.Forthcoming Races
We have two away races left in our regatta calendar for the season which will round off our summer campaign by the end of July – and plenty of time between now and then to get some solid race prep and training in to finish the summer strong. We have a mix of boats entered already across 4+, 4x 2x and 1x categories for those who have signed up. So if you’re thinking about it, now’s the time to commit – sign up on FitClub.- 23–24th July St Neots
- 30th July Henley Town & Visitors
Boathouse Maintenance Day
A big thank you to all who gave up their time and effort last weekend to help out with maintenance around the boathouse and in the garden to make a real difference to the upkeep of the boathouse and facilities. Huge thanks to you all.CSBE AGM: Thank you too to those who will be representing Cygnet on the CSBE Exec Committee this coming year after the elections at the Boathouse AGM and to the outgoing cast for your excellent contribution in keeping the boathouse standing, the clubs functioning and boating operations slick and smooth!
Social Matters
HENLEY FRIDAY – 1st July
Members of both Cygnet and BBLRC are invited into the most exclusive Henley enclosure, namely the garden at Old Blades during Henley Royal Regatta Friday, which this year falls on 1st July. This invitation has been very kindly made by our hostess, Mrs Pat Sly, who is one of Cygnet's Life Honorary Members. Club members are welcome from around 12 noon until 6pm (end of racing).Taxis will be arranged from Barnes/Mortlake, for those local and interested.
CENTENARY BALL 24th September – Tickets on Sale
Tickets are now on sale for the hottest date of the year for the Centenary Ball on 24th September – a black tie affair promising to be a great occasion. We are looking forward to rowers and friends past and present joining us at the Richmond Hill Hotel. More info and tickets on sale here
- Friday 1st July: Henley Friday
- Sunday 31st July: OGM (Captaincy Elections) & end of season party
- 9th – 11th September: Sculling Camp
- 24th September: Centenary Ball
- 18th September: Scullers Head
- 1st October: Rhine Marathon
- 2nd October: Pairs Head
Captains Log: Issue 19
30th May 2022
Good morning all, this is your Captain speaking!
Training and racing continues (see forthcoming races below) and a great trip up river to the Bungalow for some racing and scamping (with the occasional trip to the pub). I’m sure all are very much looking forward to the extra long weekend, sadly no racing for us but we will be back out in racing strip on the 11th.
Boathouse Working Day - Sunday 12 June - all hands on deck
Pleased to report that a working day at the boathouse has been organised for some long overdue sprucing up and maintenance, inside and out. All are welcome and encouraged for day of work and tidying 10-1600 Sunday 12 June - please bring good humour and elbow grease. Refreshments and lunch provided so please do pop down for a couple of hours or stick around after your outings to lend some support. The working day will be followed by the CSBE AGM and committee elections.
Walton/Weybridge Regatta and Scamp Returns!
Pleased to report back on an excellent weekend (21–22 May) upstream at our Hamhaugh Island Residence, despite the trailering gods doing their level best to keep us on the tideway, a good team effort got us to Weybridge in time for our first race and a return to racing form for Charlie Pretzlik, this time under Umpires’ orders rather than giving them! We enjoyed a busy day of racing, alongside a strong contingent from BBL too, that saw us racing a number of boats across 1x, 2x, and 4x.
Whilst no wins on the day, some exciting action for all our crews. Racing behind us, much scamping was enjoyed, well fuelled by a bungalow BBQ, plenty of time was spent enjoying the cut and exploring ‘the W’ amidst some glorious weather indeed.
Cygnet was, however, successful in the Weybridge Ladies erg regatta on Sunday with Matt Byrne putting down the fastest sprint as part of their fundraising efforts for the clubhouse. Well done Matt, just a shame those ergs don’t float...!
We will return to the Bungalow for a September Sculling Camp, 9-11 September.
Forthcoming Races
Sadly we’re not quorate for Peterborough next weekend - too many street parties perhaps - so we will next be racing back on the tideway Saturday 11th June. Please update your availability so racing crews, boats and training can be planned accordingly.
- 11th June: Barnes & Mortlake
- 23–24th July: St Neots
- 30th July: Henley Town & Visitors
Learn to Row Course 2022
Details are being finalised for Cygnet’s summer learn to row this year but will likely run from early July with a mix of land and water training, following a Get Fit to Row model. All offers of volunteers will be welcome – enquiries to Deputy Captain Martin Drage who is organiser in chief. Spread the word if you know of keen rowers-to-be.
CENTENARY BALL, 24th September – Tickets on Sale
Tickets are now on sale for the hottest date of the year for the Centenary Ball on 24 September- a black tie affair promising to be a great occasion. We are looking forward to rowers and friends past and present joining us at the Richmond Hill Hotel. More info and tickets on sale here.
- Friday 1st July: Henley Friday
- Sunday 31st July: OGM (Captaincy Elections) & end of season party
- 9th – 11th September: Sculling Camp
- 24th September: Centenary Ball
- 18th September: Scullers Head
- 1st October: Rhine Marathon
- 2nd October: Pairs Head
Captain' Log: Issue 18
16th May 2022
Good Evening Cygnets, This is your Captain speaking!
First of these for a while, for which the Captain sends his apologies, but I hope and trust all in the Cygnet family are keeping well and enjoying all that Spring is offering.
We’re several weeks into the Summer Regatta season now and we’ve been making the most of tideway racing, with plenty more to come on the local stretch and further afield. We’re still hunting our first Cygnet Pewter of 2022, but as we make the most of our evenings on the water and retain a strong commitment to land training too, we’re hoping that those illusive pots won’t remain out of reach for long.
REVIEW OF REGATTA SO FAR
Hammersmith Regatta (23 April) –
Open 2x: Mustafa Ozyurt / Rupert Bailey.
With conditions that would make Heads Seasons proud and North Sea trawlermen wince, challenging conditions they were and whilst others were overcome, we raced on. Alas our opposition went on to win the event but whilst the draw and conditions were set against us, we were pleased to be racing hard again and getting Regatta season off to a solid start. Result loss to University College London (Easily).
Chiswick Regatta (30 April) –
Open 4x: Mustafa Ozyurt / Whit Mason / Pete Goldsworthy / Dom Marshall
We were excited by a return of better conditions and three-way racing returning to the tideway, this time with our quad on strong form. Crew battled hard and strong working hard against another tough draw. We were pleased to cross the line 4 Lengths ahead of Fulham Reach, but pipped by 2.5 Lengths by Thames. Good solid racing and a sign of more promise to come this season.
Borne@Chiswick Bridge (07 May)
Novice 4x: Rupert Bailey, Octavian Puzderca, Mike Kearney, Charles Johnston
A fantastic novice event run by Borne Regatta which provided an excellent opportunity to introduce some of our newest recruits to the excitement of summer racing and a three-way race on the flood between ourselves, Furnivall and Tradesmen. The crew battled hard and held out in front for first two-thirds of the course. In the end we were beaten to the line by a strong finished Furnivall who had 3.5 lengths on us whilst we held on to a 4.5 length lead over Tradesmen. Hard fought and lots of promise from our newest rowers, who we hope will continue to shine in races this summer.
Next Weekend – Walton/Weybridge Regatta and Scamp Returns!!
Next weekend (21-22 May) we will be returning upstream to our Hamhaugh Island Residence for a mix of racing and sculling camp entertainment, with Saturday playing host to Walton and Weybridge Regatta, where there will be plenty of racing action to keep your eyes on and a chance for some fair water sculling too. The Trailer will be arriving Friday evening with a full day of racing Saturday and a more leisurely paced Sunday around the bungalow and on the fairer waters to enjoy!
Details for signing for attending the weekend have been emailed to the squads by Megan our Social Secretary but can also be found here. Expect sculling, racing and BBQs to while away the weekend!
Cygnet Racing Crews
Race 8 - 0845 1x – Charles Pretzlik
Race 48 – 10:26 1x – Ross Stewart
Race 103 – 13:03 4x – Rupert Bailey, Whit Mason, Martin Drage, Tom Broadhurst
Race 143 – 14:35 2x – Rupert Bailey, Henrik Jonstromer
Race 145 – 14:41 2x – Chris Jaguers, Mike KearneyForthcoming Races
It feels like the summer is racing by already, but we’ve got plenty of racing left to run with several away races in June and July plus a local classic with Barnes and Mortlake scheduled for June. Please sign up early if you wish to race and keep that training going.
- 4–5 June: Peterborough Spring
- 11 June: Barnes & Mortlake
- 25 June: Richmond (We expect will likely be cancelled, following the same for Twickenham)
- 23–24 July: St Neots
- 30 July: Henley Town & Visitors
Learn to Row Course 2022
Details are being finalised for Cygnet’s summer learn to row this year but will likely run from early July with a mix of land and water training, following a Get Fit to Row model. All offers of volunteers will be welcome – all enquiries to Deputy Captain Martin Drage who is organiser in chief. Spread the word if you know of keen rowers-to-be.
CENTENARY BALL 24th September – Tickets on Sale
Tickets are now on sale for the hottest date of the year for the Centenary Ball on 24 September- a black tie affair promising to be a great occasion. We are looking forward to rowers and friends past and present joining us at the Richmond Hill Hotel. More info and tickets on sale here.
- Friday 1st July: Henley Friday
- Sunday 31st July: OGM (Captaincy Elections) & end of season party
- 9th – 11th September: Sculling Camp
- 24th September: Centenary Ball
- 18th September: Scullers Head
- 1st October: Rhine Marathon
- 2nd October: Pairs Head
Frank Caughlin
3rd May 2022
Francis Lawrence Caughlin
1926 – 2022
Anna Caughlin, Frank’s wife, contacted us recently with the sad news that Frank had passed away on 22 April after a short illness; he was 96
Frank Caughlin joined Cygnet in 1949 and counted Vic Reeves, Ronnie Lambe, Eric Wale and Brian Lovis among his contemporaries. The club archives are nothing if not exhaustive and his application form records him as a Clerical Officer in the Civil Service (the department is indistinct) living at West Hampstead.
He was one of the new intake of young members who would form the core of some of the most successful Vllls of the 1950s, commencing with a win at Chiswick Regatta in 1953, the crew of which are shown in the picture below taken on the lawn at the Civil Service Boathouse. Frank is the first on the left in the back row.
The win at Chiswick was Cygnet’s first notable victory in open competition since the end of WW2 and rekindled hopes that it would not before long before the club reclaimed the ‘Glory Years’ of the 1930s. Although this was not to be, Cygnet did nevertheless enjoy a spate of wins in Vllls throughout the remainder of the decade.
A very capable scribe who often wrote pieces for the Civil Service Sports Journal, Frank would later recall of this win ‘The Ronald Studd cup shone like a jewel on the top table at the Cygnet annual dinner….at the Bull at Sheen’. Warming to his task, he continued ‘this cup symbolises the re-emergence of Cygnet as an opponent worthy of respect after a long period of post-war obscurity’. The title of his article: ‘Cygnet R.C. for Henley?’.
Later articles would describe the success of Cygnet ‘Invitation (Scratch) Eights’ in August 1953 that attracted sufficient contestants to fill twelve Vllls - the changing room was packed to the gills - and Cygnet’s expanding fleet. Small boats were in short supply and Frank recounted the aura that surrounded the club’s latest acquisition, a coxless lV built for the 1948 Olympic Games, named after the club’s then president ‘Lewis Balfour’.
A future captain in the making, Frank opined ‘A cox’nless four is not a boat to be knocked about. She must be regarded with a deference due to her light build and fast speed. Heavy handed oarsmen should be kept well away…’. There were high hopes, sadly unrealised, that the crew rowing the ‘Lewis Balfour’ might reach the Wyfolds at Henley in 1954.
Frank would remain an active oarsman throughout the 1950s before ascending to the position of captain in 1960 when, for the first time in its history, Cygnet entered five eights in the Head of the River, a record that is thought to remain unbeaten to this day.
Although we rarely saw him in later years, he continued to take an interest in the club, while articles such as ‘Chiswick Rowing Gossip’ which he penned in October 1953 give us a sense of the great hopes and aspirations of that early post-war generation of Cygnets.
Frank’s funeral will take place at 4pm on Thursday, 12th May, at Worthing Crematorium, Horsham Road, Finton, Worthing BN14 ORG, when the family will pleased to welcome any Cygnets who may care to attend.
Paul Rawkins, 2nd May 2022
Captain's Log: Issue 17
9th April 2022
Good afternoon Cygnets,
As I write this, the trailer is loaded, blades stacked and kit packed for our spring training camp. It's wheels up this afternoon and off to Reading RC for some focused time with the Coach on calmer quieter waters ahead of regatta season. Thanks to everyone who lent a hand with loading yesterday and who has helped get us ready for camp.Last night we held our Squad meeting, where, with Coach Beth, I set out our plan and vision for the summer season, talking through the training and regatta plan for the season ahead - thank you to everyone who joined in person or online to find out more - happy to report Captain's cooking continues to go down well!
For those who couldn't make it and for reference, please find attached the summer plan, which sets out our plans for the training and racing schedule, including the regatta we plan to attend on the tideway and further afield, culminating in Henley T & V on July 30th. Any questions or feedback on the plan, please do drop me a line or grab me for chat over the coming weeks.
With training camp and Easter weekend, the full training schedule will get underway after the bank holiday weekend, but check FitClub for water and shed sessions.
For those not attending camp, please be advised that the following boats are out of commission until next week: Neil Jackson, 300 Club, Hamhaugh Island, Port to Port, Golden Oldies, Cygnet Friends and S'camp. Sculling blades are also in short supply I'm afraid. Normal service resumes next week.
Right, time to pack the kit and hit the road - best wishes to you all.
RupertCaptain's Log: Issue 16
1st April 2022
Hello Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking
I’m very pleased to report back on a really positive climax to our Heads season campaign and reaching the end of our long winter training regime.
This weekend was a really positive weekend of racing and hosting and the spring weather capped it off nicely, beckoning towards our summer season and regatta campaign. The weather these last couple of days, a reminder we’re not there yet!
I want to offer huge thanks to everyone who has been involved in a very busy schedule of races this season, on land and on water doing our bit to support the club and wider rowing community, ultimately enabling these races to run. To the boating coordinators, the traffic marshals, the launch drivers and race marshals, the boating teams, the numbers desk and all other helpers who have been involved: thank you. Many of you have put in hours of effort and a lot of support above and beyond to make the races a success and our visiting crews safe and welcome - from which we’ve had much positive feedback. Thanks to you all for the contributions you’ve made and making us such a popular boathouse for hosting and an excellent fundraiser for the clubs too.
Training
Squad training will be out of its regular rhythm as we prepare to shift gear for the summer season and a mini-break after the end of Heads.
Uncoached squad outings at the regular time this weekend with signed off steers in the driving seats for those who are around. Strength & conditioning training with Charlie resumes Monday 4th April.
HORR / VETS HEAD RACE REPORT
Great to see Cygnet well represented in both the Head of the River and Veterans Head this weekend, whilst the weather might not have lasted, the Cygnet effort did. Well done to both crews who battled hard and put the many outings and training throughout the winter to good use, keeping up the effort all the way to Putney. You’ll find some highlights from the weekend on the club facebook and Instagram accounts.
HoRR
In the HoRR event, Cygnet crew 226 paced well with Cox Megan building the crew off a strong start and the best row from the Post through Barnes Bridge and down to Chiswick Steps we’ve seen this season. The crew built well on the performance of Hammersmith and Quintin Heads. The middle third was buffeted hard by squally gusts but the crew battled on and importantly really committed to the race plan and stepped it up to max effort from Hammersmith Bridge and pushed on hard to Putney, keeping the pressure on and technique in check. We finished the course in 22:24 and an overall placing of 244, a good showing and strong improvement on our last HoRR run out in 2019.
Shoutouts go to the Cox for keeping us honest and keeping us measured, pressing us hard when we needed it most. Likewise a standout performance from Octavian, stepping into the crew and delivering in his first Championship Course race - stellar performance and big achievement in your first season after graduating the Learn to Row.
Vets
Whilst the weather for Veterans Head may have disappointed, crew 47 did not and once again we saw a strong performance from our Masters crew, doing us proud. Again building on the successes of the shorter courses, guided by Cox Laurent the crew took the Championship Course in 22:51 finishing 113 overall and 23rd in Masters E.
A shoutout too goes to the cameo performance of Deputy Captain Martin Drage, rowing in X-PRESS Boat Club colours in crew 10 and to our visiting friends from Benrath for their strong performances and excellent company in the Boathouse this weekend.
That rounds off a really good season of long distance racing on the tideway, we’ve been well represented and visible in every tideway race and with consistent crews making some really good in roads in some of local rivals and tideway competition. My thanks once again all our supporters, coxes and coaches who have made it such a positive and enjoyable season. Congratulations to all who have raced this winter.
SUMMER SEASON
Tuesday (5th April) evening, the squad kicks off the summer planning with a get together at the boathouse with some food and an opportunity to discuss our summer season plans and our approach to regatta training and racing. Please do join to find out more about the summer training plan and racing schedule for the squad and to catch up with the Captaincy and Coach on the season so far.
Then it’s off to training camp from 6 - 10 April, a number of us will be heading up to Reading RC for some calmer water and a change of scene with a chance for some pre-season training to get sprint racing off to a good start. There will be no regular squad outings Sat 9 / Sun 10 April.
BOAT RACE
A reminder that that other race is on this coming weekend. The University Boatrace returns to the Tideway again this Sunday. The bar will be open from 1300 and a BYO BBQ will be in operation, so join the crowds, bring a sausage or two and cheer on your favourite Blues. Contact Social Secretary Megan for more info.
CENTENARY BALL 24th September
A reminder of dates for your diary that we have the BBL / CYG centenary ball on 24 September- a bock tie affair promising to be a great occasion after a couple of years of limited socialising. We are looking forward to rowers and friends past and present joining us at the Richmond Hill Hotel. More info here.
Happy Birthday BBL
Final word goes to our good friends next door at BBLRC, who celebrated their 100th birthday this Monday. A remarkable achievement and very special occasion and we send our warmest birthday wishes to all our friends at Barnes Bridge Ladies.
Rupert
Captain's Log: Issue 15
23rd March 2022
Good evening Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking
Spring is in the air at last! It’s good to be enjoying the lighter mornings and the evenings opening out – I hope you’ve been able to make the most of the warmer weather, on the water and off! With Spring comes the final races of the Heads Season and an exciting weekend ahead with Head of the River and Veterans Head of the River Races to round it off.
Look forward to seeing many of you at the Boathouse and on the hard for this weekend’s events. Thank you to all of you who will be lending a hand at different points during the weekend.
Cygnet Crews
Good luck to our two Cygnet crews racing this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, looking forward to capping off the Heads Season with a good showing in the fairway down the full Championship Course. Having missed the last two years' races due to restrictions, it has been a long time coming, with a lot of training and hard effort in the meantime.Head of the River Race, Saturday 26th March (10.00) Crew number 226 in the Noel Davidson.
Megan Eldred (cox), Matt Gutteridge, Cris Cabrera, Dominic Marshall, Pete Goldsworthy, Mustafa Ozyurt, Whit Mason, Rupert Bailey, Andy StrombergVeterans Head of the River, Sunday 27th March (12.30) Crew number 47 in the Noel Davidson.
Laurent Couacaud (cox), Paul Rawkins, Andy Rawkins, Richard Warne, Rhodri Walters, Mike Collier, Nick Wylie, Iain Golder, Brad BryantWelcome Back to RG Benrath
I know many of you will join me in offering a very warm welcome back to Mucha and our good friends from RG Benrath who will be arriving this week. Benrath are joining us for the race weekend and going off numbers 50 and 144 in Vets Head – please do give Benrath a good cheer and the warmest of welcomes back to the Boathouse. Looking forward to sharing many a beer and many a story in the clubhouse bar over the course of the weekend.Boat Race Social 03 April 2022
With the University Boat Races coming up on April 3rd we will be opening up the bar and firing up the BBQ on Boat Race day. BBQ goes live at 1300 and the first race is at 14:20, so please join to cheer your favourite Blue – friends and family welcome too. Please contact Social Secretary Megan for more details.Spring / Summer Training and Regatta Season
Final touches are being put on our summer season training plan and regatta racing, with much more detail to follow in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to building on the successes and commitment to winter training and seeing that pay off in our series of regatta on the Tideway, and off. Watch this space for updates on mid-week outings and the plan for summer racing.Save the Date: 24 September 2022 – Centenary Ball Social Secretary Megan will be in touch with very exciting news about the big celebration in September, please save the date in your diaries and find out more here.
Last but not least…
I am pleased to announce the arrival of our newest arrival to the Cygnet fleet, with our new Cygnet launch (accompanied by a very impressive looking trailer), which had its maiden voyage this weekend. We have enjoyed many hard years of service from our previous launch, it has seen better days and has now been retired to calmer, drier waters. As ever we’ll be supporting the marshalling effort this weekend, with thanks to our launch drivers assisting on race days.
Rupert
Dates for your diary:
- 26th March - HoRR
- 27th March - Vets Eights
- 6–10th April - Training Camp
- 24th September - Centenary Ball
- 26th March - HoRR
HoRR 2022 crew selection
10th March 2022
Good evening Cygnets
Hope you all are well and training all going to plan, let’s keep at it and keep the lights on the shed as we get towards the end of Heads Season and on to Regattas – that momentum and consistency is really key for maintaining and making the most of the excellent gains since September.
Please keep up with the ergs and weights programme as far as you can.
Head of the River Race (HoRR)
I am very pleased to announce the crew below which will form our entry for HoRR on Sat 26th March.
We are only able to field one entry for the race, which means crew selection has been competitive and based on performance and participation, as judged by a combination of strength, length and commitment during Heads season in recent months.
Even if not selected below, thank you for your efforts and work in training, these do not go unnoticed. There is a further opportunity to race at Vets Head, details below.
Cygnet 2022 Head of the River Race: Crew Selection
Noel Davidson 8+
Megan (Cox), Matt G, Cris, Dom, Pete, Mustafa, Whit, Rupert, AndersI am really pleased that we have a strong entry and delighted with the progress we have made, as demonstrated at Quintin and then Hammersmith head. Kudos to you all for keeping up the training and everyone who has remained active and engaged throughout the season. This sets us up well not just for HoRR but for the summer too.
Veterans Head of the River Race
If you’re not listed above, there is still an opportunity to race, with our second entry of the weekend in Vets Head on 27th March, action required.
We have an 8+ entered for Vets Head, which will race alongside our Veterans crew, if we have enough people to enter a raceable squad boat. Please can I therefore ask, that if you have not been selected for the Saturday but still want to race, to sign up for Sunday 27th on Fitclub. There is an age requirement that you must be 27 or older or turn 27 this year.
I need this by noon on Saturday, as entries close on Monday – if we don’t have a crew to field we will need to withdraw the VHoRR entry.
Well done to the HoRR Crew, please put yourself forward for Vets Head if you are interested in racing, well done for keeping up the training. As a squad and a club we’ve got much to take pride in, all of which is down to you and the efforts of our excellent coaching team.
Any questions or thoughts, please do get in touch with me or with Beth.
On we row Cygnet.
Rupert
Captain's Log: Issue 14
6th March 2022
Good evening Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking
I am very pleased to report a cracking day of racing at Hammersmith Head on Sunday 27thFebruary, great to see two Cygnet boats out on form and performing well in the tideway, more on this below. Whilst spring hasn’t yet sprung it is a relief that the days are now rapidly getting longer meaning lighter evenings and most importantly early outings no longer quite pre-dawn!
We are in the final weeks of Heads season now, building towards the bumper weekend of Head of the River and Veterans Head of the River 26th – 27th March. Training is continuing in earnest and we’re seeing the results pay off – a few more weeks of hard graft (keep up that commitment to your land training crews) to see us through to the sprinty summer season – I know for many of us Regatta season can’t come soon enough.
HAMMERSMITH HEAD – 27 February 2022 – Race Report
I am pleased to report another successful outing at Hammersmith Head, this time with both a Veterans and a Seniors Open 8+ entry, both crews doing us proud and competing well in respective categories. Despite some challenging (and cold) winds during marshalling, both crews got off without a hitch from Middlesex and performed well in the Fairway. Full results here.
The Coach was particularly pleased with the gains made by the senior crew, making some real improvements on the last race at Quintin and finishing in a strong position in the division ahead of a good number of tideway clubs and a competitive time in the category. The crew were tidy, rowing well and kept a good, strong pace down the course to Hammersmith Bridge, serving as good preparation for the main event in a few weeks’ time. The Vets crew also had a good run out, with a little help from some friends at Guildford, in a competitive Master D/E category and was great to see both VIIIs racing again. Well done to both crews and a big thank you to our Coxes Megan and Laurent for keeping us sharp and motivated.
The next few weeks we will be stepping up the training and rating so we’re ready to take it up a couple of pips for the long run down to Putney. Crews for Head of the River and Vets Head will be announced shortly.
Noel Davidson #268. VIII+ Open: 12.56.9
Megan Eldred (cox), Dominic Marshall, Pete Goldsworthy, Martin Drage,Whit Mason, Matt Byrne, Mustafa Ozyurt, Rupert Bailey, Andy Stromberg.Marj Israël #250. VIII+ Masters E, CYG/GUI Composite: 13.30.3
Laurent Couacaud (cox), Paul Rawkins, Steve Reeves, Paul Woowat, Richard Warne, Rhodri Walters, Nick Wylie, Iain Golder, Brad BryantCLUB HOSTING AND BOATING: ALL HANDS ON DECK – Please Sign Up
A big thank you to everyone who has helped with Boating this Heads season and to those who have driven launches or found other ways to pitch in.With Hammersmith behind us, we now have the two biggest racing weekends ahead of us in the form of WeHORR and HoRR/VHoRR.
We are expecting a full complement of visiting crews which means we will need all hands on deck across both weekends, to make sure the event runs smoothly and all crews arrive, boat and depart safely. It is a big part of racing and the rowing community and without our services, the Head Races just couldn’t run (and nor would we be able to raise the substantial funds that we do for the club from boating fees).
Please sign up for slots here to assist on Saturday 12th March for WeHORR. Any questions to Henrik.
Save the Date: 24 September 2022 – Centenary Ball
Social Secretary Megan will be in touch with very exciting news about the big celebration in September, please save the date in your diaries and find out more here: cygnet-rc.org.uk/100ballDates for your diary:
- 12th March - WeHoRR
- 26th March - HoRR
- 27th March - Vets Eights
- 6-10th April 2021 - Training Camp
Captain's Log: Issue 12
21st January 2022
Good Morning Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking
2022 is off to a strong start with squad training in full swing, on the water and on land. Fog in recent days has meant rather more on land than we would like, but it hasn’t dented the enthusiastic training effort.
Next weekend will see us hosting and racing Quintin Head and I will be pleased to get Eights Head season underway in earnest (more on that below). Meanwhile planning is underway for the summer regatta season and spring training camp.
BOAT NAMING: ‘Big Malc’ – This Sunday 12.00
We are very much looking forward to the naming of our new 4x/- this weekend and delighted that many of the Burman family will be joining us to mark the occasion and to toast our newest member of the fleet. Please join us at the boathouse from 12.00 as we toast ‘Big Malc’.
QUINTIN HEAD – 29 January
Crew Announcement
I am pleased to announce our first squad racing crew of the year. We are awaiting draw details to confirm our racing number, but representing the squad in Cygnet Colours will be:
8+ Noel Davison
Megan Eldred (coxswain), Rupert Bailey, Pete Goldsworthy, Matthew Gutteridge, Chris Jageurs, Matt Byrne, Andy Stromberg, Octavian Puzderca, Mustafa Ozyurt
Final race training will be this weekend, including a run down the course (University Stone to Harrod’s Wharf), ahead of raceday next weekend.
Crew Hosting: Please look out for further details from Henrik and the boating team, we are anticipating c. 30 crews being on site for hosting visiting Quintin crews. We will be grateful for boating and parking volunteers to help the day run smoothly.
CLUB KIT WINDOW
Megan is putting final touches on a new kit window for the summer season, details will be distributed shortly for placing orders for racing and training strip.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU: THE SHED
A special shout out and thank you to our Boathouse Captain and all round handy man Chris Jageurs for the implementation of the Shed Development plan. We have now what can only be described as a first class land training facility with an excellent fleet of ergs and weights equipment which has transformed the space and means we are getting great use out of Charlie GM’s land training sessions. The final finishing touches will be put in place in the coming couple of weeks but we’re pleased to be making full use of this excellent facility. Huge thanks to you Chris for all of your efforts.
OTHER QUICK REMINDERS:
· BOAT LOG: Please ensure all outings are logged in the boat log – good to see it in good use, please keep it updated with club boat usage.
· LIGHTS: In poor light, foggy conditions and dark mornings, please make sure you're using the correct lights and high-vis clothing.
· WINTERY (TIDEWAY) CONDITIONS: The weather and water is getting colder and wetter, and it's a particularly risky time of year for hypothermia: make sure you are well layered up and have spare clothing after outings. Stay dry, stay warm.
· OUTING CANCELLATIONS: On occasion the weather or river conditions may mean we can't go afloat or a land session is required: If the forecast is poor, come prepared for both but wait for the call from Coach or Captain before assuming the outing is not going ahead.
· LAND TRAINING: Great to see the shed in good use. Please make sure you're signed up to sessions and if you're signed up, show up (on time).
· BOAT CARE & MAINTENANCE: Please make sure boats are properly washed, left in good condition and any defects or damage appropriately reported. Our fleet is precious and must be looked after properly. More to follow on this one.
Dates for your diary:
- 23rd January - Boat Naming
- 29th January - Quintin Head
- 27th February - Hammersmith Head
- 26th March - HoRR
- 27th March - Vets Eights
- 6-10th April 2021 - Training Camp (Further details very soon)
Captain's Log: Issue 11
31st December 2021
Good afternoon Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking
I very much hope many of your have had a peaceful and festive Christmas with your loved ones with a well earned break from work and training and I hope without much Covid related disruption to your plans.
As we approach the end of 2021 and the start of a new year, I look back on the year that we have had as a club, as individuals and as a community. 2021, much like 2020, has perhaps served as the clearest reminder that life is very much a Head race and not a Regatta sprint.
At times this year, like last, we have faced real head winds, conditions have been tough and perhaps for each of us a moment or two of wondering quite how we’ll make it through these choppy waters and difficult wash.
Like many, however, I have also come to notice and recognise, more so than ever, how like the crew of a hard working VIII our Club and community is in battling against the toughest of races on the Championship course.
It has been great to see how, despite the conditions being against us, Cygnet has pulled together, been there for each other, sharing the load and rebounded from the most difficult waters. Never has it felt more important that the club, our community and the sport has been there for us all as we’ve battled our way through and found our way out of lockdowns and restrictions to be together again, on the water again and enjoying all that rowing gives us once more.
In 2021 we’ve had our summer races, Henley Friday, Sculling Camp, End of Season Celebrations, Learn to Row, Squad Training, Head Race Crews, Head Race Hosting, Christmas dinners, tea in the lounge, Thursday suppers and (many) drinks in the bar. Being a part of Cygnet and enjoying all of these things has been all the more rewarding and enjoyable having come from such challenging times. Perhaps not unlike that raceday feeling, having turned the corner and pressed through the choppiest waters together.
That we have been able to enjoy these things has been down to you as the Cygnet crew, pulling together to make them happen, getting through those tougher moments and putting in the effort when it counts. To all of you, thank you: for making it happen and for making it so worthwhile. Because like the VIII we are so much stronger together, when working as one, supporting each other and knowing that each of us has a role to play in moving the boat and guiding it on its course.
Thanks to all of you who have helped along the way, to our coaches, to our volunteers, to those who go out of their way to go the extra mile, for doing your bit to make things better for those around you, for training hard and for showing up when it matters. For all of that and more, thank you for making 2021 the year it has been and continuing to make Cygnet the place we love.
A very special thank you to those of you in the club and in our community who have gone beyond in other ways, for your service during these difficult times on the frontline and behind the scenes beyond all that is rowing. Many of you will have made contributions that have gone unseen but for helping us, our communities and the country through the challenges we have endured, we are grateful. I particularly appreciate those who have continued to play such important roles both in that capacity and for Cygnet as a club.
And so on to 2022.
Uncertainty remains but there is hope of better water to come. We’ve got much to look forward to, plenty to prepare for and to strive for. Head of the River (26th March) is now just 12 weeks away and beyond that what we hope will be a fulsome regatta season and I remain ambitious for Cygnet success on the tideway and beyond. And so in the meantime there is training to be done, races to enter (Quintin and Hammersmith to name two) and much behind the scenes to keep us on track. There will be sculling camps, recruitment and learn to row courses and much more besides to use the momentum we’ve found this last year to continue to build and develop as a squad and as a club.
After the Christmas and New Year break squad training will resume in earnest if we are to make the most of those twelve weeks, so prepare those resolutions and get yourselves ready for an exciting and busy year ahead.
There is much to look forward to, some exciting celebrations in 2022 and I hope plenty of opportunities to make up for lost time on the water and off – but this year, like last (and each before that) our successes will depend on you and our collective efforts. That you in advance for continuing that hard work and for your contributions in the year ahead.
But for now, I shall raise a glass to Cygnet and to each of you. Wherever and however you are celebrating your new years eve, I send very best wishes. I look forward to sharing the year ahead and all that 2022 has to offer with you, as we continue to press on through the Head Race of Cygnet history.
Happy New Year and very best wishes from the Captain.
Rupert
PS: Squad training resumes Thursday 6th January on the ergs, Saturday 8th January on the water, Monday 10th January in the Shed.
Captain's Log: Issue 10
4th December 2021
Good Afternoon Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking,
Several important messages below - I know it's long, but please read to the end.
Some of you are beginning to drift away for Christmas – safe travels to those of you travelling - we are approaching end of term and the final weeks of training in 2021.
Please do keep up the training on land and on the water as much as you can between mince pies and around you Christmas parties. With Omicron on the rise, keep it sensible and stay honest with precautions – masks and LFTs encouraged.
The SGM last weekend approved the purchase of a new launch and changes to Subs for the new year: more details on both to follow. And the exciting arrival of new Shed Equipment, just around the corner. Good news on all fronts!
Training Sessions
We’ve got a couple more weekends of training before Christmas and New Year will interrupt our outing plans.A big plea from me to get signed up and if you are signed up to take responsibility to show up and to do so on time, so your crewmates aren’t left high, dry and cold waiting on the hard. We’ve let our good habits slip in recent weeks – let’s get back to best practice please: Once crews are set make every best effort to attend and on the day, get to the club early, so you’re ready to row on time. From the new year there will be zero tolerance for no shows and late arrivals.
In the depths of winter – conditions and weather won’t always play in our favour. Rest assured the Coach and Captain both keep a very good eye on the forecast – we will update you if plans change, please bear with us and if you know the weather is bad, keep a good eye out for comms about outing changes. If we end up not going on the water, you are still expected to attend a training session you are signed up for on land. If you hear nothing, assuming we are proceeding as planned (be prepared with back-up land training kit if it looks borderline).
Christmas Eve Row: Seniors and Vets joint outing
For those of you not escaping London, we thought a joint Vets/Senior outing would be a great way to spend Christmas Eve. Please sign up on FitClub (*or in the usual way if a Vet). Please do sign up if you fancy a row, followed by some festive cheer in the Boathouse afterwards. OTW 1000.Racing
We are now shifting our focus to Eights Racing with racing planned for Quintin Head (29 Jan), Hammersmith Head (27 Feb), HoRR (26 March). Please look ahead and update your availability for those races (especially Quintin) so we can start lining up entries.Navigation
On the water:
· Barnes Bridge: Many of you will have noticed the inside arch of Barnes Bridge is now open again, which is good news and less carnage. Please continue to proceed with caution and avoid the underwater works and debris, which isn’t particularly visible and easy to spot at some states of the tide.
· Shoals: Shoals are on the move again and getting worse in places (especially the usual places), so as ever keep a good look out and at the lower end of tides, please be cautious. Any incidents or damage to be reportedOff the water:
With serious work on the footbridge about to start, the footpath has now been diverted around the back of the boathouses and temporary access to the bridge. Allow a bit more time and take care on the unlit road in the dark.FINAL FINAL CALL: BBL Christmas Party and Cygnet Waddle – Sat 11th Dec. Final details to follow from Megan, next weekend we will be all decked out in our Black Tie garb for the Christmas Party in Chiswick, preceded by the Cygnet Waddle. If you haven’t signed up yet – this is your final, last call.
THE USUAL QUICK REMINDERS:
· BOAT LOG: Please ensure all outings are logged in the boat log – good to see it in good use, please keep it updated with club boat usage.
· LIGHTS: In poor light / dark mornings, please make sure you're using the correct lights and high-vis clothing.
· WINTERY (TIDEWAY) CONDITIONS: The weather and water is getting colder and wetter, and it's a particularly risky time of year for hypothermia: make sure you are well layered up and have spare clothing after outings. Stay dry, stay warm.
· OUTING CANCELLATIONS: On occasion the weather or river conditions may mean we can't go afloat or a land session is required: If the forecast is poor, come prepared for both but wait for the call from Coach or Captain before assuming the outing is not going ahead.
· LAND TRAINING: Great to see the shed in good use and the approval of the new equipment means this will soon be getting a makeover. Please make sure you're signed up to sessions and if you're signed up, show up.
· BOAT CARE & MAINTENANCE: Please make sure boats are properly washed, left in good condition and any defects or damage appropriately reported. Our fleet is precious and must be looked after properly. More to follow on this one.
Dates for your diary:
- 11th December - Christmas Party
- 17th December - Veterans Christmas Lunch. Contact Lawrence McVeigh
- 24th December - Christmas Eve Row. 10.00 otw
- 29th January - Quintin Head
- 27th February - Hammersmith Head
- 26th March - HoRR
- 27th March - Vets Eights
- 6-10th April 2021 - Training Camp (If you've not expressed an interest but would like to, contact the Captain.)
Captain's Log: Issue 9
14th November 2021
Good Evening Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking,
Great to see so many faces at the club this weekend racking, cheering and volunteering (more on that below), excellent to see the boathouse be alive with excitement of a busy Head Race again and to have our own crews racing hard in the fairway. Hope you're now all resting up and taking it easy.
I will be away for the next week, travelling with work, Martin will be acting in my stead - I'll be back on the 22nd. Training resumes as normal, tomorrow with Charlie in the shed at the usual times.
FOURS HEAD / VETS FOURS HEAD
It's been a busy weekend of racing and hosting at the boathouse this weekend. Firstly a huge thank you to every single one of you who helped out during the weekend - it was great to see so many of you giving a very warm welcome to visiting crews, cheering on our racing boats and helping out throughout the weekend: thank you to everyone who put a shift in. We can't host visiting clubs on race days without volunteers and races can't run without clubs hosting, so thanks to all of you who did your bit. Most importantly we had lots visiting clubs who went home happy and were very appreciative of all your efforts. We'll next be hosting for Quintin Head on 29th January.RACING CREWS
Congratulations to our racing crews competing in Fours Head and Vets Fours - in the end we had three crews racing across the weekend, well done - our first major head race in quite some time and great efforts all round. Chapeau to the 4- crew of Cris, Dom, Pete and Simon for the club fastest time down the course in 21:24.7.Fours Head
#87, 4x- Mustafa Ozyurt, Tom Broadhurst, Chris Jageurs, Rupert Bailey (23:07.2)
#184, 4- Cristobal Cabrera, Dom Marshall, Pete Goldsworthy, Simon Suthers (21:24.7)Vet Fours Head
#163, Masters H 4x- Nick Wylie, Paul Rawkins, Rhodri Walters, Steve Reeves (23:54.7)A good platform for us to build from in the squad and as we look towards the rest of the season we want to build from this and work towards even more competitive entries in the forthcoming Head Races. So please do keep up the commitment to training on land and on the water as we look to move forwards as a squad - we're making good progress here let's keep it up.
(It's never too early to talk about) Christmas with a couple of events to mark in the diary for Christmas this year
Sat 11th December: BBL Christmas Party and Cygnet Waddle
More details to follow, but will follow the traditional pattern of a Christmas meal with Barnes Bridge in Chiswick, preceded by the Cygnet Waddle.Friday 17th December: Cygnet Veterans Christmas Lunch
The time is drawing near for the annual Cygnet Veterans Christmas Lunch which will be held at the RAF Club on Piccadilly. It is hoped that some of our younger members will join us this year. The cost will be approx. £65, including some drinks. If you'd like to come along or if there are any questions you'd like to ask, Lawrence McVeigh is the mat to ask. The captaincy will be able to provide his contact details.OTHER QUICK REMINDERS:
Boat Log: Please ensure all outings are logged in the boat log - good to see it in good use, please keep it updated with club boat usage.
Lights: In poor light / dark mornings, please make sure you're using the correct lights and high-vis clothing.
Wintery (Tideway) conditions: The weather and water is getting colder and wetter, and it's a particularly risky time of year for hypothermia: make sure you are well layered up and have spare clothing after outings. Stay dry, stay warm.
Outing cancellations: On occasion the weather or river conditions may mean we can't go afloat or a land session is required: If the forecast is poor, come prepared for both but wait for the call from Coach or Captain before assuming the outing is not going ahead.
Land training: Great to see the shed in good use and the approval of the new equipment means this will soon be getting a makeover. Please make sure you're signed up to sessions and if you're signed up, show up.
Boat care & maintenance : Please make sure boats are properly washed, left in good condition and any defects or damage appropriately reported. Our fleet is precious and must be looked after properly. More to follow on this one.
Dates for your diary:
- 28th November (12:00) - Cygnet SGM
- 11th December - Christmas Party
- 17th December - Veterans Christmas Lunch
- 29th January - Quintin Head
- 27th February - Hammersmith Head
- 26th March - HoRR
- 27th March - Vets Eights
- 6-10th April 2021 - Training Camp: (If you've not expressed an interest but would like to, contact the Captain.)
Captain's Log: Issue 8
8th November 2021
Good Evening Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking,
I hope this finds you all well and still finding plenty of time to enjoy the river despite longer, darker nights and shorter days. The first Captain's Log for a while but training has been in full swing on the water and on land in the squad.
Thank you to everyone who has been working hard and working together as a squad and as crews, for helping out and getting us on the water on time - we've really been maximizing the time and benefit on the water. It's been great to see the progress in recent weeks - let's keep that up.
My thanks to Beth and Laurent for the coaching on the water in recent weeks and challenging ergs to keep us warm on land and to Charlie for the strength and weights programme for the powerful, painful legs!
Thanks to Social Secretary Megan and the merry band of chefs who have been keeping us well fed at Thursday Supper Club - it's been great to have a sociable crowd each week this term so far and the food has been exceptional!
FOURS HEAD / VETS FOURS HEAD: RACING CREWS
With the big fours racing events next weekend, crews will be putting the finishing touches on race plans and training over the next week, with huge anticipation for more exciting racing on the tideway - promises to be a great weekend and Cygnet will be racing two crews in each event. Provisional starting orders for both events have now been published and race numbers allocated. Best of luck to all crews - please do come down to support the racing crews and cheer on Cygnet. All offerings to the rowing and weather gods gratefully received!Fours Head
Vets Fours Head
CYG 4X: 87
Mustafa Ozyurt
Tom Broadhurst
Chris Jageurs
Rupert Bailey
CYG 4- Masters D: 81
Iain Golder
Brad Bryant
Mike Collier
Martin Drage
CYG 4- : 184
Cristobal Cabrera
Dom Marshall
Pete Goldsworthy
Simon Suthers
CYG 4X Masters H: 163
Nick Wylie
Paul Rawkins
Rhodri Walters
Steve Reeves
VISITING CREWS AND BOATING HELP
With one of the biggest races in Tideway calendar, we are expecting a large number of visiting crews for both races boating from Cygnet / BBL. Please do sign up to volunteer to help with traffic / boating and follow the link below to fill out your time slot. Racing on the Tideway can't happen without hosting clubs, hosting visiting crews can't happen without volunteers-- so whether you are racing or not it will be great to have a full contingent out in force organising the day and giving a friendly Cygnet welcome to the Tideway. Any questions or problems please contact our boating gurus Henrik and Martin.
Sign-up here
My thanks too to Josh and Beth for the marshalling help and driving the Cygnet launch on race days next weekend.OTHER QUICK REMINDERS:
- LIGHTS: In poor light / dark mornings, please make sure you're using the correct lights and high-vis clothing.
- WINTERY (TIDEWAY) CONDITIONS: The weather and water is getting colder and wetter, and it's a particularly risky time of year for hypothermia: make sure you are well layered up and have spare clothing after outings. Stay dry, stay warm.
- OUTING CANCELLATIONS: On occasion the weather or river conditions may mean we can't go afloat or a land session is required: If the forecast is poor, come prepared for both but wait for the call from Coach or Captain before assuming the outing is not going ahead.
- LAND TRAINING: Great to see the shed in good use and the approval of the new equipment means this will soon be getting a makeover. Please make sure you're signed up to sessions and if you're signed up, show up.
- BOAT CARE & MAINTENANCE: Please make sure boats are properly washed, left in good condition and any defects or damage appropriately reported. Our fleet is precious and must be looked after properly. See the new boat logging procedures
Dates for your diary:
- 13th November (10:45) - Fours Head
- 14th November (12:30) - Vet Fours Head
- 28th November (12:00) - Cygnet SGM
- 11th December - Christmas Party
- 6-10th April 2021 - Training Camp: (If you've not expressed an interest but would like to, contact the Captain.)
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
Captain's Log: Issue 6
20th September 2021
Good Afternoon Cygnets, this is your Captain Speaking
Great to get the season underway this week with our squad meeting on Tuesday, really great to see so many familiar faces as we set out the plans for the season ahead. A big thank you to Beth for preparing us so well with the plan looking ahead to the aim of the season - Head of the River Race (HORR) on 26th March 2022. Thank you to all those who attended.
I have summarised the plan and all that we discussed at the meeting in the attached document [removed. Contact rupert direct for a copy - Ed.], for those joining the squad for the season, have a good read, so you can have a good sense of the plan and schedule from here through to March. If you did not attend Tuesday's meeting but would like to sign up to the squad, please contact me directly.
Scullers Head - tomorrow
Very best of luck to our racing crews: Cris (175), Mustafa (294), Andy (300) and Pete (307), we will be cheering you on from shores and wishing you all the best on race day tomorrow.
If you are available, please do sign up and lend a hand - as usual we will be hosting a huge number of clubs and could really do with your help to ensure our head race hosting gets off to the best possible start.Pairs Head - 2nd Oct
Our 'Home Race' organised by BBL is just around the corner. Again it will be all hands on deck to help with the Race and Hosting.On Tuesday we announced our racing crews for the Pairs Head Race:
Open 2x:- Boat A: Dom M & Cris C
- Boat B: Andy S & Mustafa
- Masters 2 - : Iain G & Brad B
Sculling Camp:
Great to see so many of you at the bungalow this weekend and a huge huge thank you to everyone involved, who helped out during the weekend and loading and unloading the trailer - it couldn't have happened without you and special thanks to Martin and Megan for all the organising. I think all had an excellent time on the calmer waters with plenty of time afloat and socialising on the lawn - living up to its status as a highlight of the Cygnet calendar.Training this week:
With availbility limited this weekend, there will be an outing on Sunday only and land training will be ergs Monday and Wednesday in the shed (S&C will commence on Monday 27th). Please make sure you sign up for next weekend before the Tuesday deadline and let's all make an effort to get back to full squad outings please.Steering Test:
Sign up on Fitclub for Sat 25 September, after outings300 Club:
Bit of a plug for those who aren't yet signed up but would like to support, please see here: 300 Club WebsiteThat's all for now, look forward to seeing many of you at the club for Sculler's head.
RupertCaptain's Log: Issue 7
20th September 2021
Hello Cygnets, this is your Captain Speaking
Scullers Head
Basking in beautiful sunshine we had a splendid start to heads season with a successful boating operation and great showing by Pete, Mustafa, Andy and Cris on the water - well done to each of you - some impressive race times recorded down the course for Cygnet and two first-timers rowing over the championship course, great effort all round Cygnets! Enjoy the photos.
A huge thank you to Henrik, Jim, Martin and everyone who helped get the 70+ crews safely parked and on and off the water for the race, really great that so many of you were there to help out - these races cannot happen without your help and support, so thank you to everyone who did the organising and lending a hand throughout the day: Thank you all!!
Next stop Pairs Head Sat 2nd Sept - details will follow from Henrik this week. Please look out and sign up.
Steering Test
Please sign up by Wednesday for the steering test next weekend (25th Sept) if you have not yet done so - I expect to see a few more names before the deadline. If you are unsure whether you need to do it, please contact me directly.
Training this week
Get signed up on Fitclub for our two squad ergs this week: MON (great to see those of you who made it down this evening) and WEDS. Full details of the workouts are on fitclub too.
The deadline for signing up for weekend outings is Tuesday - let's get as much of the squad on the water this coming weekend as possible please.
Strength and Conditioning training with Charlie will restart next Monday.
Plan for the season
As per my last message, please find attached the training schedule and plan for the season, please do read and digest it. The attached version is updated and reflects the slightly earlier Sunday outing time - please take note - it now correctly aligns with Fitclub.
Future Races
The races for the season are on fitclub, please start thinking and getting signed up for the races you want to enter/are interested in, especially Fours/Vets Fours Head (entries open two weeks today - we will need your availability before then).
As usual any queries or questions let me or one of the Captains know.
Have a good week.
Rupert
Captain's Log: Issue 5
7th September 2021
Good evening Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking.
I hope you're all well and having a good week. Well done to those who have been back on the ergs these past couple of weeks as we get into a bit of pre-season training, great to see so many of you at the club at different times - remember those first ergs are always the worst (apart from every one that then follows…).
Sculling Camp this weekend
Looking forward to seeing many of you at Sculling Camp this weekend - big thanks to Martin and Megan for doing an excellent job of bringing it all together and all the efforts in organising a nice and relaxed weekend of sculling and socialising up stream. There are more details attached on what to expect, what to bring and where to go for the uninitiated. Just a reminder that trailer loading is Thursday evening - please come along to help load if you're down to scull during the weekend.
There will be no squad / organised outings from the club this weekend.
Start of Season: Squad Meeting - 14 Sept 1930
Next Tuesday (14th) at 1930 - please make sure you attend our squad meeting to launch the new season, to sign up for training for the season ahead and hear about the plans for the winter season racing and training from the coaches and captains.
Strength and Conditioning this week
The usual sessions are on fitclub, Charlie is not with us this week so it is an uncoached session - the plan should be up on the board in the shed and is also attached here for your reference in case it has been wiped off.
As usual any queries or questions let me or one of the Captains know.
Have a good week.
Rupert
Captain's Log: Issue 4
3rd September 2021
Good Afternoon Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking
A few days later than planned (for which my apologies) but a big thank you to everyone who attended this weekend's End of Season Celebrations and club day events - was great to see so many of you there and to get the real social buzz back at the club again.
Congratulations to all who raced on Club Day and thank you for the support from the bank in the Captain's Race - well raced Martin! You'll find some highlights from Club Day 2021 here
End of Season Awards:
- Congratulations to Mustafa Ozyurt, awarded the Wally Wheldal Cup for sportsmanship and endeavour as the clubman of the year for his huge efforts this season in bringing the club community back together and reuniting us all in response to the pandemic around the clubhouse and in the bar. Many of us have really benefited from Mustafa's efforts, reinjecting life and social spirit after a very difficult period impacting on life at the club. Thank you Mustafa for all that you have done in demonstrating the Cygnet Spirit.
- Congratulations to Rower of the Year, Matthew Gutteridge, awarded the J P Jeffries Cup, for his exemplary development as a rower and for representing Cygnet competitively across a range of disciplines in Regatta this summer, with a really positive commitment to the training programme and an excellent racing season. You can be hugely proud of your rowing achievements with us this season and I very much hope more to celebrate in the year ahead.
- Special rowing commendations went to Ross Stewart (last year's rower of the year) for his achievements and success in the single scull again this season. And to Gareth Furby for his participation alongside the squad and development during squad outings this season and the significant improvements in the coached land and water sessions. Congratulations to both Ross and Gareth.
- A big thank you to our wonderful team of coaches for all their hard efforts and dedication with us this season and to all the committed volunteers behind the scenes, around the boathouse and on the hard who keep us running as a club and a community making the successful and welcoming club that we are: thank you to you all.
- Special mention to Cris who was celebrated as outgoing Captain and awarded a special Cygnet blade for all his efforts over the last three seasons.
Thanks to everyone who helped out on the day and made it a very special evening - great to see you all.
Sculling Camp
- Final call to sign up for next weekend - please sign up via fitclub/contact Martin if you are planning on attending. Details will follow for those who have signed up about loading the trailer and the timetable for the weekend.
Next Season
- Season starts Tuesday 14th September - Squads Meeting at the club 1930. If you are looking to sign up and row with us this coming season, please join us - we will be presenting the plans for squad training and races over the next season and getting us all together to get the season underway. Whether you are new to the squad/club or returning for another season, attendance is expected. We'll also be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
- Sculler's Head (18th September) is not too far away, anyone who has not signed up yet, please make yourself known if you are interested, entries are now being finalised.
- Pair's Head (2nd October) entries are now open, if you'd like to race a 2- or 2x please sign up on Fitclub or get in contact if you are interested in racing.
Pre-Season Training
- The usual weekend water outings are on Fitclub, please sign up if you want to get on the water this weekend.
- Weeknight sessions for pre-season are also online, these are now land-based because of the earlier sunsets, squad ergs and strength and conditioning sessions are bookable on fitclub.
Safety and navigation
- You will have seen the recent announcements about the Barnes Bridge arch closure - please note the new navigation rules and proceed with caution: https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/article-barnes_bridge_arch_closure.html
- As the evenings are beginning to draw in, if you are going afloat independently, please ensure lights are fitted if afloat after 18:00.
- Steering tests will be conducted during September - please let me know if you need to complete yours.
Thanks all and have a lovely evening, any questions or queries just get in touch.
Best wishes
Rupert
Captain's Log: Issue3
13th August 2021
Good Evening Cygnets, this your Captain speaking.
Huge thanks to all involved in the graduation event for the Learn to Row this week, a great evening of racing and socialising so thanks to all involved. A very special thank you to all who have helped out during the course to make it a success and in particular to Beth, Charlotte and Laurent for their work in organising, coaching and coxing the event. We are very hopeful that a good number will join our ranks and be rowing with the squad very soon.
Outings and land training will continue over the coming weeks, albeit at a lower intensity and for the select crowd not away enjoying holidays - we will look to get as many people who are around on the water as possible - including our LTR graduates - and make the most of the summer time and quieter waters out on the tideway.
Outings this weekend: Outings will be uncoached this weekend. Timings are as advertised on Fitclub and the usual scheduled boating times. Please keep a good look out on the river and for each other. I am away to the South West for the weekend, Martin will be onsite for Saturday's outing.
Squad Survey: Thanks to those who have responded already, as we develop plans for the next season, please take a moment to complete the survey so we can build a programme to help you and the squad develop and enjoy rowing. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey:https://forms.gle/j18dwympomHMLn5f6
Forthcoming Events:
- End of Season Celebration: Hog Roast and Beer Festival at the Boathouse Saturday 28 August. Please sign up on Fitclub or email me directly to sign up.
- Club Day: BBL/Cygnet Club Day picnic and racing Bank Holiday Monday please sign up on Fitclub or directly to register interest. Partners, families and rowing widows welcome.
- Sculling Camp (S'camp) 10 - 12 September: please register your interest on Fitclub (10 September entry) and also include the days that you plan to attend in the comment section. If you are interested in an early arrival e.g. Thursday please indicate. Assistance will be required for trailer loading and unloading and associated (de)rigging from all who will be attending. https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/sspage-news__amp__events-rowing_stuff-sculling_camp52.html
- The next season will begin, 13 September 2021. The first race of Heads season will be Scullers Head, Saturday 18 September. If you wish to express your interest in racing Scullers Head, please see FitClub / email Cygnet.captain@gmail.com
I look forward to seeing some of you at Henley tomorrow - promises to be a great afternoon at HRR, enjoy the racing and the fizz!
As usual any queries, comments or questions please do get in touch.
Best wishes
RupertCygnet Captain's Log: Issue 2
7th August 2021
Good afternoon Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking.
We're well into summer holiday season now, so those of you away and out and about, hope you are enjoying a summer break and a change of scenery, or otherwise just following all the Olympic drama and entertainment.
A combination of event changes and availability means we have now reached the end of racing for summer 2021. Well done to all those who took part in regattas, lots of experience gained, some pots one and plenty to learn and improve from. Now we look towards a busy social season for the end of the summer months, compressed due to COVID but some fun events to enjoy with the LTR Graduation and Henley Friday next week and End of Season celebrations and Club Day to follow at the end of August. More details below.
Outings may be subject to change and variation as we move towards the end of summer and availability becoming limited due to holidays, breaks from the water for the coaching team and maximising time on the water for our LTR graduates. Keep an eye out on fitclub and messaging as this develops. If you are signed up to outings, please make sure you attend or give as much warning as you can if you are unexpectedly unable to make it. Please keep the disciplined time-keeping so outings start on time.
The Captaincy and Coaching team are increasingly looking ahead to next season, preparing the training plans and schedule for Heads Season and beyond - more will follow: Season starts w/c 13 September.
Please read below - there are important updates about forthcoming events and safety information to take note of.
1. Important Safety Notices:
- Steering Tests: as mentioned in my last message, I am working with our safety adviser Charlie to arrange steering tests in the coming weeks, ahead of the start of the season. If you have not sat the steering test previously, even if an experienced rower who has experience off the tideway, all steers and coxes need to take the steering test to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and competence to be responsible for boats on the tideway. It is good practice for all rowers to have done so. Please contact me if you have not previously sat the test and need to put your name on the list.
- Steering, safety and boat handling: A reminder to always keep a good look out, when you're afloat make sure you are in the correct part of the river according to the rules and tide. Be aware of the likely hazards you will encounter when out on the water. This includes bridges, other river traffic and shoals (Especially above Putney Town, Opposite Chiswick Eyot and outside the club). Make sure you and your crews are proceeding with appropriate caution, especially at low-tides and in the in-shore zone: don't get caught out. Please also make sure you take care moving boats on and off racking and on the hard - ask for a hand if you need it. All of this is to keep you safe and our boats damage free. https://boatingonthethames.co.uk/the-tideway-code-boating-on-the-thames
- Reporting Boat Damage: Any damage to boats or equipment or things that need fixing must be reported either directly or via the damage reporting tool on the website. However minor or if you're not sure please make it known so it can be fixed or mended before others use it. https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/ssform-facilities-the_fleet-report_damage.html
2. Next Season:
- The next season will begin, week commencing 13 September 2021. The first race of Heads season will be Scullers Head, Saturday 18 September. If you wish to express your interest in racing Scullers Head, please see FitClub.
- Survey Says... The Captains and coaches want to hear from you as we develop plans for the next season and build a programme to help you and the squad develop and enjoy rowing. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey:https://forms.gle/j18dwympomHMLn5f6
3. Forthcoming Events:
- LTR Graduation Tues 10 August - Please sign up on fitclub and pop along to join in with the LTR Graduation event this Tuesday, with a presentation, BBQ and drinks from the bar after the outing.
- Henley Friday - You will have see the email from Marj, if you are attending Henley Friday (Friday 13 August) please register you interest on fitclub or contact me directly if you would like to travel by taxi with other Cygnets/BBL from Barnes. Deadline for Taxi sign up is Monday 09 August.
- End of Season Celebration: Hog Roast and Beer Festival at the club Saturday 28 August. Please sign up on Fitclub or contact me directly for more details.
- Club Day: BBL/Cygnet Club Day picnic and racing - again please sign up on Fitclub or directly to register interest. Partners, families and rowing widows welcome.
4. Sculling Camp (S'camp) 10 - 12 September
- For the weekend of 10 - 12 September, Cygnet will be relocating to our up-river residence at the Bungalow, located on Hamhaugh Island, near Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton. It's a chance to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, make the most of some calmer waters off-tideway and develop skills for single sculling on quieter stretches. Some of you may even enjoy some upstream swimming (intentionally or otherwise). Generally sculling camp runs from Friday through Sunday but day trippers are also welcome, some limited accommodation is available on site, with plenty of garden too to pitch a tent.
- If you are interested, please register your interest on Fitclub (10 September entry) and also include the days that you plan to attend in the comment section. If you are interested in an early arrival e.g. Thursday please indicate. Assistance will be required for trailer loading and unloading and associated (de)rigging from all who will be attending. https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/sspage-news__amp__events-rowing_stuff-sculling_camp52.html
5. Getting Involved
- And Finally: Volunteering If you are interested in being involved and looking for volunteer opportunities to help out on the social front or generally, please do get in touch, there's plenty to be involved in and the club runs / is at it's best when we have as many people as possible lending a hand.
- There are a number of committee positions available that we are looking to fill, along with ad-hoc opportunities. Please get in touch.
- Application for Hammersmith Ferry Piers / ferry service - Please consider providing your views and response to the proposed ferry crossing, which is likely to impact on rowing and events on the tideway.https://www2.richmond.gov.uk/lbrplanning/Planning_CaseNo.aspx?strCASENO=21/1770/FUL
- 10th August - LTR Graduation
- 13th August - Henley Friday
- 28th August - End of Season Celebration: Hog Roast and Beer Festival
- 31st August BH Monday - BBL/Cygnet Club Day picnic and racing
- 10th - 12th September - Sculling Camp: Cygnet Bungalow
- 13th September - Start of 2021/22 Heads Season - Full training resumes.
- 18th September - Scullers Head
- 2nd October - Pairs Head
[new] Captain's Log: Issue 1
22nd July 2021
Good afternoon Cygnets, this is your Captain speaking!
Very pleased to be sending you my first Captain's log and with a very warm thanks to all who attended the OGM this week and for the welcome and the support to myself, Martin as Deputy Captain and Pete as Vice Captain.
We're really looking forward to leading the squad and working with you over the coming season and, as I said on Tuesday, building on the excellent platform that Cris and Beth, along with the wider coaching and captaincy has developed over the last season. We will start 2021/22 in a good position with the opportunity to grow, develop and improve from here.
A huge thanks to Cris, Sam and Martin and all that have been involved over the last year and several years carrying the club forward and for me to inherit an incredibly well organised and well performing team during what has been an incredibly challenging time for the club and us all. There is a huge amount to be proud of and an awful of gratitude from across the club for the achievements and your incredible efforts along the way. More on this later and hope you will all be able to join a toast to the season on Sat 28th August.
I will talk with you more about the priorities for next season in due course, once we've had the chance to do some initial planning, including engaging with you for feedback and guidance, to launch the new season in September.
Over the next few weeks my priorities are to: 1) finish off the summer regatta and LTR seasons strongly 2) lay the groundwork in terms of priorities and planning for the season ahead with the coaching and captaincy teams.
Important notices:
- This weekend: very best of luck to the racing crews on Sunday, Andy, Matt G, Cris, Martin, Chris J, Tom B and Mustafa. I will be cheering you on from Devon (sorry I won't be with you in person but I am away at a wedding this weekend). Race well and bring home the pots!
Outings - as per Fitclub. Please remember time-keeping, it is essential all crews are on time and ready to row ahead of the briefing time. If you arrive early: open up, blades out, launch on the water.
- Tomorrow: you will have hopefully seen my earlier message but the Boathouse will be closed to all members on Friday 23rd July. Apologies for the late notice and inconvenience, we were notified very late in the day by the filming company but the clubs will be compensated for the significant inconvenience.
- Looking ahead: it is looking highly unlikely at this stage that Oxford City Regatta will go ahead and owing to the limited opportunity of racing and the likely competition at Henley T&V, we will not be attending on 31st July.
- If there is sufficient interest, there is the opportunity to race at Peterborough Summer Regatta on Sunday 15 August. Please check fitclub and update your availability for Peterborough if you would like to race or are not available. We will make final decision on boats and crews next weekend, so please update availability no later than Friday 30 July.
Getting Involved and Contact Details:
- The eagle eyed will have spotted the new Captaincy email address (cygnet.captain@gmail.com ) please use this or the squad/LTR whatsapp groups for getting in touch with any questions or concerns. Please do feel free to reach out to myself, Martin or Pete.
- Steering: If you are interested in steering or know you have not yet taken your steering test, please get in touch to let me know and I will work with our Safety Adviser, Charlie, arranging the tests and getting you signed off. For those in need of revision (or a timely refresh if the navigation is getting a little wayward) https://boatingonthethames.co.uk/the-tideway-code-boating-on-the-thames/
- Volunteering: If you are interested in being involved and looking for volunteer opportunities to help out on the social front or generally, please do get in touch, there's plenty to be involved in and the club runs / is at it's best when we have as many people as possible lending a hand. There will be ad-hoc opportunities as well as full-time positions - my ask is that everyone does their bit and helps out in some form.
- Feedback survey: will follow in the next week or so - I'm keen to hear from you about your aims, aspirations and goals to inform the plan for the year ahead. If you have any thoughts in the meantime, drop me a line.
Dates for your diary:
- 25th July - Barnes & Mortlake/Borne joint regatta
- 10th August - LTR Graduation
- 13th August - Henley Friday
- 15th August - Peterborough Summer Regatta - Please update Fitclub
- 28th August - End of Season Celebration
- 31st August (BH Monday) - BBL/Cygnet Club Day
- 10th - 12th September - Sculling Camp
- 18th September - Scullers Head
That's it for now, excuse the long email (you'll get used to those) and as plans develop will be keen to have you all involved. In the meantime, wishing the racing crews every success and happy rowing to the rest of you.
Best wishes
Rupert
XCXI Final Deneb Captain's Log
20th July 2021
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer weather while keeping well hydrated.
And we keep going. Let's keep up the good work, please turn up on time to the sessions and with the right mindset to get the most of it. This week Sunday we have Borne / Barnes & Mortlake Joint Regatta - where we have entered a single (Andy), a pair (Matt G, Cris) and a Coxless quad (Martin, Chris J, Tom B, Mustafa) Good Luck to all crews. The draw is here and the timetable of racing is here
LTR also going as planned. Thanks all volunteers coxing and stepping into the boats. As mentioned before, please don't forget that once upon a time that was you and others were sitting the boat for you. So please, if you want to help let Beth or Rupert know and they will add you to the LTR squad so you can sign up to join those outings.
As usual please update your availability for the training sessions and races in fitclub - so we can plan best. (Little reminder the cut off for outings - is Sunday noon for the weekdays Weds for the Weekend. )
Safety update:
- HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE RE-OPENS Please read carefully to avoid incidents/surprises.
- Always worth to check Navigation & Conditions
Gentle reminders:
- Self-Organised outings: As previously, book your slots in the following excel file.
- Boats/ Equipment: Don't forget to do the Pre and Post outings checks. This is the responsibility of everyone. If there is something wrong please report it to the captaincy and if it is fixable do it at the moment.
This evening: Tuesday 20th of July Ordinary General Meeting at 20.15 - via Zoom (election of the Captaincy for the forthcoming season). Please let Marj know if you haven't got the invitation.
And That is all folks.... This is my last Captain's Log. No more emails from my side.
It has been really a great honor. Big thanks to everyone involved these last three years, the list is soo long... Vices (Tom B, Martin D), Deputies (Niall S, Sam S), Coaches (Alan, Chihiro, Mark, Beth ,Charlie, Charlotte, Laurent) , Coxes (Hannah, Anna, Megan and others (another big list)), Committee members, BBL Captaincy and CSBH Committee. Sorry if I have forgotten anyone, you all know who you are. Thank you very much!
Wishing the coming Captaincy the best of luck. Have a nice day and a better week
Cris
[Big, big thanks to Cris for three years as Captain and dealing with the most unprecedented circumstance for at least half of that - Ed.]
Dates for your diary:
- July 25th - Barnes & Mortlake/Borne joint regatta
- July 31st - Henley Town & Visitors
- August 10th - LTR 'Graduation'
- August 13th - Henley Friday
XCX Deneb Captain's Log
6th July 2021
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Last weekend Chiswick Regatta and I cannot repeat enough how nice is to race again. We had a 4+ (Beth (cox), Matt G, Cris, Martin D, Mustafa), a double (Henrik, Rupert) and a 1x (Ross) racing good solid rows. Well done everyone and huge congratulations to Ross for winning his category and bringing home a pot. Yep yep we have a pot to report (claps claps claps & standing ovations). Well done Ross! .
Also last weekend the LTR hit the water for the first time and they really enjoyed it. Thanks all volunteers. Please don't forget that one time you were there and others were sitting the boat for you. So please, if you want to help please let Beth or myself know and we will add you to the LTR squad so you can sign up to join those outings.
As usual please update your availability for the training sessions and races in fitclub - so we can plan best. (Little reminder the cut off for outings - is Sunday noon for the weekdays Weds for the Weekend. )
Gentle reminders:
Self-Organised outings:
As previously, book your slots in the following excel file.Safety:
Light over Hammersmith Bridge - please check these two links:
https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/post-hammersmith_bridge_lights.html / https://server1.pla.co.uk/assets/u3of2021-barnelmsreach-hammersmithbridge-closedtonavigationexclusionzonecontrolledtransits.pdfDon't forget: Navigation & Conditions ( always worth to check)
Boats/ Equipment: Don't forget to do the Pre and Post outings checks. This is the responsibility of everyone. If there is something wrong please report it to the captaincy and if it is fixable do it at the moment.
Socials:
Richmond (Long) Row & Social
11th of July: as per Rupert's message: If you'd like to row, please sign up via FitClub, you'll find an extra outing with the details there on the 11th. Please sign up by mid-week so we can sort out numbers, boats, crews etc. If you have questions please let Rupert know.Tuesday 20th of July Ordinary General Meeting - 20.15
Club Boathouse (election of the Captaincy for the forthcoming season).And I think this is everything for the moment.
Have a nice evening
Cris
Dates for your diary:
- July 11th - Richmond (Long) Row & Social
- July 20th - Ordinary General Meeting (20.15)
- July 25th - Barnes & Mortlake/Borne joint regatta
- July 31st - Henley Town & Visitors
- August 10th - LTR 'Graduation'
XCIX Deneb Captain's Log
25th June 2021
Dear Cygnets,
Happy Friday, I hope everyone is doing well.
Richmond Regatta is not going ahead. Next stop is Chiswick next weekend. We have entered a 4+, 2x, 2 singles and a 4x.
Last weekend we started the Learn-to-Row, please make them feel welcome, they will be hitting the water as of next week. If you are willing to be a boat sitter/helper or would like to have a go at coxing please let Beth or myself know and we will add you to the LTR squad so you can sign up to join those outings.
As usual please update your availability for the training sessions and races in fitclub - so we can plan best. (Little reminder the cut off for outings - is Sunday noon for the weekdays Weds for the Weekend. )
Self-Organised outings:
As previously, book your slots in the following excel file.Safety:
Light over Hammersmith Bridge - please check these two links: https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/post-hammersmith_bridge_lights.html / https://server1.pla.co.uk/assets/u3of2021-barnelmsreach-hammersmithbridge-closedtonavigationexclusionzonecontrolledtransits.pdfDon't forget: Navigation & Conditions ( always worth to check)
Reminder:
Boats/ Equipment: Don't forget to do the Pre and Post outings checks. This is the responsibility of everyone. If there is something wrong please report it to the captaincy and if it is fixable do it at the moment.Tuesday 20th of July Ordinary General Meeting. 20.15 - Club Boathouse (election of the Captaincy for the forthcoming season).
And I think this is everything for the moment.
Have a nice weekend
Cris
Dates for your diary:
- July 3rd - Chiswick Regatta
- July 10th - Kingston Amateur
- July 20th - Ordinary General Meeting (20.15)
- July 31st - Henley Town & Visitors
XCVIII Deneb Captain's Log
8th June 2021
Dear Cygnets,
Hope everyone had a good weekend, is doing well and enjoying the good weather.
This weekend we went to our first event after almost two years. Peterborough on Sunday. It felt sooo nice to race again, good weather ideal conditions, great atmosphere, ice creams, but my goodness how long was 1 kilometre! In the we had a 4+ (Megan, Rupert, Cris, Matt B, Mustafa) and a 2x (Matt G, Ross), the double made it into the B Final and the 4+ won the C Final. In the afternoon we had a 4x ( Rupert, Matt G, Mustafa, Matt B) - and 2 singles (Ross and Cris) . Ross won the C Final. At the end: two C Final wins and one boat in the B Final, no pots but a lot of fun. (Check the social media for pictures)
Well done and Congratulations to everyone! Big Thank You to everyone who made it possible to be there, Megan for coxing, coaches (Beth & Charlie), volunteers loading/unloading the trailer, Sarah P for driving the boats there. We are on a good path and let's keep up the good work and let's aim for the next stop... Richmond.
Please update your availability for the training sessions and races in fitclub - so we can plan best. (Little reminder the cut off for outings - is Sunday noon for the weekdays Weds for the Weekend. )
Self-Organised outings: As previously, book your slots in the excel file.
Safety:
Light over Hammersmith Bridge - please check this link: https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/post-hammersmith_bridge_lights.html
Don't forget: Navigation & Conditions ( always worth to check)Reminder:
Boats/equipment: Don't forget to do the Pre and Post outings checks. This is the responsibility of everyone. If there is something wrong please report it to the captaincy and if it is fixable do it at the moment.Learn to row:
Starting 19th of June please spread the word - Once they get on the water we will need volunteers to sit the boats and support the sessions, please make yourself available.Others things:
Big Row - Please take a look and share your thoughts if you want to take part.We are aiming for Richmond on the day but we got an invitation for The Desborough Challenge - A time trial and skills race for recreational / touring rowers. Share your thoughts if you want to take part.
And I think this is everything for the moment 😉
Have a nice day
Cris
Dates for your diary:
- June 19th - Learn to row starts. Still places available so please spread the word.
- June 26th - Richmond Regatta - Please update your availability
- June 26th - The Desborough Challenge
- July 3rd - Chiswick Regatta
XCVII Deneb Captain's Log
22nd May 2021
Dear Cygnets,
Hope everyone is doing well.
Last weekend (15th May) we raced a mile in an VIII+ (Hannah, Matt, Cris, Matt B, Pete, Rupert, Vasil, Tom, Jo) to support the Globalmile event for mental health charities - time (5:39). Thanks Rupert for organising.
Water and Land Training well attended these weeks. As usual, please update your availability for the training sessions and races in fitclub - so we can plan best. Little reminder the cut off for outings is Sunday noon for the weekdays Wednesdays for the weekend. For self-organised outings, as previously, book your slots in the excel file.
Safety
New light system on Hammersmith Bridge - please check this notice. Also don't forget: Navigation & Conditions ( lways worth to check)Boats/equipment
Reminder: Don't forget to do the Pre and Post outings checks. This is the responsibility of everyone. If there is something wrong please report it to the captaincy an if it is fixable do it at the moment.Learn to row (update)
Starting 19th of June please spread the word. We will need volunteers to sit the boats and support the sessions, keep it in mind 😉, more will follow.Kit
As per Rupert's email Cygnet Kit Window EXTENDED- Now open until 24th MayThat is everything for the moment. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out.
Have a nice Friday and a better weekend.Cris
Dates for your diary:
- June 5th - Peterborough Sprint (TBC)
- June 19th - Learn to row starts. Still places available so please spread the word.
- June 26th - Richmond Regatta
- July 3rd - Chiswick Regatta
Kit Window
13th May 2021
By popular demand a new kit window is open for those of you who are in need of some racing strip or just topping up the rowing stash. The window is open from now until next Monday 24th May when the order will be finalised. The delivery window will be early to mid July, in time for the second-half of the summer season and beyond.
Click this link to access the Cygnet Teamroom and contact Rupert for the login password (which has been emailed to the membership)
OPEN: 11th - 24th May
DELIVERY: Approx 6-8 weeks
CONTACT: Rupert Bailey (social secretary)- A couple of the guys have found that some of the kit can be on the snug side (kit or beer, your call on what's responsible) so if in doubt on the snug fitting kit like the all-in-one, consider the size up.
- The Primary racing strip is the "Wave Rowing Suit" (blue primary colour), the retro "Team Rowing" AIO is the optional second strip - so if you're just getting one I'd recommend the blue to comply with racing regs.
- There are both Men's and Women's designs by default so order carefully, unless buying for your fairer halves.
- The Gilet and Unisex Tech Top come highly recommended and if you want to keep the coach happy, there's some high-viz in there too.
Any questions let me know, or feel free to call into the Crewroom shop on Putney embankment to try out sizing. Happy shopping team.
Iain Golder still has a few of larger sizes of the recent "Back on the Water" custom tee shirts available. Contact Iain directly if you're interested.
We also have various items of other club kit, both active and formal, 'in stock'. Click here for details and contact the Treasurer (Matt Byrne) if you fancy a bargain.
XCVI Deneb Captain's Log
7th May 2021
Dear Cygnets,
Hope everyone is doing well. Apologies for the silence, busy weeks returning to normality.
Good to see the action back at the club. Good work these last weeks in eights, quads , doubles and singles on the water. Strengths Sessions are very well attended. Let's keep up the good work towards the summer.
Please update your availability for the training sessions and races in fitclub - so we can plan best. Little reminder the cut off for outings - is Sunday noon for the weekdays Weds for the Weekend. Self-organised outings: As previously book your slots in the excel file.
Safety:
We had a few incidents last weekend. It is very important that we learn from these so they don't repeat themselves. Please take a good look out, don't underestimate the stream, Everything you need to know is here. / Navigation & ConditionsBoats/ Equipment:
Don't forget to do the Pre and Post outings checks. This is the responsibility of everyone. If there is something wrong please report it to the captaincy.Bar:
We are planning a full bar clear out after tomorrow morning's outing. If you can pitch in and lend a hand. All help welcome. Goal is to open it on the 17th of May.Others:
As per Rupert's email: 15th May Racing Opportunity as part of Global Mile Relay. Extra Outing 12.30. Please let Rupert know if you want to take part.That is everything for the moment. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out.
Have a nice Friday and a better weekend.
Cris
Dates for your diary:- May 15th - Learn to row starts. Still places available so please spread the word.
- May 15th - Global Mile Relay. Please let Rupert know if you want to take part.
- May 29th - Twickenham Regatta (TBC)
- June 5th - Peterborough Sprint (TBC)
- June 26th - Richmond Regatta
- July 3rd - Chiswick Regatta
XCV Deneb Captain's Log
26th March 2021
Happy Friday Cygnets,
Hope everyone is doing well. So little by little light at the end of the tunnel. 3 Days to go.
It has been a long time so please take it easy on the return to the water, be kind with yourself (please see this document). Don't forget safety first. Here you can see the last update from British Rowing regarding return to rowing protocols.
Facilities will be open to allow COVID-Secure boating - it means quick In-Out, leave valuables, ideally no changing, no faffing (no bikes in the changing room), no activities in the shed.
On water Activity: All crew boats are allowed subject to COVID Secure protocols. For us it means Squad Outings as usual following the guidelines, taking into account limitation of space on the hard and no social gathering of people afterwards in the club vicinity. Please try to cover your face inside the boat shop and indoors since it is an area where it is difficult to maintain social distance.
Self-Organised outings:
As previously book your slots in this excel file:
Squad Training/Outings:
Objective is to get everyone little by little on the water, first to have fun and then building up towards the summer. Starting Easter Weekend - Sessions are provisionally in fitclub - Please update your availability so we can start to plan best.
S&C Condition with Charlie will be starting Wednesday 7th April. Circuits and mobility plan can be found on the google sheets.
And I think that is all for the moment. More will follow in due course. If you have any questions please check with the captaincy.
Have a nice weekend and a safe return to the water
CrisXCIV Deneb Captain's Log
24th February 2021
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and safe. Looks like that little by little we see light at the end of the tunnel.
Days are starting to get longer and if everything goes well we should be on the water end of March. Here you can see the British Rowing Roadmap
We are trying to adapt the training accordingly, a squad meeting will follow early next week (more details will follow).
In the meantime Charlie's updated circuits and mobility plan can be found on the google sheets. Also he is continuing with the 1:1 sessions on Saturday (£35 per session) - if you are keen, please book your slot it in fitclub - Sessions are 40 mins
Times Slots: 9:30 -10-30 / 10:30 -11:30 / 11:30-12:30 /13:00-14:00 / 14:00-15:00
Important reminder: This Sunday Annual General Meeting via Zoom , where Club officers and committee members will be elected to the Management Committee:
- Chairman
- Hon Treasurer
- Hon Secretary
- Assistant Treasurer
- Assistant Secretary
- Social Secretary
- Committee Members (5)
Please feel free to check the Virtual Noticeboard and contact the secretary if you would like to add your name to the list of nominations.
Joining details for the ZOOM meeting have been circulated by email. Please contact the secretary if you have not received these and would like to join us for the AGM
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible there 😉.
Keep positive and keep safe
Cris
Nominations for Club officers 2021/22
23rd February 2021
The following nominations have so far been received by the secretary for club officers and committee members for the 2021/22 season.
(updated 23.02)CLUB OFFICERS
Chairman: Nick Wylie • proposed by Marjorie Israel, seconded by Neil Pickford
Secretary: Marjorie Israël •proposed by Nick Wylie, seconded by Iain Golder
Assistant Secretary: Neil Pickford • proposed by Cristobal Cabrera, seconded by Marjorie Israel
Treasurer: Matt Byrne • proposed by Tom Broadhurst, seconded by Marjorie Israel
Assistant Treasurer: vacant
Social Secretary: Rupert Bailey • proposed by Marjorie Israel, seconded by Cristobal Cabrera
COMMITTEE MEMBERS (5 required)
Iain Golder • proposed by Marjorie Israel, seconded by Martin Drage
Paul Rawkins • proposed by Rhodri Walters, seconded by Sam Gourevitch
Andy Rawkins • proposed by Rhodri Walters, seconded by Sam Gourevitch
Richard du Parcq • proposed by Paul Rawkins, seconded by Marjorie Israel
Martin Drage • proposed by Marjorie Israël, seconded by Neil Pickford
Matt Guttridge • proposed by Rupert Bailey, seconded by Cristobal Cabrera
Please contact the secretary if you would like to add your name to the list of nominations. Club officers and committee members will be elected to the Management Committee at the AGM on Sunday 28th February (via Zoom)
From the kit man
15th January 2021
I hope this finds you all well and surviving the latest lockdown with all the land-based exercise that you need.
We've been working with our Kit Supplier Crewroom on a functional bit of kit to help with COVID requirements and keep you warm on land and eventually on the water with the offer of these Snoods / face coverings / neck warmers - personalised with CYG décor.
These can be used as a COVID face covering when out and about (and on the hard when restrictions ease) and as protection against those cruel north-easterlies this time of year. For those of you who only row for the kit, something else to add to the collection.
Cygnet branding will be available on either the high-viz or navy blue designs - if we place an order of 8+ they will run at just under £20. More details about them are here. The Cygnet-specific designs are in the attached mock up.
If you are interested, please contact me by email or via the Social Secretary Contact Form by Monday 18th January and then I will contact you direct about placing the order and confirm the final cost. This isn't a full kit window, just the chance to order one of these handy bits of kit.
Any questions, please drop me a line. In the meantime, wishing you all well and hope the spring tides are upon us soon to be back afloat making the best of it on the fairway.
Warmest wishes
Rupert
PS: For those of you on Strava: Crewroom are running a kit promotion this month, search for their club on the App for more info and the chance to get yourself some extra free kit.XCIII Deneb Captain's Log
5th January 2021
Dear Cygnets,
Happy New Year. I hope everyone is doing well and had a good Christmas.
Unfortunately the year couldn't start any worse with Tier 5 / Lockdown 3.0 now in place.
See the updated British Rowing Advice here. Effectively no rowing or use of the facilities until further notice.
We will try to update the training to the new situation to be ready for when we can go back on the water. (for the time being, please continue with the lockdown training programme)
Have a nice evening, keep positive :) and keep safe
Cris
XCI Deneb Captain's Log
21st December 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe, or recovering if you have been sick.
Good training sessions these last weeks, with weights, ergs and on the water. Now that we have moved to Tier 4: There will be no group training indoors and crew outings until further notice. We are back to the same status quo as in May, singles or crew boats made up of a single household or Support bubble, only 2 people on the hard with social distance, 20 min slots, minimum use of the facilities. (Last BR- guidelines). "Homework for Christmas" is Charlie's excel spreadsheet lockdown program.
Safety:
- Water outings, please be extra careful since Covid numbers are increasing, follow the procedures.(Book your slot, fill in the post-outing log, wash hands & equipment, cover face, space)
- Keep in mind it is cold and can be very foggy in the morning. Please use lights if required and do not go afloat if the fog means that you can't clearly see the other side of the river (p.17 of the Rowing Code)
2020 Awards
Looking back, it has been an unusual and challenging year for all of us. We had to cancel many events including our Henley Lunch and our End Season Dinner, where usually we take the chance to reflect on the highs and lows of the season, including the coveted Wally Wheldal (Club member of the year) and G.P. Jeffries (Rower of the year)award ceremony.
I wish we could have done this in better conditions (pub or at the club) but we cannot and it would be unfair to miss this year's awards due Covid-19.
First of all a Big Thank You and Congratulations to all of those involved in putting together the Club and Executive Guidelines (you know who you are), adapting them when it was required I know there was a lot of work behind the scenes.
Also Big Thank You to Beth and Charlie for coaching and training us on the water, on the ergs and the Strength & Conditions sessions, and being flexible adapting themselves to the situation.
Wally Wheldal Cup for Club Member of the year
This award is to reward the sportsmanship and ceaseless club spirit during the year, it goes to the person who helps others, and promotes what the club stands for. There were a number of people who this easily could have gone to, but this year the Wally Wheldal Cup goes to ... Chris Jageurs for his incredible enormous effort and hard work in the refurbishment of the changing rooms. (claps, claps, claps standing ovations) Well done!
G.P. Jeffries Cup for Rower of the year
This award goes to the best rower or most improved novice of the year. Unfortunately we haven't raced too much at all in 2020 but if we take into consideration the whole 2019-20 season, there is someone who was in the fastest Cygnet crew in Pairs Head and was the fastest sculler of the club in scullers head so the G.P. Jeffries Cup goes to ... Sam Sears- (claps, claps, claps standing ovations) Well done!
Lockdown Special Award
This award is to recognise the enthusiasm and optimistic spirit in such complicated year, here again there were a number of people who this easily could have gone to but this recognition goes to Rupert Bailey, for being actively involved in the Lockdown regatta, the Virtual 4s Run, special BBL/CYG quiz night, Club day. (claps, claps, claps standing ovations ) Thank you very much and Well done!!
Finally Thanks to all of you for being part of the Cygnet Family , helping to move us forward, , in one way or another, working in the different committees or working for the club behind the scenes, coxing, training, suggesting initiatives e.g. (Tom and Marj and whole Exec, Neil with the Webpage, Iain G keeping the " young generation" rolling, James D with the security camera, ... ) I could extend this list forever. Thank you all.
Don't forget that hope is also contagious, keep safe and positive, I wish you all Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and looking towards a better and successful 2021.
Dates for your Diary: Will follow. Enjoy the holidays 😉
Merry Christmas / Feliz Navidad / Joyeux Noel / Frohe Weihnachten/ God Jul !
Cris
XCI Captain's Log
9th December 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Good Sessions last weekend on the water. Saturday we had a 4x and three singles, Sunday a 4- , 2x and two singles. Let's try to do the most of it before Christmas.
Training this week:
Training sessions are in Fitclub: Please update your availability, and book your slots, to help us plan best.
Weds: Strength & Conditioning with Charlie 18:00-19:00 / 19:15-20:15
Thurs: Erg
Sat: 1st Outing: 07:00
Sun: 1st Outing 07:30
2nd Outing: 09:00 (depending on attendance. Focussing on improving the technical skills ideal to get back into the rhythm for the less experienced)Safety:
- Keep in mind winter is almost here it is very cold and can be very foggy in the morning. Please use lights if required and do not go afloat if the fog means that you can't clearly see the other side of the river.
- Please don't overestimate your abilities and fitness, this includes the velocity of the stream. Don't forget to check weather forecast, tides, including the flag on our webpage.
- Book your slot (including landing time). Don't forget the post-outing log (for tracking purposes).
- Book your erg slot
Any questions please let me know.
Cris
Greg Steene
3rd December 2020
Greg Steene
1950 - 2020
It is with great sadness that we record the death of Greg Steene, who died suddenly on 20th November at the age of 70.
Greg joined Cygnet in the 1970s; a solid stroke or bow side man (see photo below), he powered several Vllls over the head course and proved to be a timely addition to the Plumtree Vlll of 1977, securing several senior B pots in the process at Staines and St Neots regattas.
For a club steeped in the ways of the Civil Service - most members were still public sector employees - Greg was a breath of fresh air hailing, as he did, from the world of boxing. Henceforward, après rowing took on a whole new meaning. Contemporaries, myself included, recall an action-packed night at the ring side in Clapham Town Hall, where Chairman Nick Wylie emerged speckled with blood, and he was only a spectator. Phil Beckett tried to engage an attractive young woman in conversation, only to be informed that her boxing beau was not best pleased.
On hearing the sad news, Dave Wynne, another contemporary, said 'I was thinking about Greg only the other day, about sharing a flat and rowing a novice four with him'. Others recollect a weekend at Stourport Regatta where Greg kept the whole camp site awake all night recounting jokes and bawdy tales that nobody could remember the following morning. Few pots were won on that day.
Jackie, Greg's wife, who survives him, was not above joining the fray, steering Greg and Mike Evans in non-status pairs at Llandaff regatta, notwithstanding warnings that she would need a stomach pump if she fell in. Still, as Mike wryly reflected, it was 'a trip noted more for the visit to Barry Island for the 2.00am bar rather than the rowing'.
Mike reminded us all of Greg's wedding reception where we rubbed shoulders with all the great and the good of the sparring fraternity. Evans sat on a table for non-family guests: 'Conteh, Ted Moult and some other long forgotten show biz types, lots of former boxers and a couple of Krays (but not the twins!). Conteh felt that rowers had much to learn from the boxing community, but not on the drinking front where there was an unmistakable meeting of minds.
A legendary boxing manager and match maker, Greg drifted away from the club and we had not seen him for some years. However, for those of us who were lucky enough to know him, they were memorable times indeed. Greg's son Aleck would be pleased to hear from anybody who would like to share their memories of Greg by posting in the comments below and they will be forwarded to his family.
Paul Rawkins, 2nd December 2020
David Webb
2nd December 2020
David Webb
1943 - 2020
Once in a while, the death of a Cygnet alumnus mines a deep seam of contemporary consciousness: David Webb, an irrepressible 'wet-bob' of Olympian repute, who has died at the age of 77, was just such a man. In early July, his son Nicolas wrote to inform us of his father's sad demise in the hope that someone might remember him; he was not disappointed - within hours a tsunami of memories poured forth from his fellow crewmen, some of whom had not been in contact with each other for decades.
David (Anthony) Webb joined Cygnet in 1970, his short stature and well-honed vocal cords marking him out as a coxswain from the outset. He was initially let loose on a novice lV - Gary Fettis, Jeremy Berrisford, Stuart Fraser and Richard du Parcq - subsequently steering a host of club crews to victory, culminating in Cygnet's first post-war entry (in Thames Cup) at Henley Royal Regatta in 1972 and again in 1973.
Official club photos of the time (below) show David immaculately turned out in his coxswain's regalia (front row, second from right), his inventive mind always thinking ahead. Gary Fettis recalls 'I remember his sartorial elegance which carried through to everything he did. There were no built-in speaker systems in the '70s, so David took it upon himself to install one in our Vlll and very neat it was too with all the speakers placed inside Harrods' plastic bags to keep them dry'.Other Cygnet contemporaries remember an insatiable socialite who always knew where the best parties were and, more to the point, how to gain entry to them. Norman Cowling wistfully recounted how 'he frequently tried to get us to drink what he called an Evelyn Waugh noonday reviver - a lethal mix of Guinness, gin and ginger beer - I never knew if it was his own invention'. By the time of my era in the 1980s it had become the Tideway tonic.
Then, as now, 'club hopping' was not uncommon. David decamped to Thames Tradesmen RC in 1973 and thence to London RC where he steered the well-known and successful pair of McLeod and Christie, which gave him his entrée to the 1976 Montreal Olympics. A second Olympic appearance with the same duo followed in Moscow in 1980. At Cygnet, it remains a source of enduring pride that the 1972-3 crews produced two world-class GB competitors: David in the Olympics and Stuart Fraser in the World Championships (1975-76).
Aside from rowing and gate-crashing all the best venues in town, David retained a lifelong interest in music and the arts. He played violin and piano to a high standard early in life, mastered the art of conducting and went on to play percussion in the National Youth Orchestra. At Oxford, he read Greats/Classics at Hertford College, albeit without much enthusiasm, before heading north to complete a degree at Hull (where he apparently made Larkin's acquaintance).
The world of work brought new challenges, initially as a manager for the Festival Ballet/English National Ballet, followed by careers in the Civil Service and British Telecom. Retirement in East Sussex with wife Veronica held many happy hours playing the piano, watching sport, smoking his pipe and cigars and quaffing the occasional ale or two.
But perhaps the last word should go to son, Nicolas: "many thanks for passing on the message (of his passing) to his Cygnet contemporaries, it's been enormously heart-warming to read the anecdotes and memories. Old teammates are more than welcome to post their memories in the comments below and they will be forwarded to David's family.
Paul Rawkins, November 2020
XC Deneb Captain's Log
1st December 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and had a nice first day of advent.
From tomorrow 2nd of December - we go back where we were before the Lockdown 2.0. Lucky us we are in Tier 2.
Training this week:
Training sessions are in Fitclub. Please update your availability, and book your slots, to help us plan best.
Weds: Strength & Conditioning with Charlie 18:00-19:00 / 19:15-20:15
Thurs: Erg -
Sat: 1st Outing: 7:00
Sun: 1st Outing 7:30
2nd Outing: 9:00 (depending on attendance focussing on improving the technical skills ideal to get back into the rhythm for the less experienced)Safety:
Keep in mind winter is almost here. It is very cold and can be very foggy in the morning please think about using lights if required.
Please don't overestimate your abilities and fitness, this includes the velocity of the streamdon't forget to check weather forecast, tides, including the flag in our webpage.
Please Follow the guidelines.
- Book your slot (including landing time)
- Don't forget the post outing log for tracking purposes.
This is all for the moment any questions please let me know.
Have a nice day
Cris
LXXXIX Deneb Captain's Log
26th November 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and safe through this third week of lockdown. I think we were lucky in the tier draw, Tier 2, so hopefully we are back on the water next week.
Last weekend we had a Virtual 4s head run (teams of four, running the course distance (6.8K). The Pickford Crew (Andy, Martin, Pete, Rupert) raced in at 33:54.5 while the Jackson crew (Beth, Mustafa, Cris, Simon) scored 35:17. Thank you to all involved and well done to all for a great effort and taking part. It was great fun 😉. Talking about fun, last Friday also there was a BBL / CYG Quiz Night- I heard it was great with challenging questions, thank you Rupert and Samantha for organizing.
Training this week:
As per the email before, Charlie has already updated the circuits and mobility on the google sheets. Please feel free to send photographic evidence 😉 Also 1:1 sessions with Charlie on Saturday (£35 per session) - Please book your slot it in fitclub - (if you have problems let me know)
Sessions are 40 min - Ideally we are looking for a min of 4 people across the below time slots to make it worth it.
Times Slots:
- 9:30 -10-30
- 10:30 -11:30
- 11:30-12:30
- 13:00-14:00
- 14:00-15:00
And I think this is everything for the moment
Keep safe and positive :)
Cris
LXXXVIII Deneb Captain's Log
18th November 2020
Good evening Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and safe through this 2nd week of lockdown.
This weekend we will be having a Virtual 4s head run (teams of four, running the course distance (6.8K). Please let me know if you are keen and update your availability in fitclub, (the more the merrier 😉) we will try to make the teams as fair as possible.
Strength and Conditioning:
Charlie has already updated the circuits and mobility on the google sheets. Also he is starting 1:1 sessions on this Saturday for us (Cygnets) on the grass (£35 per session). Sessions are 40 min - Ideally we are looking for a min of 4 people across the below time slots to make it worth it. Please book your slot it in fitclub - (if you have problems let me know)
Times Slots:
- 9:30 -10-30
- 10:30 -11:30
- 11:30-12:30
- 13:00-14:00
- 14:00-15:00
Social:
As per Rupert's email: BBL/CYG Quiz Night on Friday 20th Nov from 19:00
If you would to join us for the evening, please contact the Entries Secretary or email at social [at] cygnet-rc [dot] org.uk with your name and those in your team. We will provide Zoom details when your crew is accepted.
All team and individual entries are welcome (there will be prizes) so please feel free to bring along friends, family or housemates who might like to join - virtual teams are also welcome. ( here as well the more the merrier 😉).
And I think this is everything for the moment, any questions please let me know.
Keep safe and positive :)
Cris
LXXXVII Deneb Captain's Log
4th November 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Good sessions these last weeks in the hope to race Fours Head and Vet Fours Head. Unfortunately, as we will be in lockdown for four weeks (or more), no racing. Well done and Thank you to everyone who has been training/coaching on the water, on the ergs and doing the strength & conditions sessions, good work. We will update the land training to the new situation to be ready for when we can go back on the water, if you are interested in borrowing an erg or any dumbbells please let me know, more details re. collection will follow.
Whilst we are still waiting for the official guidance from BR, and more details from the government, as per their updates so far the boathouse and shed will likely be closed entirely during this time. This includes the use of private singles regardless where they are stored unless they are removed and boated completely offsite.
I understand this is disappointing and very frustrating after all the progress that has been made in the last months, fingers crossed we can be on the water before Christmas!
Kind Regards
Cris
LXXXVI Deneb Captain's Log
15th October 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
First of all congratulations to Barnes Bridge Ladies for organising Pairs Head, it was very nice to see some action on the river after a long time.
Unfortunately we didn't have any Cygnet crews for the day, hopefully we can amend this for 4s Head/ Vets Head if they go ahead. Speaking of which please let me and Beth if you are keen to race to start planning crews.
Training sessions are in Fitclub. Please update your availability, and book your slots, to help us plan best. Cut off day for the weekend outings is from now on Thursday night.
A few updates re. Shed and Changing rooms.
We still encourage that you do anything you can outside, but for those rainy days or when you need the racks indoors, the shed can be booked for either weights or ergs (not both at once).
For all use of the shed:
- Open all doors and windows
- Do not use the fans to point at yourselves - the air needs to move through the shed, not to circulate which fan use creates. (You can however place a fan pointing outwards by the door, this will create a draw of air and keep a draft moving through)
- Try to avoid touching your face during your session, and wash your hands thoroughly after
For Ergs:
- A maximum of 4 ergs may be used indoors
- They must be spaced as far apart as possible, 2m+
- Clean the erg with the antiviral spray provided before and after use
- Note that we have now changed the shed priorities days for the ergs to Thursday.
For Weights:
- A maximum of 6 people may use the weights indoors
- Make sure to maintain social distancing
- Clean the weights you use with the antiviral spray provided before and after use
- Stand outside / away from the weights when not completing a set
Use of changing rooms
Changing rooms and lockers can now be used to store belongings during an outing, but are still not to be used as changing facilities. Please drop your things off and collect them quickly, washing or sanitising your hands afterwards. Take special care to maintain social distancing from other members when indoors.
Safety:
- Careful with the slope it is quiet slippery.
- Keep in mind days are starting to get shorter, also if very common fog conditions in the morning please think about using lights if required.
- Please don't overestimate your abilities, this includes the velocity of the stream.
- Everyone please revise the meaning of the flags - you can see the day weather forecast, tides, including the flag in our webpage.
Follow the guidelines.
- Book your slot (including landing time)
- Don't forget the post outing log for tracking purposes
Thanks
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- Saturday 21st November - Vets 4 Head (TBC)
- Sunday 22nd November - 4s Head TBC)
LXXXV Deneb Captain's Log
22nd September 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Good training session on Saturday, wind against tide, good Tideway experience. On Sunday we had a special sculling day, with 3 separate outings across the day for people to improve their sculling. The first one - Low Tide manoeuvre skills, where we had the seal as a special guest (couldn't take any good pictures, sorry). Then we had a Double and Quads for those with a bit less experience with sculling and/or not so fit. Lastly, we had a double-tide long paddle to Richmond and back for the more experienced scullers. Huge Thanks to Sam and Beth for organizing, Martin for coming in the launch and all of you who took part, I hope you enjoyed it. We are considering doing this excursion more often during the season, will keep you posted.
This week Training sessions are in Fitclub. Please update your availability, and book your slots, to help us plan best.
Last call for Pairs Head (11th October) please let me and Beth know ASAP if you are keen.
Safety:
- Careful with the slope it is quiet slippery.
- Keep in mind days are starting to get shorter, please think about using lights if required.
- Please don't overestimate your abilities, this includes the velocity of the stream.
Everyone should revise the meaning of the flags - you can see the day's weather forecast, tides, including the flag at the bottom of this page - Currently we have black flag which means very low tide and you need to take into account a very fast incoming tide. Bridges and buoys may appear faster than you think, and if you let your bows pointed away from the bank , you may finish very quickly in a complicated position. - Follow the guidelines.
- Book your slot (including landing time):
- Don't forget the post outing log for tracking purposes
That's all for now.
Have a nice afternoonCris
Dates for your Diary:
- 11th October. Pairs Head - 11.00am
LXXXIV Deneb Captain's Log
19th September 2020
Happy Friday Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Since this year we cannot go to Hamhaugh Island for sculling camp, this Sunday we are going to have a sculling day. There are three separate outings across the day for people to improve their sculling. The first outing will be a low tide manoeuvre skills workshop at 12:30pm. After this, there will be an outing in Doubles/Quads at 2:30pm for those with a bit less experience with sculling (or perhaps still lacking a bit of post-lockdown fitness!). Lastly, we're looking to run a double-tide long paddle to Richmond and back at 4:30pm for those with a bit more sculling experience (this will be great for anyone who has been doing the Pink House and back outings in singles). Any questions please let Sam and Beth know.
All Sculling Sunday and Weekly Training sessions are in Fitclub. Please update your availability, and book your slots, to help us plan best.
Pairs Head (11th October) is going ahead in a different format, please let me and Beth know ASAP if you are keen.
Safety: (gentle reminder)
- Careful with the slope is quiet slippery these days.
- Keep in mind days are starting to get shorter, please think about using lights if required.
- Please don't overestimate your abilities.
- Follow the guidelines.
- Book your slot (including landing time):
- Don't forget the post outing log )for tracking purposes)
If you have any questions please check with the captaincy.
And that is all for the moment. More will follow in due course.
Have a nice Weekend
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 20th September: Sculling Day - at the club
- 11th October. Pairs Head
LXXXIII Deneb Captain's Log
8th September 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
This weekend we celebrated a socially distanced Club day. Thank you all who joined the day, and made it possible, Mustafa behind the bar, Beth for organizing the time trial and huge thanks to Rupert and Samantha for organizing the whole event. Also congratulations Rubina for her boat naming.
Training:
Good Training sessions on the water with Beth and S&C with Charlie these last few weeks. Days are starting to be shorter, Autums is coming so from this weekend on we are moving to Coached Outings only on the weekends mornings. Also from this week we are starting Coached Ergs sessions. All Training sessions are in https://www.fitclub.me/user/calendar/year Please update your availability, and book your slots, to help us plan best.Also now in Fitclub (under Cygnet Squad) you can find the following links:
- CSBE Erg Signup
- Cygnet S&C Programme (Strength & Condition Programm)
- Post Outing Log
It is very likely that Pairs Head (11th October) is going ahead in a different format, please let me and Beth know if you are interested in taking part.
Safety and protocols
- Careful with the slope is quiet slippery these days
- Keep in mind days are starting to get shorter, please think about using lights if required
- Please don't overestimate your abilities
- Follow the guidelines
- Book your slot
- Don't forget the post outing log for tracking purposes
If you have any questions please check with the captaincy. And that is all for the moment. More will follow in due course.
Have a nice Tuesday eve and a better rest of the week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 19th-20th September: Sculling Camp - at the club, Covid Permitting, TBC.
- 11th October. Pairs Head (TBC)
From the Coach: S&C from 19th August
17th August 2020
Morning proto-powerlifters
The S&C sessions with Charlie are starting on Wednesday 19th August. These are open to all club members. There are 2 weekly sessions:
6.00pm-7.00pm • 7.15pm-8.15pm *If you have a foam roller please bring it with you to the session.
Charlie's general feedback from the assessment:
- overall decent quality movement for squat and leg work
- stiff hips and lower back, which is fairly standard for rowers
- mobility in upper body upper fairly good
- the less said about the press ups the better
The next month will be spend improving stability, increasing range of movement in hips and lower back and learning the correct movements needed for effective weight training over the winter.
See you on Weednesday.
Beth
LXXXII Deneb Captain's Log
14th August 2020
Good Evening Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well, enjoying the good weather or surviving the heat wave depending on what you like.
Good Training sessions on the water these past weeks, with tethering , sculling confidence and technical sessions. Little by little we are getting into the rhythm. Good to see that 90% of the squad has been on the water. Well done. For the rest of August we are going to continue working in singles to develop individual skills.
The next step on returning to rowing fitness is to implement some land training with Charlie Girdler-Maslen on Wednesday evenings with particular focus on mobility and stability. This S&C program is open to all Cygnet members. We will be increasing the Land Training accordingly. September we will start with 2x/2- depending on how the situation evolves.
Our Little Roadmap:
August: Single Scull developing individual skills. Returning to rowing fitness: Mobility and Stability
September: Moving into 2-/2x. Increase Land Training
Start Thinking about possible racing events - virus situation permittingTraining sessions are in https://www.fitclub.me/user/calendar/year Please update your availability to help usplan best. Should you wish to use an erg, please follow this link and read carefully the required procedure:
COVID-19 - Very Important Update
We're currently we are finalising the Club and Exec Guidelines according to British Rowing. We are moving into Phase E from 15th August: Singles, coxed and coxless pairs and doubles, coxed and coxless fours and quads are allowed. Fours and quads are not a priority for us right now however if you wish to take any boat please check with the Captaincy.New guidelines, changes to the booking sheet and new post-outing log.
From tomorrow (Sat 15th), we will adopt new guidelines on the number of people able to use club facilities at the same time. We will also be updating our booking systems and outing logs to reflect this change, and make both easier to use.New guidelines
- A maximum of 3 boats to be trestled on the boatshop hard at any one time.
- A maximum of 6 people to be in the boatshop or on the boatshop hard at any one time.
- In addition to the 3 boats on the boatshop hard, you may sensibly trestle boats in front of the steps / by EMA / on the beach if there is room and they are not an obstruction.
- In total, no groups larger than 12 individuals to be boating or landing at any one time (mainly applicable for coached outings).
- New post-outing log
- We have a new post outing log form at: bit.ly/postout - please make sure you fill this out after every outing. You are still responsible for filling this out for your boat if you are participating in a coached outing. In crew boats, it will be the steersperson's responsibility to fill this in for their crew. Ideally, fill this out on your mobile while still at the club and fresh in your mind.
- Please give your accurate boating and landing times, not just your rough slot times.
- Changes to the booking sheet accessible here
Kit window (Thanks Rupert for organising)
As per Rupert's email - The kit window is now open and accessible via the Cygnet Teamroom on the Crewroom website (login required. Contact Rupert or Cris if you missed the password on the email). The final day for ordering is Sunday 23 Aug. Size Guide here. Delivery will be via Rupert towards Early Oct.Please be green and don't forget to recycle:
- Glass needs to be put in the glass bins in the bar - or the outside glass bin.
- The green bin takes paper, card, cans and plastic
- General waste pop in a black liner or one if the blue waste bins.
And that is all for the moment. More will follow in due course.
Have a nice Friday and a better weekend.Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 6th September. Clubs day (Covid Permitting, TBC)
- 19th-20th September: Sculling Camp (Covid Permitting, TBC)
From the Coach S&C Sessions
4th August 2020
Dear Budding Athletes
The next step on returning to rowing fitness is to implement some land training. Charlie Girdler-Maslen, a qualified strength and conditioning coach, is designing a summer programme for Cygnet with particular focus on mobility and stability. Charlie has been working with BBL for the past year, some of you may have already met him, and he is very familiar with the common movement problems in rowers. This S&C programme is open to all Cygnet members.
On Saturday 8th August Charlie will be running functional movement screening sessions for Cygnet. This will enable him to tailor exercises to fit the squad. The sessions are available to sign up on Fitclub. Each session 25 mins - 5 people per session, attendance must be registered in advance, don't just turn up.
09.00-09.25 • 09.30-09.55 • 14.00-14.25
If all 3 sessions are full an additional session can be added at 14.30 - just ask.
Please arrive early so you are ready to start the assessment on time. You will need trainers and kit which allows your movement to be seen easily (try to avoid loose t-shirts and baggy shorts).
For the rest of the summer the training sessions will either be on Saturday 9-10 and 2-3 (either side of BBL) or on Wednesday evenings. Ideally you should do a session each week to make the most of the programme. Please complete the doodlepoll to indicate which sessions you would be able to regularly attend for the next couple of months. We will go with the day which suits the majority of people (decision to be on Saturday morning).
Link to the poll: S&C sessions - preferred time
If you have any questions about the training please let me know.
Beth
LXXXI Deneb Captain's Log
23rd July 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Greetings everyone and thank you to all of you who made it to the virtual OGM last week, a first in Cygnet's history, and voted for the captaincy for the next year: Sam Sears (Deputy Captain), Martin Drage (Vice Captain) and myself (Captain). Thank you very much, it is a great great Honour. Many thanks to Tom B for the fantastic hard work as Vice Captain during the last two years.
So little by little we start moving things, first coached sessions on the water. As mentioned in the previous email, Training sessions for the next weeks are now in https://www.fitclub.me/user/calendar/year Please update your availability to plan best - There are limited spaces - we will try to be as fair as possible and get the most of you on the water as we can. Main Objective at this stage is to have fun and get little by little into the rhythm.
I would also encourage everyone to do the steering test, it is a good time to do so. If you are interested, please let Charlie and myself know. You need to read the Tideway Code first.
This Week ( Technical sessions for Senior):
Boat allocation for this evening 19:00 and this Saturday 8:00 have been circulated by email.
Sunday 14:00-15:00 /15:00-6:00 Novice sculling on a tether / 16:00-17:30 Sculling confidence sessions
The Shed remains closed. Should you wish to use an erg, please read carefully the below for the required procedure (Thanks Beth):
- Ergs are available for booking in 2 hr slots. This is to provide plenty of time for warm-up, erg, cool down and cleaning.
- Please put your name on the erg sheet even if you turn up and use one ad hoc. This is to enable the clubs to identify anyone who may have been exposed if another club member is identified as COVID positive.
- Each club has priority booking one evening per week (Tues: Cyg, Wed: BBL). These slots are indicated on the booking sheet.
- Please observe current social distancing rules when taking ergs in/out of the shed.
Ergs must NOT be used in the shed
- Ergs should be used outside on the concrete path or on the grass. Please do not obstruct access to boats on the racks or the boathouse.
- Use mats under the front and back of the erg when on the grass.
- Ergs should be placed minimum 2m apart either side by side or in a line (do not face each other).
- Ergs must be cleaned by before being put back in the shed. Particular attention should be given to handle, display and resistance adjuster.
- Return mats to the shed. Please rinse mats using the outside tap on the top hard if muddy or covered with grass.
- If the cleaning supplies are running low please let Beth know. Don't wait until it runs out!
- Please inform club captains and safety advisor immediately if you are required to self-isolate within 7 days of using an erg.
More will follow in due course.
Have a nice afternoon /evening.
Cris
Back to training - the next few weeks
15th July 2020
Good evening gentlemen,
Hope everyone is doing well and Thank you all for your patience.
The Training sessions for the next weeks are now in https://www.fitclub.me/user/calendar/year starting tomorrow. (Thank you Beth)
Please update your availability to plan best- There are limited spaces- we will try to be as fair as possible and get the most of you on the water as possible.
This week: ( Novices/Inexperienced Scullers)
Wed. 18:00-20:00 Sculling confidence sessions (Suitable for inexperienced scullers and/or steers not yet signed off)
Thurs. 18:30-19:30/19:30-20:30 - Novice sculling on a tether (Getting in and out of the boat, confidence drills, someone on the bank with a rope)
Fri, 18:00-20:00 Sculling confidence sessions
Sat. 8:00-9:00 / 9:00 -10:00 Novice sculling on a tether
Sun. 9:00-10:00 Novice sculling on a tether. 10:00-11:30 Sculling confidence sessionsNext Week: (Technical sessions for Senior Squad)
Please let Beth or myself know if you have any questions
Have a nice evening
CrisLXXX Deneb Captain's Log / Return to the river / Squad Meeting
29th June 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and had a good weekend.
To those who have not been able to get on the water thank you for your patience. We are currently working on a plan to get back on the river in line with the government and British rowing guidelines.
Please find below the invitation for the squad meeting on Tuesday , where more information will be provided.
Squad Meeting: To join this Zoom Meeting please contact the captain for login details
Topic: Return to the river, Time: June 30th, 2020 07:00 PM LondonAhead of the meeting, please fill in the following questionnaire: https://forms.gle/HLxuYgPx7ot56zs27
Have a nice start to the week
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 14th of July: 20:15 Ordinary General Meeting
Application for Membership
28th June 2020
Has been received from:
Mr Ernest Pretzlik, 18, Student. Proposed by Charles Pretzlik, seconded by Cris Cabrera
2020/21 Nomination for Captain
28th June 2020
Nomination: Cristobal Cabrera
- Proposed by Nick Wylie
- Seconded by Marjorie Israël
2020/21 Nomination for Deputy Captain
28th June 2020
Nomination: Sam Sears
- Proposed by Cristobal Cabrera
- Seconded by Tom Broadhurst
2020/21 Nomination for Vice Captain
28th June 2020
Nomination: Martin Drage
- Proposed by Cristobal Cabrera
- Seconded by Matthew Byrne
LXXIX Deneb Captain's Log
29th May 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and starting to enjoy carefully the good weather.
1st Regatta of the season
Last weekend We took part in the Lockdown regatta (Thanks Rupert for organizing). This virtual competition has been organised by students from De Montfort University and Bath Spa University rowing clubs that want to help raise money for the NHS in these challenging times. They were asking people to run 2km rather than row, but the format was that of national rowing events. We entered an 8+ and a Masters 4+ . Well done everyone - Rupert, Charles, Jo, Jim, Jamie, Mustafa, Beth, Martin, Tom, Vasil, Sam, Chris J - it was a lot of fun! You can check some pics in our instagram account.Also please join us in Strava for possible future events (Thanks Rupert for setting up the account).
Renovations
Since we are now in low operation modus , it is a good time to review the equipment and do some renovations in the boathouse. An email and excel will be circulated asking for volunteers. More details will follow separately.Rowing & Training
Outing in singles are taking place since Monday the 18th May. As we move into the next steps of the relaxation we will be updating Training and Activities accordingly. More Information will follow. If you want to take your steering test now is a good moment to do it. Please let me know.If you are going out, please do make sure you follow the guidelines
If you are not there already there is a WhatsApp group administered by Cara, the safety advisers from both clubs and myself. If you are planning to go sculling and you are not in the group yet please send me your phone number.The protocols around this group are to:
1) inform any uses of river conditions that may need to be taken into account
2) general informationThis is The Google sheet for signing in and out after outings. Along with reporting any damage to boats.
Please be serious in this matter, stick to your slots, the 20 min is the time allowed for getting your boat off the water, back onto the rack and leaving the club. If there is any overlap please wait until the hard is free. Also a reminder that access to the Boathouse and changing rooms where possible should only be in case of emergency.
Have a nice weekend and keep safe
Cris
Cygnet RC COVID-19 members update
13th May 2020
Dear all,
Last night, your committee discussed the next phase in the lockdown, following the plans from HM Government outlined earlier this week. We are working on a risk assessment ready for the opening of the boathouse, but that is, as we found out about an hour before the meeting, for the next step. In short, the reality is as follows:
- British Rowing guidance: private single owners ONLY to boat from public slipways or with permission from private slipways.
- All boathouses have to stay closed until 4th July 2020 at the earliest. Single scullers to adhere to the 2m distancing at all times, unless they share a household
- PLA restriction on use of the river for recreational use has so far not been lifted intend to publish a decision by the end of the week.
For now, therefore, nobody is allowed to go out on the river, until the PLA have published their decision. This will also give the Boathouse Executive time to discuss how we can facilitate access to to the private sculls, so that when the time comes, they can be used.I am sorry that I cannot bring you an 'All Systems GO" message at this moment in time, but we will send out another message once we know more.Stay well - stay home - stay kind
Marjorie
Secretary, Cygnet RCLXXVIII Deneb Captain's Log
6th May 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope you are all keeping well and safe and making progress with the training plan or any other option of fitness. ;)
Just for your information Barnes Bridge Ladies Rowing Club has organised a 24 hour sportathon in half hour slots to raise money for Solace Women's Aid which provides support to women and children affected by domestic abuse. https://www.justgiving.com/team/BBL24 I am sure any support would be appreciated.
Rowing:
As most of you may have seen over the last few days, there's been new comms from TRRC/British Rowing about the plans they're putting in place to be able to respond to whatever changes to Government restrictions may be announced this week. With this in mind, along with the anticipated Government announcement itself, I just wanted to send a quick update on what that means for us.
Following the upcoming release of updated government guidelines, and importantly BR and PLA guidelines, the committee will meet in turn, to agree on an updated protocol for all Cygnet members re. use of the club facilities and equipment.
Until we send out any further updates, please continue to follow the current guidelines, in short, everything is still a no go!
We can all appreciate how frustrating it is not being able to get out, especially given the weather and how glorious the river is looking, so your understanding and patience is much appreciated.
Hoping to be soon on the water.
Cris
LXXVII Deneb Captain's Log
21st April 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe.
First of all Big Thank You to all during this time, from the people who are on the front line (claps, claps,claps) to the ones who are staying at home, trying to make the best of the situation. Let's embrace these next weeks with optimism fingers crossed we will be out for Summer.
Now that we have enjoyed the first weeks of the lockdown for free let's upgrade it to premium ;).
"Lockdown Premium Package":
We have a revamped website https://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/ , have a look if you haven't already. Thank you very much Neil and Simon.
Boathouse safety has also been upgraded: The Bar exit door is repaired, bars for the windows will follow and CCTV is in operation and signs are all done. Big Thank you to the Exec Team and friends: Jamie, Ali, Ben, Tom, Chris J (sorry if I am forgetting someone.)
Training: (good time to improve core and flexibility)
Please find some homework attached, (you know you always can have the Callisthenic pyramid 😉 ). Please feel free to provide photographic evidence to motivate the rest of us. I will set a virtual squad meeting for next week Tuesday 7.00 pm.
Thursday Social Zoom 8.30 pm:
Other links that may be of interest in this quarantine:
Please let me know it you want to attend and I will forward the details.- British Rowing Lockdown Webinars:
- Decent Rowing
- Mental Health :
- Book: The Boys In The Boat (always a good read)
- Tune of the day: Sun Is Shining
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything.
Have a nice sunny Tuesday and a better rest of the week.Cris
LXXVI Deneb Captain's Log
20th March 2020
Dear Cygnets ,
I hope everyone is doing well.
First of all thank you all for your patience in this time. It has been a few months with fantastic good work unfortunately we need to stop all squad activities.
As you all are aware of the coronavirus (COVID-19) Situation and health and safety is first priority. The upcoming months are going to be challenging for all of us, I know it is going to be hard for some people but we shall have to adapt, we need the collaboration of all of you to flatten the curve so we can get back to normality as soon as possible.
The view of the club is that the sensible thing to do to mitigate all risk and to do our part in keeping our members and the community safe is by restricting access completely. That being said we understand we cannot force people to stay away. Please think carefully about what you are going to gain and if it is worth taking the risk.
Following discussions, please see below the agreed terms of use:
- Boathouse will be close until further notice to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 Virus.
- Individuals wanting to go out for outings in a single scull are advised to consider NOT using the boathouse facilities unless in an emergency.
- Individuals' use of an ergo in the Shed will likewise be at a member's own risk. A shed key will be available in the outside key safe so you can access the Shed without entering the Boathouse.
This Week and going forward: Social isolationWe are working on a plan to keep us fit during the coming months (Callisthenic pyramid ;) and others). Let's support each track alternative exercise (maybe via Strava) to keep moral high and keep as fit as possible.
More will follow.
Have a nice Friday and please keep safe.
Cris
LXXV Deneb Captain's Log
3rd March 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Good Training Session, this weekend despite the very cold weather. We had an 8+ on Saturday and a good session in the shed and 4+ on Sunday. Well done everyone who turned out, Megan, Sam for coxing and Beth for coaching. Keep Healthy. We still have Ebb Yellow (Orange) flag, (Check our Webpage). Please be careful out there take a look good out, don't underestimate the river and the weather conditions. If you are not sure (especially in small boats) if you should go out, probably you shouldn't.
This Week Women's 8 Head of the River Race, as per James email, there is always something you can help with on the day 😉, please come down, cheer and give a hand if you can. Boats to cheer for: 69 BBL A, 141 BBL B. Good Luck Ladies!
Racing and Training:
HORR/Vets and Summer
Please update your availability ASAP for Racing(HORR/VETS) &Training Sessions (including Training Camp)in fitclub https://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance , so we can plan best. (Gentle reminder cut off day for outings on the weekends is Tuesday). Don't forget we are already training for Spring/Summer. Please consider every session as an opportunity to improve and get fitter.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Erg: 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest, approx. 2k+12s
Core and StretchingWednesday:
Weights Core, focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg: 3 x (4'3'2'1') @ R20-28, 5' rest
Core and StretchingOutings/Training sessions this weekend will follow:
Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of the week
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 7th March: WeHoRR (Please come down and give a hand if you can)
- 21st March: HoRR (Please update your availability)
- 22nd March: Vets Head (Please update your availability )
- 3-5thApril: Training Camp - (Please update your availability)
- 25thApril: Learn to Row course starts
LXXV Deneb Captain's Log
26th February 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Unfortunately no water sessions last weekend due Red Flag, but very good workout in the shed and tank focusing on technique. Well done everyone. Thank you all of you who made it to the AGM and the Boat Executive Meeting. Congratulations to all elected Committee members!!!
Rowing Safety:
Please be careful out there take a look good out - it is Ebb Yellow (Orange) flag (Check our webpage). Please don't underestimate the river and the weather conditions. If you are not sure if you should go out, probably you shouldn't.
Racing and Training: We start to focus on HORR - and Spring
Please update your availability ASAP for racing (HoRR/Vets) & training sessions (including Training Camp) in fitclub https://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance , so we can plan best. (Gentle reminder cut off day for outings on the weekends is Tuesday)
Don't forget we are already training for Spring/Summer. Please consider every session as an opportunity to improve and get fitter.
This week's Training:
Tuesday: Erg: 4k/3k/2k/1k continuous, R18/20/22/24, UT1
Core and StretchingWednesday:Weights Core, focus on technique.
Thursday:
Erg: 3x (4'4') @ R24-26, 4' rest, approx. 5k paceOutings/Training sessions this weekend will follow:
Have a nice Tuesday evening and a better rest of the week
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
LXXIV Deneb Captain's Log
18th February 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Cygnet 130th Birthday:
Last week, 12th of February we celebrated our 130th Birthday - Happy Birthday to us !! Thank you all of you who made it to Ye White Hart to have a few pints to celebrate it. They still have one of our oars on the wall. Big Thanks to Rupert for organising. Nice to see different generations of Cygnets celebrating together.
Safety:
Boat House:
As the most of you may know the boat house has been broken into, the boat house executive is working to improve the safety and repair the damages ( Thank you Tom, Jo and all of you who are involved , sorry if I am forgetting someone), there are also a few things that every one of us can do please see list below:- Challenge people you don't recognise who are paying attention to the outside of the club, or inside the club
- Avoid leaving valuables in clubs, if a venue is known to have easy pickings it will likely be repeatedly targeted.
- Keep ladders and tools stored away; don't leave them outside where they could be used to break into your club.
- If leaving bay doors open ensure that other internal parts of the club are not accessible by closing and locking internal doors.
Rowing Safety:
Please be careful out there take a look good out - it is ebb red flag (Check our Webpage) and if it changes will be yellow. Please don't underestimate the river and the weather conditions. If you are not sure if you should go out, probably you shouldn't.Racing and Training:
Unfortunately Hammersmith Head was cancelled due to the storm. Finger crossed for the next events. We had very good training sessions these last past weeks despite the bad weather conditions. When we couldn't be on the water good turn out to the ergs. Good platform leading to Head of the River. Let's keep up the good work. Please update your availability ASAP for Training and Races https://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance , so we can plan best. (Gentle reminder cut off day for outings on the weekends is Tuesday)Don't Forget this Sunday 23rd 12:00 pm Annual General Meeting to elect the management committee, please be there.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Erg 1: 3 x 10' @ R20, 5' rest, approx. 5k + 2sWednesday:
Weights Core, focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg 2:30' @20Record scores
Outings/Training sessions this weekend will follow:
Have a nice Tuesday evening and a better rest of the week
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 23rd February 12:00: CYG AGM
- 23rd February 13:00: Boathouse Exec Meeting
- 7th March: WeHoRR (Please come down and give a hand if you can)
- 21st March: HoRR (Please update your availability)
- 22nd March: Vets Head (Please update your availability )
- 3-5thApril Training Camp - (Please update your availability)
LXXIII Deneb Captain's Log
23rd January 2020
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Good training sessions last weekend despite the red flag. Good work in the Shed on Saturday and great outing on Sunday (Thanks Anna). Let's keep up the good work and bring some momentum.
This Saturday Quintin's Head (12:00) - Come down and give a hand if you can (please check Matt's email)
Thank you all who have updated your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance , if you haven't please do, so we can plan best. (Gentle reminder cut off day for outings on the weekends it is Tuesday, keep it in mind for next week)
This week Training:
Tuesday:Good Work in the Shed !!! Thanks Beth.
Wednesday:
Weights Core, focus on technique. Hope the most of you did ?
Thursday:Erg1 : 3x5'5'5',r20-22-24; 5' rest
Erg 2: 30min r20 splitsThis Weekend Outing/Training Sessions : (Yellow Flag- Please be careful out there)
Saturday:- Outing as usual 7.15 - 7.30 OTW
- No Outings since Quintin's Head ( Plenty of jobs to help out )
Sunday:
Outing as usual 7.15 -7.30 OTWHave a nice day
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 25th January: Quintin Head
- 12th February: Informal Birthday Drinks
- (15th February: Henley 4's & 8's)
- 16th February: Hammersmith Head
- 23rd February: AGM
- 21st March: HoRR
- 22nd March: Vets Head
LXXII Deneb Captain's Log
9th January 2020
Dear Cygnets,
Happy new Year. Hope everyone had a good start to 2020.
In the news we welcome Hikiro to the Cygnet Family Congratulations Chihiro and Mark.
The main events for the first quarter of 2020 are in Fitclub, Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance and fill in the following questionnaire Cygnet Questionnaire Dic 19/2020 , entries for the main events have already opened and we need to enter crews ASAP.
Outings this weekend as usual.
Have a nice day.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 9th January: Squad Meeting
- 25th January: Quintin Head
LXXXI Deneb Captain's Log - Merry Christmas!
24th December 2019
Dear Cygnets,
The last log from this year.
Saturday:
Good outing in an 8+ unfortunately the second Outing was cancelled due to Ebb Tide red flag. Please be careful out there.After it has been raining heavily, it is possible that the tide can be coming in i.e. the river level is rising but the stream continues to flow out - you should always steer according to the stream is doing and not the tide.
Sunday:
We were delighted to name the latest addition to our fleet - a new Jano VIII which is named for the late, great Noel Davison. It was fantastic that Noel's wife Eleanor was able to do the honours by pouring a bottle champagne in his honour.Thank you all attendees.There was also a 300 club draw done on the day and the winners will be posted shortly.
Finally, Thank you all for the wonderful 2019. Have a good Holiday with family and friends. Christmas is a time for giving, be nice to each other, enjoy the magic if you believe in it, and set a good platform for 2020.
The main events for the first quarter of 2020 are in Fitclub, Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance and fill in the following questionnaire Cygnet Questionnaire Dic 19/2020 (Please let me know if you have any problems opening it.)
Have a Lovely Christmas Eve!! See you all next year harder, better, faster, stronger and leaner.
Merry Christmas / Feliz Navidad / Joyeux Noel / Frohe Weihnachten/ God Jul !!!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 9th January: Squad Meeting
- 25th January: Quintin Head
LXX Deneb Captain's Log
17th December 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice 3rdof Advent weekend.
Saturday:
Good outing in an 8+, follow by another LTR / Novice 8+. Unfortunately there was too much wind so we finished the second session in the tank - well done everyone! It was a healthy warm-up before the Waddle (Thanks Rupert) & Christmas Party (Thanks BBL, Hannah). Good to see we have "good drinkers" in the club! Congratulations to all people who received awards, especially Tom B (BBL's Cygnet of the Year). I hope everyone is recovered by now.Training and Races:
The main events for the first quarter of 2020 are in Fitclub, Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance
Please fill in this questionnaire - Mandatory for all the active squad. (if is there any problem to open it please let me know).
Gentle reminder cut off day for outings on the weekends is TuesdayThis week Training:
If you haven't done the 5K Test R 26, please doTuesday:
Erg: 4k,3K,2k,1k (continuous), R18-24Wednesday:
Weights Core, focus on technique.Thursday:
We will have a short squad meeting at 19:00.
Erg: 4 x 7' @ R24, 4' rest, approx. 5k pace /
Food Thursday social: Rupert is cooking this week please let him know if you are staying for food this Thursday.This Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of week!!!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 22nd December: Quintin Plum Pudding Race 11.30
- 22nd December: New VIII - Boat Naming 12:30-13:30
LXIX Deneb Captain's Log
11th December 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend and is doing well.
Saturday, Scullers head:
Huge Thank You to all the volunteers (Boating, Parking-Marshall, Launch Drivers, BBL Catering) and to Jo B and Sara TYW for the fantastic post-race whisky tasting evening with soup before and supper after.Good Weather Conditions for a well-known tough course. Congratulations to all the scullers who participated, especially the "newbies" Rupert and Mustafa. Well Done Everyone!
344 CYG - Sears 24:25
333 CYG - Piguet 24:35
491 CYG - Du Parc Braham 25:14 (Adjusted - 24:15)
366 CYG - Bailey 25:25
359 CYG - Ozyurt 28:32
146 BBL - Oakley 25:30
516 BBL - Powell 25:54 (Adjusted - 24:50)
467 - D. Jillings 23.59 (Adjusted - 22.04)This Week
Training and Races:
The main events for the first quarter of 2020 are in Fitclub, Please update your availabilityin https://www.fitclub.me/ ,to start planning.Gentle reminder cut off day for outings on the weekends is Tuesday! We will have a squad meeting Thursday the 19th December- 19:00.
Monday:
Weights - Focus on techniqueTuesday:
Erg - 3x10' R22 5' rest @ 5k pace
Core and StretchingWednesday
Weights - Focus on techniqueThursday:
Erg - 5K Test R 26
Core and StretchingThursday Social: As per Rupert's email. Sarah P. will be cooking this week please let her know if you are staying for food after Outing/Training.
This weekend's Outings will follow
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 14th December: The Waddle. Details to follow
- 14th December: BBLRC Christmas Party (7.00pm. Dress Code -Black Tie).
- 22nd December: Quintin Plum Pudding Race 11.30
- 22nd December: New VIII - Boat Naming 12:30-13:30
LVVIII Deneb Captain's log
3rd December 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend. The weather is beginning to be "very fresh" so please keep warm.
Saturday, good outing in an 8+. Thanks to the Beth, coxes, Iain for subbing, and all of you who stayed to rig the new VIII and helped sitting the boat in the 2nd Outing.
Sunday, we had a few 1x going to Putney warming up for this week Scullers Head (11.30) where we have 5 entries:
333 CYG - Piguet
344 CYG - Sears
359 CYG - Ozyurt
366 CYG - Bailey
491 CYG - Du Parc BrahamAlso boats to cheer for
146 BBL - Oakley
516 BBL - Powell
523 BBL - DarlingGood Luck to all of them and may the force be with them for the row back 😉
Thursday Social: watch out Rupert's email.
Training and Races:
The main events for the first quarter of 2020 are in Fitclub, Please update your availabilityin https://www.fitclub.me/ ,(for all sessions) to start planning
Gentle reminder cut off day for outings on the weekends is Tuesday!
We will have a squad meeting Thursday the 19th - 19:00.Monday:
Weights- Focus on techniqueTuesday: 19:00 to try to start together (19.15)
Erg: 3x6' R24 3' rest @ 5k pace
Core and StretchingWednesday
Weights: Focus on techniqueThursday:
Non-scullers head erg: 2x(5'10'5') R18/20/22 with 3' rest.
Scullers headaches erg: visualisation on ergo 20mins light with bursts.
Core and StretchingThis Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 7th December: Scullers Head 11:30. Come down cheer and give a hand if you can
- 7th December: Whisky tasting after Scullers Head
- 14th December: BBLRC Christmas Party (Dress Code -Black Tie)
- 22nd December: Quintin Plum Pudding Race 11.30
- 22nd December: New VIII - Boat Naming 12:30-13:30
LXVII Deneb Captains Log
25th November 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
We had HoR4s (Saturday) and Vets Fours Head (Sunday). Many Thanks to all volunteers, helpers - Boating, Parking Marshalling, Launch Drivers - for their hard work during the weekend, BBL for their catering (especially Sam). Also many thanks to Rupert for organising a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday evening. Unfortunately no Cygnet Crews this year (Blame the captain 😉)/ Next Stop Scullers Head, where we have five entries. Let's keep up the good work until Christmas.
This Week:
Training:
Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) and log on your erg results - cut off day for outings Tuesday evening!Monday:
Weights- Focus on techniqueTuesday: 19:00 to try to start together (19.15)
Erg: 2x2/2/2km @ R18/20/22 2' rest, approx. 30' R20 + 5s
Core and StretchingWednesday:
Weights- Focus on techniqueThursday: (LTR will be also there, so please share the shed)
Erg: 4 x 4' @ 24/26, 4' rest, 2km split
Core and StretchingThis week Thursday Social: watch out Rupert's email.
This Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice Monday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 7th December: Scullers Head, 11.30. Come done, cheering lend a hand if you can
- 14th December: BBLRC Christmas Party. Menu choices by 28th November please
LVXI Deneb Captain's Log
5th November 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
Saturday:
Good Session on the water in a 4x and 4- to the Pink Lodge and back. It followed rugby in the bar (Thanks Rupert for organising breakfast) and a good LTR session in the Tank/erg.Sunday:
Nice Sculling Pod. (Thanks Matt for the driving the launch)Let's keep up the good work till Christmas 😉
This week:
Training:
Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions/races - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) and log on your erg results - cut off day for outings Tuesday! Also if you are keen to do Scullers Head please let me know asap.Monday:
Weights - Focus on techniqueTuesday: 19:00 to try to start together (19.15)
Erg - 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest approx. 2k+12s
Core and StretchingWednesday:
Weights - Focus on techniqueThursday: (LTR will be also there, so please share the shed)
Erg - 3 x 6' @ R2, 3' rest, approx. 5k pace
Core and Stretching
Thursday Social: watch out Rupert's email.This Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 23rd November: HoR4s, 12.45. Lend a hand if you can
- 24th November: Vet 4s Head, 9.45 (Flood Tide). Lend a hand if you can
- 7th December: Scullers Head, 11.30. If you are keen to race please let me know ASAP
LVX Deneb Captain's Log
30th October 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a good weekend.
Saturday:
Good first session on the water despite the strong wind, unfortunately the second outing couldn't go ahead, it merged with the LTR session in the shed/tank. (Thanks Laurent). It was followed by the Henley Lunch at Leander club. Nice venue, good food, lovely people. Good to see different generations of Cygnets, BBL, friends and family reunited. Many thanks to Stuart for organising the event; unfortunately the legendary Chairman's waddle down the river to the Flowerpot was cancelled due to bad weather, that didn't prevent us to have a "few" in Leander bar 'til the taxi arrived (Cheers!)Sunday:
Time Trial with BBL (Thanks Ladies, specially Beth for organizing). I don't have the times, but was good fun. Well done everyone!Safety:
After all the rain last week there is a lot of water coming down the Thames at the moment. The EA website gives the board status for each lock. Before any boats take to the water please check the board status for your reach and use your club risk assessment to determine if any boats are allowed out. http://riverconditions.environment-agency.gov.uk/ Hopefully the water will return to normal fairly quickly. Information about river levels can be found on the EA website https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/river-and-sea-levelsThis week training:
Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions/races - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) and log on your erg results - cut off day for outings Tuesday!
Monday:
Weights - Focus on techniqueTuesday: 19:00 to try to start together (19.15)
Erg: 5K test @ R26
Core and StretchingWednesday:
Weights - Focus on techniqueThursday: (LTR will be also there, so please share the shed)
Erg: 2x 2/2/2 km, @R18/20/22, 2 min rest (30min r20 split +5s)
Core and Stretching
Thursday Social: watch out Rupert's email.This Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 23rd November: HoR4s, 12.45
- 24th November: Vet 4s Head, 9.45 (Flood Tide)
- 7th December: Scullers Head, 11.30
LXIV Deneb Captain's Log
27th October 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
This week
Social :
Saturday 26th of October: Henley Lunch in Leander Club, with the legendary Chairman's waddle down the river to the FlowerpotThursday Social: watch out Rupert's email.
Training: (as per plan)
Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions/races - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) and log on your erg results - cut off day for outings Tuesday!
Monday:
Weights. Focus on techniqueTuesday: 19:00 to try to start together (19.15)
Erg: 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest, approx. 2k+12s
Core and StretchingWednesday:
Weights:Focus on techniqueThursday: (LTR will be also there ,so please share the shed)
Erg:3 x 10' @ R20, approx. 5k+3s 5' rest
Core and StretchingThis Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice Monday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 26th October: Henley Lunch
- 23rd November: HoR4s, 12.45. Please lend a hand if you can
- 24th November: Vet 4s Head, 9.45 (Flood Tide). Please lend a hand if you can
Stan Collingwood
16th October 2019
David 'Stan' Collingwood
1947-2019
Cancer has claimed all too many of our rowing friends and colleagues lately. Sad to relate, therefore, its latest victim, Stan Collingwood, who died on Saturday, 12th October, at the age of 72, in St Theresa's Hospice, Darlington.
Rowing is all about characters and one person who amply fitted the mould was Stan Collingwood. Many clubs can claim an association with Stan, but, at Cygnet, we like to think we got in on the ground floor, electing D.S.Collingwood as an active member in January 1973. Although his birth name was David, to the world of rowing he will always be remembered as 'Stan the Man'.
Stan's stay at Cygnet appears to have been brief and the club annals do not record him rowing in any competitive crews. Perhaps more surprisingly, he avoided any committee or organisational entanglements, although he would later return as an impressive finishing coach and organiser of the Business Houses Head in the late 1990s.
Stan would grace many Tideway clubs in his time, but no club could truly contain him, and he was always destined for greater things in the guise of umpiring, coaching, commentating and organising. Chairman of Thames Region was but one of the many posts he would hold in the rowing universe. One medium that was tailor-made for Stan was Regatta Radio at Henley Royal Regatta and he would spend many happy hours regaling listeners with 'tales of the riverbank' in between races before the drone took over.
Stan always brought experience, enthusiasm and bonhomie to all he did. In 1998 he accepted an assignment to coach an aspiring Cygnet entry for the Thames Cup at Henley, professing that it would be unrecognisable by the time his ten weeks were up. Walking over Barnes Bridge late one summer evening and watching a technically near perfect Vlll passing beneath, I can confirm that in this, as in all things, he was as good as his word.
Later in his working life, Stan was delighted to inform us that he had again become a Civil Servant and might even consider rejoining Cygnet. Although he never did, there was always a space at the Cygnet bar whenever he cared to stop by. He will be much missed.
Stan donated his body to science, so there will be no funeral. However, a Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving for the life of Dave ("Stan") Collingwood will be held at 10.30am, Saturday 16th November at Holy Trinity Church, Hounslow. Dress code: Colourful, as befits a celebration! RSVP to Linda Collingwood
Paul Rawkins, 16th October 2019
LXIII Deneb Captain's Log
15th October 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
Good training sessions on the Tideway, rowing in the rain 😉, with a 4x and a 4+ and a 8+ on Saturday and a 4x and 2 singles on Sunday.
Also on Saturday the Learn to Row had the chance to go on the water for the first time. Well done everyone.
Next stop, 4's Head and Vets 4. Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions/races - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) and log on your erg results - cut off day for outings Tuesday!
This week training: (as per plan)
Monday:
Weights - Focus on techniqueTuesday: 19:00 to try to start at 19.15
Erg - 4k/3k/2k/1k continuous, R18/20/22/24Core and Stretching
Wednesday
Weights - Focus on techniqueThursday: (LTR will be also there, so please share the shed)
Erg - 4 x 4' @ 24/26, 4' rest, 2km split
Core and Stretching
Thursday Social: watch out Rupert's email.This Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice Monday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 26th October: Henley Lunch - bookings by 20th October please
- 23rd November: HoR4s, 12.45
- 24th November: Vet 4s Head, 9.45 (Flood Tide)
LXII Deneb Captain's Log
8th October 2019
Dear Cygnets,
Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a fantastic racing weekend!
Saturday: Germany, Düsseldorf - Rhein Marathon: Fresh conditions with a head wind but no rain (lucky us). We had two crews enjoying the Rhein:- Cyg 1 (Martin D,Matt B, Tom B, Rupert B, Mario) (03:04:03)
- Cyg 2/BBL (Neil P, Cris C, Anna C, Marj I, Mucha) (02:46:38)
Congratulations to both crews, good effort, specially Martin and Rupert for their first Marathon. After the race, since "ein bisschen Spass muss sein 😉", we went for some nice food (most of us Schweine Haxe), a 'few' alt beers and a party... until ... they closed the venue.
Vielen Dank to our Benrath friends for hosting us another year and huge thanks to Marj for organizing. Looking forward to the next one.
Sunday - London - Pairs Head: Fresh conditions and rain. We had 4 crews, enjoying the Thames, please see times below.
- Cyg Op 2x Intermediate (Furby/Sears) 109th - (14:23)
- Cyg Op 2x Club (Pugh/Stewart) 213th - (15:16)
- Cyg OpMasB 2- (De Groot/Hunter 289th - (15:42)
- Cyg /AKN (Jackson/ Otterburn) 416th - (18:03)
Congratulations all racing crews and Thank you all volunteers, launch drivers, BBL for their Catering, well done everyone! (please see Jo's message below)
"A huge thank you to everybody who helped out with Pairs Head on Sunday - there were so many of you, and you were so positive and competent. The race went really smoothly, the parking was beautifully controlled and the catering was superb. Our reputation for the best and friendliest Tideway race is secured thanks to all your hard work.
Special mention to Clemmy and Emma who came down at 06.30 in the pouring rain to manage trailers, to Samantha and Penny who were at the cooker from the crack of dawn to, Kate, Leticia, Patricia, Christina, Emilie and to Jackie and Marion who didn't stop all day. Thank you to all of you who volunteered for the Timing Team - you will have already heard from Sarah what a fantastic job you did.
You all of course deserve special mention but I need to leave room for our valiant Cygnets - Richard du P on the numbers, Chris on the boating, Jim on the parking, and Mustafa on parking, boating and on the bar. We couldn't have managed without you all - and the cakes were spectacular.
I leave you with just one of the messages of appreciation that we have received from Maidenhead RC:
"Thankyou for yet another amazing Pairs Head - it is one of the few events that we have to borrow boats for as it is so popular with our members! All the Maidenhead crews agreed that it was as well organised, friendly and relaxed as ever, punctuated by some great racing - and you even had the weather arranged perfectly!"
Thank you all - you did the club proud!
Jo "
Next Stop 4's Head and Vets 4. Please UPDATE YOUR AVAILABILITY in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions/races - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) and log on your erg results - cut off day for outings Tuesday!
Enjoy the fantastic pics from both events in our social media.
Thursday social: Watch out Rupert's email.
This week training:
Monday:
WeightsTuesday: 19:00 to try to start at 19.15
Erg: 2x20' @ R22 3' rest approx. 2k+12sWednesday:
Weights Conditioning with MarkThursday:
Erg: 3 x 6' @ R24 3' rest approx. 5k pace (LTR will be also there ,so please share the shed)This Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 26th October: Henley Lunch - bookings by 20th October please
- 23rd November: HoR4s, 12.45
- 24th November: Vet 4s Head, 9.45 (Flood Tide)
LXI Deneb Captain's Log
30th September 2019
Dear Cygnets,
Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.
Good training session during the week in the shed and Saturday on the water, well done! Unfortunately Regatta London was cancelled due to bad weather on Sunday.
On Saturday we started a new Learn to Row, if you see the news guys around the boathouse please make them feel welcome.
This Sunday, we have Pairs Head, please come down, give a hand if you can, cheer and enjoy BBL's Catering. (still some volunteers are needed for the day, please let Matt or Jo B if you can help on the day)
Also a few of us are going to Germany this weekend to face the Rhein Marathon, a "cheeky" paddle from Leverkussen to Düsseldorf.
Good Luck to all racing crews !!!
Pairs Head (10:30am) start order: Go Cygnet!
9 Cyg Op 2x Intermediate (Furby/Sears)
80 Cyg Op 2x Club (Pugh/Stewart)
209 Cyg OpMasB 2- (De Groot/Hunter)
402 Cyg /AKN (Jackson/ Otterburn)Also boats to cheer for: Go Barnes!
249 BBL W2 Intermediate ( Oakley/Steedman)
254 BBL W2 Intermediate (Saary/Millar)
258 BBL W2 Intermediate (Sugarman/Seakins)
267 BBL W MasB/C 2- (Cahill/Martin)
289 BBL W2x Intermediate (Tsang/ Gordon)
420 BBL W MasC 2x (Bakkeren/Stackhouse)
451 BBL W MasE 2x (Dick/Cox)Thursday social:
Watch out Rupert's email
Further ahead Henley Lunch the 26th of October in Leander Club, with the legendary Chairman's waddle down the river to the Flowerpot, make your bookings, don't miss it.
This week training: (as per plan)
Please UPDATE YOUR AVAILABILITY in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) and log on your erg results - cut off day for outings Tuesday!
Monday: Weights
Tuesday: 19:00 to start all 19.15.
Erg: 30' rate 20 testWednesday: Weights
Thursday: (LTR will be also there ,so please share the shed)
Erg: 2x2/2/2km @ R18/20/22, 2' rest approx. 30' R20 + 5sThis Weekend Outings will follow for Saturday only, since Sunday the river will be closed due Pairs Head
Have a nice Monday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 6th October - Pairs Head - 10:30 am - Please give a hand if you can.
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LX Deneb Captain's Log
24th September 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
We had a fantastic sculling camp at our little Bungalow on Hamhaugh Island. Good weather (most of the time), lots of sculling, a few newbies (well done), loads of swimming (to improve the blood circulation), some capsizing (always with style), a visit to the pub, a BBQ and the most important thing, loads of fun. Thank you all of you who made it possible, loading and un-loading the trailer, Alan and Chihiro for coaching, Martin D for driving the trailer, Rupert for sorting Food and Anna for the hard work during the whole weekend, sorry if I am forgetting someone.
This Week: (Let's keep up the good start)
Please UPDATE YOUR AVAILABILITY in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) - cut off day for outings Tuesday!
28th of September - Learn to Row - Spread the word, share it with friends, colleagues, family. and give a hand if you can
29th of September - Regatta London - we have entered a mix-boat with BBL - Volunteers are needed in exchange with donation to the club - please let me know if you can give ahand. (Link )
Thursday Social: I will be cooking this week , so please let me know by Weds noon, if you are staying for food on Thursday after Outing/Training
This week training: (as per plan)
Monday:
WeightsTuesday:
Meeting 19:00
Erg: 2x20' @ R22 3' rest approx. 2k+12sWednesday:
WeightsThursday:
Erg, 3 x 6' @ R24 3' rest approx. 5k paceThis Weekend Outings will follow for Saturday only, since the river will be closed due Regatta London on Sunday 29th
Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 29th September: Regatta London - Please give a hand if you can
- 6th October - Pairs Head - 10:30 am - Please give a hand if you can.
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LIX Deneb Captain's Log
16th September 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a good weekend. Good Training sessions last week in the shed and during the weekend on the water. Good Start!
Please UPDATE YOUR AVAILABILITY in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) - cut off day for outings Tuesday!
This weekend (20th - 22nd) - Sculling camp. Please fill in the Doodle by Wednesday night (18th), so we can organize best.
28th of September - Learn to Row - - Spread the word, share it with friends, colleagues, family.
29th of September - Regatta London - we have entered a mix-boat with BBL - Volunteers are needed in exchange with donation to the club - please let me know if you can give ahand. (Link )Safety:
Regatta London, Sunday 29thThis week training: (as per plan)
Monday: Weights
Tuesday: Meeting 19:00- to start 19:15 - 5km test R26
Wednesday Weights:
Thursday: Erg 4k/3k/2k/1k continuous R18/20/22/24 / then Loading the trailer for S CampThis Weekend Outings will follow
Have a nice Monday and a better week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 20th - 22nd September: Sculling Camp
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 29th September: Regatta London - Please give a hand if you can
- 6th October - Pairs Head - 10:30 am - Please give a hand if you can.
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LVIII Deneb Captain's Log
12th September 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Saturday: We had our End of Season dinner. Thank you all attendees (BBL & CYG) and especially Rupert for organising. It was a great evening, nice waddle, food, drinks and awards... it finished as usual with some extra drinks in the club bar, for some maybe too many. Congratulations to Ross S (GP Jeffries Cup/ Rower of the year), James D. (Wally Wheldal Cup/ sportsmanship and endeavour of the year) and Anna, BBL of the year, for their well deserved awards.
If you haven't done it yet please fill in the following Questionnaire and more important, please UPDATE YOUR AVAILABILITY in https://www.fitclub.me/ for all the sessions - (including weights and ergs, so we can plan which of them are going to be coached) - cut off day for outings Tuesday!
Safety:
River Closures and restrictions:
The Great River Race, Saturday 14th
FFC Works Temporary Barge Mooring, Monday 16th
Removal of Fallen Tree, Monday 16th
Regatta London, Sunday 29thThis week training: Has been circulated
This Weekend Outings: will follow
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 14th September: The Great River Race
- 20th - 22nd September: Sculling Camp
- 29th September: Regatta London
- 6th October - Pairs Head - 10:30 am - Please give a hand if you can.
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
A longer obituary and details of Geordie's funeral have been posted on the blog
Ian Stephenson
6th September 2019
Ian Stephenson
1966 - 2019
Ian Stephenson passed away on Friday 30th August following a long and hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 53.
Ian, known to most of his Cygnet friends as Geordie, started his rowing career at Cambois Rowing Club in Northumberland, a few miles from his hometown of Morpeth. Having migrated south, he joined Cygnet for two years in 1988 before returning in 1997 via Curlew RC and Staines BC. On his return, he rowed in the Cygnet Thames Cup VIII at Henley Royal that year and remained a stalwart of Cygnet crews until 2013, when he slipped up-river to join the Quintin BC Veterans 'Barflies". Geordie continued rowing with Quintin throughout his treatment, only stopping in July, just a couple of months before his untimely death.
During his time with Cygnet, Geordie spent almost as much time at the bar as he did in a boat - and he was in a boat a lot - often combining the two activities, seemingly without ill-effect, as his collection of pewter will attest to. In retrospect, it may have been his fondness for socialising that accounts for his notorious reputation of always being late for outings, despite moving closer to the club.
Even after he stopped rowing for Cygnet and in a true demonstration of the club adage 'Nobody ever leaves', he could still often be found at the bar, getting a round in and talking to anyone that would listen; about the Glory Days; fishing; his latest eBay bargain; or his beloved Toon. Perhaps drawn there because it was in the boathouse bar where a particular Barnes Bridge Lady caught his eye and it wasn't long before yet another boathouse 'tradition' was being observed: Geordie and T's Wedding in September 2008 was well attended by members of both Cygnet and BBLRC.
During the early 'noughties' Geordie joined the Cygnet Committee as Social Secretary. This position combined his love of rowing and socialising and also formalised, for a while, his role as organiser of unconventional club events. These included an infamous and dangerously enormous bonfire one November, complete with a Guy made from kit abandoned in the changing rooms; an inter-club welly-wanging competition during Club Day; and the inception of the Cygnet darts team - which won its only match against the local pub team. He is also responsible for the gallon pewter tankard in the bar, from which many a-winning crew was required to take their victory drink - hard work for those winning in singles and pairs, much to Geordie's amusement!
There'll be very few people indeed that didn't like or get on with Geordie. Row hard, play hard appeared to be his philosophy yet he was a man who tried not to take life or himself too seriously. He was as comfortable taking the rise out of the venerable older members as he was the new novices, his closest friends or himself. And he had a lot of friends, most of whom will remember him as the unconventionally dressed northern bloke in the tight jeans and well-worn Led Zeppelin T-shirt, with a beer in his hand and a heart as big as his hair. His generosity knew no bounds and he will be sorely missed all along the Thames Tideway.
He is survived by his wife Tracey and young son, George to whom we extend our sincerest condolences.
Marjorie Israel & Neil Pickford, 6th September 2019
Ian's funeral will take place on Friday 20th September at 12:40 at Mortlake Crematorium, with a wake after at Mortlake Anglian & Alpha Boat Club. There is no dress code and faded rock band tee-shirts are optional! Please leave a message on Ian's Facebook page if you intend to be there. Failing that, please post a comment here and we will pass the message on for you.
LVII Deneb Captain's Log
4th September 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Sad news for the Cygnet Family: It is with great sadness that we report the death of Ian Stephenson (a.k.a. Geordie) who died on 30th August following a long and hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Our thoughts are with his wife, Tracey and young son, George.
Saturday
We celebrated Club day. Thanks to all of you who came down and made it possible (attendees, volunteers, coxes). Many thanks to Hannah for organising the races and the "pots", Rupert for sorting food and Mustafa for the drinks/cocktails. Fantastic afternoon with side by side rowing, capsize (swimming), RNLI visit and BBQ. Congratulations to the winners of the day Mustafa (1x, tough conditions for "singling"), Anna's VIII (you know who you are) and Bec for the best cake.Please fill in the following Questionnaire ASAP to start preparing the 2019/20 season. This is mandatory. Also Please availability in https://www.fitclub.me/
Safety
It starts to be dark earlier so please don't forget lights - see p.30 of the New TIDEWAY CODEWorks at Fulham FC- IF you row to Putney please take extra careTuesday
Meeting 19:00. Show and Row - Don't forget lightsThursday
Meeting 19:00 - OTW 19:15 Short Sharp Outing - Squad Meeting 20:15This Weekend Outings - will follow
Have a nice Tuesday eve and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 5th September: Squad meeting
- 7th September: Cygnet End of Season Dinner
- 20th - 22nd September: Sculling Camp. More to follow
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LVI Deneb Captain's Log
29th August 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
A quiet week on the Tideway. As mentioned outings will be happening as normal (show and row) but depending on the availability in https://www.fitclub.me/, it will be coached session or not, so please update your availability so we can plan. If you want to do Pairs Head, please let me know so we can start allocating boats.
Please fill in the following Questionnaire by Tuesday the 3rd of September to start preparing the 2019/20 season. This is mandatory.
Safety:
It starts to be dark earlier so please don't forget lights - see p.30 of the New TIDEWAY CODE
Works at Fulham FC- IF you row to Putney please take extra careTraining this week:
Ergs: 30'@20Thursday
Squad meeting 19:00 - OTW 19:15This Weekend:
No Coached outings since Club day - lets have some fun!Have a nice day and a better rest of the week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 31st August: Clubs day
- 7th September: Squad meeting
- 7th September: Cygnet End of Season Dinner
- 20th - 22nd September: Sculling Camp. More to follow
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LV Deneb Captain's Log
22nd August 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well. Apologies for the delay.
We had a fabulous Weekend in Oxford City Regatta:
Saturday:
1x Open - Early Morning. Missed the win in his heat for 2/3 L. Fantastic race though, however I would never understand why the umpires don't warn you about the trees!
8+ made it into the Final where found a more experienced opposition and it was not to be.Lunch Time Sprints - we lost against a young crew from University Utrecht
4+ - Our development crew noticed the effort of the morning but lost against the winner of the event.
1x - Good race but it was not to be, at the end 4L behind the winner of the event.Saturday Night Fever: Pizza & Good Party in the Oxford City's Clubhouse 😉 - No pots but a lot of shots.
Sunday:
1x - Open Band 3. Early Morning - after 20 strokes, realised was not a good idea to be drinking shots the night before
1x - Open Band 2. After 20 strokes, realised was really not a good idea to have been drinking shots the night before
8+ - Good race but stronger opposition. 2.5 lengths behind at the endLunch Mix Sprints with BBL - Good Fun! We made into the semis - we need to enter more of these ones.
4+ Made it to the Final - against 4length Cantabrigian Rowing Club
4x Made it to the Final - fantastic race - 1/2 length behind at the end after 3 crabs and finishing like started with(in 😉) the trees.Summarising: Loads of racing (congratulations all), 3 finals, a few drinks for the soul, loads of dancing, loads of fun (check the pics in the social media), we will be there next year again...
Big Thank You to all for the great work! Fantastic team work since Thursday afternoon loading the trailer till Sunday eve de-loading under the rain, special mentions to the Drivers (Sarah P. and Tom B.).
Also thank you all for the great season, we will have a few weeks to chill out, outings will be happening as normal (show and row) but depending on the availability in https://www.fitclub.me/, it will be coached session or not. Start of the season will be the 7th of September. Also the 7th September - End Season Dinner, please let Rupert know if you are attending and don't forget to choose your Menu.
Next:
Club Day 31st August fill in the doodle https://doodle.com/poll/7t7fgi8mtb85nqth
Learn to Row - 28th of September - Spread the word.Safety: (gently reminder)
Works at Fulham FC: If you row to Putney please take extra care.
New TIDEWAY CODETraining This Week!
Ergs: 30'@20Thursday -
Meeting 18:45 - OTW 19:15 We need to rig some boats.This Weekend No Coached outings Bank holiday weekend
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 31st August: Clubs day
- 7th September: Cygnet End of Season Dinner
- 20th - 22nd September: Sculling Camp. More to follow
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LIV Deneb Captain's Log
16th August 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
Unfortunately Peterborough Summer regatta was cancelled due to bad weather so we stayed on the Tideway. Good land-training session on Saturday and technical on Sunday.
This week we are going to Oxford where we have entered an 8+, 4+ and two 1x for Saturday and an 8+, 4x, 4+ and two 1x on Sunday.
Availability ( https://www.fitclub.me/)
This Thursday quick squad meeting 19:00 before the outing
Thursday Social: Watch out Rupert's emailSafety: (gently reminder)
Works at Fulham FC- IF you row to Putney please take extra care -
New TIDEWAY CODE:Training This Week!
Erg 1: 3x6' - race pace 4' min rest
Erg 2: 4x1' race pace - 1 min restTuesday:
Meeting 18:45-OTW 19:15 (we might need to rig some boats)Thursday
Squad Meeting 19:00 - OTW 19:15 Sharp outing and Loading Trailer for OxfordThis weekend: no coached outings since we will be in Oxford
Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 17th - 18th August: City of Oxford
- 31st August: Clubs day
- 7th September: Cygnet End of Season Dinner
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LIII Deneb Captain's Log
6th August 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
Let's keep up the good work for the next 2 weeks, last push 😉. This weekend Peterborough, where we are going with a 4+ and a 1x.
Next one Oxford, if you want to race please let me know ASAP and please, please update your availability (training sessions /weekend/racing) , so we can organise best.
Next Learn to Row - Starts 28th of September - Spread the word.
Safety: (gently reminder)
- NO Swimming in the Thames
- Works at Fulham FC - IF you row to Putney please take extra care
- Don't forget the new TIDEWAY CODE which PLA launched In June. Steerers, Coxes, please take a good look.
Thursday Social: As per Rupert's email, this Thursday Pub, after outing, training, loading the trailer.
Training This Week!
Ergs 1: 4'3'2'1' x 3 (R20-26) 5 min rest
Erg 2: 4x4' including starts race paceTuesday:
Meeting 18:45-OTW 19:15 ( we might need to rig some boats)Thursday
Meeting 19:00 - OTW 19:15Outings for the Weekend will follow -
Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 10th August: Peterborough
- 17th - 18th August: City of Oxford
- 31st August: Clubs day
- 7th September: Cygnet End of Season Dinner
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LII Deneb Captain's Log
31st July 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is doing well.
We had a fantastic weekend at St Neots:
Saturday, we had a development 8+ and 4+ racing, unfortunately we found a more experienced opposition, and it was not to be. That didn't prevent us to go for a nice dinner to warm us up after a rainy day, followed by a few drinks and little bit of dancing in the disco tent.
Sunday, more rain We started promptly with a 4+ which lost in the last 15 strokes after leading - too many avocados and not so many ergs 😉. The development 8+ offered a good sprint but again it was not to be. The Master C 1x, if there was not enough water falling of the sky, on his way to the start went for a swim after his boat was rammed by a sculler from the Masters A/B heat. Once he made it back into the boat and bailed out some water, offered a good race, unfortunately 1L behind at the end.
But good news the same Masters A/B sculler lost in the final against Ross, for whom the wait under the rain was worth it.
Yep, yep we have a pot to report (claps claps claps). Congratulations Ross for the first pot of the season. Also congratulations Chris J, for his first race ever (hopefully the first of many). Thank you all for the hard work: loading and de-loading the trailer; Rubina and Phil to come and cheer on Saturday; Anna for coxing; Tom for Driving the trailer. Hopefully everyone had fun. Next last two stops of this year are Peterborough and Oxford - please update your availability (https://www.fitclub.me) by Thursday noon, if you want to race.Safety:
NO Swimming in the Thames (gentle reminder)
Last week three bodies were missing in the Thames, one on the Kingston reach. In this hot weather the temptation to go for a cooling swim after an outing is very strong. The Thames is not as tranquil as it appears on the surface. So please no swimming in the ThamesWorks at Fulham FC - IF you row to Putney please take extra care - http://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/post-fulham_football_ground_works.html
Don't forget the new TIDEWAY CODE which PLA launched last month. Steerers, Coxes, please take a good look.
Thursday Social: Watch out Rupert's email
Training This Week!
Erg 1. 30 min r 20
Erg 2. 8x 500m, 90 seconds restTuesday:
Good session yesterday eve in the 4+ and 1x.Thursday
Meeting 19:00 - OTW 19:15Outings for the Weekend will follow
Have a nice Monday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 26-27th July: St Neots Regatta.
- 3rd August: Henley Town and Visitors
- 10th August: Peterborough
- 17th - 18th August: City of Oxford
- 0th August: Clubs day
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
LI Deneb's Captain's Log
22nd July 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
Greetings everyone and Thank you all who made it to the last OGM and voted for the captaincy for the next year: Sam Sears (Deputy); Tom Broadhurst (Vice); and myself (Captain). Thank you very much, it is a great Honour. Many thanks to Niall, for his fantastic hard work as deputy captain during the last year. Also many thanks to Richard Du Parcqs for the fantastic catering provided to celebrate his 50th year as a member of Cygnet!
This weekend we are going to St Neots where we have entered an 8+, and 4+ for Saturday and an 8+ , 4+ and 2 singles for Sunday.
Safety: If you row to Putney please take extra care with the works at Fulham FC
Don't forget the new TIDEWAY CODE which PLA launched last month. Steerers, Coxes, please take a good look.
Thursday Social: as per Rupert's email. Matt will be cooking this week please let him know if you are staying for food after outings, training, loading the trailer.
Training This Week!
Ergs 1: 4x5' -R24-26 - 2' rest
Erg 2: 2x20' @ R20 3' restTuesday:
Meeting 19:00. OTW 19.15 - We will try to get in racing crewsThursday
Meeting 19:00. OTW 19:15 - Short Sharp Outing - We will try to get in racing crews then loading the trailer for St Neots
No Coached Outings this Weekend since we are in St Neots
Have a nice Monday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 26-27th July: St Neots Regatta.
- 3rd August: Henley Town and Visitors
- 10th August: Peterborough
- 17th - 18th August: City of Oxford
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
- 26th October - Henley Lunch
L Deneb's Captain's Log
15th July 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend and if you are an English Cricket fan - Congratulations on the World Cup.
Tuesday
Ordinary General Meeting. 20.15 - Club Boathouse (election of the Captaincy for the forthcoming season and proposal to purchase a new 8).It is also a very special occasion of one of our most venerable members, Mr Richard du Parcq's - 50th year as a member of Cygnet. Richard has very kindly offered to mark the occasion with some nibbles and drinks in the bar during/after the OGM. Thank you Richard. Also we will saying farewell to Eric who is returning to Paris. So please come along ... the more the merrier 😉
Thursday Social: as per Rupert's email. Martin D. will be cooking- please send him a message on by noon on Wednesday.
Please update your availability for Training and Next events. https://www.fitclub.me
Training This Week!
Erg1 - 1250m/750m/500m - 2km pace
Erg 2 - 2km test Free Rate. Please record your scoreTuesday:
Meeting 18.45- OTW 19.00 - Short - Sharp Outing Since we need to be out of the water by 20.00.Thursday
Meeting 19:00 - OTW 19:15Outings this weekend will Follow.
Have a nice Monday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 16th July: Ordinary General Meeting - 8:15 pm at the clubhouse.
- 26-27th July: St Neots Regatta. Please update availability
- 3rd August: Henley Town and Visitors
- 10th August: Peterborough
- 17th - 18th August: City of Oxford
- 28th September: Learn To Row starts. Please spread the word
.
XLIX Deneb's Captain's Log
9th July 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice summer weekend.
Henley Friday:
Many Thanks to the Sly Family for hosting us another year at Old Blades. Thanks to Marj for coordinating the picnic and to all attendees who made it possible, bringing food and drinks. Good to see some young and not so young faces together. Also thanks to Hannah for organising the taxis. I hope everyone had a good time and were able to enjoy some racing.In other sad news:
Ronald Hext has passed away on the 25th June, only days after his 86th birthday. Obituary -Funeral detailsRacing:
This Weekend is Henley Masters. We are not there but the Ladies are - Good luck to BBL!!Our next stops are going to be St Neots, Henley Town Visitors, Peterborough and City of Oxford - Please update your availability in fitclub.me by the end of the week so we can plan the best racing combos.
Safety:
The river is closed Friday (12th July) between Chiswick eyot and Fulham reach 7am to 5pm.
U16 of 2019 - Upper Notice - Barn Elms Reach - Local Traffic Control - Filming OperationsDon't forget... Failure to keep a proper lookout is the single biggest factor in collisions.
If you row to Putney in the next Month be aware about the works at Fulham FC.
Don't forget the new TIDEWAY CODE recently launched by the PLA. Steers and coxes, please take a look.
Thursday Social:
Watch out Rupert's emailTraining This Week:
Erg 1: 3x10mins - r22/ 5mins rest
Erg 2: 8x500 r30-32 / 2 min restTuesday
Meeting 18.45- OTW 19.15 / Please if we can, try to be there 18.45. we might need to rig some boatsThursday
Meeting 18.45 - OTW 19:15Outings this weekend:
Will follow...Have a nice Tuesday and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 13th July: Kingston Regatta
- 16th July: Ordinary General Meeting - 8:15 pm at the clubhouse.
- 26-27th July: St Neots Regatta. Please update availability
- 3rd August: Henley Town and Visitors
- 10th August: Peterborough
- 17th - 18th August: City of Oxford
Ron Hext
3rd July 2019
Ronald Hext
1933 - 2019
Richard Hext wrote to Cygnet recently to inform us that his father, Ronald Hext had died on 25th June, only days after his 86th birthday.
Ron joined Cygnet in January 1954 while working as a clerk in the Admiralty. Although he had no previous rowing experience, he quickly developed an affinity with the sport and soon found himself rowing in one of the most successful Cygnet crews of the 1950s, a Junior Vlll coached by Bill Peer and John Bull.
The crew made its debut at Chiswick Regatta on 26th May1956. Eric Wale, author of 'Cygnet Rowing Club: The Fifties', recalled that "The Vlll, meanwhile, had developed into an extremely effective crew - indeed good enough to win at its first regatta beating Westminster School in the final of Juniors by one length. This was an excellent result bearing in mind the large entry (17 crews) and clearly demonstrated that Cygnet again had a crew of considerable potential".
That potential was amply borne out in the successive weeks and months of 1956 and early 1957. Thus, the crew won Junior Senior Vllls at Walton on 9th June, Kingston on 13th July and Staines on 28th July. These results continued a successful run of regatta wins since the early 1950s, echoing the 'victory years' of the Thirties.
C.H. Genever Watling, an earlier club history scribe, recalled Ron Hext "as a 'perpetual student' because of the number of years and different courses undertaken with various local authorities, to see him through from extra mural at Ruskin to a degree course at Keble". Ron subsequently taught economics at the local Further Education College in Rugby for many years.
His rowing career appears to have come to an end in 1957, but not before he rowed in the 1957 Head of the River Race, coming 34th in a time of 20.29, a very creditable performance. As luck would have it, Maurice Hart, who also rowed in the crew, recently sent the Club a batch of regatta and HoRR printouts from that period, along with a photograph of the crew. The crew was steered by Colin Dominy; both Colin and Maurice still appear from time to time at Leander lunches.
Ron was one of the longest standing members of the Cygnet 300 Club and continued to follow the Club's activities with interest.
Richard Hext adds "Dad had a long and happy life, was a loving and generous husband to Judith, and father to Richard, Neil and Alison. He very much valued his time as a rower with Cygnets and his continued association with the club. He passed his love of rowing to his son, Neil and at least one of his nine grandchildren. He was very much loved by his whole family and will be sorely missed."
Ron's funeral will take place at 3pm on Monday 15th July at Rainsbrook Crematorium in Rugby. Cygnet members would be very welcome.
Paul Rawkins
Ron is seated first left in the front row.
XLVIII Deneb's Captain's Log
2nd July 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone is surviving the heat wave, please drink loads and don't forget the sunscreen.
Saturday was Richmond Regatta: Good races but unfortunately no wins; good platform from our Nov8+ against the senior crew from Sons of the Thames (winner of the event), they were simply stronger, Congratulations to James on his first Race.
Our Nov 4+ also had a good race against City of Cambridge (winner of the event) - but at the end it wasn't to be. All crews lost against the winners of the events - so technically we were second! Let's keep the good work to be first.
Thank you very much Tom for driving the trailer, Anna for coxing and all of you who made the effort to come to the club to unload the trailer after a very long hot day. Please update availability to prepare well the next races.
Safety:
Failure to keep a proper lookout is the single biggest factor in collisions.
If you row to Putney in the next Month be aware about the works at Fulham FC
Don't forget the new TIDEWAY CODE which was launched by the PLA last month. Steerers, Coxes, please take a look. This is a must.
House Keeping:
This Tuesday and Thursday we need to do some rigging- please try to be there 18.45.Boats/ Equipment: Don't forget to do the Pre and Post outings checks. If there is something wrong please report it to the captaincy.
Social:
This Week Sian K (ccd) is cooking- please let her know if you are staying for food this ThursdayAlso this week Henley Friday - all you need to know is here. Please let Marj know if you are taking part in the picnic. Prepare your blazers and if you are interested in purchasing a club tie please contact Matt B.
For Taxis to Henley - please contact Hannah (ccd )
Also this week we have been invited to the Annual Music Night in Hamhaugh Island (Saturday 6th of July) . All the islanders will come onto the green with their BBQs and there will be a band - might be a good plan to recover from Henley Friday
Training This Week.
Erg 1: 30 min r20
Erg 2: 3 x 6min / r28-32, 4 min RestTuesday:
Meeting 18.45- OTW 19.15Thursday
Meeting 18.45 - OTW 19:15Outings this weekend will Follow.
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 5th July: Henley Friday at Old Blades
- 13th July: Kingston Regatta
- 16th July: Ordinary General Meeting - 8:15 pm at the clubhouse.
- 26-27th July: St Neots Regatta. Please update availability
XLVII Deneb's Captain's Log
25th June 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a happy Summer start.
Good sessions this weekend on the Tideway in preparation for Richmond Regatta, where we have entered a 8+, a 4+ and 1x. Good luck to all of them!
Please see here the Time Table if you want to come and cheer.
Safety:
IF you row to Putney in the next month be aware about the works at Fulham FCDon't forget the new TIDEWAY CODE: PLA launched an updated Code last week. Steerers, Coxes, please take a look. This is a must.
House Keeping:
Boats/ Equipment: Don't forget to do the Pre and Post outings checks. If there is something wrong please report it to the captaincy.
Social: As per Rupert's email - we will going to the pub this Thursday , after Training/ Loading the trailer.
Also next week Henley Friday - all you need to know is here. Prepare your blazers- If you are interested in purchasing a club tie please contact Matt B (ccd) .
Training this week
Ergs:
Erg 1: 30 min r20
Erg 2: 3 x 6min / r28-32, 4 min RestTuesday:
Meeting 19.00- OTW 19.15Thursday:
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Outing then load the trailer for RichmondOutings this weekend:
No Outings on Saturday since most of us will be in Richmond
Outing on Sunday - as Usual -Have a nice day and a better rest of the week !
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 29th June Richmond Regatta
- 5th July: Henley Friday at Old Blades
- 13th July: Kingston Regatta
- 16th July: Ordinary General Meeting - 8:15 pm at the clubhouse.
XLVI Deneb's Captain's Log
17th June 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.
Good Races from the CYG 4+ (Anna, Tom, Eric, Rupert, Ashley) and the CYG 1x (Piguet) in Barnes Mortlake this Saturday - both crews lost against the winners of their respective events, but offered a good race. We can say that we brought luck to the opposition 😉 ... Unfortunately there are no shortcuts in this sport, we know what we need to do to improve so let's keep up the good work.
After a nice recovery session in small boats on Sunday we can look forward to Richmond Regatta
Please update your availability in https://www.fitclub.me, so we can plan the best racing combos. If you have any problems with fitclub please let me know.
Safety
New TIDEWAY CODE: The PLA launched an updated Code last week. Steerers, Coxes, please take a look.This is a must.
House Keeping:
Boats/ Equipment: Just a gentle reminder, there are some checks to be done before and after every outing. Lists are in the changing room and in the boathouse and posted hereI understand that sometimes we come back tired from the outing but please don't forget the Post-Outings Check:
- Wash boat inside and out including runners
- Wash oars and replace in correct rack
- Report any boat damage (to the captaincy) and make and reports as required.
And this week is Henley Women's Regatta - All the best of Luck to Barnes Bridge Ladies !!!
Training This Week!
Ergs: 1x8,1x7,1x6,1x5 @ 22-24-26-28 Half rest (8min work- 4min rest/ 7min work- 3.30 min rest/...)
8x500 @R30-32, 2k Splits - 2min restTuesday:
Meeting 19.00- OTW 19.15Thursday
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15Outings for the weekend will follow -
Have a nice Monday eve and a better rest of the week !Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 29th June Richmond Regatta
- 5th July: Henley Friday at Old Blades
- 13th July: Kingston Regatta
- 16th July: Ordinary General Meeting - 8:15 pm at the clubhouse.
XLV Deneb's Captain's Log
12th June 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had nice weekend.
Great Sculling Camp in the Bungalow in Hamhaugh Island, this time with any major incident! Loads of Sculling, swimming (voluntary/involuntary), BBQ (fire under control), loads of fun,... a little windy on Saturday but dream conditions on Sunday; looking forward to September.
Thank you to all attendees and helpers, loading and unloading the trailer (you know who you are), Alan for coaching; also many thanks to Tom for driving the trailer and Anna for sorting the food. Thank you very much!
Also nice to hear that Gavin and Bart two "Old Blades" were down for paddle on Saturday after their have recently become fathers for the first time. Welcome to the Cygnet Family Mateo (Gavin) and Max (Bart).
On another thing - River is quite filthy, please take extra care, wash boats, hands, drink bottles , no open wounds in the water (normal procedure but it's always good to remember)
This Week:
Racing : Barnes & Mortlake (International) Regatta
We have a 4+ (Rupert, Eric, Tom , and Ashley) and 1x
Timetable:
- 12:31 44 Op 4+ Tier 2 21 Royal Vets 22 Cygnet-Bailey
- 13:34 58 Op 4+ Tier 2 Winner Race 43 Winner Race 44 Final
- 13:03 51 Op 1x 135 Vesta-BENSON 136 Cygnet-PIGUET 137 TSS-AULD 62
- 14:43 62 Op 1x Winner Race 50 Winner Race 51 Winner Race 52
Training:
Please update your availability for all Training sessions and Races in https://www.fitclub.me, so we can plan the best racing combos and which events we can enter. If you have any problem with fitclub please let me know.
I am aware with families and work it is something unavoidable, but please note that to cancel with short notice is letting down your crew mates, same applies if you have marked a yes and don't show up. Please be serious in this matter.
Ergs of the week:
Erg 1: 3x8 @24, 4 min rest, 5k pace
Erg2: 2x20'@R20, 3 min rest
Tuesday
Good Session Yesterday on the water in the 4Thursday
If you are early: Please do some rigging
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Thursday Social: Rupert is cooking - please let him know if you are staying for foodOutings for this weekend will follow -
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week !
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 15th June: Barnes & Mortlake Regatta
- 29th June Richmond Regatta
- 5th July: Henley Friday at Old Blades
- 13th July: Kingston Regatta
XLIV Deneb's Captain's Log
3rd June 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a fantastic Sunny Weekend.
Good Training Sessions on Saturday. Thanks Robin and Sian for coxing. Lets improve Sunday's Availability 😉, it is one of the best days to go out, (less traffic, less launches). Please update your availability for all Training sessions and Races in https://www.fitclub.me, so we can plan the best racing combos and which events we can enter. If you have any problem with fitclub please let me know.
This Week: Sculling Camp: Last Call - as per Niall's email please fill in the Doodle by Thursday Noon (12.00 pm) to confirm if you will attending.
Thursday :
Loading the Trailer for SCAMP- Trailer Plan will follow.Thursday Social: as per Rupert's email Henrik will be cooking, please let him know if you are staying for food.
Training:
Tuesday. Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Erg1: 4x5', R24-26, 2mins rest
Conditioning circuit and stretchingWednesday
Weights / Conditioning circuit and stretchingThursday
If you can be early: 18:30 - start derigging some boats/
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
After Outing: Load- Trailer For Sculling Camp -Erg1: 4x5', R24-26, 2mins rest
Erg2: 3x10' @R22, 5' rest
Conditioning circuit and stretchingNO outings this weekend on the Tideway since we are going to be in Sculling Camp.
Have a nice Monday and a better week !
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 7th- 9th June: + Walton & Weybridge Regatta & Sculling Camp (Separate email will follow)
- 15th June: Barnes & Mortlake Regatta
- 5th July: Henley Friday at Old Blades
- 13th July: Kingston Regatta
Captain's Log XLIII
20th May 2019
Dear Cygnets,
Hope everyone had a nice relaxing Weekend.
Racing:
Congratulations both racing crews and many thanks to Jeremy and Hannah for coxing us on the day. We had an 8+ and 4+ in Putney town Regatta which made it into their respective finals. No pots but very good milestone Gentlemen. First win in an 8 in a long time and second final for the 4+. Keep up the good work and we will have that silverware yet!Please, please, with sugar on top, update your availability for all Training sessions and Races in https://www.fitclub.me , so we can plan the best racing combos and which events we can enter. It just take 5 mins, if you have any problem with it please let me know.
Tom and I are away this week, Matt and Chihiro are in charge. We will have a short squad meeting on the 30th of May 19.00 sharp- before the outing, please be there.
Training:Tuesday
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15 Erg: 1750m / 750 m/ 500m @2k PaceThursday
No coached water session - 2K @ Free Rate
Outings for the weekend, will follow from Matt and Chihiro Have a nice Monday and a better rest of the week!Cris
Peter Jeffs - Obituary and Funeral arrangements.
Dates for your Diary:
- 25th May: Twickenham Regatta
- 7th- 9th June: + Walton & Weybridge Regatta & Sculling Camp (Separate email will follow)
Deneb's Captains Log XLII
15th May 2019
Morning Cygnets,
Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry for the delay this week.
Racing:
Chiswick Bourne Regatta : We had a 4+ , good row but maybe a little fitness was missing in the last meters 😉 ....don't forget to do the Land training 😉 . Many Thanks Sian for coxing.
Next Stop: This Saturday... Putney Town: We have an 8+ (Henrik, Jezz, Martin, Eric,Rupert, Mustafa, Tom, Ashley) and a 4+ (Henrik, Eric, Rupert, Tom) Good Luck Everyone.
Please see below Timetable. If you have the time come down and cheer.
OP 4+ T3 - 11:52 CYG vs Twickenham, Final 12.48
OP 8+ T2 - 17:00 CYG vs AK, Final 18:04Please, please with sugar on top UPDATE your availability for all Training sessions and Races in https://www.fitclub.me , so we can plan the best racing combos and which events we can enter. It just take 5min, if you have any problem with it please let me know. (No Availability - No Races).
Also Learn to Row is going on, if you see them around make them feel welcome.. (and keep promoting still places available)
Housekeeping:
Also this Saturday - all day long - Clubhouse clean day. There is plenty to do ... so please give a hand and align with the BBL. Click the link for a list of jobs that need doing.Wednesday
WEIGHTS focus on good technique
Conditioning circuit and stretchingThursday
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Erg 1. 6x500m, R30-32, 2mins rest
Erg 2. 2x20' @R22, 3' restNo outings on Saturday - If you are not racing- please join the LTR session.
Outings on Sunday at the usual times.Peter Jeffs - Obituary and Funeral arrangements.
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 18th May: Putney Town Regatta
- 25th May: Twickenham Regatta
- 7th- 9th June: Sculling Camp + Walton & Weybridge Regatta
Peter Jeffs
11th May 2019
Peter Jeffs
1931 - 2019
Peter Jeffs, who has died at the age of 88, was a member of Cygnet Rowing Club for more than fifty years. Tall, charming and debonair, his energetic demeanour defied his years, inviting the description of an eternal Peter Pan. Indeed, on hearing of his death, one fellow Cygnet aptly summed up his demise as "Peter Pan returns to never-never land". Others have lamented the passing of "a real gent" whose evergreen attitude to life set an example to us all. He will be sorely missed.
Born in 1931, Peter was always proud to relate how he grew up on a council estate in north Barnes, little more than half a mile as the crow flies from the then newly built Civil Service Boathouse, opened in October 1930. Little did he know it at the time, but this institution and its occupants would come to play a significant and enduring part in his long and active life.
As a school boy, growing up during the Second World War, he witnessed Battle of Britain 'dogfights' in the skies overhead and would proudly recount the day he stood and watched in awe as a German Messerschmitt skirted the roof tops over Barnes in 1940.
A bright young lad, Peter passed his 'eleven plus' examination and was offered a place at Sheen Grammar School for Boys. Having 'matriculated' in 1947, he had brief spells in the building trade and the Bank of Australia before joining the Air Ministry as a civil servant. National Service intervened in 1949-51, when he served in the RAF.
What followed was a remarkable ascent through the ranks of the MoD from lowly clerical officer to Assistant Secretary, Defence Sales, in 1971, 'our man' in Washington DC in 1976-79 and Vice President, Military Affairs in 1979-83. A mention in the 1983 New Year's Honours List, when he was appointed a member of The Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), crowned a stellar career in the civil service. When Peter left the MoD for British Aerospace in 1984, then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher apparently let it be known in no uncertain terms that she regarded his departure as 'regrettable'.
An all-round sportsman, in his youth Peter played football to a high standard at club level, latterly at Tooting and Mitcham, and seriously considered turning professional. He was also adept at cricket and tennis. Still, life off the playing field had its attractions, not least romantic ones: Peter met Iris and they married in 1956, before heading off for an overseas posting in Aden in 1958. Then, as now, these were unsettled times in the Middle East and Iris, heavily pregnant with their first child, narrowly escaped a bomb blast on the streets of the capital.
Word-of-mouth has often proved to be one of the most effective ways of recruiting new members at Cygnet. In Peter's case, he was introduced to the club in 1966 by one 'Jimmy' Baker who he had met in Aden. Baker, who was accustomed to turning up at Cygnet on short-term leave and dropping into winning crews, persuaded Peter to try his hand at rowing.
Joining Cygnet at the relatively late age of 36 labelled Peter as a 'veteran' or 'Master' in today's parlance. Undaunted, he wasted no time reinventing himself as an oarsman, teaming up with the likes of Len Huggett, Roy Ellison and Peter Roche. Together they carved out a role for themselves as a mean racing machine, whilst forging lifelong friendships. In Peter's own words, "the old mans' four had some great times" and was not without the odd piece of silverware. The high spot of their racing careers came in 1973 when they triumphed over Frankfurt, Germany and Barclays Bank to secure a win at the Vesta International Veterans Regatta.
One of the most senior civil servants to grace the ranks of Cygnet Rowing Club, Peter Jeffs always lent an air of authority to proceedings and was a natural choice for club chairman and chair of the Boathouse Executive. Regrettably for the boat club, these stints were often cut short by overseas postings: the Jeffs family decamped to Washington DC in 1976-79 and again in 1984-87, initially in the service of the MoD and latterly British Aerospace.
Still, every cloud has a silver lining and some of us were fortunate enough to enjoy the legendary Jeffs' hospitality dispensed to any passing Cygnet stray, not least myself. Iris was always the perfect hostess.
In later years, Peter succumbed to the clutches of the "Golden Oldies" and rarely missed Henley Royal Regatta, often regaling us with tales of his long and eventful career and a life well spent, not least in the company of "the old man's four". Yet his grandchildren kept him young and he remained physically active, playing tennis and golf well into his twilight years. Indeed, his golfing handicap was more akin to somebody 10-15 years his junior. For many of us, our last memory of Peter will have been of him striding off to Victoria Station after a Christmas lunch in the Civil Service Club in December 2017, seemingly as ageless and timeless as ever.
Peter Jeffs' funeral will take place at Randalls Park Crematorium, Randalls Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 OAG, at 1.15pm on Friday, 24th May and afterwards at The Royal Automobile Club, Wilmerhatch Ln, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 7EW. If you are planning to attend, please contact Sally Rawson on sallyjane64@icloud.com.
Paul Rawkins, 11th May 2019
Deneb's Captain's Log XLI
8th May 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice long weekend.
Racing:
Saturday Chiswick Amateur Regatta:Open 4+: Very Good Work from our Cygnet 4+ (Anna, Henrik ,Eric, Tom, Rupert), which won the 1st Heat but lost in the final for 1 ½ L , offering a very good race. Good start, lets keep working in this direction.
Master F 1x : Unfortunately, Jeremy's straight final , after rowing through rough water to the start line, was cancelled due to the wind.
Thank you all who came down to cheer! Next Stops: Chiswick, Bourne and Putney Town Regattas. (Racing Combos will follow)
Rowing:
Please, please with sugar on top UPDATE your availability for all Training sessions and Races in https://www.fitclub.me , so we can plan the best racing combos and which events we can enter. It just take 5min, if you have any problem with it please let me know.Also Learn to Row is going on, still places available, spread the news with family, friends, work colleagues.
Other news:
Peter Jeffs funeral will take place at 1.15pm on Friday 24th May at Randall's Crematorium, Leatherhead, and afterwards at The RAC Club, Epsom.Training this week: (as usual)
Tuesday
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Erg 4k/3k/2k/1k (r18-/20/22/24)Wednesday
WEIGHTS focus on good techniqueThursday
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Erg1: 3x2k r26 -5 k splits
Erg2: 4k/3k/2k/1k (r18-/20/22/24)
Conditioning circuit and stretchingOutings this weekend will follow
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 11th May: Borne Chiswick Regatta
- 18th May: Putney Town Regatta
- 25th May: Twickenham Regatta
- 7th- 9th June: Sculling Camp + Walton & Weybridge Regatta
Deneb's Captain's Log XXXX
1st May 2019
Dear Cygnets,
Hope everyone is doing well.
Sad news for the Cygnet Family:
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Peter Jeffs on Thursday 25th April at the age of 88.
Rowing:
Please, please with sugar on top UPDATE your availability for all Training sessions and Races in https://www.fitclub.me , so we can plan the best racing combos and which events we can enter. It just take 5min, if you have any problem with it please let me know.Also Learn to Row Starting this Saturday 4th of May 10 am, please spread the news with family, friends, work colleagues. Also stay around and please make them feel welcome.
Racing:
This weekend, Saturday. Chiswick Amateur Regatta. Good Luck everyone! Come down and cheer if you can.Masters F 1x - Jeremy Pugh
Straight Final, 1.50 pmOP4+ - (Henrik ,Eric, Tom, Rupert)
Heat, 4.30 pm
Final OP 4+ - 6.15 pmTraining:
Wednesday
WEIGHTS focus on good techniqueThursday
Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Erg 1: 4x 1k R28 / 4 mins rest
Erg 2: 30 min @ R20
Conditioning circuit and stretchingOutings This weekend will follow
Have a nice day and a better rest of the week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 4th May:Chiswick Amateur Regatta
- 4th May LTR starts
- 11th May: Borne Chiswick Regatta (optional)
- 18th May: Putney Town Regatta
Deneb Captain's Log XXXIV
23rd April 2019
Dear Cygnets,
Happy Belated Easter!! I hope everyone is enjoying the good weather.
Please UPDATE your availability for all Training sessions and Races till May https://www.fitclub.me , so we can plan the best racing combos and which events we can enter. (No Availability - No Races)
Also Learn to Row Starting 4th of May, please spread the news with family, friends, work colleagues.
Training This week:
Tuesday: Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Erg 6x500m, r30-32, 2mins rest
Conditioning circuit and stretchingWednesday
WEIGHTS focus on good techniqueThursday: Meeting 19.00 - OTW 19:15
Erg 2: 3 x 10' @ R20, approx. 5k+3s, 5' restOutings This weekend will follow
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 4th May:Chiswick Amateur Regatta
- 4th May LTR starts
- 11th May: Borne Chiswick Regatta (optional)
- 18th May: Putney Town Regatta
Deneb Captain's Log XXXVIII
22nd April 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a good weekend!
Unforgettable Training Camp. Good training sessions Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I hope everyone enjoyed the Sunday morning improvised team building exercise, wait until you see what I have in mind for the next camp. Apologies for the joke and my sense of humour, but you know I don't conceive of life without humour.
Now being serious. THANK YOU ALL for the remarkable behaviour Sunday morning, giving support to the Hamhaugh Island Community and later the Fire Brigade when a fire broke out in the early morning. I will let the details for the another time in the bar. Long story short, no personal damages to report, and a well deserved beer afterwards (see attached). I can only say Well Done Gentlemen!
Apart from this little incident, I hope everyone had a good time, and can take something positive (and some points to work on) towards the Regatta Season. Fantastic work and commitment all the sessions. Many thanks to Chihiro for coaching; Rupert for sorting Food (5 stars Menues, I believe I gained a few pounds instead of lose them), James for driving the trailer, Stu and Alan for coming around and help. Really sorry if am forgetting someone.
We are aiming to enter Chiswick Amateur Regatta on 4th of May as the first regatta of the year. All races and water sessions untill May have been updated in https://www.fitclub.me , please update you availability, so we can plan the best combos.
Also Learn to Row starting 4th of May, please spread the news with family, friends, work colleagues.
Training This week: ( Days are longer, We start with the water sessions during the week)
Tuesday, Meeting 18:45 - OTW 19:15
We need to rig the boats from Camp, if not erg 2x20' @R22, 3' restWednesday
WEIGHTS focus on good techniqueThursday, Meeting 19:00 - OTW 19:15
Erg / 3x8' @R24, 4' rest, approx 5k paceNo Outings This weekend - Easter Break /
Saturday
Training - 45' UT1 run or Long bike rideHave a nice Monday and a better week!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 27th April: Hammersmith Regatta (Experience Crews Only, let me know if you want to race)
- 4th May: Chiswick Amateur Regatta
- 4th May LTR starts
- 11th May: Borne Chiswick Regatta (optional)
- 18th May: Putney Town Regatta
Deneb Captain's Log XXXVII
13th April 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed the Boat Race: If you are Light Blue - congratulations; if you are dark blue - good Luck for next year. Good to see old friends in the bar.
This Week 12th -14th Training Camp. (Separate email will follow).
Learn to Row starting the 4th May Please spread the news with family, friends, work colleagues.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
No Circuits - this week
Erg - 1250m/750m/ 500m
2Km R24 PaceWednesday:
Off if you are going to camp other wise WeightsThursday:
2K test @24
stretching
Loading the trailerOutings this weekend - No outings this week since we are in Training Camp
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp
Deneb Captain's Log XXXVI
2nd April 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great weekend!
First of all Big Big Thank You and congratulations to all volunteers from both clubs (you know who you are). Incredibly good work both days: boating, parking, marshalling, driving launches and catering. No incidents and all crews were on the water ~10 min before racing start *claps, claps, claps* you were the heroes of the weekend.
Racing:
Saturday HORR: Lovely conditions for the rowing sport, sunny, warm, nice water. Congratulations to the Cygnet 8+ (Anna, Henrik, Niall, Martin, Eric, Bjarne, Mustafa, Rupert, Tom) Well done! Good solid platform. There are videos and pics for the analysis. Let's keep up the good work, looking forward to the Regatta Season. CYG 8+ Time : 22:34.9Sunday Vets Head: A little more windy and fresh than the day before; we had 1 Cygnet racing again (well done Martin) our friends from RG Benrath and two BBL crews. Congratulations all!
So the Head Season - it's over, lets take a deep breath and let the Regatta Season begin. Next stop, Training Camp which is highly recommended if you want to race this Spring/Summer. More details will follow in a separate email but please, please fill in the Doodle poll by this Thursday latest (4th April).
Other: LTR to start - 4th May (more details will follow, but start to spread the word)
Social:
Thursday: As per Rupert's email Mustafa (ccd) will be cooking this week, please let him know if you are staying for dinner.Sunday: 15:00 (ish) The Boat Races. Be aware that Barnes Bridge and access to the club might be closed during the race.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
No Circuits this week so a light erg 20mins @r20 or 30-45 min runWednesday:
Weights and Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique. Conditioning circuit and stretchingThursday:
Erg 30min @r20 & Conditioning circuit and stretchingOutings this weekend: will follow. Please update availability
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 7th April: The Boat Races (from 15.00)
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp
Deneb Captain's Log XXXV
26th March 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a good Weekend
Good training session on the Tideway before Men's Head. Thanks to Laurent for coxing us.
Next Stop: Saturday HORR 11:30 and Sunday Vets Head 13:30. Busy Weekend ahead us. Please come down cheer, enjoy BBL's catering and give a hand if you can. Might the force and the weather be with our crews and have a good race!! Good Luck Everyone!
Start Position for HORR: Cygnet 8+ - 226 -
Boats to cheer for Vets: BBL 8+ 15; RG Benrath 8+ 146; BBL 8+ 191; BBL 4x 228
Training Camp, 12-14 April
Please, please fill in the following doodle for training camp. (Highly recommended if you want to race this Spring/Summer)Kit Window,
We are checking other suppliers but for the time being , window open (Thanks Niall) until Sunday 31st March https://godfrey.co.uk/club/cygnetrcThis week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits: 19:15pm in the Shed !!! Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.
Or rrg 4k/3k/2k/1k continuous Rate 18/20/22/24 (UT1)
Conditioning circuit and stretchingWednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.
Thursday:
If you are racing: Outing, Meeting 6:30 OTW 6:45
If you are not racing then the erg is 3x2km, 4' rest, R26 @ 5km splits
Conditioning circuit and stretchingThursday Social:
As per Rupert's email Amy S will be cooking this week, please let her know if you are staying for dinner.Outings this weekend -
No outings since HoRR and Vet HeadHave a nice Tuesday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 30th March: HoRR - Please come down and lend a hand
- 31st March: Vets Head - Please come down and lend a hand
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp
Deneb Captain's Log XXIV
18th March 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a good Weekend
Unfortunately Women'sHead was cancelled on Saturday due to very strong winds. So no outings, but good work in the shed instead; Sunday, good training session in an VIII+ despite rough conditions. Well done!
Please update your availabilityonto Fitclub, so we can plan better the outings and racing crew. Also please fill in the following doodle for training camp.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits : 19:15pm in the Shed !!! Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.
Erg: 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest approx. 2k+12s
Conditioning circuit and stretchingWednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
If you have done your 5K TEST then 3 x (5'5') @ R22-24, approx. 5k+3s, 5' rest
If not then 5K test please
Conditioning circuit and
stretchingThursday Social This week:
As per Rupert's email, Sam will be cooking, please let her know if you are staying for dinner.Outings will follow -
Have a nice Monday eve and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
Deneb Captain's Log XXXIII
11th March 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a good Weekend!
Good training session on the Tideway Saturday in an 8+ and 4x, unfortunately no outings on Sundaydue too much wind. "Champions keep playing until they get it right" - Billie Jean King. The more you train the better you get.
This Week...
Saturday 11:30 am: Women's Head of the River
All the Best of Luck for the Ladies! Come down cheer and give a hand if you can!Boats to cheer for - 113 BBL - Club 8+ Challenge, 139 BBL- Club 8+ Challenge
For HORR and VETS, please update your availability onto Fitclub, so we can plan better the outings and racing crew. Crew selection (and we are already training for Spring/Summer) will be based on Training (ergs, ergs score, attitude) and Availability.Please consider every session as an opportunity to improve and get fitter.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits: Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.
erg 3x(4'4') @ R24-26, 4' rest, approx. 5k pace]
Conditioning circuit and stretchingWednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
5K TEST - free rate
Conditioning circuit and stretchingOutings This Weekend: will follow -
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
Deneb Captain's Log XXXII
8th March 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a good Weekend!
Saturday Hammersmith Head!
Congratulations All racing crews. Good solid row from the Cygnet 8+ and the CYG/TSS composite. There are videos for the analysis 😉.Well done Everyone !!!!
Thank you all of you who came down to give a hand and cheer. Thanks to the Ladies for the catering and Many Many Thanks to Laurent and Jeremy for coxing and subbing in the last minute.
Hammersmith Head Times:
CYG OP8+ Development 217 - 12:51.6 ( 7 of 11)
CYG /TSS OP Masters F8+ 242 - 13:07.4 (6)Sunday
We were early on the water and it paid off, nice water and nice sculling session to recover from the previous day.Next Stop HORR and VETS,please update your availability onto Fitclub, so we can plan better the outings and racing crew. Crew selection (and we are already training for Spring/Summer) will be based on Training (ergs, ergs score, attitude) and Availability.Please consider every session as an opportunity to improve and get fitter.
Quote of the week: "Champions keep playing until they get it right" ~ Billie Jean King
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits.19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00. Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.Erg. 30' R20
Conditioning circuit and stretchingWednesday:
Weights, core. warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg. 30' R20
Erg. 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest approx. 2k+12s
Conditioning circuit and stretchingThursday Social:
Rupert is cooking this week, please let him know if you are staying for food on Thursday!Outings This Weekend: will follow...
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
Deneb Captain's Log XXXI
26th February 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a fantastic "Spring" weekend!
Good rowing, on Saturday (I heard) first a 8+ with 7 rowing worked hard; next outing another 8+ with only 7 rowing had a technical outing in lovely sunshine. Thanks to our coxes, Laurent and Rupert. On Sunday (I heard this as well) a 4- and two singles went out. Good work was done in 4- , pieces , balancing pauses
and a few meters freestyle 😉 for some of the singles. Thank you Matt for steering.Thank you all who made it to the AGM, sorry I missed it. Congratulations to all elected Committee members!!!
Rowing
This week Saturday we have Hammersmith Head (1:00 PM), with one 8+ and one CYG/TSS composite. If you are not racing, please come down, cheer and give a hand if you can.
Start Numbers (I hope i got them right)
- CYG OP8+ Development 217
- CYG /TSS OP Masters F8+ 242
- BBL- 8+ -Intermediate 146
- BBL-8+ Open 209
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits : 19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00.Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.Erg: 3x2km, 4' rest, R26 @ 5km splits
Conditioning circuit and stretchingWednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg: 3x2km, 4' rest, R26 @ 5km splits or 3x5'5'5', R20-22-24; 5' rest, 30min R20 splits
Conditioning circuit and stretchingThursday Social:
As per Rupert's email, Henrik is cooking this week, please let him know if you are staying for food this Thursday.Outings This Weekend: will follow...
Please update your availability onto Fitclub, so we can plan better the outings and possible racing combos. Don't forget Crew selection (and we are already training for Spring/Summer) will be based on Training (ergs, ergs score, attitude) and Availability. Please consider every session as an opportunity to improve and get fitter.Have a nice Monday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 2nd March: Hammersmith Head (1pm. Please come down, cheer and give a hand)
- 30th March: HoRR
- 31st March: Vets Head
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp (Details to follow but save the date)
Deneb Captain's Log XXX
18th February 2019
Dear Cygnets,
Hope everyone had a nice weekend !
Beautiful conditions for rowing Saturday and Sunday, hope everyone enjoyed it. Thanks Laurent for coxing on Saturday. Let's keep training 😊
Please update your availability through to the end of March onto Fitclub, so we can plan better the outings and possible racing combos, also please renew your BR- Memberships if they are due now, so you can race. Don't forget Crew selection (and we are already training for Spring/Summer) will be based on Training (ergs, ergs score, attitude) and Availability. Please consider every session as an opportunity to improve and get fitter.
Also we are looking for someone to drive the Cygnet-Launch for the following events.
• 2nd March - Hammersmith Head @1 pm • 15th March - Schools Head @ 12pm
Please let me know, if you can help out.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
This week Tuesday, No circuits, we will be in the shed ! We will go back to school for circuits next week !
Erg: 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest, approx. 2k+12s
Conditioning circuit and stretchingWednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
3 x 6' @ R24, 3' rest, approx. 2k + 3s
Conditioning circuit and stretchingThursday Social: Please watch out Rupert's email.
Outings This Weekend: will follow...
Have a nice Monday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 24th February: Cygnet AGM
- 2nd March: Hammersmith Head
- 30th March: HoRR
- 31st March: Vets Head
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp (Details to follow but save the date)
Deneb Captain's Log XVIX
11th February 2019
Dear Cygnets,
Happy Monday! Hope everyone is doing well!
Good training session this Weekend! Saturday good work in an 8+ despite the strong wind, nice 40 min coached erg in the 2nd session. Sunday, better conditions, fast stream, we had a 4x, a 4- and a 2x. Also we have, 2 fresh signed steersmen ( Congrats Mustafa, Rupert for reaching Level 1). Let's keep improving !
Please load availability through to the end of March onto Fitclub, so we can work out racing crews, also please renew your BR- Memberships if they are due now, so you can race ;) .
This week, Social (as per Rupert's email) :
Tomorrow Tuesday 12th February, Cygnet 129th Birthday - good excuse to have a very informal, casual drink in Ye White Hart - but only after training!
Also, this Thursday , Matt B is cooking, please let him know if you are staying for Food after Training.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits : 19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00. Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.or Erg 30' @ R20
Wednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday Ergs:
If you have done your 5k, please submit your times, if you haven't done it please do it3x8' @ R24, 4' rest, approx. 5k pace or 30' @ R20
Conditioning circuit and stretching
Outings This Weekend: will follow...
Have a nice Monday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 12th February: Birthday Drinks, Ye White Hart 19:30 - 20:00
- 24th February: Cygnet AGM
- 2nd March: Hammersmith Head
- 30th March: HoRR
- 31st March: Vets Head
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp (Details to follow but save the date)
Dates for your Diary:
12th February
Deneb Captain's Log XXVIII
5th February 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great Weekend!!
Good "fresh" sessions on the Tideway both days, Saturday we had two 8+ (Thanks Barry and Niall for coxing) and Sunday a 4- and 1x. Well done everyone ! It is very cold, so please bring enough warm kit for the water sessions and let's continue with the good work!!
Please load availability through to the end of March onto Fitclub, so we can work out racing crews, also please renew your BR- Memberships if they are due now, so you can race ;) .
Training this week:
Tuesday:
Circuits : 19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00. Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.Erg: 3 x 10' @ R20, approx. 5k+3s, 5' rest
Wednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
If you haven't done it: 5km Test / Free Rate , I will be there at 19:00If you have done your 5k:
Erg: 3 x 10' @ R20, approx. 5k+3s, 5' rest
or 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest, approx. 2k+12sConditioning circuit and stretching
Outings This Weekend: will follow...
Social Thursday
As per Rupert's email Tom B will be cooking, please let him know by Weds eve if you are staying for Food this Thursday.Have a nice Tuesday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 16th February: Henley 4s & 8s
- 24th February: Cygnet AGM
- 2nd March: Hammersmith Head
- 30th March: HoRR
- 31st March: Vets Head
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp (Details to follow but save the date)
Deneb Captain's Log XXVII
29th January 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend!
Sunday we had the First 8 Head race of the year! Congratulations all racing crews! Looking good! There is a good platform there! Keep training! I am impressed with the time of the Master G! Well done everyone! Please see times below:
162 Cygnet / Tideway Scullers MasG: 13:31.4
128 Cygnet Op Devel: 15:14.1Also huge thanks to all of you who gave a hand on the day with catering, boating, specially Michelle, Sam and Jeremy. Keep in mind that boating activities in Head races are important for the economy for both clubs. We need more volunteers next time ;)
Next stop Henley 8' 4s, please load availability (for this and through to March) onto Fitclub, so the we can start working out how the race crewsare likely to stack up.
Training this week:
Tuesday:
Circuits : 19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00. Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.Erg (3x5'5'5', R20-22-24; 5' rest, 30min R20 splits)
Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg; 5K Test / Free Rate -
Conditioning circuit and stretchingOutings This Weekend: will follow...
Social Thursday
Thank you Rupert from the Scottish special dinner from last week. Tom B is cooking this week please let him know if you are staying for food.Have a nice Tuesday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 16th February: Henley 4s & 8s
- 24th February: Cygnet AGM
- 2nd March: Hammersmith Head
- 30th March: HoRR
- 31st March: Vets Head
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp (Details to follow but save the date)
Deneb Captain's Log XXVI
28th January 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Good Training Sessions Saturday and Sunday!
As mentioned before we are going to focus mostly in 8's until the end of March. So please load availability through to March onto Fitclub, so the we can start working out how the race crewsare likely to stack up). Don't forget these are the months where we build the platform for Summer. This week , Sunday 10.00 am, we have the first Head Race of the year, Quintin Head, come along cheer and give a hand if you can. Also we are still looking for someone to drive the Cyg-Launch for this Sunday. Please let me know if you can help out
Please see Cygnet and BBL start order:
Cygnet 128
Cygnet / TSS 162
BBL 196
BBL 204Training this week:
Tuesday:
Circuits : 19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00. Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.
Erg (3x8mins @R26, 4' rest, 5km pace)
Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg (3x8mins @R26, 4' rest, 5km pace) or 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest, approx. 2k+12sConditioning circuit and stretching
Social Thursday
Please let Rupert know if you are staying for Food by Weds lunch time.Outings This Weekend: will follow...
Don't forget subs and race fees are due now
Have a nice day and a better rest of week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 27th January: Quintin Head
- 16th February: Henley 4s & 8s
- 24th February: Cygnet AGM
- 2nd March: Hammersmith Head
- 30th March: HoRR
- 31st March: Vets Head
- 12th - 14th April: Training Camp (Details to follow but save the date)
Deneb Captain's Log XXV
16th January 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Sorry for the delay. Thank you all who made it to the Squad meeting last Thursday and submitted the questionare.
Main Points:
- We row because it is fun and we want to compete. If you want to be fit and be competitive in Summer, it starts now. We are going to focus mostly in 8's until the end of March. So please load availability for through to March onto Fitclub, so the we can start working out how the race crewsare likely to stack up). Crew selection (this also applies for the Summer) will be base on Training (ergs, ergs score, attitude) and Availability.
Some Basic Rules & 2019 Resolutions:
- Availability & Reliability: As mentioned, please fill in Fitclub, It helps to organize things better. If you have put yourself as available you come down.
- Punctuality: This is a must. Meeting 7.15 means ready at 7.15 to have chat and hands on.
- Boat Handling/Equipment: Please be careful with the boats. Check lists ( for pre/during outings) have been sent. If you see, feel something wrong,...seeing, saying, sorted, so it can be fixed asap.
- Safety: Since everyone is a potential cox, steerman, please check the tideway navigation rules. Mind the buoys, badges, don't stop at the crossing points and be careful out there. Let's aim for a 2019 without incidents.
Training this week: Same as last one 😉
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi : We had a great session yesterday eve! Hope to see more of you there next week.Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg 2x(3k/2k/1k), R18/20/22, 2 mins rest (UT2/1)
Conditioning circuit and stretchingOutings This Weekend:
Will follow. Don't forget subs and race fees are due nowSocial Thursday:
Probably pub !Have a nice day and a better rest of week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 27th January: Quintin Head
- 16th February: Henley 4s & 8s
- 2nd March: Hammersmith Head
- 30th March: HoRR
- 31st March: Vets Head
Deneb Captain's Log XXIV
8th January 2019
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Good Sculling Sessions on the Weekend, let's get little by little a nice training rhythm. Thanks to Laurent for helping on Sunday.
As mentioned before, please load availability for at least the rest of January onto Fitclub, (ideally through to March if you can, so the we can start working out how the race crews are likely to stack up)
And thank you all of you who had fill in the questionnaire, if you haven't done already please do so. (if is there any problem to open it please let me know). I'd like to have a squad meeting this Thursday 19.00 club bar so we can go through this.
Subs and Race Fees:
As per previous email, Annual subscriptions and race fees are now due. Also as per Matt's email, he has set up a direct debit service for subs and race fees. If you wish to take advantage of this facility, please see the details on the Subs page
Social
I will be cooking this Thursday, so please let me know by Weds eve latest, if you are staying for food afterouting/erg.
Training this week:
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi : (Conditioning Training). Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session. 19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00.Alternative (4 x 6' @ R24, 3' rest, approx. 5k pace)
Wednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
2x(3k/2k/1k, R18/20/22, 2 mins rest (UT2/1)Conditioning circuit and stretching
Outings This Weekend: will follow
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 10th January: Squad Meeting
- 27th January: Quintin Head
Deneb Captain's Log XXIII. Happy New Year
3rd January 2019
Dear Cygnets,
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas Break and you are back with new resolutions, loads of positive energy and getting "little by little" into the training rhythm. We need to start to lose these extra pounds 😊 and get fit for the Head Races and Summer.
Please load availability for at least the rest of January onto Fitclub, (ideally through to March if you can, so the we can start working out how the race crews are likely to stack up).
Thank you all of you who had fill in the questionare, if you haven't done already please do so. (if is there any problem to open it please let me know). I'd like to have a squad meeting next Thursday 19.00 club bar so we can go through this.
Subs:
Annual subscriptions are now due:
- £330 for CSSC members.
- £400 for everyone else.
Also as per Matt's email, he has set up a direct debit service for subs and race fees. If you wish to take advantage of this facility, please sign up in the link to register your bank account details and send him an email to confirm:
- Annual, £335/£406 in Jan
- Half Yearly, £170/£206 in Jan and July
- Quarterly, £85/£103 in Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct
- Monthly £29/£35
Race Fees
Race Fees were due in Dec 2018.Training This Week:
Thursday:
Erg 3 x 10' @ R20, approx. 5k+3s, 5' rest
or
Erg 4k/3k/2k/1k continuous, R18/20/22/24, UT1Outings This Weekend:
Saturday: Meeting 7.15 - 7.30 OTW /Show and Row, we'll try to get you out in boats where we can.
Sunday: Meeting 7.15 - 7.30 OTW /Show and Row, we'll try to get you out in boats where we can.Have a nice day, a better rest of the week and see you all soon.
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 10th January: Squad Meeting
- 27th January: Quintin Head
Deneb Captain's Log XXII - Merry Christmas
19th December 2018
Dear Cygnets,
The last one from me this year...
Thank you all for a wonderful 2018. Have a good holiday with family and friends. Christmas is a time for giving, be nice to each other, enjoy the magic if you believe in it, and set a good platform start for 2019.
In order to start to plan next year, if you haven't already please fill in this questionnaire.
Training: (a little quite these days)
Training plan has been attached in previous emails. If you go afloat, please be careful out there.Don't forget to express your view about the Parking Consultation in Duke and Meadows as per Marj's email.
Have a nice eve and a better week!!
See you all next year harder, better, fatter... ehm faster, stronger and leaner.Merry Christmas / Feliz Navidad / Joyeux Noel / Frohe Weihnachten/ God Jul !
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 10th January: Squad Meeting
- 27th January: Quintin Head
Deneb Captain's Log XXI
12th December 2018
Good Morning Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice 2ndof Advent weekend.
Saturday: we had a 2x and 8+ on the water; good long work against the wind to the Pink Lodge plus weights session. A healthy warm up before the Waddle (thanks Rupert) & BBL Christmas Party (many thanks to Carly for organising). Congratulations to all people who were awarded. Hope everyone is recovered by now ;).
Sunday: A little "tired" from the night before, but we had a solid 4+ out. Well done! Thank you all of you who coxed or coached this weekend, also thank you all of you who made it to the Special General Meeting.
So....in order to start to plan the Head Races and see how we can align best for the beginning of the new year please fill in this questionnaire by the end of this week (This is Mandatory for all the active squad)
Next Stop, Sunday 16th December 11.15 - Quintin Plum Puddings, fun 8+ head ... (Please let me know ASAP if you want to take part)
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi : (Conditioning Training). Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session. 19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00.Erg 4 x 6' @ R24, 3' rest approx. 5k pace
Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg: 4 x 6' @ R24, 3' rest, approx. 5k pace
or 2 x 30' @ R18, approx. 30' R20 + 6s, 2 mins rest
Conditioning circuit and stretchingOutings for the Weekend Will Follow Please update availability (https://www.fitclub.me)
Food Thursday social: Watch out Rupert's email.
Have a nice Monday and a better week!!!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
16 December: 11:15 Quintin Plum Puddings (Please let me know ASAP if you want to take part)
Deneb Captain's Log XX
5th December 2018
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a nice 1st of Advent weekend. Bring on these Christmas Trees, Advent Calendars... Party Season is on ....
Saturday Scullers Head: Unfortunately (or fortunately, you never know) the race was cancelled due bad weather forecast. (Definitely someone got this wrong, no comments)
Sunday: Good session on the Tideway, with a mild fresh breeze, we had 3 singles and a 4+. Good Work.
Next Stop, 16 December Quintin Plum Puddings, fun 8+ head ... (Please let me know if you want to take part)
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits, We had a great core session yesterday , I feel taller...Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg: 2x20' @ R22, 3' rest, approx. 2k+12s
or 30' @rate 20 approx 5k+6 )Conditioning circuit and stretching
Food Thursday social: Please let Rupert know if you are staying for food this weekOutings for the Weekend Will Follow Please update availability (https://www.fitclub.me)
Don't forget
Saturday 8th of December: BBL Christmas Ball. Details for the Waddle are here. Prize donations for the raffle are welcome, as per Carly's email.
Sunday 9th December: Special General Meeting, at the boathouse, at 12noon Please be there!
Sunday 16 December: Quintin Plum Puddings, VIIIs race (Please let me know if you want to take part)
Have a nice day and a better week!!!
Cris
Deneb Captain's Log XIX
27th November 2018
Dear Cygnets !
I hope everyone had nice Weekend. Happy Belated Thanksgiving to everyone andhanks to Rupert for organising a Thanksgiving Social Special
Thank you all who cox/coached this weekend. News from the far East confirms that BDF still is the fastest Cygnet on ergs (5K <18 min, we miss you Dave), and the news from the near East is that we joined London Otters for the rainbow laces inspired regatta.
Rowing: Next Stop Saturday Scullers Head. Come along cheer for CYG & BBL, have a Pint and give a hand if you can!! Please see below the list (starting order) of the "bravest" from both clubs:
- 89 CYG-PIGUET
- 326 CYG-FREELAND
- 344 CYG-SEARS
- 446 CYG-PUGH
- 474 CYG-WYLIE
- 499 CYG-DU PARC BRAHAM
- 134 BBL-OAKLEY
- 426 BBL-KUNERT
May the force be with us and be warm on the day 😉! Good Luck Everyone !!!!
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi (Conditioning Training)
19:15pm Cavendish School. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00. Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.Erg: 3x10mins r20 30min splits/5 min rest
Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg: 4x6mins r24 5km splits/ 5 min rest (If you haven't done the 5km @ R26/ please do ) or 3x10mins r20 30min splits / 5 min restConditioning circuit and stretching
Saturday:
conditioning circuit and core circuitOutings for the Weekend Will Follow Please update availability by Weds Noon (12:00 PM). (https://www.fitclub.me)
Food Thursday social: Please let Rupert know if you are keen to cook this week
Saturday...8th of December BBL-Christmas Ball. Please sign in and choose your Menu as per Carly's email. It's going to be a great party, don't miss it.
And Don't forget 9 December Special General Meeting, at the boathouse, at 12noon Please be there!
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week!!!
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 1st December: Scullers Head - Please lend a hand if you're not racing
- 8th December: BBL Christmas Party - at the Boathouse in Putney
- 9th December: Special General meeting
- December: Quintin Plum Puddings (more details will follow)
Deneb Captain's Log XVIII
20th November 2018
Hello Cygnets!
I hope everyone had nice relaxing autumn weekend... Just enjoy the Sun, the leaves, the colours..... before the wind, rain and winter arrives.
Great Training Session Saturday and Sunday on the Tideway. Thank you to all of you who were coxing and coaching this weekend. And thank you to BBL for letting us taking part in the Sunday Time Trial. That was Fun! Well Done Everyone!
So...Looking forward to Scullers Head ...We are also looking for Launch Drivers for Scullers Head (1st Dec ). Please let me know if you can help out.
This week Training:
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi (Conditioning Training)
19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00.
Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.Erg 5k@r26
Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Ergs:
5km @ R26 or
2x20' @ R22, 3' rest, approx. 2k+12sConditioning circuit and stretching
Outings for the Weekend Will Follow Please update availability by Weds Noon (12:00 PM). (https://www.fitclub.me)
Food Thursday social:
Ali is cooking, please let her know if you are staying for FoodSaturday:
Thanksgiving Social Special - Please let Rupert know asap.Have a nice Tuesday and a better week ;)
Cris
Dates for you diary:
- 24th November: Thanksgiving Social special - as per Rupert's email
- 1st December: Scullers Head - Please lend a hand if you're not racing
- 8th December: BBL Christmas Party - in Putney
Deneb Captain's Log XVII
14th November 2018
Good Morning Cygnets !
I hope everyone had a nice weekend and a good start on the week.
Saturday
Special Henley Lunch, Lovely Venue , Lovely Food, Lovely People. Nice to see different generations of Cygnets, BBL , friends and family reunited. Thank you to all of you who made it. Many Thanks to Stu G. for organising the event; Paul R. and Ian M. for the article "From Rowers to Riflemen", included inthe Remembrance Special Edition- Newsletter and Neil P. for the design.Sunday
Lest we forget ... Remembrance day, 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War, we took part in the Blades of Remembrance, to commemorated those from Cygnet who served and lost their lives during that period. Two Minutes of silence, BBL Blades & 11-Cygnet Blades (see attached).Rowing
Next Stop Scullers Head, If you are keen to race please let me know ASAP, Entries are closing this Saturday.This week Training:
Tuesday (yesterday):
We had a great Circuits session with Emma (subbing for Maxi , Many Thanks Emma). I hope to see more of you there next week ;)Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Ergs:- 4k/3k/2k/1k continuous R18/20/22/24 at UT1
- 3 x 10' @ R20, approx. 5k+3s, 5' rest
Conditioning circuit and stretching
Outings for the Weekend Will Follow Please update availability by Today Noon (12:00 PM). (https://www.fitclub.me)
Food Thursday social: As per Rupert's email this week Matt B. has kindly volunteered to cook, so please let him know if you are staying for food (Matt B
Have a nice Wednesday and a better rest of the week ...😉 x
Cris
Dates for you diary:
- 24th November: Thanksgiving Social special - as per Rupert's email
- 1st December: Scullers Head - Please lend a hand if you're not racing
- 8th December: BBL Christmas Party - in Putney
Deneb Captain's Log XVI
6th November 2018
Hello Cygnets!
I hope everyone had a fantastic racing weekend. Many Thanks to all volunteers, helpers, BBL for their catering, Rupert for sorting Pizzas.
Congratulations to all racing clubs from both clubs and also to Raphael Z. and Laurent C, for their 10 years CYG membership. Well done everyone!
Results 4's Head:
CYG 194 4x ( Scott, Alex, Vasil, Cris) / Time: 21:43.1
CYG 480 4+ ( Katy, Henrik, Eric, Rupert,Tom B.) / Time: 25:06.2Results Vets 4's Head:
CYG 93 (Paul R, Steve, Rhodri, Ian) / Time: 22:23This week Training :
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi : (Conditioning Training).Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.
19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00.(Erg 30' @ Rate 20 approx. 5k pace +6s )
Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg 30' @ Rate 20 approx. 5k pace +6sIf you have done it ...
2 x 30' @ R18 approx. 30' R20 + 6s, 2 mins rest
Outings for the Weekend Will Follow Please update availability by WEDNESDAY Noon (12:00 PM). (https://www.fitclub.me)
Food Thursday social: As per Rupert's email this week Samantha has kindly volunteered to cook, so please let her know if you are staying for food.
This Saturday 10th November Henley Lunch. Lovely Venue, Lovely Menu and Lovely People, I hope to see you there
And on Sunday to mark Remembrance Sunday and the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1, British Rowing is encouraging rowing clubs to take part in Blades of Remembrance. All club members are asked to mark the moment of silence at 11am by standing in front of the clubs, displaying club blades as a mark of respect for club members who have lost their lives to war and to say Thank You to all those who have served, sacrificed and changed the world. If you have blazers please wear these too.
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week
Cris
Dates for your diary
- 10th November:Henley Lunch
- 1st December: Scullers Head
- 8th December: BBL Christmas Party
Deneb Captain's Log XV
30th October 2018
Good Morning Cygnets!
I hope everyone had a good weekend .... It looks like clocks went backwards at the same time that Winter went forward .... Good Effort during the training sessions !!!!...keep warm....
This week we have....
Saturday
4's head (12.00) Come along cheer, enjoy the fantastic BBL Catering, have a pint and give a hand if you can.- CYG 194 4x ( Scott, Alex, Vasil, Cris)
- CYG 480 4+ ( Katy, Henrik, Eric, Rupert,Tom B.)
- BBL 107 / 4x (L Oakley)
- BBL 314/ 4x (S Kelly)
- BBL 408/ 4+ (H Millar)
Sunday
Vets 4's Head (13:00) Come along cheer, enjoy the fantastic BBL Catering, have a pint and give a hand if you can.- CYG 93 (Paul R, Steve, Rhodri, Ian)
GOOD LUCK Everyone !!!!
We are still looking for Launch Drivers for both events. Please let me know if you can help out.
This week Training :
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi : (Conditioning Training)
19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00.
Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.( 3 x 6' @ R24, 3' rest approx. 5k pace)
Wednesday:
Weights Core, warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
3 x 6' @ R24, 3' rest approx. 5k pace
If you have done it ...
2x20' @ R22, 3' rest approx. 2k+12s
Outings for the Weekend Will Follow, We will need some Volunteers for the LTR on Sunday. Please update availability by WEDNESDAY Noon (12:00 PM).
Food Thursday social: I will be cooking this week so please let me know by WEDs eve if you are staying by Food after Outing Training.
LAST CALL for the Henley Lunch on 10th November. Lovely Venue, Lovely Menu and Lovely People, what else ? Don't miss it.
And as per Carly's email save the 8th of December for the BBL Christmas Ball.
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week
Cris
Dates for your diary
- 3rd November: Four's Head / Please come along and lend a hand if your can
- 4th November: Vets Fours Head / Please come along and lend a hand if your can
- 10th November:Henley Lunch
- 1st December: Scullers Head
- 8th December: BBL Christmas Party (More details to follow)
Deneb Captain's Log XIV
28th October 2018
Good Evening Cygnets!
I hope everyone had a nice Weekend and is enjoying the Autumn colours.
Saturday : Good work on the Tideway with an 8+ , 4x (first) and a 4+,4x in the second outing.
Sunday: we had a 4x and 4+ and some (2 ;) ) participants in the BBL time trial, with good results.Thank you everyone who coxed, coached, helped with the LTR this weekend and BBL for organizing the time trial.
Launch Drivers: 4's Head (3rd November and Vets Head (4th November) organisers are looking for people to drive various umpires and marshalls around in launches. Please let me know if you can help out.
This week Training :
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi : (Conditioning Training)
19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG. If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00.
Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.30' @ Rate 20 / approx. 5k+6s
Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg 3 x 7' @ R24 3min rest approx. 5k pace
If you have done it
Erg 2. 30' @ Rate 20 / approx. 5k+6s
Conditioning and Stretching.Outings for the Weekend Will Follow, Please update availability by WEDNESDAY Noon (12:00 PM).
Food Thursday social: Watch out Rupert's email.
Have a nice Monday eve, sleep well and have a better week.
Cris
Dates for your Diary
- 3rd November: Four's Head / Please come along and lend a hand if your can
- 4th November: Vets Fours Head /Update availability if you are keen to race ASAP
- 10th November:Henley Lunch
- 1st December: Scullers Head
- 8th December: BBL Christmas Party (More details to follow)
Deneb Captain's Log XIII
15th October 2018
Good Morning Cygnets!
I hope everyone had a nice windy and wet Autumn Weekend. Good work this weekend, Well done everyone, keep it going.
New Gym equipment: You might have seen or will see a new weight equipment in the shed. Many Thanks to Sian, Sam G. (for providing the lorry) and all of you who helped to bring it to the club. Please don't use it until it is finally installed.
Launch Drivers: 4's Head and Vets Head organisers are looking for people to drive various umpires and marshalls around in launches. Please let me know if you can help out.
This week Training :
If you haven't done the 5k , please do.
Tuesday:
Circuits with Maxi : (Conditioning Training)
The sessions start at 19:15pm Cavendish School, Edensor Road, Chiswick W4 2RG.Maxi is a qualified fitness instructor who is also a top class rower and the sessions are rowing centric building core strength and stamina to back up the work we do on the water and in The Shed. Can everyone please bring a towel and a drink to each session.
If you go direct to the school be there at 19:10. If you go via the club, people will be leaving there no later than 19.00.
If you can Erg / 3x10' @R20 (Aprox 5K + 3s) / 5min rest
Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg 1. If you can Erg / 3x10' @R20 (Aprox 5K + 3s) / 5min rest. If you have done that...
Erg 2. 2 x 20' @ R22 (approx. 2k +12s) / 3 mins rest
Conditioning and Stretching.Outings Will Follow , Please update availability by Wednesday Noon.
Food Thursday social: Watch out Rupert's email.
Have a nice Monday and have a better week and keep dry 😉Cris
Dates for your Diary
- 3rd November: Four's Head / Update Availability if you are keen to race
- 4th November: Vets Fours Head /Update Availability if you are keen to race
- 10th November:Henley Lunch
- 1st December: Scullers Head
- 8th December: BBL Christmas Party
Deneb Captain's Log XII
9th October 2018
Guten Tag Cygnets !!!!!
I hope everyone had a fantastic racing weekend!
Pairs Head:
LONDON Wet, Wild, Windy , Matt couldn't describe it better. Congratulations to all CYG and BBL racing crews, for their results in these tough conditions; especially our Cyg 2x (Gareth and Simon), who missed the pennant by 0.7s. Well done Everyone and Huge Thanks to all volunteers, launch drivers, marshals, attendees, and the Ladies for their fantastic catering offering warm beverages.CYG Times: Pairs Head Results
201/ Open 2x Masters C Simon & Gareth 15:17.
853 / Open 2- Intermediate Sam & Scott 16:02.6Rhein Marathon:
DUSSELDORF A few km away it was another story Sunny, Dry, Warm conditions, a few waves and slow water so a little more effort than usual was required for the 43km row. But still below the 3h for both crews: 02:45:07 (Mike C, Nick W ,Tom B, Katy B & Fabien) vs 02:48:52 (Neil P, Cris C ,Anna C, Marj I and Tichel). Well done!!! Both boats merged afterwards in a strong Eating/Drinking/Dancing Squad leaded by Mike and Alan partying with the youngsters until late (and because they close the venue).Vielen Dank to our Benrath friends for hosting us another year and huge thanks to Marj for organizing. Looking forward to the next one, we might need to go back and see if Mike C is right and this was the "worst" Rhein Marathon ever 😉
Enjoy the fantastic pics from both events in our social media.
This week Training as per plan:
Tuesday:
5km @ R26 /
Conditioning and Stretching. LTR will be there as well so please share the space and let some of the ergs free (6/7) starting from the door.Wednesday:
Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there in the introduction focus on technique.Thursday:
Erg 2 x 30' @ R18 approx. 30' R20 + 6s / 2 mins rest
Conditioning and Stretching.Next Week Tuesday we will start Circuits in the Cavendish School with Maxi.
Head Races before Christmas has been updated in fitclub, so please update availability so we can start selecting crews. Outings Will Follow , Please update availability by Wednesday Noon.
Thursday social: As per Rupert's email, Tom B is cooking please let him know if you are staying for Food.
And don't forget, as per Stu's email, 10th November Henley Lunch. Lovely venue, lovely menu and lovely people, what else ? Don't miss it.
Have a nice Tuesday and have a better week
Cris
PS: Parking: Just a reminder that the car park behind Emanuel boathouse is in fact Emanuel's car park and that space there will be more limited with the arrival soon of a school minibus, so please keep it free.
Dates for your Diary:
- 20th of October: Weybridge Silver Sculls / Update Availability if you are keen to race
- 3rd November: Four's Head / Update Availability if you are keen to race
- 4th November: Vets Fours Head /Update Availability if you are keen to race
- 10th November:Henley Lunch
- 1st December: Scullers Head
Deneb Captain's Log XI
2nd October 2018
Good Moooorning Cygnets !!!!!
Beautiful Autumn weekend, with good sessions on the Tideway. Well done everyone. Thanks Alex and Jezz for coxing. Keep training.
Head Races before Christmas has been updated in fitclub, so please update availability so we can start selecting crews.
This week we have the first Head race of the season Pairs Head with a lot of Barnes Bridge Ladies and two Cygnet crews, come along cheer and give a hand if you can (as per Matt's email).
Saturday 15.00
52 Op2- Intermediate Cyg- Sears ( Sam -Scott )
201 Op MasC 2x Club Cyg -Suthers (Simon -Gareth)
259 W 2- Club BBL - Martin
284 W MasF/H 2- composite / BBL
291 W2x Intermadiate BBL - Cahill
296 W2x Intermadiate BBL - Oakley
421 W MasC 2x Championship BBL -Richardson
463 W MasE 2x Club BBL- Broadhurst..... a few km/miles away some us will be in Germany racing the Rhein Marathon.
Might the force be with you all and Good Luck Everyone !!!!
This week Training as per plan ( see attached)
Tuesday:
Erg 3 x 6' @ R24 3' rest 5k pace
I have moved slightly the Thursday Erg to Tues, since LTR will be there as well so please share the space and let some of the ergs free (6/7) starting from the door.Wednesday: Weights Core , warm up properly pair with someone who was there last week focus on technique.
Thursday:
Erg: 2x20' @ R22 3' rest approx. 2k+12s
Conditioning and Stretching.
Thursday social: please let Rupert know if you're keen to cook.Outings will follow, please update availability by Wednesday noon.
And don't forget as per Stu's email 10th November Henley Lunch. Don't miss it.Have a nice Tuesday and a better week
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 6th of October: Pairs Head, give a hand if you can.
- 6th of October: Rhein Marathon
- 20th of October: Weybridge Silver Sculls / Update Availability if you are keen to race
- 3rd November: Four's Head / Update Availability if you are keen to race
- 4th November: Vets Fours Head /Update Availability if you are keen to race
- 10th November: Henley Lunch
- 1st December: Scullers Head
Deneb Captain's Log X
25th September 2018
Good Evening Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great weekend. It looks like Summer is gone, so let's embrace Autumn with optimism and warm clothes.
Good training session this weekend on the Tideway, Well done everyone , everything went perfect apart from some involuntary group swimming ;), which leads us to...
SAFETY is very, very, "verrrry" important, so please everyone take a look at this video and please, please be careful out there.
This week Training
Tuesday
4 x 5' @ R24 3 min rest 5k pace
Conditioning and Stretching.
LTR will be in the shed too and it might be busy. Please let at least 6/7 ergs by the door free,Wednesday: 7:00 PM
WEIGHTS Strength and Conditioning Introduction. Don't miss it.Thursday: 7:00 PM
2 x 30' @ R18 approx. 30' R20 + 6s 2 mins rest
Conditioning and Stretching.
Outings Will Follow , Please update availability.Food Thursday: as per Rupert's email, Sian is cooking, please let her know if you are staying for food.
Have a nice Monday eve ,sleep well and have a better week. x
Cris
Dates for your Diary:
- 6th October Pairs Head. Please give a hand if you can, if you can drive a launch , please let me know ASAP, we need people to drive various umpires and marshals around.
- 6th October: Rhein Marathon
- 3rd November: Head of the River Fours
- 4th November: Vets Fours Head
- 10th November: Henley Lunch
Deneb Captain's Log XIX
17th September 2018
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen,1,2,3,14....I hope you all had a fantastic sunny weekend.
Sculling camp
Another great weekend in Hamhaugh Island. Many Thanks to Niall for organising, all attendees, volunteers coaches (Alan, Charlotte), drivers (Jo and Tom B), the catering team (Barry, Deon, Niall) and all of you who load/deload the trailer. Sorry if I am forgetting someone.
Good weather, lots of sculling, a few (spectacular) capsizes, swimming, a BBQ, a few pints for the soul and loads of fun. Many Thanks all of you for the great weekend. Next one will be next year ;), hope to see you there.So This week...
Food
This Thursday Hannah S will be cooking. Please let her know by Weds evening, if you are staying for food this Thursday after Outing/Training.Rowing/ Training
Tuesday:
1. Rigging boats from sculling camp before erg
2.Erg 30' @ Rate 20 5k+6sec
Conditioning and Stretching I have moved erg Thursday to Tuesday since the LTR will be in the shed too and it might be too busy. Please leave the 6 ergs by the door free,Thursday:
2x20' @ R22 3 min rest , 2K +12
Conditioning and StretchingOutings Will Follow. Please update availabilityThat's it for the moment, more will follow. Have a nice Monday evening, sleep well and have a better week.CrisDates for your Diary:- Saturday 6th of October: Pairs Head, give a hand if you can.
- Saturday 6th of October: Rhein Marathon
- Saturday 10th November: Henley Lunch
G.J.W. Frith
13th September 2018
G.J.W. (Barney) Frith
1937 - 2018
The past few years have taken a steady toll of those whom many older Cygnets fondly remember as the 'Last of the Summer Wine' generation. Named after the TV sitcom of the same name, these aged swans would regularly gather at the boathouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays to engage in some light training followed by a lengthy period of contemplation and reflection in the Cygnet bar. One of their number was Graham 'Barney' Frith who died on Tuesday, 4th September 2018, following a long battle with Motor Neurone Disease. He was 81.
Barney Frith joined Cygnet in 1961 and rowed with the likes of Mike Arnold-Gilliat, Derek Bush, Colin Dominy, John Ellis, John Hildrey and Len Huggett to name but a few. Although the sixties were not an era of huge success for Cygnet, Barney nevertheless played his part in securing such coveted trophies as the Twickenham Cup for the third time since the war, in 1962. Derek Bush recalls rowing with him in the club regatta and Len Huggett liked to relate the story of how Barney cost them a race at Kingston Regatta because he spent more time trying to swipe a swan than 'getting on with the race'.
Blessed with a head for numbers, Barney found his professional niche in the National Audit Office and apparently displayed a keen mathematical interest in gambling. Such attributes would later be turned to good effect playing the financial markets in retirement and picking potential winners for the Last of the Summer Wine horse racing syndicate.
Barney never allowed rowing to interfere with his social life. Contemporary accounts describe him as a 'young blade' for whom assignations with the fairer sex always held more attraction than 'jugging' it up with his crew mates after an outing. In the fullness of time, Barney met Miss Right - Brenda - and they married in the late-1960s. Rather than send a telegram, his crew mates penned an 'Ode to A Young Swan', which lamented the fact that Barney had hung up his blade and traded his carefree days at Cygnet for a life of domestic bliss.
Soon afterwards, the newly-weds moved away and started a family and Barney retired from active rowing. It would be some years before he resurfaced at the boathouse, having escaped the clutches of the National Audit Office, courtesy of an early retirement scheme. However, no sooner had he become a paid-up member of the Last of the Summer Wine set than he fell into the clutches of club chairman Mike Arnold-Gilliat, who dragooned him into the post of club treasurer.
Despite his accounting background, Barney was not a natural treasurer; he agonized over any expenditure, wrote a long committee paper outlining a doom scenario for club finances and concluded that the club should stop buying boats until further notice. It was not a match made in heaven and he and the post of treasurer were soon parted, much to the relief of all concerned. Doom mongering tended to be Barney's stock-in-trade and he would later emerge as a strident opponent of a proposed merger with BBLRC, condemning it as a financial accident waiting to happen.
Shorn of his official duties, Barney was free to devote himself to managing his share portfolio, honing his skills at bridge - he played a mean hand by all accounts - and entering into the full extra curricula activities of the Last of the Summer Wine set. One high spot he always enjoyed was the annual President's lunch at Henley Royal Regatta. The Friths had lived in Henley-on-Thames for a good deal of their married life and were well known on the bridge circuit, which continued to draw them back long after they had moved to Gerrards Cross in the early 1980s.
Barney was nothing if not a creature of habit. John Hildrey recalls that on their regular lunch time visits to the William Webb Ellis in Twickenham, Barney always brought a cushion (he suffered from a bad back) and always ordered ham, egg and chips. Many will remember Barney as a heavy smoker, but he rarely imbibed to the same extent as some of his less inhibited compatriots, preferring not to put his driving license at risk. This marked him out as an obvious taxi driver, a task he always performed with dignity and aplomb, decanting the likes of Mike AG and Len Huggett home to their respective front doors at the end of a 'heavy' day.
In later life, Barney fretted that most of his closer associates were older than him, presaging a lonely old age. In reality, the Cygnet social safety net was always close at hand and many older members will lament his passing. Barney's wife, Brenda, predeceased him by some years; he is survived by a married daughter, Helen, to whom the Club sends its sincere condolences.
Barney's funeral will take place at 11.45am on Tuesday, 25th September. Details are available here.
Paul Rawkins
Deneb Captain's Log VIII
10th September 2018
Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen.
I hope you all had a fantastic Weekend.
Club day!
Great Saturday, Fun side by side rowing, BBL Boat naming, BBQ, Drinks, Raffle - the complete programme. Congratulations to the Winners 4+ (Sian, Ian, Mustafa,Bec M, Jackie D) and 4x (Clemmy, Cara , Corinna, Charlotte) Well done! Claps, claps, claps!Many Thanks to all of you who made it possible, attendees and volunteers (Marshals, Spectators,Raffles Sponsors, Photographs... ) ; especially Carly for organising and Hannah for the nice design of the wining pots.
My favourite event of the day was the Cake Competition ; all of them were delicious , all of them deserved an award many thanks to all participants but the winner was..... Jackie Darling's Key Lime Pie (yummy).
This Weekend we have our Sculling Camp, please let Niall know if you are attending by filling in this form to let him know for how longFood
And talking about food...Thursday Social is still on, let's see if we can get this moving. Please let me know ASAP if you want to show your skills cooking this Thursday after Outing/Training/Loading the trailer for S Camp . Don't be shy ; if no one step up, please feel free to have one pint at the club bar and head to the pub afterwards ;)As general information,Thursday from 20.30 after outings/training in the club bar, volunteers from both clubs sign up to cook at least once. Nothing lavish, just some post outing fuel, no more than £3 per head, so don't be shy and let me know if you are keen to show your skills any Thursday. If you want you can also cook in pairs ;).
Rowing this week: CYG Training according to plan...
Ergs
Tuesday / 2x20' @ R22 3min rest approx. 2k+12s
Thursday /3 x 6' @ R24 3 min rest 5k pace
Tuesday we are having the new LTR in the shed too, so please share the space, let 6 Ergs Free/the ones closer to the door
Outings plan/ Sculling Camp plan will follow....
And that is for the moment. Have a nice Monday and a better week,
Cris
Dates for you diary:
- Weekend 15th-16th September: Sculling Camp
- 6th of October: Pairs Head / Rhein Marathon
- Saturday 10th November Cygnet Henley Lunch
Deneb Captain's Log VII
7th September 2018
Good Evening Cygnets!
I hope everyone had a good weekend.
On Friday we had our End of Season dinner. Thank you to all the attendees, I hope you all had a great night (I did) and special thanks to Rupert for organising. It was a great evening with a 300 Club draw included (Thank you Guy and congratulations to the winners); it finished as usual with some extra drinks in the club bar.
Congratulations to Henrik S. - GP Jeffries Cup for Rower of the Year and Rupert B. - Wally Wheldal Cup for sportsmanship and endeavour, for their awards.
Saturday and Sunday we had our 1st sessions of the Season coached by Chihiro Calvin. Important points to remember from the last squad meeting (we will go through this again):
- Green Sessions have priority
- 2 ergs scores at the end of the week to get priority in boats
- 2nd Session on Sunday is to catch up, if you missed one of the green ones ;)
- Deadline to update availability Thursday noon / 12.pm
If you have a question, please ask me or hold it until next coached session.
Also as mentioned in previous emails. I love beer and history....and as Paul R. (Cygnet Historian) very kindly enlightened me....
"... Cygnet being Cygnet, no sooner had they agreed to form a club than the committee produced three sets of rules, including all sorts of fines and penalties if the rules were broken:
- Sixpence (two and a half pence)for failing to turn up for a practice outing
- A sliding scale from three pence to one shilling (five pence) for using a boat for longer than the allotted time depending on the type of boat
- Using a boat without permission - sixpence
- The most serious crime all, failing to turn up for a regatta - one shilling"Just to put these numbers in perspective, the annual subscription was 28 shillings, which would be about £1.40 "
Same will be applied this year for the active squad but adding 2 more little sins of being late and not rigging boats after race. Obviously instead of sixpence it will be £2, the price of a small beer. The amount collected will be invested in a Cygnet event (Drinks, BBQ, Pub crawls, Training camp?)
This WEEK:
Training according plan (please attached, it will be soon in FitClub.me)
Tuesday / 5k @ r26 Lets start having benchmark to work with.
Conditioning and stretching.Thurs / 3 x 10' @20 (5k+3s) 5 min rest /
Saturday: 7.30 Latest OTW short sharp Outing since direct afterwards we are having Club day as per Carly's and Rupert's email./ availability by Thursday noon please.
Sunday 7.30 OTW Outings / availability by Thursday noon please.
Also... Pairs Head , so find your partner and let me know latest by this Thursday 6th of September if you are keen, so we can allocate boats. Please update your BR cards . In case we have more crews than boats,. Selection will apply base on training and capabilities.
LTR to starts Sunday 9th of September , Please please Spread the Word share with friends family, neighbours, spam your working colleagues.
And that is for the moment....more to come little by little...Have a nice Monday eve, sleep well and have a better week
Cris
Dates for you diary:
- Saturday 8th September: Club day
- Weekend 15th-16th September: Sculling Camp
- 6th of October: Pairs Head / Rhein Marathon
Deneb Captain's Log VI
29th August 2018
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great long weekend.
A little information: Tradesman, (I guess everyone is aware about their eviction situation); They will be using our garden Thursday evening then the ergs 8-8.30. There will only be about 5 if then so we can share if anyone is erging late.
Let's talk about us...;)
So....little by little we start to prepare the Head 2018/2019 season.
This week:
This Thursday SQUAD MEETING/ 19.30 Club Bar
Saturday Outings will follow after Thursday.
Coming Soon... Pairs Head, so find your partner and let me know latest by next Tuesday 4th of September if you are keen, so we can allocate boats.
LTR to start 9th of September. Spread the Word share with friends family, neighbours...
BOAT CHECK : We will start this weekend...(more information to follow)
Please check dates for your diary. Have a nice day and a better rest of the week
Cris
Dates for your diary:
Friday 31st August: End of Season Dinner at Ye White Hart. Deadline to order food is 29th August
Saturday 8th September: Club Day
Weekend 15th-16th September: Autumn Sculling CampDeneb Captain's Log V
22nd August 2018
Dear Cygnets,
I hope everyone had a great weekend.
Oxford City Regatta: When Sunday afternoon you go to the bar from another club asking if they have seen your jumper and everybody knows your name and your club (as in Cheers). It was a successful weekend.
....A few, few hours before....on Saturday. We had an 8+ , a Nov 4+ , a Sen 4+ and 4x racing and we joined the lunch 8+ sprints for fun. The 8+ almost sunk a few seconds (maybe I am exaggerating) after we put it on the water, but we fixed it with tape (we need to improve this rigging skills 😉), unfortunately the opposition was stronger , but a good row though. Our Nov4+ unluckily broke the rudder after a few strokes (sight), our 4x was again 'lucky' with the draw (Band I) and faced City of Bristol (yep they were in Henley this year) and despite we went on the lead because they almost crashed into the bank, no chance...their comeback was surreal (have you seen the pic from all of us with wtf faces? ), but but but.... We had a POT to report our Sen 4+ (Sam, Scott, Ian, Robin , Anna) rowed beautifully in their category and won (claps, claps, claps) Well done Boys!!!
Sunday, after a great Party the night before 😉, we had a Nov8+ , 1x , Nov 4+ and 4x racing. Good rhythm and race from the Nov8+ , 1x after leading for 1L lost the advantage due to bad steering couldn't imitate the comeback from City of Bristol, it was nice to have the 8+ Putney Town cheering for CYG though, Nov 4+ had a good race , and 4x with an extra guest from City of Oxford , lost against the winners of the event. All in all a fantastic weekend with more stories to tell in the bar, btw keep in mind that I love beer and history (more to this soon).
Many Thanks, Many Thanks to all of you for the great weekend, the drivers (Scott and Tom), coxes (Anna, Beri ), Scott for sorting the rudder.... Sorry if I am forgetting someone....
Now that the regatta season is over, we take a little breath to just enjoy the pleasure of rowing ... and start little by little to prepare the Head 2018/2019 season. Coming Soon... Pairs Head , so find your partner and let me know 😉 ......
Next: SQUAD MEETING Thursday of 30 August/ Presenting the New Coach and Plan for 2018/2019 (Start 1st of Sept)
LTR to start 9th of September , Spread the Word
BOAT CHECK : In the next days we are going to review the fleet to have everything ready for the Winter Season.
Outings This Week:
Tuesday: Show and Row .... If you are available come down, there is always some training you can do will try to allocate everyone in a boat.
Let's try to be a little earlier since we need to...
1. Empty the trailer
2. Rig boatsErg of the week: we take it easy now for a little bit but if you want to do sth. Erg 20min @ rate 20
Thursday: will follow ....
....and more to come little by little
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week
Cris
PS: Please everyone update availability in FITCLUB.me don't forget to add side you prefer to row Bow/ Stroke.
Dates for your diary:
Friday 31st August: End Season Dinner (White hart ) https://doodle.com/poll/
dsxv87ex7ak39q2s Sat 8th September: Club Day
Weekend 15th-16th September: Sculling Camp. Please complete this form if you want to comeDeneb Captain's Log IV
14th August 2018
Morning Cygnets!
I hope everyone had a great weekend.
Saturday Peterborough: we had two 4+ and 4x racing. Good weather but no luck at all. Everything went a little bit like a Buster Keaton movie. The 4s gained on experience and the 4x after a great start in lane 1, leading after 250m, hit a band of swans ( what an irony ..) , lost the control and hit the bank .... Another great story to tell in the bar though, you can blame the steerer ;)....
Next Stop/Last Stop, Oxford City (hopefully with no swans in the course) where we are racing on Saturday: 8+, two 4+, and a 4x and on Sunday a 8+, 1x, 4+, and 4x.
Outings This Week:
Tuesday: If you are available come down, there is always some training you can do.
4+ ?
Sam, Scott, Ian, Robin (Cox TBC)4+
Rupert, John, Tom, Barry1x
NIck R
2x
Raph, CrisErg of the week:
If you are not racing: 4 x 500 / 3 min rest @2k pace
If you are racing: 1x 750m rest 5 min 1x500m @ 2k paceThursday:
Will confirm this eve ... Trying to have 2 eights OTW ...End Season Dinner 31 August , White Hart , Please Fill in the doodle 😊https://doodle.com/poll/dsxv87ex7ak39q2s , to have an idea of numbers.
And per Rupert's email Nick will be cooking this week , please let him know if you are staying for food this Thursday.
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week
Cris
PS: Please everyone update availability in FITCLUB.me don't forget to add side you prefer to row Bow/ Stroke.
Dates for your diary:
- Friday 31st August: End Season Dinner (White Hart)
- Sat 8th September: Club Day
- Weekend 15th-16th September: Sculling Camp
Deneb Captain's Log III
7th August 2018
Good Mooorning Cygnets !
Looks like is still sunny....Summer !! :) Keep hydrated!
Saturday
Henley Town Visitors Regatta : We had a 2- and a 4+ racing. The 2- (Ian, Nick) gained on experience, all the good pairs need to start somewhere, the 4+(Ian, Nick,Cris, Scott,Hannah) missed the pot by 1/2 length against Wolfson College Oxford in one of the fastest race of the day. Well done everyone!
Sunday
Quiet the tideway and some gardening.
Next stop Peterborough where two 4+ and one 4x has been accepted.
Outings/Training This week/Racing crews for PET get priority/ Deadline availability for Oxford today noon. Please everyone update availability in FITCLUB.me don't forget to add side you prefer to row Bow/ Stroke.
Tuesday/ if you are available come down, erg core is always an option 😉
18.45- 19.15 OTW
4x: Alex, Scott, Niall, Cris
2x: Raph, Vasil
4+: Tom B, Mustafa, John, Barry, Cox Beri
1x: Nick
Launch: TBC
Erg of the week:
If you are not racing: 4 x 750 / 5 min rest @2k pace
If you are racing: 1x 750m rest 5 min 1x500m @ 2k pac
Thursday if you are available come down, erg core is always an option 😉
4+ / 4-: Alex, Vasil, Niall, Cris
2x: Ross, Scott
2x:Raph, Robin
4+: Rupert, Mustafa, John or Kay, Ashley
Also as per Rupert 's email Nick is cooking this week, please let him know if you are staying for food after Outing, Training, Loading the trailer for Peterborough.
More to come little by little ...Have a nice Tuesday and a better week
Cris
Dates for your diary:- Weekend 11th-12th August: Peterborough Summer Regatta
- Weekend 18th-19th August: Oxford City Regatta
- Friday 31st August: End Season Dinner (White hart )
- Sat 8th September: Club Day
- Weekend 15th-16th September: Autumn Sculling Camp
Deneb Captain's Log II
4th August 2018
Good Morning Cygnets !!!
Great Racing Saturday in St Neots. Where we had one 8+ and three 4+ racing. Unfortunately no pots but great races under all weather conditions , sun , wind, rain, hard rain.
Congratulations to the Novices for their first win and the senior 4+ which offer exiting races to the crowd, losing for a few feet in their final , the racing course became to short for them at the end....
Sunday a nice rowing under the rain with a 4x and 8+ .
Many Thanks to Scott for driving the trailer to St Neots, Hannah and Anna for coxing and the Novices for deloading the trailer on Sunday after the outing.
Outings/Training This week/Racing crews for HTV get priority,
Tuesday / ( I am aware of a possible Strike SWR but let's try).
18.30 at the club if you can ( boats needs to be rigged)
19.15 OTW / We will have a coach trial session with Peter Meaney
4+/4- ( Ian, Nick , Scott, Cris)
4x (Robin, Niall, Sam or Julian , Vasil)
4+ ( Rupert, Eric, Tom, Joris)
If you are not on the list come down anyway there is always a workout that can be done or the possibility to sub.
Erg of the week: If you are not racing: 1250m 1000m 750m 500m / 5 min rest @2k pace
If you are racing: 1x 750m rest 5 min 1x500m @ 2k pace
Thursday: /
19.00 - 19.15 OTW
2- (Ian , Nick) Rg Benrath
Rest of boats to confirm base on racing crews to PET.
This Thursday 19.00 we will have a short 10 min. squad meeting before outings. Also as per Rupert's email I will be cooking , please let me know by Weds eve if you are staying for food.
Thursday after Outings Loading the trailer for HTV.
and this is for the moment ...more to come ...little by little....
Have a nice Tuesday and a better week
Cris
PS: If everyone could complete their profile in FITCLUB.me adding which side you prefer to row Bow/ Stroke would be great.
Dates:
Sat 4th August HTV
Weekend 11th-12th August Peterborough
Weekend 18th-19th August Oxford City Regatta
Friday 31st August End Season Dinner (TBC)
Sat 8th September Club Day
Weekend 15th-16th September Club day
Deneb Captain's Log
23rd July 2018
Good Evening Cygnets !!!
Sorry for the Delay.
First of all, Greetings everyone from the new captaincy. Thank you all who made it to the last OGM and voted for the new team, Niall Smith (Deputy), Tom Broadhurst (Vice) and myself (Captain). It is a great Honour. Huge Thanks to Matt B, and the previous team (Sam and Charlie) for the fantastic hard work. May the force be with us and keep things running smoothly.
This Week! All entries for St Neots (Sat 28th) have been accepted! Good News!
Sen 8+ ( Sam, Scott, Ian Nick, Cris, Niall, Barry, Vasil) Cox TBC
Sen4+ (Sam, Nick , Ian, Scott,) Cox TBC
Inter 4+ (Niall, Cris , Barry , Vasil) Cox TBC
Nov 4+ (Rupert , Eric, Mustafa, Ashley) Cox TBC
Outings/Training This week/Racing crews for St Neots get priority:
Tuesday /
19.00 at the club / OTW 19.15 Sen8+ ( Sam, Scott, Ian , Nick, Cris, Niall, Barry, Vasil)
19.00 Eric, Henrik, Joris , Julian, Mustafa plan tbc come down we sort onsite
Alex, Robin 1x?
Thursday: /
19.00 - 19.15 OTW
Sen 4+/4- Boat TBC (Sam, Nick, Ian, Scott)
Inter 4+/4- Boat TBC (NIall, Cris, Barry, Vasil)
Novice 4+ N. Pickford (Rupert, Eric, Mustafa, Ashley) coxed TBC
Everyone else come down we sort onsite
Thursday after Outings Loading the trailer for St Neots.
Erg of the week: If you are not racing: 4X750m rest 5min
If you are racing: 1x 750m rest 5 min 1x500m
Letter of the week A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktuvc-Ejv3A
A for Availability ....So Pretty Please with sugar on top fill in your availability for the last Regattas of the season by Weds Eve, which are:
4th August HTV (Seniors Only)
11th 12th August PeterBorough/
18th 19th Oxford City Regatta /
Remember --> No Aviability --> No Outing ---> No Race
and this is for the moment ...more to come ...little by little....
Have a nice Monday eve and a better week
Cris
Dates for your diary:
Sat 4th August HTV
Weekend 11th-12th August Peterborough
Weekend 18th-19th Oxford City Regatta
Sat 8th September Club Day
Weekend 15th-16th Autumn Sculling Camp
Noel Davison
19th July 2018
Noel Davison
21st May 1953-1st July 2018
None of us can ever truly know when our 'time is up'. For Noel Davison, who died on 1st July 2018, just weeks after his 65th birthday, following a long battle with cancer, that time was far too soon.
Although most of his adult life was spent in London, Noel was a proud Irishman from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Educated at Coleraine Inst, a local grammar school for boys, he learned to row on the River Bann, the longest river in NI, before striking out overseas to St Andrew's University in Fife, Scotland.
Following graduation, he headed south, seeking employment with the Inland Revenue as a District Tax Inspector, and arrived in London in the early 1970s as that rarest of beings: a competent oarsman who had no rowing points - in short, a coach's dream. As a newcomer to the metropolis, Noel wasted no time in seeking an outlet for his waterman ship skills and Cygnet RC beckoned, along with nearby lodgings at 14 Vernon Road, East Sheen, the legendary home of Mike Arnold-Gilliat, the then captain of Cygnet RC.
Life at Vernon Road was an unstoppable merry-go round of rowing, sleeping and eating with the occasional sojourn to the nearby Hare and Hounds. Noel made some lifelong friends and a taste for Young's 'Ordinary', but the whole experience did little to advance his or other inmates domestic housekeeping skills.
Noel always said that his novice years at Cygnet were some of his happiest afloat. Carefree days spent paddling up and down the Chiswick reach were rewarded with several non-status wins on the River Lea, where one spectator pronounced them to be a 'tasty crew', and the Royal Naval Dockyards at Portsmouth, before losing their rowing virginity at Curlew.
Higher status wins followed. Noel was one of the anchor men of the crews coached by George Plumtree in 1977-78, which saw the participants ascend from Senior C to Elite over two years, starting with the Senior C Pennant win in the Head of the River in 1977.
Not one to stand on ceremony, Noel nevertheless felt that it was important to introduce his future wife, Eleanor, to his crew mates quite early on in their courtship. And so it was on a cold winter's evening at the height of disco mania that the happy couple braved the dank surroundings of the Cygnet bar. Needless to say, the bar fell well short of health and safety norms, even by 1970s standards, and the company was not much better. The look on Eleanor's face said it all. Still, all was not lost and over time she came to love both Noel and the inner sanctum of the Cygnet bar, if not the crew.
Cygnet was Noel's first port of call, but we cannot claim a monopoly; he also rowed at Molesey Boat Club and, latterly, Tideway Scullers. Molesey provided Noel with the springboard he craved to achieve greater things: regular wins at Elite would follow, coupled with impressive performances at Henley Royal Regatta and National Championships. On a lighter note, in 1979 Noel starred in a TV commercial that featured him stroking an Vlll as it gently slipped below the waves while the cox, Ronnie Corbett, blithely puffed away on a Hamlet Cigar. The commercial can still be viewed today on You Tube.
Noel always appreciated the importance of putting something back into the sport and in late-1983 the opportunity arose to return to Cygnet in the self-styled role of Squad Co-ordinator. The experience he had gained at Molesey proved invaluable in changing the training and racing ethos at Cygnet and laid the foundations for some of the club's most successful years in 1984-87, not least a coxless lV that he coached virtually singlehandedly from Senior B to Elite in one season.
Family and professional commitments subsequently took priority. Noel bade farewell to the Inland Revenue, joining Arthur Andersen where he obtained a chartered accountancy qualification, before moving on to Ernst and Young in 1994. EY played to Noel's strengths and he became a much-respected international tax partner working on some of the most prestigious accounts of the day. As a devoted family man, there was never any doubt that Noel and Eleanor made a great team, while he adored son Paul and daughter Julia, encouraging them in their every endeavor; they, in turn, embraced his unwavering work ethic, carving out their own paths as successful young people, determined to maintain the Davison traditions.
All work and no play is never a good recipe for life andthe draw of the Tideway is hard to resist. Noel returned to veteran rowing in the mid-noughties, gracing one or two heads and regattas along the way. His talents as an oarsman were much in demand and he rowed at both Cygnet and Tideway Scullers, before illness curtailed activity afloat. Even so, Noel continued to fulfil his landward duties as Honorary Examiner at Cygnet and Honorary Secretary at the Head of the River Fours until just months before his demise. Indeed, he was arguably one of the few officials who managed to get his head around the new points system - for that alone he will be sorely missed.
Irrespective of which club he rowed for, Noel always brought wisdom, dedication, a certain air of authority and sheer bonhomie to the water. Prior to writing this piece, I asked, Rhodri Walters, a longstanding friend of Noel's, how he would describe Noel; he replied "much like his rowing style - long in the water, steady on the slide and easy to follow". Lawrence Williams at TSS recalls: "I remember a pause in one of our earlier more catastrophic outings when he (Noel) was sitting behind me and I filled a gap in conversation by informing him that we now had two professors in the crew. His immediate response was brief and typical - "Good, we need all the intellectual firepower we can get."
Appearances can be deceptive and some will argue that Noel was a man of few words. It is true that he was certainly not one for small talk. However, all those who spent time with him will know that once you scratched the surface, he was always happy to engage in debate on all manner of subjects and often held quite strong views. An economy of words, coupled with his calm demeanour, meant that whenever Noel did hold forth, the assembled company, whoever they were, always sat up and listened.
Rowing was not Noel's only passion. He also had a great love of literature. Retirement gave him an opportunity to cast off his professional mantle of international taxation and immerse himself in English Literature, obtaining a degree from Oxford University in 2017.
Against his better judgement, Noel also partook of several canal trips organized by Malcolm Burman and his cohorts at Cygnet. Malcolm recounts: "..not sure what he made of those. He seemed to enjoy them, despite the fact that it rained most of the time - but I seem to remember he was very keen on steering, particularly in the tunnels and we had to drag him away from the tiller [for lock-opening duties]."
For many Cygnet members, their last memory of Noel will have been of him sagely presenting his report at the February AGM in his capacity as Honorary Examiner, a post he had held jointly with Malcolm Burman for eighteen years. For the crew of 1977-78, a happier memory of Noel will have been of him sitting in the Cygnet bar reflecting on a lifetime afloat on the occasion of the 40th reunion of the Plumtree Vlll in March 2017. He will be greatly missed.
Paul Rawkins
The Last Log
16th July 2018
It's been a busy year since the last captaincy election. The squad has had to weather the loss of Tim Male as head coach; big thanks to everyone who has stepped into the launch to help out during the year, particularly Kirsty, Alan and Gareth (in his single scull).
The meatwagon continued the regatta season where they left off last summer with wins at Chiswick, Borne and Richmond regattas; in each case the top tier of the 4+ events. Well done, and I hope there's still time for some final hurrahs before winter training takes over.
Big thanks to everyone who has stepped into the smallest seat during the year; particular thanks to Anna and Hannah for crossing the divide when their BBLRC duties have allowed it. Hopefully most of the squad have now had a go at steering/coxing under supervision; please consider taking the steering test and becoming accredited to help the club continue to field crews for training and racing.
Outings this week
Tuesday 7pm - plan TBC - Rupert, Kay, Julian, Henrik, Eric, Barry, Ashley
Thursday 7pm - 4x+ (Lambe) Barry, Henrik, Julian, Mustafa, coxed by Matt
Weekend outing plans to follow later in the week, as it's currently looking a little sparse (again) on fitclub, and racing plans also to come after the elections/impromptu squad meeting on Tuesday night. (After we find out whether there are any names on the board.)
Matt
Captain's Log 02/07
2nd July 2018
Racing news:
It was a glorious sunshine-y day for Richmond Regatta on Saturday and the regatta was opened by a Novice 8+ contest between Cygnet and Kingston. Unfortunately for the boys in blue, the scratch Cygnet crew ended up on the wrong side of a 3ft verdict after 1250m of nail-biting side by side action. A flotilla of fours competed later in the day and the XL Meatwagon (Scott, Ian, Nick, Sam, Gigi) came away with the pewterware in Tier 1 4+
Please get the fitclub filled in up to 12th August (or beyond) by Sunday night so the captaincy can assess the summer regatta programme and start to plan crews.
300 Club
A reminder that the 300 Club is Cygnet's main fundraiser for purchasing the shiny new boats and fittings that everyone enjoys using. It is generally expected that all active members will have at least a couple of tickets so that the fleet can be renewed on a regular basis.
The 2018-19 season kicks off with the first draw at Henley on Friday. Each ticket is £10 and will gain you entry into every draw made in the season.
Prize draws offer wins of £25, £40, £60, £100.
So, for example, if you set up a standing order for £5/month, you will get 6 tickets for the year, entered into each draw.
Please let Guy duPB know if you have sent him money for tickets.
Vale
Farewell to Magnus who returns to Sweden today. First airing of the newly arrived Cygnet racing kit in the 3 ft defeat in the eight on Saturday, and then had the kit baptised by the Connaught whilst out in the quad on Sunday. We hope you find a nice place to row in Malmö, and can follow in the footsteps of the great Lassi Karonen.
Salve
The new Learn to Row course has started. Additional members welcome if you know anyone who wants to learn to row.
There will be another course in September. Email Cris for details.
Scheduled Outings this week
Monday 19.00
1x :BDF (SCamp), Cris (P2P),
2- (RGB): Ian/Nick (RGB)
Tuesday 19.00
2x (300Club): Gareth, Simon
4x+: Barry, Eric, Julian, Rupert, Tom, coached by Matt
2- (Hamo) or 1x (P2P) - Cris
Wednesday 19.00
1x Cris (P2P)
Alex (GOldies)
Thursday daytime
BDF - 1x (SCamp)
Thursday 19.00
8+ (Marj) Vasil, Alex, Niall, Cris, Nick, Ian, Robin, Sam, Marj
4x+ Ashley, Eric, Julian, Kay, Mustafa, coached by Matt
Saturday 07.30
2x (300Club): Gareth, Simon
Saturday 10.00
4x (Alan Cox): Simon + any other seniors who want a paddle. Email Simon to organise.
Sunday 08.00
2x (300Club): Gareth, Simon
Novice squad weekend outings to be released on Thursday. Availabilities finalised by Wednesday night please; be sensible about Saturday outings if you're planning to be at Henley on Friday ...
Dates for your diary
Fri 6th July 12.00
Henley Friday @ Old Blades - please also see the attachment from the Club Historian
Tues 17th July 09.00-15.00
Barnes Primary Rowing Day
Tues 17th July 20.15
Cygnet Ordinary General Meeting - to elect the 2018-19 Captaincy in the bar.
Sat 8th Sept
Club Day Regatta
Sat 15 Sept - Sun 16th Sept
Sculling Camp @ Shepperton
Bungalow
As at 1800hrs on June 27th 2018, the following dates were still available:
- 5pm Sun 29th July to 5pm Thurs 2nd Aug 4 nights @ £72 p.n. = £288
- 5pm Sun 5th Aug to 2pm Sun 12th Aug Complete week =£360
- 7pm Tues 14th Aug to 2pm Sun 19th Aug 4 nights @ £72 p.n. = £288
- 5pm Sun 9th Sept to 2pm Fri 14th Sept 4 nights @ £54 p.n. = £216 (prior to Scamp)
- 5pm Sun 16th Sept to 2pm Weds 19th Sept 3 nts @ £54 p.n. = £162 (after Scamp)
- Oct, Nov, all weeks are available at £270pw
Email Derek to reserve your dates!
Matt
Captain's Log 04/06
5th June 2018
Racing news
The metwagon (Scott, Ian, Nick, Sam, Gigi) raced in Tier 3 and Tier 4 4+ at Metropolitan Regatta on Saturday. Some tough racing against crews that would have registered as Senior and IM1 status under the old points system; Cygnet came fourth in their T3 heat, just missing out on a final place. The T4 race was a stronger field, and a small mistake on the start line left a little too much to do to catch back up to the pack and also finish the race strongly. On to the next race, watch this space.
AMENDED Outings this week
Tuesday 7.30pm 4+ coxed by Cris: Str-Rupert, 3- Ashley, 2- Tom, Bow-Henrik.
Thursday 7pm 4+ coxed by Matt, coached by Alan: Rupert, Ashley, Tom, Mustafa
Saturday - Walton Regatta and Sculling camp
11:58 Tier 2 4+ Final Rupert, Ashley,Tom,Barry (cox TBC).
Aim to meet at the bungalow by 10am at the latest - further details to follow later in the week.
Sunday Sculling camp
Sculling Camp
Is on Saturday and Sunday. If you're coming down, please aim to be at the bungalow by 10am on Saturday for the safety briefing; the navigation is more restricted than usual due to races both days of the weekend. Please fill in the doodle poll here if you're coming so we bring enough boats and food along for the weekend: https://doodle.com/poll/za7uc8aca2q3bt7f
Boat loading is Thursday evening from 6pm. Please try to come down and help out if you're planning to do scamp.
HRR - Old Blades
We have been invited to Old Blades again on the Friday of the regatta. See here for further details.
HRR - Remenham Club
The club has been offered the opportunity to purchase tickets to the Remenham Club enclosure at Henley for the Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday of the regatta. Let me know if you're interested and I'll point you in the right direction. (subject to availability).
Bungalow
As of June 3rd 2018, the following dates are still available:
June 17 - 21st 5 days
June 24 - 1st July whole week
July 1st - 8th whole week
July 29th - Aug 2nd 4-5 days
Aug 5th - 12th Whole week but start delayed to 9pm Sunday (normal 5pm)
Aug 14th - 19th 5 days
Sept 9th - 14th 5 days
Sept 16th - 19th 4 days
Oct, Nov, all weeks are available.
Email Derek to reserve your dates!
Matt
Captain's Log 23/05
23rd May 2018
Lots of important info this week; please read all the way to the end if you're in the active squad
GDPR Notice
Most of you will have had an email from Madam Secretary already, but some of you may not be on the official lists if you've joined the club in the last year or so, please reply to Marj ASAP or else I'll be removing you from the supplementary distribution list going forwards.
Dear Cygnet members and friends,
Blah, blah, GDRP, blah blah...We are required to get your permission to be able to continue communicating with you by email in the future, and would appreciate it if you could confirm your consent. Please send either "I consent to receiving emails from Cygnet Rowing Club" or "I do not consent to receiving emails from Cygnet Rowing Club" to: secretary[at]cygnet-rc.org.uk at your earliest convenience.
This is important so please do respond. However, if I do not hear from you either way then I will assume consent and you will continue to receive email from Cygnet RC unless we're informed otherwise. Our group email lists also have an unsubscribe option.
Racing report
After the Meatwagon XL's Borne Supremacy (thanks to the reader who reminded me to reprise that joke), Putney Town Regatta saw another iteration of the Novice 4+ (Henrik, Mustafa, Rupert, Ashley, Gigi) take to the water for the "Tier 3" event. Unfortunately they lost their race to a very fast Poplar/Globe composite who went on to win the event comfortably.
Steering update
A reminder that the club steering advice is generally not to go past the black buoy in normal training as there will be big barges navigating around Putney Pier at various times over the next couple of years.
June Racing plans
The Metwagon is off to Dorney on 2nd of June to test themselves against the big boys of the GB racing scene over 2k. A good step up from the local regattas and a first taste of 7-lane side-by-side for the crew. Best of luck chaps, and if anyone is in the Eton area, please do stop by and give the boys a cheer.
For the novice squad, the next regattas are:
- Peterborough 2nd June (TBC)
- Walton 9th June
- Barnes & Mortlake 16th June
- Richmond 30th June
Please get your availabilities updated to the end of June for training and racing so I can select combinations. After June, racing becomes a little more scarce, as it mostly involves travelling outside the M25 and towing a trailerful of boats off into the countryside somewhere.
Availabilities aren't currently looking great for Peterborough, as there's no combination that can get an outing in before the race weekend, and it's a slightly higher standard of competition than the local regattas we have been doing, so taking a scratch crew is not appropriate.
For Walton, I have eight currently showing as available; so hoping to get multiple crews out. Just need to find some coxes ... looking to race 4+ in the morning and the 8+ in the afternoon.
Ashley, Barry, Henrik, Kay, Magnus, Mustafa, Rupert, Tom.
Sculling Camp II - Sculling, Camper
After the April attempt fell through due to excess water in the river, the rescheduled camp is on the 9th/10th of June. Please fill in the doodle poll so we have an early indication of numbers.
Hoping to dovetail this with racing at Walton Regatta which is on the same stretch of river; we can base ourselves at the bungalow and head off to race for part of the day, and spend the rest of the day chilling out and learning to scull on calm waters. Also an opportunity to race some smaller boats at Weybridge Regatta on the Sunday for the more experienced of us.
Further Ahead
Friday 6th July - Henley Friday at Old Blades, Henley. Book the day off work now and stick it in the diary. A chance to air our highly fashionable club blazers.
Cygnet Ties (£25) and cufflinks (£15) are still in stock and available from me. Further details on picnicking to follow from Marj once she's finished wading through all the GDPR stuff :)
Novice Squad outings this week /end
Thursday 7pm - Barry, Mustafa, Henrik, Kay, coxed by Matt, coached by Alan.
Racers' erg of the week is 8 x 500m at 2k race pace. So minimum rate 26 (novices), or 28 (seniors) (or higher please!), but try to keep the pace even across all eight. If you did the 6x500m earlier in the season, you should have some idea of your personal target pacing.
2 minutes rest between pieces; if you're doing as a group, then 2 minutes after the last finisher of the previous piece.
Saturday 10am - Eric, Henrik, Mustafa, Rupert, Barry, coached by Alan. One of you to volunteer to learn the ropes (literally) in the coxing seat please.
Sunday 10am - Kay, Joris, Magnus, Mustafa, coxed by Matt.
Matt
Captain's Log 14/05
14th May 2018
Weekend report
Another win for the meatheads at Borne Regatta in open 4+. A hard fought semi against IC Medics, followed by a more straightforward final against Twickenham. Thoughts now turn to higher level competition and the crew are trying to shoehorn Met Regatta into their busy diaries. Watch this space.
Other weekend results included a win for the Veterans' 8 against Thames novices by minus 5 lengths after a late DQ, and a hard fought defeat for the quad against some pesky kids from next door at Emanuel who went on to win the event. Cris sculled valiantly in his single scull against a big lad from TTRC, and the Veterans 4x raced a threeway handicap against MAA and Twickenham.
Congrats to BBL for wins in Mas.2x and Open 4x.
It was wonderful to see so many Cygnets down to celebrate the naming of our newest four/quad, Neil Jackson. Many thanks to Neil and Tim for the Chateau Jacquesson champagne which was very favourably received by all. And thanks too to the quadsquad for manning the BBQ all afternoon.
Putney Town Regatta 19/5
Cygnet Novice 4+ (Ashley, Rupert, Mustafa, Henrik, Gigi)
SF of Tier 3 4s at 09.55 vs Globe/PBD with the final at 11.35
Meet at the club no later than 08.45 please. Course is Mile Post down to Race HQ at Ranelagh Sailing Club on Putney Embankment on the ebb tide.
Matt
Captain's Log 07/05
9th May 2018
Saturday
Borne Regatta - Draw and Timetable
Boat naming, 1.00pm
Formal christening of our newest 4- at the clubhouse, during the Borne lunch break. To be followed by a club BBQ during the afternoon. All welcome, including family and friends. Please let Cris know if you're planning to come along, to help with catering numbers.
Novice squad Outings this week
Tuesday: Barry, Rupert, Eric Henrik
Thursday: Barry, Tom B, Eric, Henrik
Coxing volunteers welcomed for both days
Smell The Pewter
Well done to the "meat cart" of Gareth, Ian, Nick, Sam and Hannah for winning Tier 1 Coxed Fours at Chiswick Regatta. Looking forward to more pots as the season progresses.
Obit
It is with great sadness I report that former Cygnet rower Derek van den Brink passed away last month. Derek rowed with the novice squad between 2006 and 2008, and I remember many long nights in the bar with good tequila being sunk well into the early hours.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nora-elizabeth-van-den-brink
Matt Byrne
Captain
Captain's Logette 20/04
20th April 2018
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 2018, Wear Sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, Sunscreen would be it.
After the snows and winds of March, and the cancellation of sculling camp due to red boards (now just about off yellows, two weeks later) the sun has made a long-overdue appearance this week. The novice and intermediate squads have enjoyed some evening outings over the last couple of weeks in varying combinations to prepare for the start of the regatta season which kicks off at Hammersmith Regatta on 28th April. If you're not racing, head up to the Blue Anchor (or the AK bar) and support the team. Draw out early next week.
for the diary:
28/4 Hammersmith Regatta
5/5 Chiswick Regatta
12/5 Boat Naming, Borne Regatta, and BBQ (more details in next week's update)
Matt
Captain's Easter Log
6th April 2018
[Easter Egg surely? It's Yule Log - Ed]
Hope everyone had a good Easter. To work off the eggs, this week's erg is 6 x 750m at 2k pace. If you want to do a second erg, then 3 x 5km UT2.
This week:
Thursday - squad meeting 7pm for everyone wanting to race this summer, followed by boat loading for sculling camp.
Saturday/Sunday - Sculling Camp at The Bungalow. No organised Tideway outings.
Sign up here to make sure we get enough food in: https://doodle.com/poll/4i9hanf269ryvtrh
The Thames is currently on red boards, so we're watching the EA website and hoping for at least a drop to yellows by Friday. If we have to call it off due to river conditions, then it'll be show and row at the boathouse at the usual times instead.
Matt
Captain's Log 26/03
27th March 2018
Race News:
A weekend full of exceptional racing and strong performances.
Cambridge served up a generous appetiser with a 4-0 drubbing of Oxford on the Saturday, before the main course of the Vets Head on Sunday. The peak performance of the day from the Cygnet Masters "E" crew finishing 19/29 in category just a few seconds behind our friends from Rudergesellschaft Benrath.
Thanks from Warsaw RC to Sam for being a last minute supersub.
I hope many beers were sunk in the bar over the weekend; haven't had any reports back yet, so assuming it was business as usual.
This week:
Thursday erg: 6 x 500m at 2k pace, followed by dinner (and/or pub)
Saturday/Sunday - outings dependent on availability; 8pm Wednesday cutoff on fitclub.
With the lighter evenings now, seniors should consider boat lights if you're taking out a club boat after work during April.
Next week:
Thursday night - squad meeting and boat loading for Sculling Camp
Sat/Sun 7/8 April - Sculling Camp at Shepperton.
Look out for the main Scamp email later this week. In the meantime - please sign up here to give me an indication of numbers. (WAGs & HABs and other family members also welcome to hang out at the bungalow)
Regatta Season: Also updated in the Rowing Calendar
H Hammersmith Regatta 28th April.
H Chiswick Regatta 5th May
A Wallingford Regatta 6th May (Seniors Only)
H Borne Regatta 12th May
H Putney Town Regatta 19th May
A Twickenham Regatta 26th May
A Peterborough Regatta 2/3 June
A Metropolitan Regatta 2/3 June (Seniors option)
A Walton Regatta 9th June
H Barnes & Mortlake Regatta 16th June
A Marlow Regatta 23rd June (Seniors Only)
A Henley Qualifiers 29th June (Seniors Only)
A Richmond Regatta 30th June
A Henley Regatta 4th July (Fingers crossed :))
Matt
Captain's Log 12/03
13th March 2018
Racing News:
Despite a forecast of wall to wall rain, a dry breezy HORR on Sunday saw Cygnet finish with a time of 21:16, 238th overall. Going off second in div5, Cambridge 99s came past early on, but nothing else threatened our serene progress towards the finish. The consensus view was of a good row, not bad for a scratch crew with only 1 outing under their belts.
A very large thank you to everyone who helped out with boating and hospitality over the weekend, with a special mention for Tom who seemed to be doing every job that came along.
This week:
Monday - weights
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - weights
Thursday - erg - 30 mins rate 24. + food from Sian - let her know if you're staying <sian_kunert[at] hotmail.co.uk>
Friday - off
Saturday - outings 7 & 10
Sunday - outings 7 & 10
Availabilities to be finalised by 8pm Wednesday, please!
Vets Head 25th March
Cygnet has entered a Masters "E" crew into the vets head. Draw should be out tomorrow evening.:
Paul R, Andy R, Nick R, Nick W, Iain G, Mike C, Jeremy P, Cris C, coxed by Hannah S from BBLRC.
There will be a call for boating helpers upcoming; please come and help (and cheer on the crew after, followed by drinks in the bar.) Our friends from Rudergesellschaft Benrath are also coming over from Germany to race (and drink in the bar).
Sculling Camp 7-8 April
We are still looking for a trailer towing person for Scamp on 6th-8th April, please let me know if you can help out. More details and sign-up sheet to follow.
Future Plans:
Not enough interest for a novice VIII at the Veterans Head, so we're going straight into regatta training. Expect lots of standing starts and multiple short pieces of up to 5 minutes each.
We have a good series of local regattas, every Saturday from 28th April to 26th May, so please get an idea of your availabilities into fitclub until the end of May to help the captaincy with crew selection and planning.
For the seniors, there is also the opportunity of Wallingford Regatta on Sunday 6th May.
I'm expecting the bulk of the HORR 8 to get some good quality outings in over the next six weeks; and with the return of Ian and Scott to the squad the club can test itself against the big boys over 2km. (Availabilities, please!)
If we commit to racing, Gareth has promised to do some coaching.
And finally
If you weren't still in the bar after 8pm on race day, you're not only letting yourself down, but you're letting the club down!
Matt
Captain's Log 05/03
6th March 2018
The snow melted and the wind abated just in time for weekend outings. Some decent paddling on flat water this weekend made a welcome change from the cancellation of Hammersmith Head the week before. Unfortunately the forecast is for more wind next weekend ...
Big congratulations and thanks to all those who were elected onto the Cygnet and Boathouse Exec committees over the last 2 weeks. The clubs literally couldn't run without their volunteers. The Captain Oates Award for perseverance in the face of adversity goes to Marj for heroically minuting both AGMs.
Weekly Ergs
Thursday - Everyone - 2 x 1km at 5k pace. 4min rest.
Nice and short, so no excuse for not mobilising properly beforehand ...
Tuesday - Non racers only - 3 x 5km UT2, 90s rest.
Heads Of The River Weekend, 10/11 March
No scheduled outings; do please come and cheer on BBL on Saturday and Cygnet on Sunday and join us in the bar afterwards for post-race banter and 6 nations rugby.
Still short of a launch driver for Sunday - let me know if you can help.
On a related note - if anyone has time for a launch fuel run this week before the heads, please could you do so and submit the bill to the club treasurer for reimbursement.
Veterans Head, 25th March
There are currently 4 people available on the fitclub, so as it stands there will be no novice 8 racing. Entries close at the end of the week, so I need to put the entry in by Thursday.
Sculling Camp, 7/8 April
Still looking for someone to tow the trailer down to Shepperton and back - please let me know if you can help. All you need is a trailer endorsement on your licence (B+E) and willingness to give it a go ... full moral support provided.
Kit Amnesty
If anyone has "acquired" a "spare" short sleeve cygnet tech top, size L, from the miscellaneous/uncollected kit box over the last 18 months or so, please let me know, so I can reunite it with its owner
Matt
Captain's Log 22/02
23rd February 2018
I'm away this weekend - Saturday problems to Cris, Sunday problems to Sam S.
- Saturday 7am for 7.30 on the water. Top of the tide. (High at 8am). Warm up to Chiswick Steps crossing, then spin and head up to UL with the flood tide. Back down to Chiswick Eyot and then home. UT2 (steady state) paddling - low rate 20, firmish pressure, working on finishing together and feeling like you have lots of time to extract the blade (together!) without rushing.
8+ (MAG) : Cris (cox), Alex, Vasil, Nick R, Niall, Barry, Eric, Bjarne, Ashley
4x (Cox) : Tom (steering), Jon B, Mustafa, Ranko
- Saturday 9.30am for 10.00 on the water. Work as per Alan's instructions.
Vets 8 (Marj), + Alex and Cris
8+ (MAG) : Niall (cox), Barry, Ashley, Magnus, Conor, Rupert, Joris, Mustafa, Kay, coached by Alan.
- Saturday 12 noon Club AGM - vote in the new committee and stand for any vacant positions.
- Sunday 7am for 7.30 on the water - make sure you're off the river by 9.15 (high tide) so you're well out of the way of race boating.
8+ (Marj): Becky (cox), Barry, Ashley, John S, Vasil, Ranko, Eric, Bjarne, Niall, coached by Sam S
1x/2x: Cris, Nick R
2x (Hamo): Laurent, Raph
- Sunday 10am (or in own time) - 5k erg test.
- Sunday 11am-12.30 - Hammersmith Head - cheer on the BBLRC crews racing and be glad you're not out there :)
Other news:
A Cygnet crew took to the water for some sparring against a BBLRC crew on Saturday morning. 2 hard pieces over the Hammersmith Head course were enjoyed by all; will try to set up another session for 3rd March.
The fitclub calendar is looking pretty sparse for the end of March; please get it filled in up to and including Vets Head on 25th March so we can decide if a novice 8+ is viable to enter.
Further ahead:
4/3 Boathouse Exec AGM - vote in another committee: this one keeps the water hot and the lights on inside the boathouse. Drawn from both clubs and always after new blood.
10/3 Women's Head - Come down and cheer on BBLRC whilst eating Cake
11/3 Head of the River - Cheer on Cygnet I
24/3 Boat Race - Cris and Niall will be in touch regarding watching from the club
25/3 Vets Head - Cheer on the Vets crews from both clubs, and the Cygnet Novices.
7/4-8/4 Sculling Camp - Learn to scull on still water in Shepperton. Looking for volunteers to tow the trailer, else we'll all have to spend 4 hours rowing up there.
Matt
Captain's Birthday Log 12/2
14th February 2018
Happy Birthday to Cygnet. 128 years young.
This week:
- Tuesday erg: 3 x 5km UT2
- Thursday erg: 30 mins rate 20
- Thursday lecture: club historian Paul Rawkins is giving a talk on Cygnet RC to the Barnes History Society. 8pm at St Marys Church in Barnes.
- Weekend: Final availability by Wednesday night please; outings at usual times (or thereabouts). Initially looks like Senior (ish) 8 Sat early, Novice 8 usual time, and a mixed bag of coxless boats Sunday early.
Further ahead:
25/2 Hammersmith Head - Novice 8
I can see 9 novices available for this: Kay, Joris, Mustafa, Eric, Tom, Magnus, Barry, Ashley, Rupert, and Becky to cox. Entries have to be in by Friday night, so can you all (or 8/9) please confirm back to me that you want to race before then and I'll get an entry put in. Training outings 10am Sat 17th and 24th, so do please make them if you can. (If you're not on the above list and want to race, also do let me know ...)
11/3 Head of the River - Senior 8
Crew is currently planned to line up as:
Niall, Sam, Nick R, Bjarne, Cris, Matt, Vasil, Alex. Cox TBC.
25/3 Veterans Head.
Anyone wanting to race Vets Head please fill in as available for the session on the fitclub. Initial plans was to race a novice 8 and the masters F crew. If we get three 8s wanting a race, we may be able to borrow a boat from another club, but that would need plenty of advance notice, so I'm going to set a deadline of Friday 23rd to show interest.
7/4-8/4 Spring Sculling Camp
In Shepperton, if we can find someone to tow the trailer there and back again. (Offers gratefully received). Otherwise we'll have to resort to a mass bungle-row.
Matt
Captain's Log 05/02
6th February 2018
Racing results:
The senior squad 8+ came 21st out of 27 in IM3 at Quintin Head on Saturday 27th January in a time of 11.59.3. A solid row but we were barged way out of the stream by a very rude Maidstone crew overtaking past the clubhouse.
The Masters F crew were just under a minute behind in 12:57.6
Full Results on the Quintin Head website.
Boat notes / Safety note:
Old Blades is out of action after an altercation with a large metal buoy up between Brentford and Syon. No personal injuries other than a couple of bruised egos. The boat will be sent off for mending in due course.
A reminder to all steers that the set of the tide is quite strong at the moment, even on a green PLA flag. Do please take extra care around the long-standing static hazards on the river.
This week:
Tuesday erg: 3x5km UT2
Thursday erg: 5x1500m at 5k pace minus 1 second.
(Reminder - If you only do one erg, do the Thursday piece)
Weekend outings: Plan will be made Wednesday lunchtime. Get any last-minute tweaks submitted before then
Further ahead :
Racing - Hammersmith Head 25/2, Eights Head of the River 11/3, Veterans Eights Head 25/3 - please get availability into fitclub up to the end of March if you're expecting to race. Entries are open and starting to fill up for all of these races; entries have to be in by the end of next week for the first 2.
Boating help required for Women's Head on 10/3 and men's head on 11/3 for non-racers. Please let me know if you can help with any of the below jobs on either day:
07.00 Trailer Parking
07.30 (x2) Numbers
08.15 Sat, 09.00 Sun (x6-8) Boating
08.00 Launch Driver until the end of the races (12/1pm)
Club AGM on Saturday 24th February - elect the new committee (and stand for any vacant positions) - nominations form should be up in the club by the time you read this.
Matt
Captain's Log 22/01
24th January 2018
Another solid weekend of training under the belts, and the Quintin Head crews got some valuable water time with minimal substitutions required.
This week:
Mon off
Tue weights
Wed erg 30 mins rate 20.
Thu weights
Fri off
Weekend plan:
Saturday - Quintin Head race - IM3 crew meet 0830 for pre-paddle at 0900
[Cris, Alex F, Eric, Matt, Niall, Ian S, Vasil, Sam, Gigi]
No other outings planned, but please give us a cheer in the race if you're in the area, and I'm reliably informed that some of the racers are planning to recount their exploits in the bar afterwards. Race start is 11.30; the IM3 crew is going off 90th and the Masters "F" crew at 121. BBLRC have crews at 195 and 212.
Sunday - outings 7.45 and 10.00. Alan will be down to coach the second one if we get enough of the novice squad signed up to it ... selection deadline is Thursday night.
Next week:
Switch-around for weeknight land training for the rest of term. Weights priority nights will now be Mon/Wed and ergs priority Tues/Thurs, with Thursdays being the focus for squad erging (and post-training dinner - see weekly emails from Cris for details).
Further Ahead:
Sunday 25th Feb - Hammersmith Head - target race for Novice squad - please get advance availabilities into the system up to the end of Feb so the captaincy can see if there's a viable crew for the race. (Can sign up for all outings, but focussing on the 10am sessions both days of the weekend to get coaching)
Sunday 11th March - Head Of The River - target race for Intermediate squad
Sunday 25th March - Vets Head - target race for the Vets squad
Matt
Captain's Log 15/01/2018
15th January 2018
Launch driving
If you are free to drive the club launch for Quintin Head on 27/1, Women's Head on 10/3, Eights Head on 11/3, or Vets Head on 25/3, please let me know. No prior experience or qualifications strictly necessary.
Training News and Term Plan
It was very heartening to see crews out working hard for every session this weekend; lets make sure we nail the training up to the big March Heads for optimal results.
Final availabilities for this weekend by 8pm Tuesday please.
The general plan for this term is:
Sat 27/1/18 11.30 Quintin Head (4km) - Seniors & Vets 8s entered.
Sun 25/2/18 11.00 Hammersmith Head (4km) - would like to get a novice 8+ together for this and maybe the Vets 8 as well. If the vets aren't racing then the seniors get another race chance.
Sun 11/3/18 10:45 Eights Head (7km) - Want to get 2 eights entered - 1 Seniors and 1 Novices
Sun 25/3/18 10:00 Veterans Eights Head (7km) - Vets 8 plus anyone else from the other squads who fancies a race.
Race News
The Quintin Head. Race start is 11.30 on Saturday 27th; do give us a cheer if you're in the area.
Senior crew: Cris, Alex F, Eric, Matt, Niall, Ian S, Vasil, Sam, Gigi
Vets Crew: Andy, Jez, Nick W, Rhodri, Iain G, Mike (TSS), Lawrence (TSS), Paul.
This week
Monday off
Tuesday weights
Wednesday 5 x 1500m erg, 3 min rest. at 5k pace -0.5s
Thursday weights
Friday off
Saturday 8am Quintin crew and other seniors outing.
Saturday 10am Quintin crew and novice outing coached by Alan
Sunday 8am, 10am - more outings
Matt
Captain's Yuletide Log
3rd January 2018
News:
Congratulations to Robin and Miranda Harries on the arrival of their new daughter over the festive break. Best wishes from all at Cygnet.
For those who missed the SGM before Christmas, the club agreed to purchase a new Janousek 4x/4-. Please send any naming suggestions to Marjorie.
This week:
Training as per the plan.
Please load availabilities for at least the rest of January onto Fitclub, or ideally through to Easter if you can, so the captaincy can work out how the race crews are likely to stack up. (Not set in stone; things do change along the way)
Final availability for the weekend by Wednesday night please; current numbers are 4,6,1,3 which doesn't bode well for much in the way of outings. I'd like to have a squad meeting at some point on Saturday morning as well.
For the new LTR chaps - I'd like to keep your focus on Saturday 10am outings, but do sign up for any of the others and we'll try to get you out in boats where we can.
Subs:
Annual subscriptions are now due:
£290 for CSSC members.
£360 for everyone else.
Thanks to those who have already paid up.
Matt
Captain's Log 3/12
4th December 2017
Scullers Head Results:
21:13 Robin
21:26 Nick
21:37 KTB (BBLRC)
21:38 Sam
21:50 Jez
22:12 Cris
Well done to all who raced; some solid results off what wasn't a huge amount of training for some of you.
This week:
Monday: erg 3 x 6km UT2
Wednesday: erg TBC
Weekend Availabilities by Tuesday night please.
Saturday: outings at 8am & 10am on the water.
Sunday: probably just one outing at 10am due to the BBLRC Xmas Party on Saturday night ... details of the Cygnet Saturday Afternoon Waddle to follow from the social sec ...
Matt
Captain's Log 27/11
29th November 2017
Four more training weeks until Christmas! Keep punching out those miles to gain the rewards in January.
This Saturday - Scullers Head. Helpers are needed for boating and de-boating; please let me know if you can help out (see separate email).
Cygnet are represented by a number of scullers on the start list:
92 - Cris
176 - Nick Rae
239 - Jez
265 - Robin
473 - Sam
482 - Charlie
485 - Guy
and to cheer on from BBLRC: 154 Sian, 165 KTB, 501 Sarah P.
Ergs:
Monday: 3 x 6km UT2
Wednesday: 30 min rate 20
Weekend outings:
Saturday is scullers head, the river is closed until 12.30
Sunday 7.46 and 10.00 on the water, coached by Kirsty.
Availabilities to fitclub.me by Wednesday night please.
Matt
Captain's Log 19/11
22nd November 2017
Housekeeping:
LTR guys - get signed up on www.fitclub.me and search for Cygnet if you haven't already. Then once approved, use the attendance page to sign up to the 10am weekend outings.
If you want to join in with the land training, then the Wednesday erg should be the first session to add (can do this any day if there are ergs spare, but it's good to join in with everyone else).
Everyone - weekend availability by Tuesday night please, so I can set crews on Wednesday.
This week:
Monday: Erg 4 x 5km UT2 (90s rest)
Tuesday: WeightsWednesday Erg 20 x 250m at 2k split minus 5 seconds (1 min rest)
Thursday: Weights, and LTR tank session with Alan
Friday: Off
Saturday: Outings 7.35 and 10.00 on the water
Sunday: Outings 7.36 and 10.00 on the water
Matt
Captain' Log 13/11
13th November 2017
Racing Post:
Vets 4s on Saturday; the B4x finished in 21:04, and the F4x in 23:05
Sunday's race the 4+ got 21:33.0 over the longer course, 21/25 in Tier 2 4+ (roughly IM1/2), their time would have put them 9/20 in Tier 3 (IM2/3 in old money).
Thanks to everyone who helped out with boating over the weekend, we couldn't host the 100+ clubs that we did without you.
Housekeeping:
We'll now be bringing the new LearnToRow intake into the main squad for outings 10am Saturday and Sunday - chaps please create an account on www.fitclub.me and request to join the Cygnet RC group. Once you've done that and been verified, the squad training plan will be available from the availability page. I then need you to indicate weekend availability by clicking the Y/N boxes on the availability page so that we can plan crews in advance and make sure we have enough people to fill the boat.
Final availabilities for the weekend by Thursday night this week to allow the LTR to get set up on the system. Back to Mon/Tues next week.
This week:
Monday Seniors/Novices Erg 3 x 5k
Tuesday Seniors/Novices Weights with Tim
Wednesday Seniors/Novices/LTR Erg 30 mins rate 20
Thursday Seniors/Novices Weights
Thursday LTR Tank with Alan
Friday OFF
Saturday/Sunday Seniors/Novices Outings meet 7am for 7.30 on the water
Saturday/Sunday Seniors/Novices/LTR Outings meet 9.30am for 10am on the water
Further ahead:
2/12 Scullers Head - let me know if you want to race
9/12 BBL Christmas party
TBC Plum Puddings Pieces
Matt
Captain's Log 06/11
7th November 2017
Racing post:
Nick Rae competed at Henley Long Distance Sculls on Saturday. Coming in in a time of 14:22, 5th/6 in Tier 3 1x and beating a couple of scullers from Tier 2 as well, a creditable debut performance. Onwards and upwards to Scullers Head!
This Saturday, we have 2 crews entered in Vets Fours Head, race starts at 10:00 and the B.4x of Cris, Bjarne, Niall and Vasil is going off 5th. The Chairman's invitational F.4x is going off 94th. (Golder, Rhodri, Rawkins, Wylie)
Please also give a cheer to old cygnet Stefan Jurczak who has brought his crew from AZS-AWF Warszawa over to race, they go off 22nd.
BBLRC have a big flotilla entered, crews numbers are 138, 143, 148, 175, 212, 220, and composite representation in numbers 184 and 192.
On Sunday it's the Fours Head Of The River, starting at 10:45. The meatwagon of Gigi, Robin, Ian, Scott L and Sam go off 344 in T2.4+, and there is also a BBL quad to cheer for at number 146.
Housekeeping:
No formal water outings this weekend for the non-racing squad, but Kirsty will be down on Saturday morning to put the meatwagon through their final pre-race session.
For the non-racers, there is still other fitness work to do, so please come down for 8am both mornings (and stay to watch the racing afterwards)
This week:
Monday 3 x 6k erg
Tuesday weights
Wednesday erg 4 x 750m @ 5k pace, 4' rest.
Thursday weights (not for race crews), plus "Lamb Thing" for dinner
Friday off
Weekend ergs and racing
Further ahead:
2/12 - Scullers Head
9th December - BBL Christmas Ball
TBA - Plum Puddings Pieces
Matt
Captain' Log 30/10
1st November 2017
Short and sharp this week:
Housekeeping
Final changes to availability by Tuesday night please for Weekend outings; please fill in a bit further ahead if you can, to help with race planning - http://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance?view=1
Anyone wanting to do a bit more coxing, please let me know which sessions you can do ...
This week
[Every Day - Mobilisation, Core]
Monday - Ergs 3 x 6km UT2, 90s rest
Tuesday - Weights and core
Wednesday - Erg 30 mins rate 20
Thursday - Weights and core
Friday - Off
Saturday - Outings 7am and 10.30am; LTR outing 9am
Good luck to Nick racing at the Henley Long Distance Sculls
Sunday - Outings 7am and 10am, coached by Kirsty
Further Ahead
Fours Heads 11/12 November
Scullers Head 2 December
Matt
Captain' Log 23/10
24th October 2017
Racing Post
I am pleased to announce the crews selected for the upcoming fours heads races over the weekend of 11/12 November
Veteran Fours Head
Mas.B.4x - Cris, Niall, Bjarne, Vasil
Mas.F.4x - Iain, Rhodri, Paul, Nick W
Fours Head
Open 4+ - Gigi, Robin, Ian, Scott, Sam
Also flying the club's colours will be Nick R in the Henley Long Distance Sculls on 4th November
Housekeeping
Final changes to availability by Tuesday night please for Weekend outings; please fill in a bit further ahead if you can, to help with race planning - http://www.fitclub.me/user/attendance?view=1
Anyone wanting to do a bit more coxing, please let me know which sessions you can do ...
This week
[Every Day - Mobilisation, Core]
Monday - Ergs 3 x 6km UT2, 90s rest
Tuesday - Core testing with Tim
Wednesday - Erg 5 x 1km at 5k pace (in pairs, so 100% rest if doing solo)
Thursday - Weights and core
Friday - Off
Saturday - Outings 7.30 am followed by 5k erg test , followed by Henley Lunch
Sunday - Outings 7am and 10am
Further Ahead
Henley LDS - 4th November
Fours Heads 11/12 November
Scullers Head 2 December
Matt Byrne
Captain's Log 15/10
22nd October 2017
Racing Post
Pairs Head provisional results:
15:33.2 - Bart/Gav - 6th in Mas.BC.2-
18:53.2 - Neil/Otters - 3rd in Mas.H.2x
19:51.1 - Chris/Tony - 4th in Mas.H.2x
Congrats to Jackie, Ali and Lesley from BBLRC on their provisional category wins.
BUNGALOW WORK PARTY - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
On the weekend 21/22 October, the Bungalow committee has arranged a working party to carry out some important upkeep so that the bungalow remains in tip top condition for next year, and is keen for any additional volunteers - please let Derek [ derek75@post.com] know if you can help out on either day.
Housekeeping
Final changes to availability by Monday night please
For Weekend outings; please fill in a bit further ahead if you can, to help with race planning - http://www.fitclub.me/club/dashboard?clubId=15
Crew selection priority now goes to 4s Heads crews to get in some outings together before the race, regular outings for the rest of the squad continue as normal.
Anyone wanting to do a bit more coxing, please let me know which sessions you can do ...
Note on land training priorities (number of regular sessions per week)
1. Short Erg.
2. Both Ergs.
3. Short Erg and Weights.
4. Both Ergs and Weights.
[ * weights are higher priority than long ergs, but only worth it if you do both sessions regularly. ]
This week
[Every Day - Mobilisation, Core]
Monday - Ergs 3 x 6km UT2, 90s rest
Tuesday - Weights and core
Wednesday - Erg 30' rate 20 AT
Thursday - Weights and core
Friday - Off
Saturday - Outings 7am & 10am, coached by Kirsty
Sunday - Outings 7am & 10am, coach TBC
Further Ahead
Core Testing with Tim - 24 October
5k Test and Henley Lunch - 28th October
Fours Heads - 11/12 November
Scullers Head - 2 December
Matt Byrne
Captain's Log 09/10
11th October 2017
Racing Post
A wet, windy, wintery day on the Rhine to make a change from the recent scorchers. Hoping for a sunnier one next year.
Rhine Marathon Results:
1. Cygnet Mas.C.4x/3.5x: 2h28 (Nick, Nick , Matt, BDF, Tichel )
A 9-minute PB for the club captain despite rowing the final 8km of the race with one blade. Maybe there is something to BDF's pre-race Fanta regime after all.
2. BBL W.Mas.F.4x : 2h34 (Phillippa, Jo, Ali, Jackie, Florian)
Gold medals for winning their category. Congratulations from all at Cygnet.
3. Cyg/BBL Mix.Mas.C.4x: 2h42 (Marj, Sue A nna , Cris, Neil, A. Steuermann)
A cracking debut race for supersub Anna, the mixed crew unfortunately suffered the worst of the wind on the day.
Sadly, many pigs lost their lives to provide sustenance for the party over the weekend , washed down with copious amounts of Altbier, Killepitsch, Applepitsch and Fanta.
Big thanks to the cheer squad of Julian S, Alan, Sian, Rob, Anna Sue , Lars, and Liz for their support, and to RG Benrath for their magnificent hospitality.
Official photos here (and on Facebook once I get round to sifting for Cygnet-themed ones)
http://www.rcgermania.de/marathonrudern/fotostrecken/marathonrudern-2017/
Housekeeping
Availability by Tuesday night please, for weekend outing plans. http://www.fitclub.me/club/dashboard?clubId=15
This week :
Monday - Ergs: 3 x 6 km UT2 , 90s rest
Tuesday - Strength and conditioning , refresher from TIM for those who missed the previous iterations.
Wednesday - Ergs: 15 x 500m in pairs, AT
Thursday - Strength and conditioning
Friday - Off
Saturday - Outing 7am, Squad meeting 9am, Pairs Head 12noon
Sunday - Outings 7am, 10am
Further Ahead :
Cygnet Henley Lunch, 28 October - see Stu/Cris emails for details
Veterans Fours Head, 11 November
Fours Head, 12 November (Minimum of 5 crew points)
Scullers Head, 2 December
Matt Byrne
Captain's Log 01/10
2nd October 2017
Brief Notes
Quiet morning on some lovely flat water today, reports coming in of a busy morning on some bumpy stuff yesterday. Keep putting in the miles and we'll reap the rewards come race time.
Next weekend sees a small contingent head off to visit our friends at Ruder-Gesellschaft Benrath for some Altbier and Killepitsch drinking, as well as a short* paddle** down the Rhine on Saturday morning. Looking forward to an evening Waddle around the Altstadt post-paddling.
2 Cygnet quads have been selected for the paddle (BDF, Wylie, Nick R, and your correspondent vs Cris, Marj, Neil, and Sue) and there's also an Elite Veteran 4x from BBLRC for us to try to keep pace with.
The following weekend sees the Pairs' Head of the River, with 2.5 Cygnet crews entered - Bart & Gav in MasB2-, Chris and Tony in MasH2x, and finally Neil J and Otters from Auriol Kensington, also in MasH2x.
Keep an eye out for the calls for volunteers to help with the upcoming head races - we'll need some hands to push off boats, herd trailers, and hold megaphones so the events can run smoothly.
* - 42km from Leverkusen to Dusseldorf.
** - race
Housekeeping
Availability by Monday night please, for weekend outing plans.
http://www.fitclub.me/club/dashboard?clubId=15
This week:
Monday - Ergs: 3 x 5km UT2 , 90s rest
Tuesday - Strength and conditioning
Wednesday - Ergs: 30' rate 20, AT
Thursday - Strength and conditioning
Friday - Off
Saturday - Outings usual times
Sunday - Outings usual times
Further Ahead :
Squad meeting - TBC
Cygnet Henley Lunch 28 October - or see Stu/Cris emails for details
Veterans Fours Head 11 November
Fours Head 12 November (Minimum of 5 crew points)
Scullers Head 2 December
Matt Byrne
Captain, Cygnet Rowing Club
Captain's Log 25/09
27th September 2017
A lovely sunny Sunday on the river for those who made it, a nice change from a grey Saturday. Good to see so many people enjoying Saturday mornings, but we need to push through to Sundays now if we want to go fast next summer.
As I'm a day late with this, availability by Tuesday night please for weekend outing plans. And remember that if you're not at the club on time, you may find that you've missed the boat. (And if you keep missing the boat, I'm going to stop picking you when there's someone else who's more likely to turn up available instead.)
Monday - Ergs 3 x 5k UT2
Tuesday - Weights
Wednesday - Erg 5 x 1km (pairs + 30s changeover) at 5k pace
Thursday - Weights
Saturday - Outings 7am, 10am
Sunday - Outings 7am, 10am
Matt Byrne
Captain, Cygnet Rowing Club
Captain's Log 17/09
21st September 2017
Brief Notes
Big thanks to Edward and Henry for adding some proper beef to the meatwagon for Saturday's outings. Scott and Ian have big shoes to fill when they return to the crew. http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/46788/millar-henry
More thanks to Varsha and Bjarne for stepping into the coxing seat this morning.
Housekeeping
Availability by Monday night please, for weekend outing plans. http://www.fitclub.me/club/dashboard?clubId=15
Racing poll: https://goo.gl/forms/wEwTysCHJUNDVu5U2
Do fill this in so the captaincy has an idea of who wants to race (& when)
Thanks for the replies received so far.
Anyone who still owes money for Scamp, or outstanding race fees, please transfer to the usual place: 09-01-55, 71834000.
Boats notes
The Lambe is out of action until we fit new slide wedges. To be done between outings on Saturday under Iain G's supervision.
The Collier should not be used as a 4x until a new rigger part arrives; one cracked stay needs replacing.
The Rawkins can now be re-rigged as a 4x as the new riggers have arrived.
The Cox is away for a refurb after its altercation with Barnes Bridge.
The RG Benrath is out of action after a seat disintegrated at S'Camp . New seat will be on order shortly.
This week :
Monday
Ergs: 3 x 5km, 90s rest (UT2, even pace across all 3 pieces).
Seniors - target 66% of 2k erg watts.
Tuesday
Strength and conditioning
Wednesday
Ergs: 30' rate 20, AT
(Remember we share the shed on Wednesdays, so do please start on one end and work inwards instead of spreading out, so both us and BBLRC can erg "en bloc")
Thursday
Strength and conditioning
Friday
Off
Saturday
Outings usual times
Sunday
Outings usual times
Further Ahead :
Rheinmarathonrudern 7 October
Pairs Head 14 October
Cygnet Henley Lunch 28 October - see Stu/Cris emails for details
Veterans Fours Head 11 November
Fours Head 12 November
Scullers Head 2 December
Matt Byrne
Captain, Cygnet Rowing Club
Captain's Log 10/9/17
11th September 2017
News in brief
Lots of happy S'Campers at the bungalow this weekend, despite some biblical rain and the odd thunderbolt. Congratulations to all the scullers and swimmers.
A couple of minor awards: the Adam Peaty award goes to Mark, for getting back to the bungalow before the rescue boat could get itself organised, and the Spongebob Squarepants award goes to Barry for first swimming and then getting caught out in a thunderstorm with a couple of BBLRC chaperones. Hope you've dried out now.
Lost and Found
Anyone who left kit at the bungalow; it might be back at the club in the men's changing rooms if you're lucky.
Housekeeping
Availability by Monday night please, for weekend outing plans. http://www.fitclub.me/club/dashboard?clubId=15
Anyone who still owes money for Scamp, or outstanding race fees, please transfer to the usual place: 09-01-55, 71834000.
Boats notes
The Lambe is out of action until we fit new slide wedges.
The Collier should not be used as a 4x until a new rigger part arrives; one cracked stay needs replacing.
The Rawkins can now be re-rigged as a 4x as the new riggers have arrived.
The Cox is away for a refurb after its altercation with Barnes Bridge.
The RG Benrath is out of action after a seat disintegrated at S'Camp
Racing
New poll here; sign up if you're interested in any of the pre-Christmas races. Not saying we're going to go to all (or any!) of them, but the captaincy needs to have an idea of how much racing the squad is interested in. The main focus is the fours heads on the weekend of 11/12 November as they're right outside our shutters.
We expect racers to be available for a couple of weekends before the races for training outings in the racing combinations, so filling in availability on Fitclub is an essential part of this winter planning.
Form: https://goo.gl/forms/wEwTysCHJUNDVu5U2
This week :
Monday
Ergs: 3 x 5km, 90s rest (UT2, even pace across all 3 pieces).
Seniors - target 66% of 2k erg watts.
Tuesday
Mobilisation and weights with Tim , I
Wednesday
Ergs: 16 x 500m in pairs
(Remember we share the shed on Wednesdays, so do please start on one end and work inwards instead of spreading out, so both us and BBLRC can erg "en bloc")
Thursday
Mobilisation and weights with Tim , II
(note this is not an alternative to Tuesday, but an additional session ...)
Friday
Off
Saturday
Outings usual times
Sunday
Outings usual times
Further Ahead :
Rheinmarathonrudern 7 October
Pairs Head 14 October
Cygnet Henley Lunch 28 October - see Stu/Cris emails for details
Veterans Fours Head 11 November
Fours Head 12 November
Scullers Head 2 December
Matt Byrne
Captain, Cygnet Rowing Club
Farewell to the Mountains
28th August 2017
News in brief:
A weekend of long miles, flat water and glorious sunshine by the river, and some coxing experience gains for Vasil, Tom, and Mustafa.
Time to hit the winter season running and push those base fitness levels up.
The weekend also saw a good-bye party for erstwhile Bar Steward, Killepitsch fiend, Jagerbomb pusher and occasional Cygnet rowing sub Katie Mountain (Cygnet racing record: P1, W1) and Cygnet club member Ian Mountain (race record: P lots, W3) as they head north to Cumbria. Best wishes for the future, and we look forward to arranging future training camps in the Lake District.
Social events
Friday evening - Cygnet end of season dinner. See Cris's email for details.
Saturday afternoon - Club Day - please sign up here so the social secretaries have a good idea of numbers: https://beta.doodle.
Fun sprint racing in mixed crews with BBLRC, BBQ and Beers in the sunshine
Further ahead at the end of October is the annual Henley Lunch. See http://www.cygnet-rc.org.
Housekeeping
No more organised weeknight outings as the nights are drawing in. Any evening scullers should take lights.
We're also looking to give the seniors and development squads experience of coxing and steering, so don't be surprised to find yourself in an unfamiliar seat on the outing plans. (Don't worry too much - we won't let you out unsupervised)
Availability
Weekends up to Christmas are now loaded into fitclub.me, so get clicking. http://www.fitclub.me/club/da
This coming weekend availabilities by Tuesday night please.
This week :
Tuesday
Seniors - core & weights
Novices - erg 10 x 500m at 2k pace, paired up.
Wednesday
CSBH to Latymer BH and back. First run of the season, so I'm expecting it to be in the region of 30-40 mins for me. Standard lamppost rules apply
Thursday
Seniors - erg 8km relays, teams of 4, 4 x 500m each.
Novices - erg 30' UT2 technical (or subbing into senior relay teams)
Friday
End of season dinner
Saturday
Whole Squad - Outings 7am, 10 am,
Club Day racing/beer/bbq, from 12.30pm
Sunday
Whole Squad - Outings 7am, 10am
Further Ahead:
Sculling Camp 9/10 September
Rheinmarathonrudern 7 October
Pairs Head 14 October
Cygnet Henley Lunch 28 October
Veterans Fours Head 11 November
Fours Head 12 November
Scullers Head 2 December
Winter is coming
21st August 2017
Bit of a wait between updates, so hoping you haven't been bereft of club news for too long.
Racing:
A win for the self-styled "meatwagon" at Peterborough Summer in Tier 2 4+ (somewhere around IM2/IM3 in recent coinage) wonderfully captured on film by 2nd placed Sheffield here: https://www.facebook.com
A good first win under the auspices of the new captaincy team, and we hope that the crew will be able to keep the winning mentality into the winter season with Pairs and Fours Heads coming up.
Unfortunately no pewterware to report from Oxford Regatta, but a good weekend of racing, drinking and camping was had by our most recent LTR graduates (and a couple of extras)
Please send any racing photos to the captain or webmaster for inclusion on the website.
Housekeeping:
Nights are now drawing in, so please strongly consider lights for evening outings, especially in cloudy weather.
Summer racing is now over, so we're looking to get crews lined up and training for the small boats heads between now and Christmas, as well as developing the LTR graduates through the novice squad; a new poll for race interest will be released shortly.
We're also looking to give the seniors and development squads experience of coxing and steering, so don't be surprised to find yourself in an unfamiliar seat on the outing plans. (Don't worry too much - we won't let you out unsupervised)
We're also going to re-organise the email distribution lists next week, so you may get a few emails from the google people.
This week:
Tuesday
Seniors - core & weights
Novices - erg 30' rate 20 UT1.
(keep the rate together as a group. working hard enough not to be able to chat easily.)
Wednesday
Seniors - outings, if we actually have anyone available. Only 3 on the sheet at the moment.
Seniors - erg 30' r20 AT
Novices - outing 7pm, coached by Alan.
Currently, availability gives us a 4+ of Kay, Eric, Ashley, Julian, coxed by Vasil. :)
Saturday
Seniors - Outings 7am, 10.30 am, +rigging/setup session
Novices - Outing 9 am
Seniors - Outings 7am, 10am, +rigging/setup session
Novices - Outing 10am
Further Ahead:
Cygnet End Of Season Dinner 1 September
Club Day BBQ and Mixed Racing 2 September
Sculling Camp 9/10 September
Rheinmarathonrudern 7 October
Pairs Head 14 October
Cygnet Henley Lunch 28 October
Veterans Fours Head 11 November
Fours Head 12 November
Scullers Head 2 December
Captain's Blog
30th July 2017
Racing Post:
No wins at Henley Town, but a good day out was had by all, despite the rain.
Also a belated well done to Ian S on his 1:27.26 in the Sprint distance at the London Triathlon last weekend, 425th/2283
Safety Note
Unfortunately, the "number of days since a Cygnet boat hit a bridge" counter had to be reset to zero yesterday, we'd nearly got to 3570. The Alan Cox is therefore out of action for the forseeable until he's been to the menders.
In unrelated news, the "number of days since Stu steered into a bridge" counter has also been set back to zero from somewhere around 3570 ... welcome back to the Tideway, Stu. The captaincy plans to ask the PLA to paint Barnes Bridge in a fluorescent shade of yellow to make it easier to spot.
Housekeeping
Please get the availability up to Oxford on 20th August
into the system by close of play on Monday
.This in case Tim is available to coach during the week. (Needless to say, we'll need Tues/Weds/Thurs availability for everyone to make outings work ...)
Race Plans
So far for Peterborough Regatta 12/13 Aug I have:
Robin, Ian, Scott, Sam. Anyone else in the senior squad want to race this? Last call for entries.
So far for Oxford Regatta 19/20 Aug from the spreadsheet I have: Jon, Ashley, Mark, Jim, Kay, Eric, Tom, Mustafa, Niall, Cris, Jez, Vasil, Charlie, Me. Please can you all confirm that you definitely want to race, and anyone not listed above who wants to race should let me know and update the spreadsheet. Anyone who can't (or won't) do both days to race please also let me know. Entries have to go in this week. If you haven't already, you'll need to join British Rowing and get gold membership in order to race.
Fitclub.me
We're also trialling a new web-based availability system for August, so please have a look at http://www.fitclub.me/club/
Tuesday
Seniors - weights
Novices - ergs 10 x 500m teams of 2 + 30' rest
Wednesday
Seniors - outings UT2 + starts and wind-ins
Thursday
Seniors - ergs 10 x 500m teams Novices - outing 7pm, coached by Alan.
Saturday
Seniors - Outings 7am, 10am
Novices - Outing10 am
Seniors - Outings 7am, 10am
Novices - Outing 10am
Further Ahead:
Peterborough Regatta 12/13 August
Oxford City Regatta 19/20 August
Cygnet End Of Season Dinner 1 September
Club Day BBQ and Mixed Racing 2 September
Sculling Camp 9/10 September
Rheinmarathonrudern 7 October
Pairs Head 14 October
Cygnet Henley Lunch 28 October
Veterans Fours Head 11 November
Fours Head 12 November
Scullers Head 2 December
Captain's Blog
24th July 2017
Racing Post:
On Saturday, a small but intrepid band of explorers travelled up the A1 to the wilds of Cambridgeshire in search of pewter. Sadly, the team returned empty handed; erstwhile captain Jez sportingly decided to give his oppo a couple of lengths at the start before losing by the diameter of a bowball (we await publication of the photofinish) and the beardy pair are reported to have had a mid-race incident with some shrubbery.
This Saturday, it's a trip to Henley for the novice 4+ (Anna, Niall, Cris, Jez, Vasil) and Jez/Cris warming up in a Masters D 2x. BBLRC are also sending a quad and half a pair to race. Draw is at:
http://www.henleytownregatta.
Housekeeping
Please get the availability up to this weekend into the system by close of play on Tuesday. (Ere long, this deadline will be rolled back to close of play Sunday, so I can combine weekly updates with outing plans.) Looking further ahead, we need your availability updated ASAP on the spreadsheet as far as Oxford City on 20th August, so that coach and captaincy can plan crews for that and Peterborough Regattas. (Entries for both close next week.)
We're also trialling a new web-based availability system for August, so please have a look at http://www.fitclub.me/ to create an account and request to join Cygnet RC. All the training sessions are loaded into the Cygnet calendar and it looks like a simple system to update and change on the fly.
This week:
Tuesday
Seniors - weights
HTV crew - outing
Novices - erg test with Tim (from 6.30pm)
Wednesday
Seniors - outings/ergs/cross-training
Seniors - ergs
HTV crew - outing and boat loading
Novices - outing 7pm, coached by Alan. Crew list to follow once the availability is better populated.
Saturday
Seniors - Outings 7am, 10.30am
Novices - Outing 9am
Seniors - Outings 7am, 10am
Novices - Outing 10am
Big thanks to Jez for leading the club for the last 2 years; let's keep pushing the envelope and continue on the upwards trajectory that we're on.
Cygnet Weekly Update
17th July 2017
All,
It was back to the Tideway for a full on training last weekend. It was good to have three coxed fours on the river on Saturday doing race pieces against each other, and it was good to see our bow loader the Peter Roche on the water for the first time in a while. The new novices are making big strides forwards and a good number made the Sunday outing and were rewarded by the excitement of six side by side race pieces against small boats. I can vouch for how hard that was for the single scullers!!! Keep this momentum and you guys should be ready for a season closing race at Oxford City on the 18th August.
It's St Neots regatta this weekend and a trailer loaded with Barnes Bridge and Cygnet boats is heading up the A1. Unfortunately a couple of our entries did not get races so our entries are thinner than expected:
Ex capn Jez MasE 1x heat at 10:24 vs Broxbourne
Sam and Robin Open 2- semi final at 15:30
So this week....
Tuesday Weights session/ race training outings followed by:
8pm Boat naming of our new single scull
8:15pm OGM to elect the new captaincy followed by ringing of the bell and consumption of a few celebratory drinks.
Wednesday Outings for race crews,
Thursday Novice outing meet at 7pm, 7:15 sharp OTW
Squad ergo - 10 x 500m in teams of 2 with 30 second change over
Boat loading for St Neots
Saturday
St Neots Regatta
For those not racing, please put your availability on the sheet so we can plan Tideway outings. We could combine novices with more experience rowers if numbers and mix are right to get further on the prep for Oxford City.
Sunday - meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Novices to join the main squad at 10am
Slightly further ahead is Henley T&V then Peterborough Regatta (12th August).
HT&V entries close at the weekend so if people want to race then they need to get organised really quickly and let me and the new captain know. There seems to have been a shift towards Peterborough, which is fine, but you need to keep the captaincy informed.
This is my final weekly update before I step down as Cygnet captain tomorrow. It's been a great privilege to have been captain for 2 years, thanks of all the support you've given me and the club and to all those who serve on committees behind the scenes to keep things working smoothly. There have been little minor crises when something breaks or we need someone to step into a crew at very short notice leading to "volunteer required" type email from me. And someone always does come forward, the boats get on the water, the kit gets fixed, the trailer gets driven to its destination. We've had a successful summer of pots, the squad is growing, we are getting leaner, fitter, better looking... The future for Cygnet is rosy blue.
I wish the incoming captaincy every success.
See you at the OGM tomorrow,
Jez
Cygnet weekly Update
10th July 2017
Hi All,
There was more regatta action at the weekend at Kingston and another win to report. In IM3 Single Sculls Dave French got through his heat comfortably to get to the final where he beat the very experienced sculler Mike de Poali in the final by 2 lengths in a fast time that matched that of the IM1 winner in the next race. Dave clearly has more wins within his reach!!!
The two coxed four crews both record wins in heats but missed out on pots. The Nov 4+ of Anna Niall, Nick and Vasil beat Putney Town and Kingston comfortably in their semi final but came against a very quick Kingston crew in the final. It was side by side till the mid point of the race but Kingston had the stronger finish to take the pewter. The all conquering IM3 4+ of Marj Sam Scott Ian and Robin won through their heat against Oxford Academicals comfortably enough by four lengths but were narrowly beaten by 1 1/3 lengths in a very fast semi final by Vesta who went on win the final against another Vesta crew. But it's good to be slugging it out in very competitive races with the like of Vesta and leaving our other Tideway revivals behind.
Back on the Tideway, we welcomed new cox Catrin Beetham to the club for the summer vaction from Durham University. We are always extremely grateful to coxes and promise to obey her every command and in return she will become super knowledgeable about the Tideway and the racing line when she is coxing for Durham in Head of the River. And welcome too to Ranko Berich. Ranko is from Auckland, NZ and comes with that competitive kiwi spirit so you'd better watch out for him on 2k erg tests.
This week...
Tuesday
Weights session
Wednesday
Meet at 7, OTW at 7:15. Novice outing with Alan (note the change of evening, Alan is not around on Thursday hence the switch of evening). Please update the availability sheet for Wednesday.
Thursday
7pm Squad ergo - TBC
Any novices wanting to join in please feel welcome to come to this session
Saturday
Main squad outing, meet at club 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Preparation for St Neots and Henly T&V regattas
Novices meet at 9, OTW at 9:30. We want to start building towards Oxford City Regatta. It looks from the responses so far that we should be able to race a novice 8 there, but we need to get as well prepared as possible, maximising water time and getting used to rowing at higher stroke rates.
Sunday
Main squad outing, meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30.
Novices are encourages to come and join the second outing (10 fro 10:30). Please put your availability on the sheet so we can plan the crews.
Slightly Further Ahead
St Neots regatta, 22nd July
Final call for those wanting to enter races.
So far I have for Saturday (entries submitted)
Sam and Robin Open 2-,
Jez Mas E 1x,
Cris Open 1x,
Sam Open 1x
Jez and Cris Mas D 2x
Tom and Matt, you said you were interested in the regatta, should I put your names forward to BBL for mixed races?
Anyone else interested in mixed races? You need to tell me soon!!!
Henley Town and Visitors Regatta 29th July
I have the following who said they wanted to race, but I suspect this may have changed. Please update me on your status as we need to put crews together v soon.
David, Jeremy, Sam, Cristobal, Barry, Scott, Robin, Tom, Matt
Tuesday 18th July Ordinary General Meeting
This is the meeting to elect the new captaincy to look after you all and the club for the next 12 months. We will also be naming our new single scull. So there are many reasons to come down and share a drink with the new and old captaincy and whet the boat's bows.
Have a good week, see you at the club soon,
Jez
Cygnet News
4th July 2017
Hi All,
I got a full run down of our victory at Richmond and I don't think I did justice to the performance of the crew is last week's newsletter. The Putney Town crew that Marj, Sam, Scott, Ian and Robin beat were just back from racing in the Henley Qualifiers in a shiny bow loader Empacher with carbon fibre wing riggers and having seen of Vesta's IM3 crew in the semi. Cygnet did not get their best start, but recovered quickly and pulled out ahead of PTRC in the first half of the race and being strong enough to hold off PTRC's push to the finish. I know how much our crew put their bodies on the line to win their first IM3 regatta and what a step up it was from their novice win two weeks ago. It is great to be beating our local rivals and to see just how much our competitiveness has improved and it all bodes well for the future of Cygnet and we can set our sights on Henley next year. It's a reward for those long outings up to Eel Pie Island, for seat racing at Dorney in darkest January, double sessions, 2K tests and is a win for the whole club, coaches, coxes, rowers, the improvement is reflected throughout the club.
We are into the second half of the regatta season with Kingston this Saturday, St Neots on the 22/23rd July, Henley T&V on the 29th July and Oxford City on the 19th August. Let's get some more pots and more rowers denovicing before the end of the season. We have two 4+ entries and Dave racing 1x at Kingston on Saturday, best of luck to all of them.
Over the next few days we want to put the crews together and entered for St Neots and H T&V, there poll showed a good response for both of these, I'll send out a separate communication about these but I'd encourage everyone who can to get out and race. Barnes Bridge Ladies are interested in mixed racing at St Neots which gives a chance for those who've not raced before to get their first taste of it. And for our new novices, Oxford City comes at the right time to get your first race. So help the captaincy and the club by keeping the momentum going and getting as many crews as we can in these races.
Looking further ahead, we will start our next learn to row course early September, if you know anyone who could be interested please help in the recruitment for this. Likely start date is the 9th September, running for 8 weeks,
So, this week,
Tuesday
Weights/core (unsupervised)
Wednesday
Outings for Kingston crews (self organised)
Thursday
Squad ergo 6 x 500m at 2k pace 5 min rest
Novice water outing meet at 7, OTW at 7:15, Alan coaching, Jez coxing.
Please get your availability up to date so we can fix the crew...
Saturday
Kingston Regatta (draw here)
Non racers, get your availability up to date and we will see what combos we can get on the water,
Novice outing: meet at 9:00, OTW at 9:30 - With the main squad off racing, we can make this a longer outings but I need your availability in order to plan things. Only 4 entries on the spreadsheet so far!!!!
Sunday
Main Squad meet at 7:05 OTW at 7:30, focus on St Neots and H T&V crews
Boat set up with Tim during break.
We are having a great season, lets keep the effort going and win as many pots as we can in the coming weeks.
Have a good week everyone,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
28th June 2017
All,
More good news to report from Richmond Regatta where Marj, Sam, Scott, Ian and Robin beat Putney Town by a length and a quarter to record back-to-back wins and their first at IM3. It is really satisfying to beat one of our local rivals who had beaten Vesta in the semi final showing the progress we've made as a club.
And well done to Cris who won his Nov 1x heat, so that time practising starts and high rate pieces paid off.
Next up is Kingston Regatta on the 8th July, our IM3 4+ is entered, any other takers before entries close?
This week:
Wednesday:
Kingston crews outings if possible
Thursday:
Squad ergo at 7pm 1250m, 1000m, 750m, 500m @ 2k pace, 5 min rest
Novices - I only have Jon, Jim and Ashley down as available, so unless something changes quickly, can you join the squad ergo.
Saturday:
Main squad meet at 7:05, 7:30 OTW focus on preparation for Kingston
Novices: Plan is to meet at 9, OTW at 9:30, but right now only Ashley has provided his availability, so please complete it asap.
Sunday:
Main squad meet at 7:05, 7:30 OTW focus on preparation for Kingston
I hope those going to Old Blades at Henley on Friday have a great day, sorry that I can't be there but I'll be thinking of you as I hike up and down the Alps.
Have a good week
Jez
Len Hugget
20th June 2017
Len Huggett
29th March 1930 - 16th June 2017
Len Huggett, who has died at the age of 87, was one of the paid-up members of the 'Last of the Summer Wine' set who gathered at the Boathouse every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, pontificating on the world through an alcoholic haze. Collectively and individually, they were a near perfect replica of the TV series of the same name. While there was never any doubt who 'Foggy' was (John Bull), a number of candidates vied for the role of 'Compo', not least Len and Mike AG.
Born in 1930, Len Huggett grew up in Stoke Newington and Edmonton amid the urban bomb sites of World War Two and the austerity years that followed. Upon leaving school at sixteen, Len joined the Central Telegraph Office in 1946, part of the Post Office, before doing two years National Service in
the RAF.
Following his 'demob' in 1950, Len returned to the Post Office and soon started devoting his leisure hours to Crescent Rowing Club, which was based on the River Lee in East London. Like Cygnet, Crescent was allied to the Post Office and it was here that Len would strike up life-long friendships with the likes of John Ellis and Peter Bailey, both of whom remain Friends of Cygnet.
Given the limited boating facilities on the Lee, Crescent members were often invited to Cygnet to gain experience of rowing in Vllls on the Tidal Thames and to make up crews for the Head season. Crescent also competed regularly in the Civil Service Regatta and was a force to be reckoned with in the 1920s and 30s. Over time, ambitious young Crescent members often defected to Cygnet and Len duly followed suit in the late 1950s. The first photograph we have of a young Len Huggett afloat was taken in 1959 and shows him seated at two in a Cygnet Vlll at Kingston Regatta.
The 1960s were not an auspicious time for Cygnet and regatta victories were relatively few and far between. Nonetheless, the era was not without its high spots. Thus, in 1961 Len stroked a Junior Eight to victory at the Metropolitan Regatta and subsequent years often found him stroking Junior-Senior Vllls at local regattas, some successful, some not. Among the regattas he often used to wax lyrical about were the Welsh Harp and the Serpentine. Like so many of us, Len did his time as club captain, in 1966. His rowing 'swan song' came in 1973 when, rowing in a coxed lV with Roy Ellison, Peter Jeffs, Peter Roche and Robert Henry (cox), he won at Vesta International Veterans' Regatta, beating Barclays Bank and Frankfurt.
Although not a confirmed bachelor as such, despite having several long-term relationships Len never took the plunge and tied the knot. His friends would probably argue that 'no woman would have him' and, in truth, he was a contrarian to his core, impossible to pin down to any commitment large or small. Yet, through it all he remained a dedicated member of Cygnet, immensely kind to his friends and wholly unpredictable, often turning up out-of-the-blue at regattas far from home - St Neots was one of his favourites. And, no matter where you were, Len always knew of a hostelry just around the corner or in a far-flung country lane.
A North London boy through and through, Len lived at home in Edmonton with his parents until their demise in the late-1980s. Then, in 1993, on a whim (and allegedly after a late night with Mike Arnold-Gilliat), he ventured down to Henley-on-Thames to visit the Club's late president, Peter Sly. Sly took Len to see his late mother-in-law's house in Greys Road, Henley, which had recently gone on the market. Much to Sly's surprise, Len agreed to buy the house on the spot: it was probably the biggest decision he had ever made in his life.
Len would spend the remaining twenty four years of his life in this house; few people ever saw the interior and he rarely drew back the curtains. Nevertheless, living in Henley actually suited Len quite well. Friends often visited and there was no shortage of agreeable hostelries nearby. He, in turn, was a frequent visitor at 'Old Blades', the Sly residence, and would never tire of relating the story of how in 1977 he alerted Peter Sly to an auction of two old workmen's cottages on the Henley reach that would ultimately be reborn as 'Old Blades'.
Like so many of his generation, Len Huggett remained fiercely independent, living alone until the very end, despite having suffered several strokes. In reality, of course, the Cygnet safety net was always close at hand, with Pat, Pru and Oscar Sly increasingly alert to Len's wellbeing in later years.
For many of us, our abiding memory of Len Huggett in his twilight years will have been of him 'holding court' on the patio at 'Old Blades' on Henley Regatta Friday - he would never commit to going, but he always turned up, contrarian to the last, and invariably pronounced it to be 'a lovely old day'.
Paul Rawkins,
20th June 2017
Please feel free to share your memories of Len using the Comments box, below.
(Len is at 2 in this VIII from Kingston Regatta 1959)
Cygnet Weekly Update
20th June 2017
All,
No regattas last weekend but an lot of excellent race training on both Saturday and Sunday with Tim. The new novice squad is coming along in leaps and bounds and have moved on to racing starts and rowing at race like rating, there is no reason why you guys can't make your racing debuts before the end of the regatta season.
Our new sculling blades are painted up in the club colours and ready for use, thanks to Neil, Iain and Scott for sorting that out and we now have a brand new 80kg single scull sitting on the racks waiting for a name and number all of which is in progress.
This weekend is Richmond Regatta which is on the same course as Twickenham Regatta just up river of Richmond. We have two boats racing, our newly promoted IM3 4+ (Sam, Scott, Ian, Robin) which has a bye to the final at 13:18 against either Putney Town or Kingston and Cris in Nov1x in his heat at 8:46 against Kingston.
So this week....
Tuesday
Weights
Wednesday
Richmond crews outings
Thursday
Novice outing with Alan, meet at 7:00pm on the water at 7:15 - lots of blanks on the spreadsheet, please update it asap if you want to get out on the water.
Squad ergo 3 x 750m at 2k pace 5 min rest, 10 min cool down
Boat loading for Richmond
Saturday
Richmond Regatta for race crews and spectators
Outings on the Tideway will depend on how many rowers are available. So far I only have Vasil, Niall and Barry from the main squad and Kay, Mark and Leon from the novice squad. So please complete your availability asap so we can make plans.
Sunday
Main squad meet at 7:05 OTW at 7:30, focus on race training for Kingston Regatta on the 8th July.
A few more points...
I will be trailering the boats to Richmond on Friday evening but will need 2 people to help me push the trailer in position and avoid trees and other obstacles when manoeuvring the trailer. Volunteers please.
Saturday
A cox is required for the novice outing at 9:30, don' be shy...
Steering: We talked about learning to steer after the novice outing on Saturday, here is some essential reading in the Rowing Code which gives you the navigational rules for Tideway rowing.
Henley Friday
30th June, Old Blades Henley. You should all have heard about this from Marj, it's a great day out the top enclosure on the Royal Regatta course, well worth taking a day off work, If you've not received the details let me know.
Upcoming regattas
Kingston - 8th July, St Neots - 22/23rd July, Henley Town and Visitors - 29th July.
We have good numbers for St Neots and HT&V and will be putting crews together soon, We could team up with Barnes Bridge as we traditionally have done for mixed races which gives a chance for everyone to get a race.
That's all for now
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
12th June 2017
Dear Cygnets
I'm extremely happy to report a Cygnet win at Barnes and Mortlake regatta on Saturday with Gareth, Sam, Scott, Ian and Robin winning the Nov4+ category and de-novicing in the process. Congratulations to all of them, it's been a while coming and is a fair reward for the effort they have put in on and off the water. Tim's focus on race pieces and especially starts has paid dividends and the crew looks like a bona fide racing outfit with skill and aggression to win races and regattas. For the record they beat Parrs Priory in the semi final and LVS Ascott in the final, both by more than two lengths. The celebrations went on long after the race and booted beer sales back at the club (and neurofen on Sunday). Thirsty work it is winning regattas.
A mention should be made of our other entrants who also did themselves justice. Marj Bjarne, Cris, Niall and Vasil were second out of 3 in their semi final, easily beating Eastbourne College and losing by less than a length to Ascott. This crew has improved so much over the summer as a result of the commitment they've put in and time spent on the water together and we hope they will denovice before the season in out.
And BDF made the final of IM3 1x in his first race in this category and gave the winner a close tough race and I'm confident of more pots for Dave over the summer.
Next up is Richmond Regatta on the 24th June.
So back to the day job, this week:
Tuesday: Core and weights (unsupervised) 7pm
Wednesday: Richmond Crews training outing
Thursday: Novice outing at 7pm - please complete you availability so we can fix the crew
Squad ergo at 7pm, work to be confirmed
Saturday: Main squad, focus on prep for Richmond Regatta
Meet at 7:05, 7:30 on the water
Novices meet at 9:00, 9:30 OTW
Novices please note you will be coached by Tim on Saturday. Tim has rule that if you are late then you do 100 pressups. If you are late a second time then the rest of the crew do 100 pressups, late a third time and the crew take their revenge!
Sunday Main squad, focus on prep for Richmond Regatta
Meet at 7:05, 7:30 on the water
Finally it's really a great job for the captain to report wins to the rest of the club. There was no luck involved in the crew winning, it was a result of commitment and consistency under Tim's coaching. That's the key to success, so let's carry on working hard and winning pots.
Have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
12th June 2017
Dear Cygnets
I'm extremely happy to report a Cygnet win at Barnes and Mortlake regatta on Saturday with Gareth, Sam, Scott, Ian and Robin winning the Nov4+ category and de-novicing in the process. Congratulations to all of them, it's been a while coming and is a fair reward for the effort they have put in on and off the water. Tim's focus on race pieces and especially starts has paid dividends and the crew looks like a bona fide racing outfit with skill and aggression to win races and regattas. For the record they beat Parrs Priory in the semi final and LVS Ascott in the final, both by more than two lengths. The celebrations went on long after the race and booted beer sales back at the club (and neurofen on Sunday). Thirsty work it is winning regattas.
A mention should be made of our other entrants who also did themselves justice. Marj Bjarne, Cris, Niall and Vasil were second out of 3 in their semi final, easily beating Eastbourne College and losing by less than a length to Ascott. This crew has improved so much over the summer as a result of the commitment they've put in and time spent on the water together and we hope they will denovice before the season in out.
And BDF made the final of IM3 1x in his first race in this category and gave the winner a close tough race and I'm confident of more pots for Dave over the summer.
Next up is Richmond Regatta on the 24th June.
So back to the day job, this week:
Tuesday: Core and weights (unsupervised) 7pm
Wednesday: Richmond Crews training outing
Thursday: Novice outing at 7pm - please complete you availability so we can fix the crew
Squad ergo at 7pm, work to be confirmed
Saturday: Main squad, focus on prep for Richmond Regatta
Meet at 7:05, 7:30 on the water
Novices meet at 9:00, 9:30 OTW
Novices please note you will be coached by Tim on Saturday. Tim has rule that if you are late then you do 100 pressups. If you are late a second time then the rest of the crew do 100 pressups, late a third time and the crew take their revenge!
Sunday Main squad, focus on prep for Richmond Regatta
Meet at 7:05, 7:30 on the water
Finally it's really a great job for the captain to report wins to the rest of the club. There was no luck involved in the crew winning, it was a result of commitment and consistency under Tim's coaching. That's the key to success, so let's carry on working hard and winning pots.
Have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
6th June 2017
All,
Firstly congratulations to Tim on the birth of baby Josephine on Friday, mum and baby are doing well and Tim seems pretty much ok on very little sleep.
It was a great weekend of race training on Saturday and Sunday with the two race crews for Barnes and Mortlake honing their starts amongst other race drills. The river was quiet enough for a series of side by side starts with honours pretty even between the two crews. They are racing in the same event on Saturday so bragging rights are certainly going to be fought hard over. The new novices had their first post LTR outings and there are clear signs of developing skills and increasing control over the 8. Racing starts for you guys next.
So this Saturday is Barnes and Mortlake "International" Regatta, the last of the summer regattas on our local stretch of river. It is based out of Mortlake Anglian and Alpha club just up river of Chiswick Bridge (for anyone who doesn't already know). We have two Novice 4+ racing (Sam, Scott, Ian, Robin, and Bjarne, Cris, Niall and Vasil) and Dave in IM3 single sculls. Do come down to MAA to watch. I'll let you know the race times once the draw is out.
Bjarne's crew is still looking for a cox for the day, so if you can help out please let me and Cristobal know.
So this week....
Wednesday:
Race training outings for race crews at 7pm focusing on starts, starts and more starts.
Thursday:
Squad ergos 6 x 500m with 2 min rest
Novice outing, meet at 7pm OTW by 7:15 at the latest. Make sure your availability is bang up to date and put the crew listing out tomorrow.
Saturday:
Barnes and Mortlake Regatta
For those not racing, squad outings meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Novice Squad, Meet at 9, on the water at 9:30, crew listing will be put out on Thursday
Sunday:
7:05 meet at the club, 7:30 on the water
The focus will be preparing for Richmond Regatta (24th June) and giving the prospective crews more race and start training.
That's all for now, have a good week, see you at the club soon,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
6th June 2017
All,
Firstly congratulations to Tim on the birth of baby Josephine on Friday, mum and baby are doing well and Tim seems pretty much ok on very little sleep.
It was a great weekend of race training on Saturday and Sunday with the two race crews for Barnes and Mortlake honing their starts amongst other race drills. The river was quiet enough for a series of side by side starts with honours pretty even between the two crews. They are racing in the same event on Saturday so bragging rights are certainly going to be fought hard over. The new novices had their first post LTR outings and there are clear signs of developing skills and increasing control over the 8. Racing starts for you guys next.
So this Saturday is Barnes and Mortlake "International" Regatta, the last of the summer regattas on our local stretch of river. It is based out of Mortlake Anglian and Alpha club just up river of Chiswick Bridge (for anyone who doesn't already know). We have two Novice 4+ racing (Sam, Scott, Ian, Robin, and Bjarne, Cris, Niall and Vasil) and Dave in IM3 single sculls. Do come down to MAA to watch. I'll let you know the race times once the draw is out.
Bjarne's crew is still looking for a cox for the day, so if you can help out please let me and Cristobal know.
So this week....
Wednesday:
Race training outings for race crews at 7pm focusing on starts, starts and more starts.
Thursday:
Squad ergos 6 x 500m with 2 min rest
Novice outing, meet at 7pm OTW by 7:15 at the latest. Make sure your availability is bang up to date and put the crew listing out tomorrow.
Saturday:
Barnes and Mortlake Regatta
For those not racing, squad outings meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Novice Squad, Meet at 9, on the water at 9:30, crew listing will be put out on Thursday
Sunday:
7:05 meet at the club, 7:30 on the water
The focus will be preparing for Richmond Regatta (24th June) and giving the prospective crews more race and start training.
That's all for now, have a good week, see you at the club soon,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
31st May 2017
All,
It was a lovely if breezy day for Twickenham Regatta, few more picturesque places to race and spectate. Well done to Cris, Vasil, Niall and Bjarne for beating a much bigger Twickenham crew in their heat, after racing side by side for the first two thirds of the course pulled clear in the home stretch to win by a couple of length showing that superior technique and fitness beats brawn. They put in a very creditable row in the semi but eventually losing out to a strong AK crew who went on the win the final. It was Bjarne and Niall's first regatta and just shows how much they have developed as a result of the time spent on the water in the past months.
Cris, Robin and I all had a crack in our singles but came up against stronger opposition on the day. Robin had the most adventurous race, with a collision 10 strokes or so into the race after Robin had got a flying start and taken back the stagger from his Upper Thames oppo. The race has to be restarted the umpire very generously not penalising the Upper Thames rower for taking Robin out. No clash on the re-run but no win either for Robin. Novice 1x is soooo tough when you come against big senior rowers turning their hand to sculling.
Next up is Barnes and Mortlake "International" Regatta on the 10th June, the last of our local Tideway regattas. We've entered two Novice 4+ crews - provisionally Cris, Vasil, Niall, Bjarne and Robin, Ian S, Scott and Sam. If anyone wants to double up in another event or anyone else wants to race in another category please let me know so I can get the entries in this week. The more water time these two lineups get between now and race day the better. Both crews are clearly competitive and there is a great opportunity to de-novice one of them on the 10th.
The Learn to Row course ended on Sunday with their final outing followed by a BBQ organised by Cris. They have been a really enthusiastic and positive group who've got plenty of water time to get to grips with the basics. We've asked them all to join the club as full members and it would be great to see them join to become our new novice squad and continue their development. There is no reason why they can't aim at a regatta later in the summer to cut their racing teeth. We plan to continue the outings for this group on Thursday evenings and Saturdays, but we do ask that you sign up as members and complete the membership form as the next step. I will add you names to the month by month availability pages along with the rest of the squad for you to fill in your availability for the Thursday and Saturday sessions. This is a simple but important piece of admin to be done weekly so we can plan outings and put crews together so everyone gets out on the water. We are looking forward to having you as part of the club and seeing you race in Cygnet colours.
So, this week....
Tuesday 7pm Weights session (unsupervised)
Wednesday Outings for Barnes and Mortlake crews. Can you liaise amongst yourselves about availability. I am happy to cox one on the crews, let me know if you need me.
Thursday 7pm Squad Ergo 750m + 500m at 2k pace, 5 min rest
Thursday 7pm Ex LTR Outing - please complete your availability here by Wednesday 6 pm.
Saturday Main squad meet at 7:05, OTW by 7:30
Focus on preparation for Barnes and Mortlake Regatta so please make sure your availability is up to date and race crews maximise their water time!!!!
Novice squad, meet at 9:00, OTW at 9:30
Sunday Main squad meet at 7:05, OTW by 7:30
Sculling ladder and race preparation.
That's all for now, see you at the club soon,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
31st May 2017
All,
It was a lovely if breezy day for Twickenham Regatta, few more picturesque places to race and spectate. Well done to Cris, Vasil, Niall and Bjarne for beating a much bigger Twickenham crew in their heat, after racing side by side for the first two thirds of the course pulled clear in the home stretch to win by a couple of length showing that superior technique and fitness beats brawn. They put in a very creditable row in the semi but eventually losing out to a strong AK crew who went on the win the final. It was Bjarne and Niall's first regatta and just shows how much they have developed as a result of the time spent on the water in the past months.
Cris, Robin and I all had a crack in our singles but came up against stronger opposition on the day. Robin had the most adventurous race, with a collision 10 strokes or so into the race after Robin had got a flying start and taken back the stagger from his Upper Thames oppo. The race has to be restarted the umpire very generously not penalising the Upper Thames rower for taking Robin out. No clash on the re-run but no win either for Robin. Novice 1x is soooo tough when you come against big senior rowers turning their hand to sculling.
Next up is Barnes and Mortlake "International" Regatta on the 10th June, the last of our local Tideway regattas. We've entered two Novice 4+ crews - provisionally Cris, Vasil, Niall, Bjarne and Robin, Ian S, Scott and Sam. If anyone wants to double up in another event or anyone else wants to race in another category please let me know so I can get the entries in this week. The more water time these two lineups get between now and race day the better. Both crews are clearly competitive and there is a great opportunity to de-novice one of them on the 10th.
The Learn to Row course ended on Sunday with their final outing followed by a BBQ organised by Cris. They have been a really enthusiastic and positive group who've got plenty of water time to get to grips with the basics. We've asked them all to join the club as full members and it would be great to see them join to become our new novice squad and continue their development. There is no reason why they can't aim at a regatta later in the summer to cut their racing teeth. We plan to continue the outings for this group on Thursday evenings and Saturdays, but we do ask that you sign up as members and complete the membership form as the next step. I will add you names to the month by month availability pages along with the rest of the squad for you to fill in your availability for the Thursday and Saturday sessions. This is a simple but important piece of admin to be done weekly so we can plan outings and put crews together so everyone gets out on the water. We are looking forward to having you as part of the club and seeing you race in Cygnet colours.
So, this week....
Tuesday 7pm Weights session (unsupervised)
Wednesday Outings for Barnes and Mortlake crews. Can you liaise amongst yourselves about availability. I am happy to cox one on the crews, let me know if you need me.
Thursday 7pm Squad Ergo 750m + 500m at 2k pace, 5 min rest
Thursday 7pm Ex LTR Outing - please complete your availability here by Wednesday 6 pm.
Saturday Main squad meet at 7:05, OTW by 7:30
Focus on preparation for Barnes and Mortlake Regatta so please make sure your availability is up to date and race crews maximise their water time!!!!
Novice squad, meet at 9:00, OTW at 9:30
Sunday Main squad meet at 7:05, OTW by 7:30
Sculling ladder and race preparation.
That's all for now, see you at the club soon,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
23rd May 2017
This week we have Twickenham Regatta and the final sessions of the Learn to Row course.
Our entries in Twickenham are:
Nov 4+
Cox either Jez, Charle or Anna, Bjarne, Vasil, Cris , Niall
Nov 1x
Robin & Cris
Mas E 1x
Jez
The draw is not yet out, I'll let you know the race times as soon as I can. Twickenham Regatta is on the stretch of the river above Richmond, from Eel Pie Island down to Buccleuch Gardens where there is always a band playing, food and drink being served. The sun will be shining, it will be 30C, what not to like, come along and cheer on our crews.
It's the last of the learn to row sessions on Thursday and Sunday. As usual we will be after a few subs to make up the boats for the outings. On Sunday, if conditions allow we will see how far our students have progressed by having a race like piece between two eights over a short course. Following that we will have a BBQ in the sunshine and talk about what happens next and how you can become full members of the club.
So this week...
Tuesday: 7:00pm Weights (unsupervised)
Wednesday: 7pm Nov 4+ outing (plus scullers and any approved steers and crew)
Thursday: 7:00 pm Ergo 3 x 750m @ 2k pace with 3 min rest
Learn to Row water outing - please update your availability so we can plan crews...
Saturday
Twickenham Regatta
I'll see who is left behind and put together crews from them.
Sunday
Main Squad meet at club at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Learn to row, meet at 9:30, 10:00 on the water. - Final Session
We want to get two eights doing some side by side training at race pace to give you the excitement of racing and whet you appetite for future races. So please make every effort to attend. We hope you've enjoyed the course, got the rowing bug and want to carry on rowing at Cygnet. We will talk about our plans for you beyond the course over a beer and a burger. Please let us know on the spreadsheet if you join us for the BBQ by just writing "BBQ" in the appropriate cell on the sheet.
Further Ahead
Barnes and Mortlake "International" regatta is on the 10th June, we need to get entries in soon. This is the last of the Tideway regattas so let's get a good turn out. We also usually pair up for some mixed 4+ races with Barnes Bridge, which is a good opportunity for everyone to get a race.
More to follow....
See you at the club soon,
Jez
Dame Di Ellis
19th May 2017
Dame Di Ellis, who died on 18th May 2017, was a giant in our sport. Instantly recognisable to all in British Rowing, Cygnet always felt that it could claim a special bond with her by virtue of her marriage to John Ellis, who has been a life-long member of Cygnet since the 1950s.
Di and John met at the Civil Service Boathouse when she was rowing for St George's and he for Cygnet. Di subsequently went to on to represent Great Britain before becoming an umpire, an official, team manager and Chairman of British Rowing (then the ARA) in 1989.
Deservedly described as 'The First Lady of British Rowing', Di served on unnumerable committees and organising bodies in her time, finishing her career in 2012 as Executive Chairman of British Rowing after 52 years in the sport.
Di's huge contributioin to the sport was recognised in 2013 when she was named a 'Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire' in the 2013 Birthday Honours List.
The last Cygnet function she attended was in October 2013 when she was proud to pose with her medal and Cygnet was able to bask in some of her reflected glory.
Paul Rawkins
19th May
Cygnet Weekly Update
16th May 2017
Cygnets,
Tim introduced us to us to his World Cup ultra training session on steroids [sic] guaranteed to turn us into winners or at least kill us in the process - 20 x 20 strokes at 2k, 3 strokes recovery, followed by 20 starts to first 20 strokes, all done with resistance bungees on the boat. Let's see what difference it makes at Twickenham regatta on the 27th.
And two learn to row crews out on Saturday making good progress and unrecognisable from the guys who took to the water for the first time just a couple of weeks ago.
It's the final sessions of the Learn to Row course this week with a BBQ (weather permitting) after the outing on Sunday. We hope that the LTR students have got the rowing bug and will want to carry on after the course rowing at Cygnet as full members of the club.
And I've put entries into Twickenham Regatta including two Nov 4+ crews. There is the time to get 8 outings in between now and race day, so get your availability up to date online and take advantage of the light evenings to get water time during the week.
The provisional crews are:
Nov 4+ A
Sam, Scott, Cris, Robin
Nov 4+ B
Ian S, Vasil, Bjarne, Niall
Singles sculls
Cris (Nov), Robin (Nov), Jez (MasE)
If anyone wants to enter any event please let me know asap, entries close on Saturday but the event could fill up before then.
So this week:
Tuesday: 7pm Weights and core training (unsupervised)
Wednesday: Outings for crews with approved steersmen - put you availability on the spreadsheet so we can arrange crews. Good opportunity for race crews to get together. I can cox one boat if required
Thursday 7pm Squad ergo 30 min at rate 24
LTR Session at 7pm - tank session followed by 2k test!!!
Saturday Main squad meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Learn to row meet at 9:00 on the water at 9:30
Sunday Main squad meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Learn to row meet at 9:00 on the water at 9:30 for final LTR outing
Followed by bacon butties/BBQ
Call for volunteers:
We are going to need helping coxing the LTR outings on Sunday, if you can jump into the small seats at the back of the boats then let me know.
Have a good week, see you at the club soon,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
8th May 2017
Hi All,
Great to see two learn to row eights out on Saturday morning and making good progress. Thanks to the Matt for coxing and boat sitters especially as it was only minutes after their 2k tests.
And well done to everyone who did their 2k test and to the many who set new personal bests in the process.
Looking ahead we are trying to set out target regattas for the 2nd half of the season. Responses to my online poll have been patchy so please take the short amount of time required to complete it asap please, we cant plan training without your input.
This week:
Tuesday: 7pm in the Shed Core Test with Tim
Wednesday Water outings for experienced steers
Thursday 7pm Squad erg 6 x 500 m at 2 k pace with 2mins rest
Learn to Row at 7pm - we are planning water outings so come prepared and ready to get on the water as early as possible. Volunteers required to cox and boat sit.
Saturday main squad meet at club at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
First outing 250m sprints,
Second outing 4-8k technical
Sunday main squad meet at club at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Sculling ladder
12k UT2
Learn to Row - as discussed on Saturday, we are considering moving the session to Sunday because of the availability of Alan and myself. We are checking a couple of things out and will confirm the arrangements in due course, Keep and eye out for the email, but plan on the session being Sunday 9:30.
Walton and Weybridge Regatta (20th May)
Twickenham Regatta (27th May)
We want a good representation at these regattas, crews to be finalised in the next few days, but let the me know if you want to race in singles, doubles, pairs and in what category. Entries close soon!
And please keep your availability up to date and in good time
Have a good week.
Cheers
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
2nd May 2017
Hi One and All,
It was a very active day at the club on Saturday with racing at Chiswick Regatta and the first full LTR outing on the Tideway. I counted 30 rowers on the water over the course of the morning.
Firstly the race results, and I'm extremely pleased to report a win for Big Dave French in Novice Single. A huge relief for our novice others scullers who know they wont have to face him in upcoming regattas. Dave had to race three rounds for his pot and handle the instructions of am umpire who confused Putney Town and Cygnet colours and was intent of putting Dave and his oppo on a collision course rather than separate them.
Our Nov 4+ of Sam, Nick, Scott and Cris came second in their heat of 3 to the Eaton crew who easily won in the final. Most of the losing distance was lost at the start giving the other two crews a length lead before getting off the blocks. Credit goes to them for rowing through Parrs Priory and beating them by 4 lengths. This is an experienced and strong crew who can surely win a regatta soon with more time on the water together and more start practice! Thanks to Anna for coxing.
And we had 13 LTR students on the river in two eights and Kieran going straight for the sculling curriculum in a double with Bjarne. Hope you all enjoyed it and looking forward to getting back on the river and developing your rowing skills. Hope you enjoyed Tim's rolling plank finisher.
So, this week...
Tuesday - Weights session in the Shed (unsupervised)
Wednesday Water outings for experienced steers
Thursday Squad ergo at 7pm 750m then 500m at 2k pace 5 min rest in prep for Saturday's 2k test
LTR Session at 7pm. If you can complete your availability for Thursday then we will try to get you out on the river. We will need a couple of boat sitters from the main squad to support this. If the numbers don't work then the session will be in the tank.
And here's a little bit of private study, from Concept 2 an excellent technique video for indoor rowing that applies equally to technique on the water. You'll also find videos on common errors on the site that are worth looking at too.
Saturday Main Squad meet at club at 7:05 OTW at 7:30 for warm up outing 2k ergo test at 10am
LTR meet at club at 10am On the water (OTW) at 10:30
We will need a 2 experienced guys in each boat we put out so please respond to the call for helpers.
Sunday Main Squad meet at club at 7:05 OTW at 7:30
1st outing - Sculling ladder and small boat sprints
2nd outing 12k technical
Further ahead....
We have Putney Town, Walton and Weybridge and Twickenham regattas on consecutive weekends in May, so we need to finalise entries. The Nov 4 should be looking to loose their novice status over the course of these. I'll be sending out a separate email about this v soon.
And we need to plan our entries in some of the bigger regattas in June and agree the ones we are targeting.
I've prepared a poll to cover the regattas in the second half of the season and I'll send the link to seniors in a separate email.
Now we've rolled over into a new month we have a new availability page for May in our spreadsheet, can you all take the time to complete it through to the end of the month please.
That will do for now, enjoy your week and enjoy your rowing,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
25th April 2017
All,
Fantastic weather at Sculling Camp and lots of people loosing their single sculling cherries under Tim's watchful eye. And a few choosing to end their scull with a capsize drill and short swim. All part of the learning experience and nothing that experienced scullers haven't experienced whilst they were learning. Good to see so many on the learn to row course at the Bungalow, it will make an eight seem extremely stable after sitting in a single.
Thanks for all those who helping in rigging, trailering, catering (Deon) and respect to Katy, Gareth and Scott who rowed up to the bungalow from the club on Friday.
This Saturday is Chiswick Regataa our first regatta of the season. Entries have been accepted for
Nov 4+ (Sam, Scott, Nick, Cris)
First race at 8:40 vs Parrs Prior & Eton College
Final at 14:20
Nov 1x Dave French
Heat at 11:15, semi at 12:15, final at 15:20
Nov 2x Dave and Scott
Final vs Eton College at 17:20
MasE 1x Capn Jez
Final vs Quintin & Bentham at 9:45
So this week:
Tuesday: Weights (unsupervised)
Wednesday: Water outings for signed off steers
Thursday: Squad ergo 30 min at r24 or water outing for approved steers
LTR Land Session at 7pm leader Jez
Saturday:
Main squad meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30 for
Non race rowers and pre race outings (TBC confirmed with crews depending on race timings)
LTR Meet at club at 10:00am for ergo warm up, water outing at 10:30
We need to know the exact number of attendees to plan the outings. If there are more than 8 attendees then there will be two consecutive outings at 10:30 and 11:30 with some people lucky enough to be in both outings!!
Sunday Main squad meet at 7:05 OTW by 7:30
Sculler ladder and small boat sprints
Can everyone get their availability up to date till the end of May please!!!!
Have a good week, see you at the club soon
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
25th April 2017
All,
Fantastic weather at Sculling Camp and lots of people loosing their single sculling cherries under Tim's watchful eye. And a few choosing to end their scull with a capsize drill and short swim. All part of the learning experience and nothing that experienced scullers haven't experienced whilst they were learning. Good to see so many on the learn to row course at the Bungalow, it will make an eight seem extremely stable after sitting in a single.
Thanks for all those who helping in rigging, trailering, catering (Deon) and respect to Katy, Gareth and Scott who rowed up to the bungalow from the club on Friday.
This Saturday is Chiswick Regataa our first regatta of the season. Entries have been accepted for
Nov 4+ (Sam, Scott, Nick, Cris)
First race at 8:40 vs Parrs Prior & Eton College
Final at 14:20
Nov 1x Dave French
Heat at 11:15, semi at 12:15, final at 15:20
Nov 2x Dave and Scott
Final vs Eton College at 17:20
MasE 1x Capn Jez
Final vs Quintin & Bentham at 9:45
So this week:
Tuesday: Weights (unsupervised)
Wednesday: Water outings for signed off steers
Thursday: Squad ergo 30 min at r24 or water outing for approved steers
LTR Land Session at 7pm leader Jez
Saturday:
Main squad meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30 for
Non race rowers and pre race outings (TBC confirmed with crews depending on race timings)
LTR Meet at club at 10:00am for ergo warm up, water outing at 10:30
We need to know the exact number of attendees to plan the outings. If there are more than 8 attendees then there will be two consecutive outings at 10:30 and 11:30 with some people lucky enough to be in both outings!!
Sunday Main squad meet at 7:05 OTW by 7:30
Sculler ladder and small boat sprints
Can everyone get their availability up to date till the end of May please!!!!
Have a good week, see you at the club soon
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
18th April 2017
All,
There was a change of pace and focus this weekend as we left the MAG and Marj in the boat house and headed out in small boats in glorious sunshine. Developing skills in small boats and especially in singles is the fastest way to improve balance and technique as well as boat and navigation skills. The more people who have the skills and knowledge to steer boats the easier it is to put crews together and ensure everybody gets on the water on squad outings. So it was good to see Vasil, Bjarne and Scott back out in singles, it was Eric, Deon, Mustafa first scull in a quad but star of the show was Niall who after a couple of outings in a quad was out in a single on Sunday (under Tim's close supervision). And everyone stayed dry. The emphasis over the next few weeks will continue to be on small boats and all those who are mastering a single scull should also prepare for their steering test and get familiar with the Tideway Code.
It was the first session of our new learn to row with I think 13 participants which is very positive for future recruitment. Please help out when needed, we need a couple of people to help Alan on this Thursday and Saturday's land based sessions. Let Charlie know if you can make it.
This week:
Tuesday 7pm in the Shed - Weight training assessment and instruction with Tim
Have a strong core is essential to transmit the power from the legs through the body shoulders and arms to the oar. Weight training is an effective way of gaining that strength is had to be done correctly and safely and within each person's current capability. Tim will be assessing the current capability of all those attending and giving specific weights programmes accordingly. Tim will start at 7 so please get to the club as early as possible for a prompt start. There will be a follow on session next Tuesday
Wednesday 7pm Club Run warm up, then 25 x 150m sprint (steps to bandstand) with 1' rest
Thursday 7pm Squad ergo 3 x 1k @ 2k pace, 5 min rest.
Saturday meet at club at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Continuing in small boats, session 1: Starts, session 2: Water tech 4-8k
Sunday meet at club at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Session 1: water tech 16k, second session: Sculling ladder
Further ahead
Sculling Camp 22/23 April Note that all squad activity will be a the bungalow for the weekend with main squad outings taking place there before the novice sculler tuition starts at 10:30. For all novices this is the best opportunity to get out in single sculls in a very benign environment which will make it less scary when you go out for the first time on the Tideway!!!. Plus food, drink, BBQ, camping...
Friday 21st April 9am Bungalow row to Hamhaugh Island.
Saturday 29th April Chiswick Regatta - I'll be sending out a list of candidate regattas for the first half of the session in the next 24 hours in a Doodle Poll to gauge levels of interest and plan our regatta campaign with Tim, please complete asap once you receive it.
Have a good week,
See you all soon
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
18th April 2017
Hi All,
Hope you all had a fab Easter. It was a select group at the club on Saturday and Sunday but we still achieved useful skills development. Four of the LTR came down for a bonus session with Alan and got out on the river for the first time. And there was some good sculling mileage for our novices from last year, with Barry, Niall and Bjarne getting to grips with quadich.
This weeks plans:
Tuesday 7pm Weights session. All those how have attend the previous sessions should have their programme from Tim.
Tim is available to instruct tomorrow if enough people can make it. Please update the spreadsheet and reply to me asap if you plan to attend.
No squad outing but if you are a signed off steer feel free to venture out. Sunset is at 8:02 so you need to be on and off the water promptly.
Thursday 7pm Squad erg tbc
LTR land session wtih Alan
Same rules for outings as Tuesday apply
Boat loading for Sculling Camp - many hands make like work!! Bring your rigger jigger
Friday Bungalow Row
To benefit from a flood tide to Teddington the pod will leave at 9am. Forecast is looking promising.
Please confirm to me by reply if you are doing it. It clearly has an impact on what boats we need to put on the trailer.
6pm Trailer unloading and boat rerigging at Weybridge Ladies
Sculling Camp
All squad training and coaching will be at the bungalow this weekend. And the LTR sessions will be based there too. Depending on the number of novice scullers, we will split the basic coaching into a morning and afternoon session. Let Charlie/Nick know if you have a preference. Everyone is welcome to attend all day, you learn a lot by watching and we need helpers to get boats on an off the water, hold the tethers etc. As well as putting everyone out in a single scull there will be opportunities to go out with experienced scullers in doubles and quads.
Saturday
Main Squad meet at bungalow at 7:30, OTW at 8am for coach session with Tim. This is important training for those racing at Chiswick Regatta the following week.
10am LTR and new Scullers Safety Briefing
10:30 -13:00 Sculling Coaching for novices - wave 1
13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 -17:00 Sculling coaching for novices wave 2
14:00- 16:00 Main squad 2nd outing
Sunday
Main Squad meet at bungalow at 7:30, OTW at 8am for coach session with Tim.
Novice Sculling coaching from 10 am
Lunch @ 13:00 then pack up camp, de-rig boats, load trailer and home.
Saturday 29th April Chiswick Regatta
On our doorstep so it's rude no to. I'm chasing likely racers, but it you know you want to race and what you want to race then let me know. Entries in by Saturday so only a couple of days to make up your minds....
See you all soon
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
29th March 2017
Cygnets,
Very disappointing that Head of the River Race was cancelled on Saturday. A difficult decision for the organisers, a strong northeasterly wind against the tide meant white horses on the river which are not the conditions that you want for 350 boats battling their into the waves. Thankfully Vets Head was not affected and we were represented in two boats - a Cygnet/Benrath composite and a Cygnet/TSS composite crew and there was all of 2 seconds between the two boats over the course. Both were very much scratch crews and it was enjoyable for all those who took part. It was great to have Tichel from RG Benrath in the boat in the tradition of the close and longstanding friendship between the two clubs. And there was good race experience for Deon, Niall and Bjarne who all started rowing in our LTR courses in the last 12 months.
So the Head Racing season is over and we start preparing for the summer regattas. And with that we will be moving into small boats and it's our objective to improve boat handling, steering and navigation skills across the squad. Tim is starting a sculling ladder every Sunday to give regular racing practice and establish an informal rank order. Should be fun too.
We've had our last Tuesday circuits class until September. With lighter evenings those who are signed off to steer can get water time on our Tuesday and Thursday sessions. There will be an alternative land base training plan for those who can't get on the water, but it you improve your skills and technique be maximising water time, so that has to be a huge incentive to learn to scull and pass the navigation test. Start now by getting to grips with the Tideway Rowing Code. Charlie says he will have some availability to cox some evenings to there will be some sessions for non steersmen to get out in the evenings, but there is no substitute for learning to handle a single scull and becoming self sufficient on the river. So can I also encourage everyone to sign up to Sculling Camp on the 22/23 April to get into sculling boats in as very safe environment.
The first regattas are not far away - Hammersmith Regatta on the 22nd April, Chiswick Regatta on the 29th April. We'll need to know who wants to race at these in the near future to put together crews and plan the preparation. My thoughts are that we should focus our resources on Sculling Camp on the 22nd and make that a full training weekend for the main squad to prepare for Chiswick Regatta the following week. For the rest of the season I will put a Doodle poll out to get an early guide to who can and wants to row which regatta throughout the season.
Our next learn to row course starts on Saturday at 10am. This remains our main source of new Cygnets so I ask you all to be welcoming and encouraging to the new guys when you see them and to help out with the sessions when asked. The first sessions before Easter will be on land, after Easter they will be out on the water on Saturday and Thursday so I'll be asking for coxes and boat sitters so please don't be shy to come forward.
So this week.....
Please fill in your availability to the end of the month, including Tuesdays and Thursdays so we can plan crews and sessions
Tuesday - No Circuits!!!!!
If you are a signed off steer then you can get out on the water. Sunset is at 19:27 so you need to boat early (6:30 at latest) and be off the river before sunset.
On land training is 30 mins rate 20 ergo
Wednesday 7pm Club run 25 min fartlek
Thursday 7pm Squad ergo 30' AT ergo Rate 24 Test (as far as you can row)
Weekend
This will be a small boat weekend for all four session. This covers the whole squad including novices.
Saturday and Sunday Meet at club at 7:05 OTW at 7:30
Oh and Sunday is University Boat Races day, here's the timetable:
The Cancer Research UK Women's Boat Race: 16:35
Osiris Blondie Race: 16:50
Isis Goldie Race: 17:05
The Cancer Research UK Boat Race: 17:35
So lots going on, we've worked hard over the winter, we can now look forward to more water sessions, evening outings, warm conditions, let's keep the momentum from the winter going so we can hit the regatta season at 38 SPM and go and win some pots.
Have a great week,
Jezkly Update blog post
Cygnet Weekly Update
21st March 2017
All,
Well it was our last full weekend before Head of the River and Vets Head next weekend. Good to see both 8s out together (kind of essential before the race) and both senior and novice boats looking pretty solid in the higher rate pieces. And thanks to Tim for arranging the match against Thames Novices on Sunday. This was a great way to prepare for the real event and deal with the pressure of racing and the crew which was 50/50 split of senior and novice rowers performed well, holding off the Thames crew in both races. So bring on Head of the River.
The draw is out and Cygnet i is number 308 and Cygnet II is 348. The race starts at 14:15 there are many top crews racing so come and watch the biggest Tideway event and cheer you club on.
The crews are:
Cygnet I
Marj (c), Sam (s), Robin (7), Nick (6), Gav (5), Matt (4), Ian M (3), Jez (2), Cris (b)
Cygnet II
Charlie/Anna (c), Ian Sch (S), Scott (7), Bjarne (6), Tom (5), Eric (4), Vasil (3), Mustafa (2), Niall (b)
Tim and I will send out more details about warm up outings and preparation for the race itself in a separate email, but we will be having an outing first thing Saturday morning and then we will need to be at the club at least an hour before the race. Can anyone who does not own club kit let me know so we can arrange for you to borrow some so we are in matching club kit. Looking the part and feeling good is free speed in the boat.
Vets Head
We have a boat entered at Masters B. This will be a combination of the two crews from Saturdays race final line up to be confirmed, but I need to know asap who can race.
The good news is that it is a shorter course the HoRR rowed on the flood tide. Race start is at 11 and our start number is 19 so this is pretty much the time of our second outing if there wasn't a race, so no excuse for not being in it.
We also have as Tideway Sculler School / Cygnet composite crew racing at Masters F number 131 to cheer on.
So with that in mind, this week's plan is:
Tuesday 7:15pm Circuits with Maxi Cavendish School
We have the school booked next Tuesday as well, can people let me know if they plan to make this session which would be the last of the term and last till September. If people are taking downtime after HoRR and aren't going to show then I'll cancel the booking.
Wednesday 7pm at the club
Club Run 4k easy. Non runners 3 x 3' squats/1' rest Rate 30
Thursday 7:00 Squad ergo at the club followed by Cris cooking supper
2 x 1k @ 5k pace
Saturday: Pre race outing meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
We need everyone racing at this outing come hell or high water
Meet for race at 1pm
Sunday: Pre race outing meet at 7:05, OTW at 7:30
Race at 11 need to boat soon after 10 to get down to Putney
So lots to take in with more details to follow.
Further ahead.
Tim has published his training plan for the next 4 weeks. There is a change of emphasis as we move into the regatta season. I'll send out a separate email with more detail from Tim how this will work.
Finally...
It's a busy week and the weekend is the culmination of all the hard ours on the ergo and cold dark early mornings on the river, let's all enjoy it. Keep a close eye out for emails from Tim and myself with any refinement to the plans, and make sure you know where you need to be and when,
Cheers
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
14th March 2017
Chaps,
It was an excellent weekend on the river with lots of hard work and technical sessions which is really showing its benefit in the quality of the rowing and the balance in the boats. The two 20 min resistance rowing pieces on Sunday really showed a significant step up from a couple of weeks ago. And a word for Bjarne and especially Niall who were in the senior 8 for the long outings showing the progress they've made over the winter. Just shows what you can achieve when you put the time and effort in.
So we are less than two weeks to go to Head of the River weekend. We have two crews entered on Saturday, one at IM3 and one at Novice. We have a Masters B crew entered on Sunday.
The crew line-ups selected by Tim are for HoRR:
Cygnet I IM3
Marj (cox) Sam 8, Robin 7, Nick 6, Gav 5, Matt 4, Ian M 3, Jez 2, Cris 1
Cygnet II Nov
Charlie/Anna/Sue (cox) Ian S 8, Scott 7, Bjarne 6, Vasil 5, Tom 4, Niall 3, Eric 2, Deon 1
There may be some final tweaking on the lineup so subs need to available to step in if required.
We've put a place holder crew in for VHOR which is largely the first VIII from Saturday. We will be firming up this lineup over the next few days.
It is IMPERATIVE that both boats get out this weekend for us much time as possible. Head of the River Race is a big deal and a step up from Hammersmith Head and Quinitn Head, so can everyone do all they can to make themselves available for the weekend and be prepared to do double outings. This is what we've been training for all weekend so let's make this our priority this weekend.
So this week:
Tuesday 7:15pm Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School
Wednesday 7pm 5k squad run
Thursday 7pm 4 x 10' Rate 24 (78% 2k wattage)
Saturday
Everyone meet at 7:05 OTW at 7:30
Double outings for all, work to be confirmed.
Sunday
Everyone meet at 7:05 OTW at 7:30
1st outing 16k Tech 2nd outing Water tech Speed strokes 12/7 x 20
It's the final push to HoRR so let's give it our best shot.
See you all at Circuits
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
7th March 2017
All,
The weather for Hammersmith Head before the start could not have been much worse, wind and rain whipping up big waves at the start crashing over riggers and into boats. Then the miracle happened. As we were spinning in turn for our start, the rain stopped, the clouds cleared and my friend the sun came out. It was still extremely rough rowing through to the start but by the time we had cleared Barnes Bridge the wind was now a tail wind, the river got calmer giving great conditions to the finish. Anyway the crew with Big Dave and Big Edward son of Tom subbing in to the original line-up providing a beefed-up engine room we had a good row being overtaken by two crews but rowing past Cantabrigian in the last third of the race. We were 78th out of 251 overall and 16 out of 21 in IM3. It felt a more powerful row and we held our rate and power to the finish so I think it was a significant improvement on Quintin Head. Many thanks to Dave, Edward and Marj who hopefully remember the sunshine at the end of the race rather than the rain when marshalling.
So less than three weeks to Head of the River, we have two crews entered in IM3 and Novice. We've had a couple of injuries so I'll be chasing everyone who can row to commit to the race this week, we need everyone we can get otherwise the second boat wont get onto the river. And we need as many people as possible on the water this weekend to prepare for the race.
This week:
Tuesday 7:15pm Circuits with Maxi -
Wednesday 7pm Club run 30' easy/ 30' hard. Non runners 7 x 5' squats/1' rest Rate 30
Thursday 7pm 5 x 1500m @5k pace split
Saturday Main squad meet at 7:05 for briefing, 7:30 OTW
1st outing Water UT2 20k 8x 3 ' Rate 26-34
2nd outing Water tech 4-8k
Novices meet at 9 for warm up ergo, 9:30 OTW
Sunday Main squad meet at 7:05 for briefing, 7:30 OTW
1st outing Water tech 16k
2nd outing Water 12k 2 x 20' Bungee work r 22'
Novices meet at 9 for warm up ergo, 9:30 OTW
I've been asked to give a plug to the Cygnet Twitter account which can be found as CygnetRC and gives updates about what is happening at the club and which celebrities have been snapped walking by the club at the weekend, so become followers and spread the word.
More stuff coming up, next LTR course starts on the 1st April, please help publicise it and then get ready to help out with the sessions when it starts.
And put a date in your diary for Sculling Camp on the 22nd/ 23rd of April at Cygnets Bungalow at Shepperton Lock. For novices this is an unparalleled opportunity to get out in a single scull and learn new boat handling skills that will improve your rowing no end, as well as enjoying a lovely stretch of the river and food and drink with your Cygnet and Barnes Bridge buddies.
That's all for now, have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
20th February 2017
Head of the River weekend is less than five weeks. We need to pick the crews and planning the training in the run up to the race and that starts with confirm who wants to race over the two days. The plans are not set in stone right now but the thinking is to enter a senior and novice crew into Head of the River on Saturday and a masters crew for Vets Head on Sunday, with the possibility of entering a composite crew with Tideway Scullers.
So can all those wanting to race confirm that with me as well as whether you can race on both days. Head of the River is over the full course from Mortlake to Putney on the ebb tide, Vets Head is on flood tide from Harrods to Chiswick Bridge. Over the past few weeks there has been a core of rowers turning up every week for the double outings and doing the land training. If you want to race in either of the Saturday boats over the full course you need to prove your fitness to Tim by completing the 5k ergo test. This takes place this coming Saturday if you can't make this then complete it at your convenience and send your result to Tim and me, Participation in the Vets event on Sunday will be a bit more relaxed but clearly the more training and water time you get the better you will do. We have an opportunity for a dress rehearsal at Kingston Head on the 18th March, so please indicate on the spreadsheet if you can make it.
So let me know you intentions, do the test and update the spreadsheet with your availability between now and the race so we get maximum water time in 8s.
Before that there is Hammersmith Head at 9:30 on Sunday 5th March. We have an IM3 crew entered, (there were too few rowers to get a second VIII out) consisting of Robin, Jez, Cris, Matt, Guy, Nick R, Gareth and Sam (cox to be confirmed). Before the race, can everyone clear any money owing to the club for subs and race fees (Matt has given me the list of debtors, I wont name and shame yet).
So, this week...
Tuesday 7:15pm Cicruits with Maxi at Cavendish School
Wednesday 7pm Club run (distance tbc)
Thursday 7pm Squad ergo (work to be confirmed)
Saturday 5k ergo test - this will be a key factor in crew selection for HORR and VHoR so make sure you complete it.
The test will start at 9:30 am in how ever many waves it takes to get though everyone.
Seniors will have a warm up outing OTW at 7:30, meeting for Tim's briefing at 7:05.
Novice squad will have their outings after their test.
Sunday - An early start to get outing complete before the AGM at 12 noon.
So meet at club at 6:40, OTW at 7am
12 noon Cygnet AGM
Thanks to Tim for his session on safe steering on Saturday. Let's a work on increasing our river knowledge and safe steering skills so we can enjoy our rowing without risk to rowers or damage to boats.
And lets do all we can to make ourselves available for the sessions leading up to the head races and get as much time in 8s as we can between now and the race.
Have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
20th February 2017
Head of the River weekend is less than five weeks. We need to pick the crews and planning the training in the run up to the race and that starts with confirm who wants to race over the two days. The plans are not set in stone right now but the thinking is to enter a senior and novice crew into Head of the River on Saturday and a masters crew for Vets Head on Sunday, with the possibility of entering a composite crew with Tideway Scullers.
So can all those wanting to race confirm that with me as well as whether you can race on both days. Head of the River is over the full course from Mortlake to Putney on the ebb tide, Vets Head is on flood tide from Harrods to Chiswick Bridge. Over the past few weeks there has been a core of rowers turning up every week for the double outings and doing the land training. If you want to race in either of the Saturday boats over the full course you need to prove your fitness to Tim by completing the 5k ergo test. This takes place this coming Saturday if you can't make this then complete it at your convenience and send your result to Tim and me, Participation in the Vets event on Sunday will be a bit more relaxed but clearly the more training and water time you get the better you will do. We have an opportunity for a dress rehearsal at Kingston Head on the 18th March, so please indicate on the spreadsheet if you can make it.
So let me know you intentions, do the test and update the spreadsheet with your availability between now and the race so we get maximum water time in 8s.
Before that there is Hammersmith Head at 9:30 on Sunday 5th March. We have an IM3 crew entered, (there were too few rowers to get a second VIII out) consisting of Robin, Jez, Cris, Matt, Guy, Nick R, Gareth and Sam (cox to be confirmed). Before the race, can everyone clear any money owing to the club for subs and race fees (Matt has given me the list of debtors, I wont name and shame yet).
So, this week...
Tuesday 7:15pm Cicruits with Maxi at Cavendish School
Wednesday 7pm Club run (distance tbc)
Thursday 7pm Squad ergo (work to be confirmed)
Saturday 5k ergo test - this will be a key factor in crew selection for HORR and VHoR so make sure you complete it.
The test will start at 9:30 am in how ever many waves it takes to get though everyone.
Seniors will have a warm up outing OTW at 7:30, meeting for Tim's briefing at 7:05.
Novice squad will have their outings after their test.
Sunday - An early start to get outing complete before the AGM at 12 noon.
So meet at club at 6:40, OTW at 7am
12 noon Cygnet AGM
Thanks to Tim for his session on safe steering on Saturday. Let's a work on increasing our river knowledge and safe steering skills so we can enjoy our rowing without risk to rowers or damage to boats.
And lets do all we can to make ourselves available for the sessions leading up to the head races and get as much time in 8s as we can between now and the race.
Have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
15th February 2017
Cygnets,
Those of you on the river at the weekend don't need to be reminded by me of how cold that east wind was on both days, and yes the snow flurries did make the river look a little more picturesque but we weren't there for the view. 28k over two outings on Sunday constitutes a good mornings work and it was good to have an VIII out for the second outing. Thanks to Tom for coxing in what was only metaphorically the hot seat.
Next race is Hammersmith Head on Sunday 5th March at 9:30. From the earlier poll, I have the following 14 people interested in racing:
Jeremy, Gavin , Barry, John, Bart, Cristobal, Ian, Nick R, Guy, Piers , TomB, Gareth, Matt B, Robin.
So we either find a couple more rowers to make up a first and second VIII or we will enter one boat. Can you confirm your availability and willingness to race by putting "HH" on the 5th March on the spreadsheet so we can select the crews. Entries close at noon on 25th Feb.
This week:
Tuesday 7:15pm Cavendish School Circuits with Maxi
Wednesday 7:00pm Club run 5k easy,
Thursday: 7pm Squad ergo, 20 min rate 20 at 77% of 2k wattage
Saturday & Sunday Main Squad outings meet at club at 7:05, OTW by 7:30.
I will allocate boats to crews ahead of time so if you know that you will need to make adjustments to your boat please make sure this is done early so that all crews are push off at 7:30.
Novice outing will be at 9:45 both days, but we will organise an ergo session before the outing to get you properly warmed up!
Safety Note: We had a very narrow escape on Saturday with a very real chance of one of our boats capsizing and rowers ending up in a very cold and fast flowing river. Accidents aren't things that only happen to other clubs and I think the incident should be a real wake up call the club. Tim will include a safety and steering talk between the outings on Saturday but safety and good steering is a responsibility for all and should be part of our rowing DNA every time we go on the river. More to follow...
Coming up:
25/26 March Head of the River/Vets Head of the River - please make clear you willingness and availability to race well in advance to help with crew selection.
1st April Next Learn to Row course - Please support in promoting this course through your personal networks to make sure it is filled with Cygnet Henley Hopefuls.
22/23 April Sculling Camp at Hamhaugh Island- Great fun but also a unique opportunity for our novice rowers to get into a single scull and develop their boat and rowing skills in a fabulous and safe environment. Save the
That's all for now,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
7th February 2017
Hi All,
Hopefully I'll be short and sweet this week...
Good work and long outings out on fast flowing Tideway at the weekend, it was good to see an VIII out for the second outing on Sunday, definite progress being made on technique and balance.
This week:
Tonight: 7:15pm Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School
Wednesday 7:00pm Club Run 30' easy/ 30' hard. Non runners 7 x 5' squats/1' rest Rate 30
Thursday 7:00pm Squad ergo 5 x 1500m @5k pace -1s split
Saturday Main Squad outing meet at club at 7:05 for Tim's briefing OTW at 7:30 sharp, no faffing.
1st outing Water UT2 20k 8x 3 ' Rate 26-34
2nd outing Water tech 4-8k
Novices 9:15 at club 9:30 OTW
Sunday Main Squad outing meet at club at 7:05 for Tim's briefing OTW at 7:30 sharp,
1st outing Water tech 16k
2nd outing Water 12k 2 x 20' Bungee work r 22'
Novices 9:15 at club 9:30 OTW
I know it's an early, but the earlier we start the earlier we get away and we should be ahead of the Putney flotilla that arrives at 7:55 each Saturday and Sunday and get better conditions.
As ever, get you availability up to date on the spreadsheet.
Cheers
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
1st February 2017
Cygnets,
Quintin Head on Saturday was our first race of the year and it was heartening to see two Cygnet VIIIs competing in excellent conditions. We had three people making their debuts in Cygnet colours, Ian Schofield, Niall Smith and Bjarne Hustad and they all enjoyed the experience and excitement of racing. The results were Cygnet 1st VIII 107th overall in a time of 15:17 and Cygnet 2nd VIII were 178th in 16:32. Both boats reported having good rows down the course and looked good in the photos, but there could have been more pain in the boats to get the times down. So we need to work hard on and off the river to improve our relative positions for HoRR and VHoR. Huge thanks to Marj and Charlie for coxing the boats.
This week:
Tuesday 7:15 at Cavendish School Circuits with Maxi, carrying on the focus on core strength
Wednesday 7pm Club run - Club Run 40' easy. Non runners 4 x 4' squats/1' rest Rate 30
Thursday 7pm Squad ergo 5 x 1500m @5k pace -0.5s split, sign up with Sarah Powell for food afterwards, you're going to need to refuel after the ergo!!
Saturday Main squad outings, meet at club at 7:20, OTW by 7:45 for first outing, 2nd outing at 10:45 - Sunrise is getting earlier so we can start and finish our outings earlier
Novices: meet at club at 9:15, OTW at 9:45
Sunday Main squad outings, meet at club at 7:20, OTW by 7:45 for first outing, 2nd outing at 10:45 - Sunrise is getting earlier so we can start and finish our outings earlier
Novices: meet at club at 9:15, OTW at 9:45
We tried on Sunday including a Novice 4+ in the main squad outing but there was too much difference in speed between them and the main squad for Tim to shuttle back and forth between the crews so I think for now the Novice outings are best scheduled between the main squad's first and second outings.
Preparing for HoRR/VHoR and squad development
On Sunday the group of rowers who were doing both outings and coach Tim talked about plans for Head of the River weekend and the obvious fact that we were a small and select group who are doing all the weekend outings. It's something that I've put in previous news letters and I know people have other commitments and priorities that puts a limit on the outings they can make. But there is no getting away from it that those attending all Tim's session are getting the full programme of technical and physical development and will progress faster than those that don't or can't. So Tim wants to put the squad into three categories of rowers - fully committed, part committed, social. Fully committed means making all the sessions on and off the water, part committed means training every week but not all sessions, social means joining the squad as and when. Crew selection for races and outings will take from the committed group first, then the part committed then the social. In the recent poll 11 people said they were going to make all the weekend outings, but with only four of us on the second outing on Sunday, that's clearly not the case. We will put up a list in the changing rooms of the squad and which category they are in. This is not a fixed thing, if you can move between the categories in any direction depending on attendance. The aim of this is so people know where they stand with regards selection, that those putting the time and effort in get the recognition and most all more people make more outings and take full advantage of Tim's fantastic coaching and programme. Finally, the four of us who did the second outing on Sunday, we had a great session in single sculls racing each other back from Putney to the club.
Recruitment
In the same discussion on Sunday we talked about recruitment and how we can build the base of active rowers in the club. We have the fleet and coaching set up to support a substantially bigger squad which is good for the club in many ways both competitively, socially and financially. Most of our recruitment traditionally comes from our Learn to Row courses and the next one starts on the 1st April. We also should recruit experienced rowers who can get straight on the water and join the competitive squad and we have been less successful at this. We all thought we need to do more on this. Ideas include advertising locally and in rowing websites. I'm sure there is a lot more we can do, it needs to be the responsibility of every club member to help by using their own networks of work, family friends and by coming up with ideas on ways to attract guys to the club. So let's keep the ideas coming and turn them into actions and into new recruits, both for the LTR and of experienced rowers. More to follow, but to start with fire your ideas over to me, Nick and Charlie.
That's rather a long update, have a good week and enjoy your rowing!!!
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
24th January 2017
All,
Back at base again last weekend. Suffice to say Richmond and Petersham Meadows looked beautiful with mist coming off the river and steam coming off the two Cygnet crews...
This weekend is Quintin Head starting at 12:15 rowed up river from Hammersmith to Chiswick.
The two crews are:
1st VIII (crew 58): Robin, Jez, Cris, Matt, Gav, Nick, Gareth, Bart, Marj (c)
2nd VIII (crew 55): Niall, Piers, Vasil, Tom, Sam, Bjarne, Scott, Ian S, Charlie (c)
They are both in the same Mas BC division so please come down and cheer them on, they should be passing by the club between 12:30 and 12:45.
This week:
Tuesday - 7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School.
Wednesday - 7pm Squad run from the club - details to be confirmed
Thursday - 7pm Squad ergo - details to be confirmed
Saturday - Meet at club at 7:30 OTW by 7:50 for Pre race outings. Racing crews to boat at 11:15
Sunday Double outings meet at club at 7:30 for first outing OTW by 7:50
A bit of a captain's moan and a suggestion...
Those of use making the second outings especially on Sunday are a small band, only 5 of us on Sunday. It's frustrating for Tim and if we want to achieve our goals we need more people making the sessions and getting maximum water and training time. If people need to get away by a certain time, then can we start our outings earlier so we finish earlier let's say on the water by 7 for the first outing and second outing finished by 11. Would that enable those who currently find it hard to be able to make the second outing? Let's talk about it but anything we can do to get better turn out is worth considering.
That's it, I'll update the run and ergo plan as soon as I have it.
Cheers
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
18th January 2017
Hi All,
Full on morning of seat racing at a rather cold and breezy Dorney Lake on Saturday morning with three coxless fours powering down the Olympic regatta course. Four races in quick succession, Tim alongside on his bike getting accurate timings for each race. Four back to back races is hard work but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It's great to be getting variety in our training and as well as the mileage it gets us prepared for the head races by doing dress rehearsals like this. Thanks for all those who completed the poll, 24 responses in all. Tim and the captaincy will be looking at who wants to race in each event and based on ergo and seat racing results pick the crews for them. If you said you want to race, it is assumed you are available and can make the outings ahead of each race, so if you are picked for Quintin it is important to make the outings this weekend, so update you availability if you haven't already done so.
So, this week:
Tuesday 7:15pm Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School, bring towel and drink
Wednesday: 7:00pm club run - 5k
Thursday: 7:00pm Squad Ergo 3 x1500m at 101% of 5k wattage
(You can use tools on the Concept2 website to calculate you 5k wattage and what 101% of this means in terms of target split)
Sian is cooking supper afterwards.
Saturday: Squad outings - it's tarting to get lighter so senior squad will meet at 7:30, 18k first outing, double fartlek second outing, we must get the racing 8 for Quintin on the water.
I'll confirm the time of the novice outings, likely to be around 10am
Sunday: Meet 7:30 16k plus 3 x 10 min pieces @ 28,30,32
Further ahead
Next Learn To Row starts 1st April
We have set the date for the next learn to row course to start on 1st April. It will be 16 sessions over 8 weeks with a week off for Easter. Please help promote the course through your contacts, friends, family, colleagues. Full details will be on the the website.
Have a good week everyone, see you at the club soon,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
9th January 2017
First week weekend back of 2017 and one to burn off the turkey, Christmas pub and mince pies. At the last count 17 of us took on the first 5k ergo test of the year, some 5k virgins shaking Mr Lactic Acid by the hand at the 3k mark for the first time... Lots of commitment and determination from everyone and a good number of PBs set, Tim will send out the full results and analysis shortly.
Sunday was the club time trial. Fours boats participated and every rower confessed to enjoying after it was over (well maybe with the exception of Robin). With accurate timings thanks to Tim and Ali Elliott it felt like a real head race and gets our heads and bodies read for the real thing over the coming weeks. It would be good if more of the squad can make future time trials, I'll make sure I give you plenty of advanced notice of it and the logistics.
And there were good sessions for the Novice Squad on Saturday and Sunday, the more time on the water, the better you get...
Looking forward...
Squad Poll
I'll be sending out a poll to the whole squad to find out who is wanting to race in the up and coming Head Races. Can everyone please reply to it, even if is to say that you not racing, it will only take 5 minutes of your time, but it will help Tim and the captaincy make informed plans about potential crews for the races.
Dorney Lake Seat Racing 14/15th January
This is something new to our programme from Tim, a chance for a change of water and surrounding and side by side inter squad racing. I've sent more details in a separate email, but please prioritise this and do what you can to be there. We need a critical mass of rowers to make it a success, so please let us know your availability for it via the spreadsheet. Note that this is for experienced rowers, the novice squad will train back at HQ as usual.
This Week:
Tuesday 7:15pm at Cavendish School: Circuits with Maxi - focus for this term in on core strength. If you want to do well in the races, you should be attending. Bring towel and water.
Wednesday 7pm Club Run 75 mins easy
Thursday 7pm Squad Ergo 30 min r 20 at 76% of new 2k wattage
Boat loading for Dorney
Followed by The Captains Curry - not to be missed, extra chillies available on request
Saturday Main Squad Dorney Seat Racing from 8 - 12:30
Novices: normal outing at the club,
Sunday Main Squad Dorney Seat Racing from 8 - 12:30
Novices - outing at the club (subject to numbers and cox availability)
So the new year is underway, let's build on the hard work done before Christmas and take advantage of the great coaching and programme from Tim and commit the time and effort in the run up to the Head of the River Race and Vets Head.
Have a great week,
Jez
Happy New Year from Cygnet RC
3rd January 2017
Hi All,
Hope you had a great Christmas and a raring to get back on the river training hard for the head races over the next three months. We are all getting fitter and stronger as shown by then number of people setting PBs in the pre Christmas 2k test. This sets us up for more water time and longer outings over the coming weeks. Head of the River is on the 25th March and Vets Head on the 26th, now is the time to commit to racing and doing the training. I'll be canvasing the squad to see who wants to race but it would be great to get a senior, development, novice and vets crews out over the weekend .
An innovation from Tim, we will be holding a training weekend at Dorney Lake on the 14th/15th January with seat racing in 4s and small boats over 1500m. It will be great to have a change of scene and to race each other down the Olympic Regatta course. More details for follow about the logistics, but please make every effort to be there, and mark you availability for it on the speadsheet.
So, the plan over the next couple of weeks is:
Tuesday 3rd 1000 lunges (wherever you choose to do them)
Wednesday 4th 48min club run
Thursday 5th Squad Ergo: 3 x 1k at 5k pace, 3min rest
Saturday 8th 5k Ergo test - those who did the 2k test will have a target split from Tim. We will have squad outings first thing to warm up for the test
Sunday 9th Club Time trial - lets get as many boats as we can pushing each other and getting experience rowing in a head race format.
Tuesday 10th Circuits with Maxi at 7:15 Cavendish School
Wednesday 11th 75 min club run
Thursday 12th 30 min 20 at 76% of new 2k wattage
Boat loading for Dorney
Saturday 14th Seat racing at Dorney
Sunday 15th Seat racing at Dorney
Further ahead....
Saturday 28th Jan Quintin Head
Sunday 5th March Hammersmith Head
Saturday 25th March Head of the River Race
Sunday 26th March Vets Head of the River Race
Sunday 2nd April The Boat Race
If you ordered kit, it has arrived and is in the mens changing room. Bjarne picked his up on Saturday and his rowing was transformed by looking the part!!!
Looking forward to some great rowing and racing in 2017, see you all soon,
Jez
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Cygnet Weekly Update
20th December 2016
All,
Fun and games in Quintin Plum Puddings with 5 rowers making their racing debut for Cygnets. The crews were both made up of experienced guys and new novices with their only race training being the row up to the Pink House. The result in the race within a race was a win for Captain's Crackers over the Marj's Marvels but the real winner was Marj for her fabulous Santa's elf costume. I hope all the guys from the LTR course enjoyed the thrill of racing and inspires then to go onto great things in the new year.
It was 2k Ergo Test on Saturday, the club room was full nerves and apprehension beforehand but well done to everyone who did it and gave it there all and well done to those who set PBs. Next up is a 5k test on the 7th January...
This week:
Tuesday - No circuits this week, 30 min r 20 @ 75% of 2k power instead.
Wednesday Club Run 5k
Thursday Squad ergo 30 min r 20 @ 75% of 2k power.
Saturday Squad outing 8am OTW, 7:40 at the club - please fill in your availability of the spreadsheet so we can see how many of you are around and plan the outings
Sunday - Turkey overdose. No squad outings, but feel free to go for a scull or do and ergo
Next Week: No squad training, but mindful of the 5k test on the 7th, please feel free to come and use the Shed focusing of long low rate pieces. Scullers, if you plan to go out mark it on the sheet before you go with the time you plan to go out so if others are interested you can form a sculling pod.
I'll seen out the plan for Saturday on Thursday,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly update
13th December 2016
Firstly congratulations to Tim for his win in British Rowing Indoor Champs on Saturday in the mens 40-49 light weight category in 6 mins 23 a full 16 seconds ahead of second place. So that sets the standard for the Cygnet 2k test on Saturday morning. Common, guys we like a challenge! Good to see that Cygnet traditions were upheld at the Barnes Bridge Ladies Christmas Ball on Saturday night and the club bar still in use at 3am. Thanks to Tim for giving us a lie in and recovery outing on Sunday.
So yes it's a 2k ergo test on Saturday, target is to improve by 2 secs on your previous time, maybe a quiet Friday night would be good preparation rather than another 3am in the bar.
This week:
Tuesday
7:15pm Cavendish School - Maxi Circuits - last session before Christmas, tone the abs for your work Christmas Party.
Wednesday:
7pm Club Run 7k easy/7k hard non runners Non runners 7 x 5' squats/1' rest Rate 27
Thursday:
7pm Squad Ergo
Full race warm up 4 x 500m @ 2k pace 2' rest 20' cool down
Saturday:
2k Ergo Test, first group at 10am (warm up times and schedule to be sent later)
Second session ergo team relay
Note that this is for the seniors and novice squads, there is no escape!
Sunday:
Squad outings - meet at 7:20, OTW at 7:45
Second outing: Boating by 10 to get to the Pink House in for a side-by-side piece back to the club. Crews to be announced one we have the last couple to make up the boats.
Sunday's outings will be followed by mulled wine and minced pies at the club.
Have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
29th November 2016
All,
A briefer update this week as I'm out of town for the week...
Firstly huge congratulations to Big Dave for winning his category in Scullers Head on his debut and a top 100 finish (96th). The full results for Cygnet and BBL were (before handicap)
96 Dave 23:31
226 Bart 24:32
328 Robin 25:16
363 Guy 25:30
371 Jez 25:32
412 Katy 26:02
432 Cris 26:24
And congrats to Coach Tim who won his Mas B category and was 11th overall in 22:22.
This week:- Tuesday 7:15pm Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School
- Wednesday 7pm Squad run (work tbc)
- Thursday 7pm Squad erg (work tbc)
- Saturday Sunday outings returning to bigger boats - early o'clock timings tbc
Tim will publish the next months training plan in the next day and I'll up this with the details as and when
PLEASE UPDATE YOUR AVAILABILITY for this week as soon as possible to help plan the weekend outings. and
18th December - Plum Puddings race - please enter PP on the spreadsheet if you want to race in this fun event. We want to enter 2 eights and the give as many novices as possible a first taste of racing.
Cheers
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
22nd November 2016
It was an awesome weekend on the lumpy river with all our entrants for Scullers Head out training together accompanied by a fleet of small boats which gave good steering practice to Tom, Sam and Bjarne. First time in a pair for Scott. And Scott manned up to go out in a single for the race pace session with the other scullers in the second outing. It's been really excellent to get the scullers together as a pod, working off each other and getting Tim's feedback to improve our sculling. It certainly got the competitive juices flowing before the race. Bring it on.
So Scullers Head is this Saturday at 13:30, raced down river to Putney as usual. We have six entrants (seven if we can count Tim):
- 73 Bart (Mas B)
- 218 Tim (Mas B)
- 244 Guy (Mas C)
- 465 Jez (Mas E)
- 529 Robin (Mas Nov A)
- 532 BDF (Mas Nov B)
- 533 Cris (Mas Nov B)
Please come down and cheer and enjoy the spectacle. Matt is running the book on the Cygnet finish order...
Further ahead, Quintin Plum Puddings (a festive race like mini head race) is taking place on Sunday 18th December. This is a great opportunity for our novices to get their first race like experience without it being anything too serious. In previous years we've put together two mixed crews of experienced and novices rowers, which gives a bit of intra club spice so we plan to do the same this year. Can you sign up if you want to take part by putting "PP" on the availability sheet for the 18th Dec asap.
This Week:
Tuesday 7:15pm Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School. We all loved the 200 lunges 200 burpees finisher last week, how can we top that this week?
Wednesday 7:00pm Club Run 5k easy
Thursday 7:00pm Squad Ergo 30 min rate 20 at 76% of 2k power (scullers head entrants only do 10 mins)
Saturday Main squad outing at club by 7:20 otw by 7:45
Novice outing at club by 9 otw by 9:15 - please update your availability asap only four of you have filled in the sheet to date.
Scullers Head racers decide for themselves their warm up routine,
Sunday Meet Main squad outing at club at 7:20am otw 7:45am
Finally another plea for people to check and fill in their availability at the latest by 8pm on Wednesday for the following weekend, it only takes a couple of minutes and it lets me plan the outings, crews, coxes, boats etc on Thursday morning.
Have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
15th November 2016
The club was a hive of activity over the Fours Head/Vet Fours Head weekend with a hundred plus crews boating from the club and many people cheering them on from the boathouse. A big thanks for all those who helped with marshalling and boating to make sure the event went like clockwork. We have three crews in Vets Fours Head and here is how they did:
Mas B 4- (Bart, Gav, Ian M and Gareth) 18:46, 44th overall and 3rd in category
Mas B 4x (Vasil, Tom, Piers, Tom) 20:26, 139th overall and 11th in category
Mas Nov 4- (Anna, Nick, Cris, Jez, Cris) 20:40 146th overall and winner in category
So well done to all the crews, each can be proud of their achievements and it is good to report a win. And well done to coach Tim who won the whole event by some margin in his TSS Mas B 4x.
No time to catch breath with Scullers Head coming up on the 26th November with 6 Cygnets entered.
This week:
Tuesday 7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School. What message will Tim send to follow last weeks 400 lunges finisher? Be there to find out???
Wednesday 7:00pm Club run 5k easy, 5k hard, non runners 6 x 5min squats at r 24, 1 min rest
Thursday 7:00pm Squad ergo 30 x 1 min at 2k pace, 1 min rest
Weekend:
The focus is on going out in small boats, preparing for Scullers Head and giving steering experience to those who haven't got their steering spurs yet.
Saturday: Meet at the club at 7:20, on the water at 7:45. Make sure you are punctual to give time for any boat adjustments to make sure we all boat together.
First outing technical session 8-10k
Second Session 4 x 1500m at r 24, 26, 28, 30
In between, Tim will give a presentation on nutrition
Novice outing at 10 am
Sunday: Meet at the club at 7:20, on the water at 7:45.
First session 12k UT2
Second session Fartlek (interval pyramid)
Crew plans will be published on Thursday morning so make sure your availability is updated by Wednesday evening at the latest.
Finally it's good to report a win, I'd love that to be the first of many, but it comes from putting in the work on fitness and technique, never has there been a better time to commit to Tim's programme to achieved that.
Have a great week,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
8th November 2016
Another busy weekend on the river with the Vet Fours Head crews plus a double and pair pushing each other hard in three race pieces. On Sunday we had our Scullers Head entries on the river and "enjoying" fartlek training in lovely autumn sunshine. And there's a good core of people attending circuits and the squad ergs and you can see the improved fitness levels from that, but there is room for more at both sessions. Thanks the Marj for taking the "New Novices" to unfamiliar stretches of the river beyond Kew for the first time.
It's Fours Head weekend coming up with Fours Head rowed on the ebb tide on Saturday at 13:15 and Vet Fours Head on Sunday on the flood tide starting at 10:32 after the 2 minutes Remembrance Day silence. We have three crews entered on Sunday come and cheer them on...
Mas B 4x crew 11 Vasil, Tom, Piers, Matt
Mas B 4- crew 32 Bart, Gav, Ian M, Gareth
Mas Nov 4+ crew 234 Anna, Nick, Cris, Jez, Scott
This weeks plans:
Tuesday 7:15pm Max Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School - you can see the fitness and core strength of the regulars improving, but it would be good to see more of the squad there. Ex LTR guys, now's the time to start...
Wednesday: 7:00pm 10k easy run or for non runners 4 x 5min squats rate 20, 1min rest
Thursday: 7:00 pm Squad Erg 30 mins r 20 at 75% of 2k power (as per Tim's calculation)
Saturday Coached outings for race crews at 7:15 (others can join if they wish).
LTR outing at 10am
Sunday: Vet Fours Head. No squad outings but for those not racing, you will need to be off the river by 9:30 at the very latest to avoid the Vet Fours Head boating.
Final Note. Tim is giving us a first class programme on and off the water to improve our technique and fitness and those who are making the sessions are benefiting hugely and enjoying it at the same time. But if you miss sessions you are missing part of the instruction and getting incomplete an incomplete programme. So please do what you can to make the coached sessions.
See you all at circuits tonight...
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
8th November 2016
Another busy weekend on the river with the Vet Fours Head crews plus a double and pair pushing each other hard in three race pieces. On Sunday we had our Scullers Head entries on the river and "enjoying" fartlek training in lovely autumn sunshine. And there's a good core of people attending circuits and the squad ergs and you can see the improved fitness levels from that, but there is room for more at both sessions. Thanks the Marj for taking the "New Novices" to unfamiliar stretches of the river beyond Kew for the first time.
It's Fours Head weekend coming up with Fours Head rowed on the ebb tide on Saturday at 13:15 and Vet Fours Head on Sunday on the flood tide starting at 10:32 after the 2 minutes Remembrance Day silence. We have three crews entered on Sunday come and cheer them on...
Mas B 4x crew 11 Vasil, Tom, Piers, Matt
Mas B 4- crew 32 Bart, Gav, Ian M, Gareth
Mas Nov 4+ crew 234 Anna, Nick, Cris, Jez, Scott
This weeks plans:
Tuesday 7:15pm Max Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School - you can see the fitness and core strength of the regulars improving, but it would be good to see more of the squad there. Ex LTR guys, now's the time to start...
Wednesday: 7:00pm 10k easy run or for non runners 4 x 5min squats rate 20, 1min rest
Thursday: 7:00 pm Squad Erg 30 mins r 20 at 75% of 2k power (as per Tim's calculation)
Saturday Coached outings for race crews at 7:15 (others can join if they wish).
LTR outing at 10am
Sunday: Vet Fours Head. No squad outings but for those not racing, you will need to be off the river by 9:30 at the very latest to avoid the Vet Fours Head boating.
Final Note. Tim is giving us a first class programme on and off the water to improve our technique and fitness and those who are making the sessions are benefiting hugely and enjoying it at the same time. But if you miss sessions you are missing part of the instruction and getting incomplete an incomplete programme. So please do what you can to make the coached sessions.
See you all at circuits tonight...
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
31st October 2016
Hi All,
Hope everyone had a great weekend. It was good to see so many Cygnets and Barnes Bridge Ladies at Leander for the Henley lunch on Saturday. If we thought we were tough guys for paddling to the Pink House and back in a bit of launch wash, Mateo's story of his transatlantic row in the Talisker Challenge put what we do into perspective. Thanks to Stu for all his work organising the event.
And it was great to see 17 guys on the ergs doing Tim's first 2k test, there was real energy and determination in the Shed, a good indicator of the commitment from the squad. And the time trial down the Vets Head course on Sunday was an excellent dress rehearsal for the real event, getting the crews used to race conditions and putting down a lot of work. Impressive row by Guy to hold off both the 4x and 4- in his single.
Speaking of which, Sculler Head is coming up fast so anyone wanting to enter please let me know asap. So far BDF, Guy, Robin, Cris and myself are entered, there's room for a few more for the ultimate tideway test, dont be shy.
So this week:
Tuesday 7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School - what can top the 75 burpee finisher we did last week??? I'm sure Maxi will have something up her sleeve.
Wednesday 7pm Club Run
Thursday 7pm Squad Erg (including ex LTR group) programme to be confirmed (next test will be 5k in a few weeks)
Saturday and Sunday water outings please put down your availability for outings 1 & 2, ex LTR guys can you make sure that you get into the routine of completing your availability for the weekend by Wednesday evening so we can plan coxing, coaching and crews in good time please so we make sure you get out onto the water.
Other Stuff:
Fours Head 12th November - there will be some very high class crews racing some down and watch the race and pick up some tips. We'll be looking for volunteers to help with all the crews boating from Cygnet.
Vet Fours Head 10:30 13th November - 3 Cygnet Crews entered so come and cheer them along
Kit window is still open, don't miss the chance to get club kit from Godfrey Sports http://godfrey.co.uk/club/cygnetrc.
And finally, it's the Barnes Bridge Christmas party on the 10th December at the Bulls Head in Barnes preceded by the Cygnet Waddle. Book early to avoid disappointment.
Have a good week, see you at Circuits tomorrow,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update 25th October 2016
25th October 2016
Hi All,
Some good hard work done at the weekend with long rows to the Pink House and double outings. And it was the final two outings of the learn to row course who are all now invited to join the club and become the new novice squad starting their rowing careers and aiming for Head of the River Race on the 25th March next year. Many thanks to Alan Cox for coaching the course imparting his great rowing wisdom and displaying his inexhaustible enthusiasm and patience in equal measure. It will be great to have a new intake of Cygnets, please make them all very welcome.
This Saturday is stripey blazer time again at the Leander Lunch in Henley, which means a lot of people will be heading off early after the first outing. For the same reason the Novice outing for the LTR graduates will be 10am on Sunday NOT Saturday. There will be a time trial on Sunday so tough decisions to be made about how many pints to have at the Flowerpot on Saturday afternoon....
So this week...
Tuesday 7:15 Maxi Circuit at Cavendish School No charge only a towel and bottle of water required to gain admission
Wednesday 7pm at the club 10k club run
Thursday 7pm Squad ergo 6 x 500m
Saturday Squad outings, meet at 7:35 2k Erg test !!!!! followed by squad outings
Sunday meet at 7:45 Inaugural time trial, details of crews to follow, get your availability up to date on the spreadsheet so you are included in the plan.
10 am Novice outing with Alan
Further Ahead, lots of local races with Cygnet crews to cheer:
- 12 November 4s Head of the River Race at 13:15 We will be looking for volunteers to help with boating
- 13 November Vet 4s Head at 10:32
- 26 November Scullers Head 1:30 pm
And dont forget that the kit ordering window is open with Godfrey Sports until the 20th November so you can go out in warm rowing kit in the club colours.
http://godfrey.co.uk/club/
Cygnet Weekly Update 18th October
18th October 2016
You can order directly at any time, but we've got a club ordering 'window' open from now until 20th Nov, which means all the orders are grouped together, and we benefit from the group discounts. Anything you order between now and Sunday 20th Nov will be delivered in mid-to-late Dec (so in time for Christmas present lists for Santa, and the Plum Puds race). No money is taken until after 20th Nov, when Godfrey have had a chance to collate the orders, apply the discounts and then take the payments. Also, the worst case scenario will be the 2-11 price level, even if you is the only person to order a particular item, if it is ordered within the club ordering window. The postage costs will also be split between everyone in the order and the kit will be despatched in one box.
Useful links are:
http://godfrey.co.uk/
http://godfrey.co.uk/sizing-
Cygnet Weekly update
11th October 2016
It was a super busy weekend at the club with two eights on the water, plus a four and doubles and singles. Tim took his first sessions re introducing us to "The Double Outing". Well done to everyone who took advantage of this, you will get twice as good, twice as fit in half the time...
The LTR team had their fourth water outing and are making good progress and getting more self sufficient, thanks to Anna for coxing.
Sunday is the first big head race of the season - Pairs Head which if you dont know is organised and run by Barnes Bridge Ladies. The race starts at 12:30 as is from Harrods Wall (other side of Hammersmith Bridge) to just beyond Chiswick Bridge.
Come along enjoy burgers, hot dogs, beers and cheer on:
Cygnet
36 Gav and Bart IM1 2-
92 Ian and Matt IM3 2x
95 Robin and Jez IM3 2x
BBL
333 Stackhouse/Baldwin W MasB 2x
350 Kunert/Oakley W IM3 2x
375 Cahill/Thompson W Nov 2x
378 Fishman/Lopez W Nov 2x
404 Fontaine/Andjel W IM2 2-
409 Fry/Scott W IM2 2-
449 Telsnig/Broadhurst W MasE 2x
This week's training
Tuesday
7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School. Remember towels and water...
Wednesday
7pm Club 5k Run from the club to Hammersmith Bridge and back
Thursday 7:30 Squad erg 30 min rate 20 as far as you can row
LTR session 7pm in the Shed followed by the tank. Alan leading, Jez supporting.
Followed by Jez's Chilli
Saturday
7:45 at the club, 8am on the water - double squad outings with TIm. 1: 12k UT2 2: 3 x 8' Step Rate
LTR Water session 10 am with Alan coaching, Jez, coxing
Sunday
8:15 at the club, 8:30 am on the water for those not racing:
1: 12k UT2 2: Bungee 8k Rate 22)
Please get your availability onto the spreadsheet if it is not already there, there is lots going on so make planing easier by doing this asap....
Hope to see as many as possible of you tonight at circuits,
Cheers
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
5th October 2016
Hi All,
I hope those out on the Rhine had a fab weekend, enjoyed the beer and sausages and backsides and hands are not too sore after a day to recover.
For those who stayed at home, it was very autumnal on the Tideway with heavy rain soaking the crews 2x, 2- and 4+ crews on their way back from the Pink House. And the LTR students got a taste of proper rowing weather on their outings. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
The big news this club is that we have secured the services of Tim Male to lead our coaching. Tim is an ex GB rower, an Olympian and the holder of a number of indoor ergo records. He has a great coaching pedigree at Tideway Scullers and it is a fantastic opportunity for Cygnet to have someone of his experience leading our coaching. Tim would like to meet the club members and active rowers this Saturday to introduce himself and present his plan to us. I'll confirm the time but please make every effort to attend. Sue Cole and Alan will both continue to coach us working with Tim so we are in great shape and have a real opportunity to improve our fitness and technique, build the active squad and win things!!! He will work us hard but this is what people have been asking for (be careful what you wish for). Bring it on!
So this week...
Tuesday 7:15 Cavendish School
Circuits with Maxi - bring towel and water and be prepared for pain...
Thursday
7:00 LTR Meet and warm up in the Shep followed by Tank session
7:30 Squad ergo 30 min erg at R22-24 (with 3 mins at R28 at minutes 7, 17, and 27) Nice and short ergo after last week, so let's see those splits coming down
Saturday (I've brought the outing time forward so you can meet Tim at 9:30)
7:30 Squad outings coached by Sue
Small boats - 70 mins long row.
10am LTR water session
We need a cox and two boat sitters please - no one has signed up and I am away this weekend.
Sunday 8:30
Squad outings coached by Sue
Further ahead
16th October 12:30
Pairs Head - first big head race of the season, organised by Barnes Bridge so please support.
Bart and Gav, Ian and Matt, and Robin and Jez are entered. Come along and support, eat the BBL hot dogs and cakes and socialise in the bar.
Even further ahead...
12/13th November Fours Head/Vet Fours Head
If you want to compete you should be out training on the water as much as you can, so get your availability up to date, and get out there and do it.
That's all for now, I'll confirm the time of the meeting with Tim, see you at circuits tomorrow.
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
20th September 2016
Cygnets one and all,
Bizeee weekend on and off the water.
Many thanks to Cris for organising our end of season dinner in the incomparable surroundings of the Coach and Horses. Congratulations to Scott for winning the JP Jefferies rower of the year and Alan Cox the Wally Wheddel club man award. Both well deserved. Scott has worked hard on and off the water in crew boats as well as in a single scull and in addition taken on the job of club boatman, fixing the wear and tear and dings and scratches that the rest of us put in the fleet. And Alan has given so much time out in the launch coaching us with good humour and enormous patience. Lets go out and win some pots for him soon.
On the Tideway we had 30 people rowing on Saturday morning. The learn to row Cygnets took their first tentative strokes and were doing something that was recognisably rowing by the end of the two outings. And good to see a fleet of small boats training for Pairs Head and Fours Head. It's good to see so many people out, let's maintain the momentum.
Pairs Head and Fours/Vet Head Fours Head are just around the corner. If you want to be in these events you need to be putting in the time on and off the water, most importantly we need consistent water outings. So can everyone get their availability up to date on the famous spreadsheet please.
Pairs Head - Volunteers are required for marshalling and launch driving. The event is run by Barnes Bridge so please help if you can and let Sue Cole know copying me in please.
This Week:
Tuesday 7:15 Cavendish School, Edensor Road
Circuits with Maxi. Build your core strength for the winter season. Bring a drink and a towel.
Thursday 7:00 PM LTR - warm up in the Shed then from 7:15 in the Tank
7:30 Squad ergo - 30 mins rate 20 feet out, splits the same as last week's feet in orgo.
Weekend:
Saturday 8am Squad outings coached by Sue
10am LTR with Alan
Sunday 8am Squad outings coached by Sue
I am away this weekend, but see you at circuit tonight and have a good week everyone
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
12th September 2016
It's been a busy few days, with Sculling Camp, LTR and the Squad Meeting last Thursday.
The mood of the squad meeting was that people want to see more settled crews and commit more to make the improvements to technique and fitness to achieve better results in races. From the poll we know who wants to row in each head race and the level of commitment they can make. We will be grouping crews based on experience and commitment so those who can commit row as far as possible with the same guys. To make this happen can I ask that everyone who want to race in either pairs head or 4/Vet Fours Head completes there availability on the spreadsheet from now till 4s Head weekend as a minimum including weekends and weekdays.
Another good session in the LTR course on Saturday, getting reading for theiir first water outing on Saturday. Alan will coach and I'll cox but we'll need to have 2 boat sitters from our experienced rowers please check the sheet and volunteer if you can. Now we are going out on the river we need all the LTR guys to confirm their availability so we know how many people will be going in a boat and how if we have one or two outings to give you all time on the water.
Sculling Camp went well, one day rain, one day glorious sunshine. Well done to AJ and Bjarne for how they stuck at it and got substantial water time. We will organise beginners sculling pods back at base when the conditions are right to keep you progressing.
This week
Tuesday 7 15 Cavendish School
The return of Circuits with the awesome Maxi. Don't miss it!!!!!!
Thursday
LTR @7 in the Shed to warm up then in the Tank
Squad ergo at 7 30 as per Sue's plan, I'll put it on the spreadsheet, I'm sure it will hurt.
Weekend
Please please please complete you availability. Squad outings at 8 on Saturday and 8 30 Sunday.
LTR 10am Saturday, wear appropriate clothing for going on the river ie no baggy stuff that can get caught up in parts of the boat.
See you all on Thursday and then at the end of season dinner at the coach and Horses on Friday.
Take care
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
23rd August 2016
Hi Cygnets,
Wild day on the river on Saturday with unseasonably strong winds. Still there was good solid sculling training by those who were out plus the very welcome return of James to boat and his first taste of sculling. More to come at sculling camp on the 10/11 September.
No more races now until Pairs Head in October so its time to plan the training and crews for autumn. Thanks to those who have filled in the poll, for those who haven't yet, it only takes a couple of minutes and will be a big help in putting plans together. Cygnet Autumn Poll. Please put the squad meeting on the 8th September in your diary, after boat loading for Sculling Camp.
Learn to Row starts in less than two weeks. I am still looking for volunteer coaches and helpers to cover all the sessions. The water sessions will need lot of support, coach, cox, two boat sitters and someone to do land training if we have as expected two 8s going out one after the other. Go to the LTR page of the famous spreadsheet to sign up.
And Scamp is fast approaching on the 9/10/11th September. We'll load the boats on Thursday 8th Sept before the squad meeting, we will need volunteers to meet the trailer at Weybridge Ladies on Friday evening to get the boats across to the bungalow.
This weeks outings:
Tuesday 7pm
Nick R, Scott, AJ, Ben, Big John
Sorry no steersman amongst you so it will have to be land training unless a steer comes forward. So its 30 min feet out rate 20 ergo, please record times on the sheet
Thursday 6:45
4x Vasil, AJ, Ben, Jez
Guy, the sun sets at 8 so we need to be on the water by 7 at the latest so make a special effort to get down early.
See you at the club soon, enjoy the heatwave whilst it lasts
Jez
Cygnet Bugle Weekly
12th August 2016
Chaps and Chappess
Report from HT&V Regatta does not include any pewter I'm sorry, but the Nov 4+ gets closer to glory but continues the habit of coming up against the eventual winners in the first round. Anna, Jez, Scott, Cris and Robin were have with a large and powerful RAF crew (who hadn't organised the Red Arrows as hoped) and rowed pretty much side by side with them only to loose by 2/3 length in by far the fastest semi final. RAF went on to win comfortably in the from Twickenham and Oxford Green Templeton college. There was no denying that they had more power so it was a reflection of our superior technique that we held them so close. The Mas C 4x came up against a very tidy Mas B Oxford Academicals crew who rather left us for dead but it was good to give Ben H his first race in Cygnet colours. On Sunday it was great to see John Stockdale back in a boat after an injury enforce layoff, it's just like riding a bike isn't it.
Upcoming...
Saturday August 20th Oxford City Regatta - last regatta of the season, we will be selecting crews in the next couple of days, if you want to be in it then update the regatta page on spreadsheet....
This week:
Tuesday 7pm
Lacking a signed off steer so its fun on the ergo ( I'll see if I can find one)
For your delectation:
Erg: 2 x 2k + 1 x 1k [max effort - 5 min break] Scott, Rob A, AJ, Ben, John S
Thursday 7pm
Water: 2 x 20mins [@ r18-20]
4+Jez (c), Rob, Scott, John S, Ben
Weekend
Saturday 8am Squad outings
Sunday 8:30 Squad outings
Now we've moved into August there is a whole new availability spreadsheet to fill, it's looking a bit thin at the moment.
Further ahead
3rd September Start of the next Learn to Row course. Do you have any friends or colleagues who you could persuade to join???
I'll be posting a schedule for the 8 week course including the volunteers we will need for each session, please be ready to sign up and help bring on the next generation Cygnets
4th September Club Day - more details to follow from Cris
9/10/11 September Sculling Camp
1st October Rhine Marathon in lovely Dusseldorf -more details to follow, this is one of the 5 Pillars of Cygnet, pilgramage we must all make at least once in our lives.
16th October Pair Head on the Tideway - start thinking if you want to enter and who you want to enter with, this is our next big race day after Oxford City
I think that's about it for now,
Have a good week one and all
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
25th July 2016
Highlight of the past week was the festival of rowing that is St Neots Regatta. It was my fourth time and by far the loveliest of days on Saturday, the river and the regatta field really looked a picture. Last year the gazebo was needed for its rain retarding properties, this year it was thethe shade it offered that got everyone seeking its cover. The rwgatta is a joy, so friendly and relaxed, the marshals so patient and such a good spirit between clubs and opposing crews, competitive but in a most old fashioned sporting way.
On the river, by fat the coolest place to be, we had some exciting racing and race wins but no trophies. It could have been different, the 4+ crew of Nick, Scott, Cris and Robin were hunting down the London Otters when Swany McSwanface strayed into the the racing lanes to be clipped on the body first by Robin on the drive, chopped on the neck on the recovery by Robin then to add insult to injury Scott delivered the coup de grace to its wing on the next strike. So we missed about 3 strokes in the process and boat speed was lost. Swany was certainly moving slower, the otters darted away up the Ouse and the race was lost. I'd like to say the no swans were hurt in the making of this story, but that would not be true. Maybe the cox should have kept a between look out, but had a grudge against all of them since one attacked me whilst canoeing on the river Wye in 1988. Taken a long time to get even with swankind. Thank goodness it wasn't a Cygnet. Needless to say the Otters went on to win leaving all their other oppo a,country mile behind.
The Mas C 4+ won their heat against Star by about 3 lengths. In the semi final we faced a Mas D crew from Broxbourne which meant giving them a 9 second headstart, which meant that they were like half way down the course before we started. We clawed most it back to have an overlap at the finish but we ran out of river to get past them. Needless to say again that Broxbourne won the final by a more comfortable margin. More races and fast and furious action in the sprints on Sunday, Matt won his 1x heat, but lost to a giant in his semi. Thanks to Robin and Anna for coxing and to Tom and Jo for trailering. I'm trying to get the details of the swannery so we can send flowers and get well soon cards.
Next weekend is Henley Town and Visitors where we have a Nov 4+ and Mas C 4x racing, more details to follow.
This week's plan...
Tuesday 7pm at the club
Both crews working on race starts and 2, 3 4 minute race pieces both boats side by side if poss
4- Nick R, Scott, Tom R, Robin
4x Ben, Vasil, Tom B, Cris
Thursday 7pm
More race pieces and starts and side by side races. Boat loading for Ht&V after the outing
4- Jez, Scott, Cris, Robin
4x Ben , Vasil, Tom B , Ian M
Sorry AJ and John, am the crews are geared round the racing lineups for Saturday and doing full race practice, but as always come and do a 30 min r 20 feet out ergo. Will get you out on the water soon.
I'm sorting out coaching and we should have cover for both days.
I'll send out more detail about HT&V meet and race times later in the week.
And City of Oxford is just round the corner so will be putting crews forward in the next few days.
Finally, big thanks to Scott for fixing the trailer. Kiwis are great club members!
Have a fab week
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
18th July 2016
Cygnet Weekly Update blog postLovely weather and conditions out on a blissfully quiet Tideway at the weekend. Shame about the colour of the water on Sunday. A variant of the two St Neots racing 4+ were do some honest race pieces and working up a lather under Alan's expert eye on Sunday, I hope that will propel them to glory next weekend. Special note about the heroics of Tom R who despite illness overnight made it down for an 8am outing on Saturday, a shining light to one and all.
We have two boats entered in St Neots Regatta on Saturday:
MasC 4+ Robin (c)Jez,Nick R,Matt,Cris
Nov 4+ Jez(c) Nick R, Scott, Cris, Robin
We are waiting for the draw to come out then I'll let you know the race times. There are other mixed combos racing in the sprint event on Sunday, you know who you are and what you've entered, but again I'll let you know race times when they come out.
Only a week later we have Henley T&V with:
Gav, Jez, Robin, Cris, Tom B, and a couple of possibles in Bart, Charlie, and Rob A and an "unlikely" from Patrick. It's an iconic venue and not far from base, Crews need to submitted by noon on Saturday. Can you please confirm your availability and racing preferences by Wednesday at the latest so I can make sure we get crews entered on Friday. Nough said.
So this week:
Tuesday: 7pm at the club
Andre our boat repairer is returning a couple of boats on Wednesday and will collect the Paul Rawkins which is in for repair. So can we de-rig the Rawkins and leave it on the lawn at the side of the club on Tuesday night please.
Matt (Mixed 2x)
4- Ben, Scott, Cris, Robin In need of a steersman - I'll see if I can get one, otherwise the ergo is a beaut:
Erg: 20 x (1min on 1min off) rate 30+
Tom B, Vasil, AJ
Thursday 7pm
4- (in need of a cox, I'll see if I can get one)
Jez, Scott, Cris, Robin
4x
Vasil, Tom B, AJ, Matt
Sorry Tom Robins . 9 is a hard number to squeeze into boats when I've got racing crews to get on the water. But ergo is:
Erg: 4 x 500m free rate drag125 - at least 5 sec faster than 5k pb. Then 1 x 500m free rate, drag 110 (split harder to come by due to lower drag so focus on speed of conectiopn at front end). GOOD COOL DOWN
De rigging of boats and trailer loading for St Neots after the outings.
Finally...
Just a plug for learning to steer and learning to single scull. The more people who have passed their steering test and have been signed off, the more likely it is that everyone who is available on any given day will get an outing. Rob A and William have both made the effort and should be given signed off soon, but I would like everyone to make the effort of learning to steer or learning to cox. You wont have to do it that often but it is only right and fair that all experienced rowers can step up when needed. Steering test is easy enough to prepare for, swatting up on the Tideway Code and taking the short test with Charlie. An we have great experience and willingness to share it in the likes of Dr Jackson to get steering tuition on the water. If nothing else, learning to steer makes you appreciate what is involved when someone else is steering you. The river is quiet and slow moving for the next couple of months, this is the best time to earn your steering spurs.
And that's it for now. more news St Neots draw as soon as I have it.
Take care
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
4th July 2016
Just a great afternoon at Old Blades on Friday of Henley Royal Regatta. The rain fell in the morning and the afternoon stayed dry and finally we were blessed with late afternoon sunshine, Pimms flowed all day, lunch was top notch and every so often a couple of boats would flash and splash past. Sensible folk knowing their limits left and made the trip back to town, younger, less experienced chaps carried on till the wee small hours and paid a heavy price come Saturday morning. Massive thanks to Pat Sly for one again hosting us at an incomparable venue.
Saturday was bright and breezy for outings, some rowers not so bright and breezy. We got a 4 x, 4- and 2- on the water, thanks to Alan for the coaching. Sunday a 4x and various scullers were out working hard.
Kingston Regatta is this Saturday. We have a Nov 4+ entered - Claudia, Jez, Scott, Patrick, Cris, good luck to them, I will put out the race times when announced.
Further ahead on the 23/24th July St Neots Regatta. Signed up so far we have: Jez, Matt, Robin, Cris, Nick R, Tom B, Scott. We will speak to BBL about mixed crews as well as entering Cygnet crews to try to get everyone two races. We could do with a few more of our finely honed athletes signing up, but we need to get crews sorted out in the next week. Don't miss out on the most fun regatta and party of the season!!!
Henley T&V the week after another good regatta at an iconic venue. Please sign up if you can make it...
This week
We are short of a steersman for both Tuesday and Thursday to get everyone on the water. Anyone available to help?
Tuesday 7pm
4- Starts + 4 x 2 min race pieces
Nick R, Scott, Parick, Cris
Ergo "2x15mins (r19 & r26 every 5 mins) , 1x 10min (r19 & r28 every 2 mins) 3mins rest"
Tom B, Vasil, AJ
Thursday 7pm
4+ Claudia. Jez, Scott, Patrick, Cris
4- (or 4x) from - I will try to get one more steer to make up a 4x and 4-
Matt, Nick, Tom B, AJ, Tom R, Ben, Vasil
See you Thursday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
4th July 2016
Just a great afternoon at Old Blades on Friday of Henley Royal Regatta. The rain fell in the morning and the afternoon stayed dry and finally we were blessed with late afternoon sunshine, Pimms flowed all day, lunch was top notch and every so often a couple of boats would flash and splash past. Sensible folk knowing their limits left and made the trip back to town, younger, less experienced chaps carried on till the wee small hours and paid a heavy price come Saturday morning. Massive thanks to Pat Sly for one again hosting us at an incomparable venue.
Saturday was bright and breezy for outings, some rowers not so bright and breezy. We got a 4 x, 4- and 2- on the water, thanks to Alan for the coaching. Sunday a 4x and various scullers were out working hard.
Kingston Regatta is this Saturday. We have a Nov 4+ entered - Claudia, Jez, Scott, Patrick, Cris, good luck to them, I will put out the race times when announced.
Further ahead on the 23/24th July St Neots Regatta. Signed up so far we have: Jez, Matt, Robin, Cris, Nick R, Tom B, Scott. We will speak to BBL about mixed crews as well as entering Cygnet crews to try to get everyone two races. We could do with a few more of our finely honed athletes signing up, but we need to get crews sorted out in the next week. Don't miss out on the most fun regatta and party of the season!!!
Henley T&V the week after another good regatta at an iconic venue. Please sign up if you can make it...
This week
We are short of a steersman for both Tuesday and Thursday to get everyone on the water. Anyone available to help?
Tuesday 7pm
4- Starts + 4 x 2 min race pieces
Nick R, Scott, Parick, Cris
Ergo "2x15mins (r19 & r26 every 5 mins) , 1x 10min (r19 & r28 every 2 mins) 3mins rest"
Tom B, Vasil, AJ
Thursday 7pm
4+ Claudia. Jez, Scott, Patrick, Cris
4- (or 4x) from - I will try to get one more steer to make up a 4x and 4-
Matt, Nick, Tom B, AJ, Tom R, Ben, Vasil
See you Thursday
Jez
Mike Arnold-Gilliat
24th June 2016
Michael Augustine Arnold-Gilliat
30th April 1935 - 16th June 2016
Michael Arnold-Gilliat, variously known as Mike AG, MAG, the Dowager Chairman or just plain Gilliat, passed away peacefully on 16th June in Charing Cross Hospital, London, after a short struggle with pneumonia. He was 81. On hearing of his death, Lawrence McVeigh, one of his contemporaries remarked that 'it would take a little time to get used to not having Mike there'. It will indeed; Mike AG was part of the very fabric of Cygnet RC, a quintessential administrator who always had his 'ear to the ground' and one who never missed an opportunity to network.
Born in Kennington, south London on 30th April 1935, Mike was a child of the Blitz. Bombed out of Kennington in 1941, the family moved to Bournemouth, where Mike secured an education at St Peter's School before passing the Civil Service entrance exam in June 1953. No sooner had he joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) than he was whisked off to the RAF to do National Service. Not an obvious candidate for airborne duties, Mike was dispatched to Signals on and around Salisbury Plain where it was felt that he could do relatively little harm.
Returning to MAFF in 1955, Mike was initially assigned to the Legal Department where he made the acquaintance of John Bull, a coach at Cygnet who introduced him to the club in 1958. Little did the rowing world know what it was letting itself in for. Over the ensuing half century or so, the name MAG would become synonymous with civil service rowing in all its administrative guises on the Tideway.
Mike enjoyed his rowing, but he was not a natural oarsman and never won his Novices or Maidens as they were known in his day. Maidens were hotly contested in the early 1960s and Mike often recounted events like Evesham where thirty or more entries were not unusual. Still, he could always console himself with the social side of rowing and in 1972 he and a number of other Cygnets featured in a priceless advert for Double Diamond Bitter under the slogan 'I'm only here for the beer'. This billboard still enjoys pride of place in RG Benrath, Dusseldorf, an inter-club link first established by Mike together with Gordon Burden and Lawrence Mc Veigh in 1965 and one that remains very much alive to this day.
Rowing boats were one thing, but the labyrinthine committee structure of civil service rowing was quite another and Mike revelled in it, swiftly making his mark on the Cygnet committee. Having filled virtually every committee post in the 1960s, Mike would subsequently serve six years (1970-73 and 1980-81) as club captain and 18 years as club chairman. Civil service rowing thrived under MAG's first stint as captain and he was immensely proud to put his name to the entry form for Cygnet's first ever entry (under its own name) at Henley Royal Regatta in 1972 and again in 1973. Later, in 1980, he would rally to the cause again, stepping in as captain when the club was at a very low ebb.
Never one to take a back seat, when not commanding the higher echelons of Cygnet RC, Mike took up the reins first as boathouse secretary and subsequently as boathouse chairman, while also becoming involved in the broader Civil Service Sports Council, where he served on the Management Committee and as London Region Secretary. Mike became a vice president of Cygnet in 1978, while his services to civil service rowing and the CSSC were formally recognized in 1982 when he was awarded the Civil Service Merit Award for services to sport and recreation.
Back on the Tideway, Mike became a qualified umpire and officiated at many local regattas and heads in the 1970-80s, as well as becoming entrenched in the organisation of Hammersmith Amateur Regatta (as Treasurer) and the Head of the River Fours (as committee member and Entries Secretary). Mike could be a very canny operator and was instrumental in securing long-term sponsorship from Fullers Brewery for both these events. Nearer to home, he transformed the Cygnet 300 club into a 600 club, greatly aiding the club boat buying programme, which would subsequently see not one, but two boats named Mike Arnold-Gilliat.
MAG's enduring commitment to the wider world of rowing was recognized in 2002 when he received a British Olympic Association Award, by which time memories of the grass-roots revolt Mike and his Division 18 colleagues had led against perceived ARA misrule in 1976 had presumably been forgotten. However, arguably, the honour Mike coveted most was his election to Leander Club as a 'full pink' in 1998, a rare achievement for somebody who had never won his novices, yet one whose rowing CV ranked with the best of them in so many other respects.
No obituary of Mike AG could omit mention of 14 Vernon Road in Sheen, his home for almost fifty years. Countless Cygnet members came to regard Vernon Road as tantamount to a second home and, in a good many cases, a first home, as an army of club members became paying tenants at one time or another. Indeed, the early 1970s found the whole of the captaincy residing at Vernon Road and an invitation to a drink or dinner was a little like an audience at the White House.
No deserving body, often 'under the influence', was ever turned away from Gilliat Towers: the back bedroom was always on hand for the 'tired and emotional'; while kitchen cupboards full of canned food and drink from the local cash-and-carry mitigated the risks of starvation or dehydration. Conversely, inmates were expected to 'muck in': Norman Cowling, one of the 1970s alumni, recalls 'Mike's next door neighbour was highly amused to see that the tenants were expected to paint the house'.
But perhaps the institution that personified MAG best was the 'Gilligram' - hand-typed or written reminders penned by Mike, first as captain and later as boathouse and club chairman, these appeared with unerring regularity in the club letter rack, the forerunner of e-mails as we know them today. Often, these missives would be a summons to the White Hart or the Hare and Hounds to discuss the issues of the day. All the big decisions were thrashed out in one or other of these public houses, infused by the Aaaaabl - the absolute b***dy last - as Mike liked to refer to the last pint(s) of the day.
After an extensive career in MAFF, Mike's administrative skills were unleashed for one last time on the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (an outpost of MAFF). Not one to hog the spotlight, he was nonetheless proud that under his stewardship Kew Gardens won an award for some of the cleanest toilets in the land! The trail of destruction wrought by the Great Storm of 1987 presented an altogether different challenge. Sometime later, ananonymous benefactor presented the club with its handsome gavel, made from a Kew Turkey Oak which had fallen victim to the storm!
Following early retirement at 55, Mike became a fully paid-up member of the Golden Oldies, which met at the boathouse every Tuesday and Thursday under the tutelage of John Bull. Mike also took up globe-trotting, ably abetted by his travelling companion Andy Rawkins, visiting virtually every continent on the planet. Ever the socialite, many an unsuspecting co-traveller would return home only to find themselves on Mike's electronic rolodex for ever more. Less well known were his annual pilgrimages to Hosanna House, Lourdes as a hands-on helper: religious faith was always very important to Mike.
Mike never tired of telling his GP that 'he was easily led astray' and, in truth, we were all complicit in his antics which were legendary, particularly at locations like the Flower Pot and Henley Royal Regatta. Gracious to a fault, Mike always dismissed these as apocryphal. Yet he remained an administrator to the last, helpfully penning notes for his own obituary. At Cygnet we are fond of proclaiming the demise of club grandees as the 'end of an era'; with the death of Mike Arnold-Gilliat, that epithet is amply justified, Gilligrams and all. He will be greatly missed by his multitude of friends and family.
Paul Rawkins,
24th June 2016
Mike's Funeral will take place on Wednesday 13th July 2016 at 12.30pm
St Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church, Mortlake, 61 N. Worple Way, London SW14 8PR.
After the service the family and close friends will accompany Michael to the Crematorium.
By Michael's request a small floral tribute will be provided.
"Reach the Unreached" was founded by Brother Lionel, a teacher at Michael's old school, and helps poor village people in India. If you wish please make a donation, please send a cheque made payable to "Reach the Unreached", c/o Holmes & Daughters, 461 Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen, London SW14 7PU.
The wake will be in the River Room at the Bulls Head in Barnes.
Please feel free to share your memories of Mike by using the comments box below.
Cygnet Weekly Update
20th June 2016
Hi Guys,
You've got me on the email this week so will try to keep it brief. Our only racers this weekend were Bart and Gav competing in a Sen 2- at Marlow International. No silverware though no doubt the boys left it all out on the 2k stretch at Dorney. Good effort.
Richmond regatta next weekend in which we have Charlie competing in Nov 1x. Good luck Charlie
Priority for mid-week outings is to get everyone out on the water. Matt has kindly agreed to cox an 8+ tomorrow (food for thought, a Nov 8+ at St Neots?) And thanks to Cris for manning the small boats this week. Apologies if you're out of position, let me know if I need to change anything?
Tuesday @ 7.15pm OTW
8+ Cox Matt B, 8 Patrick,n7 Rob A, 6 Nick R, 5 Scott, 4 Tom R, 3 Ben, 2 Tom B, 1 Piers
2x Cris, AJ
Thursday @ 7.15pm OTW
4+ Claudia (Cox), Patrick, Nick R, Scott, Rob A
4- Matt B, Ben, Tom B, Ian M
2x Cris, Piers
1x Charlie
This week's squad erg is -
2x15mins (r19 & r26 every 5 mins)
1x 10min (r19 & r28 every 2 mins)
3mins rest
See you on the water.
Nick
Cygnet Weekly Update
13th June 2016
Another busy weekend just gone with races and squad outings and sculling.
3 crews entered BMI sadly no victories or pots to report:
Big Dave French made his 1x debut rowing against someone double barrelled from TSS and we know (Charlie certainly does) that racing against the double barrelled means it's like racing two people who've sculled since the age of 2.
Charlie and Cris went close in their heat vs a crew half their age from St Pauls and the Nov 4+ were bow ball to bow ball in a furious sprint to lose by less than half a length to the Kingston crew that went on to win by large distances in the semi and final. Sharper technique and a bit more time on the ergs and we would have taken them.
Lots coming up, Richmond Regatta is in a week and a half. Entries have to be in by Sunday. Yeses on the spreadsheet are: Ian M Bart, Gav, Matt, Robin (1x), Nick R (tbc) Claudia (tbc) Tom B, Charlie, Rob A. That looks like an IM2 4- or 2- and Nov 4+ and poss a Nov 4x or 2x. Anyone else available? Scott? Vasil?? Seniors can you let me know you preference or could you sort yourselves out and let me know.
This weeks outings...
Tuesday 7pm at the club, 7:15 otw
4- Rob A, Vasil, Patrick, Matt
4x Piers, Tom B, AJ, Charlie
Thursday 7pm at the club, 7:15 otw
4+ Claudia, Rob A, Tom B, AJ, Piers
4- Matt B, Tom R, Iain G, Ian M
4x Chris, Charlie, Ben, Jez
Weekend outings,
Saturday 8am OTW
Ian, Matt, Tom B, Iain G, Rob A, AJ, Tom R , Ben
Sunday 8:30 OTW
Matt, Iain G, Tom B, Charlie, Rob A, AJ, Ben
Further Ahead...
It's very much into the second half of the regatta season and a chance to explore some fresh stretches of water. Really make an effort to get into crews for these races.
- Friday 1st July - Cygnet @ Old Blades, Henley Royal Regatta. Stripy blazer social extravaganza! More from Cris soon
- July 8th/9th Henley Masters - top quality masters regatta, who is up for it?
- July 23/24 St Neots Regatta - a weekender, camping, pizza, party, mixed rowing with BBL, pots. Get it in your diary and get your availability up to date so we can plan crews with BBL.
- July 30th Henley Town and Visitors - great regatta on the iconic stretch of river.
- August 20/21 City of Oxford Regatta - traditionally our regatta season curtain closer, let's go out with good representation and better results
Finally...
It's the 300 Club Lottery that pays for our new boats. All Cygnets should be helping the club by buying tickets. Regular draws, big money prizes, next draw at Old Blades on the 1st. You've got to be in it to win it. Contact Guy du Parc to get your tickets.
Have a good week, see you Thursday,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
7th June 2016
Hi Cygnets,
It was a busy ole weekend on the river with crews out rehearsing their race drills with Alan and Sue, Learn to Rowers out in numbers (thanks to Jen, Matt, Bart, Tom B and Nick for helping out), Cris and Charlie up before dawn on Sunday in their 2x and many scullers heading up to the Pink House and back.
This Saturday is Barnes and Mortlake International Regatta surely the most prestigious of the Tideway regattas. We have 3 entries: Nov4 of Gareth, Jez, Nick, Cris and Robin, Nov 2x of Cris and Charlie, and Big Dave French going for glory in Nov 1x. I'll let you know the race times once they are announced. Come down to MAA to cheer the crews on. (Sorry Guy, no oppo again at Mas D 1x)
Richmond Regatta is on the 25th and we'll be putting together crews and combos for that in the next few days. Let me know by putting it on the regatta page of spreadsheet if you have any race preferences or want to double up.
So this week..
Tuesday:
On the water
2x Cris Charlie (check the conditions before going out in case there are any storms imminent)
8+ LTR
In the Shed
Nick R, AJ, Scott, Patrick, Tom Robbins
2 x 2k & 1 x1k Max effort, 5 min rest in between each
Thursday
4+/- Claudia? Jez, Nick R, Cris, Robin,
4- Patrick, Scott, AJ, Ian M
2x Vasil, Matt
1x Charlie
Weekend
Saturday
Training outings at 8am
BMI Regatta
Sunday
Training outings at 8:30
Further Ahead
Richmond Regatta 25th June - looks like we have a lot of people signed up, crews to be selected this week.
Friday 1st July Henley Royal Regatta, Cygnets @ Old Blades.Highlight of the social calendar and a chance to put on the stripy blazers. More details to follow from Cris.
That's it for now, have a good week, see you Thursday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
31st May 2016
G'day Cygnets,
Hope you all enjoyed the bank holiday weekend. It was a lovely day for Twickenham Regatta, it really is the most picture perfect setting for a regatta with the sun shining, band playing and the Pims flowing in the regatta enclosure...
On the water our Novice 4+ of Claudia, Patrick, Scott, Rob A and Charlie performed well beating HSBC easily in their heat and pushing Kingston all the way in the semis to loose be a couple of lengths. Keep working on the fitness and sharpen the catches and a win isn't far away.
Charlie doubled up in his first ever single scull race in a Masters C straight final. Charlie had question his captain's judgement entering him Mas C rather than novice. His opponent turned up in a vintage american gas guzzler with his single on top and answered to the name of "Dude". Before we sat him on the water he said he had "rowed a bit at school" and just taken it up again in the last year or so. It turns out that "rowed a bit at school" meant he was a GB junior. And in the last year he's had some time on his hands so has been able to train 2 hours a day. Ouch. Sorry Charlie. Anyway, Charlie put in a good debut performance his technique looking great as he crossed the finish line a few seconds or so behind Mr GB Junior. As it happens Charlie would not have been any better in Nov 1x as the Dude was in and won that event too.
Matt and Jez came up against a couple of hard men from Ardingly in their 2x race who clearly had been practicing together more than Matt and Jez and Jez trailed behind a Putney Town sculler. complaining that the water was much much rougher on MIddlesex than Surrey...
So next up is Barnes and Mortlake "International". Entries have to be in by noon on Saturday 4th. So far we have BDF, Jez, Matt, Robin, Cris, Nick R, Charlie, Scott and Guy (Mas D 1x) keen to enter. I will pick crews as best I can from this combination of ages and points. If anyone wants to double up in another event please let me know.
Following week is Marlow at Dorney where Bart and Gav will be racing.
So this week...
Tuesday 7:15 otw (weather doesnt look great, check conditions before going out, set ergo is Erg: 3x8mins [1set@r24 1@26 1@28] if not)
4- Nick R, Vasil, Patrick, Matt
2x Scott, Charlie
Thursday 7:15 otw
4- Nick R, Scott, Cris, Jez
4- Patrick, Vasil, Tom Robbins, Matt
2x (or two 1x if conditions ok) Charlie, Rob A
Weekend
Saturday 8am Squad Outings OTW
Sunday 8 30 am Squad outings
10:30 Sculling pod. Please let me know if you can make this so we have the necessary cover for the newer scullers.
So as ever keep your availability up to date to help me plan the outings, have a good week and see you at the club soon.
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
24th May 2016
Hi All,
Busy weekend on the river and on land. The latest learn to row course moved into the tank, they will be on the river next weekend. Challenging conditions for steers on Saturday morning with a narrow, shallow river, strong wind and M25 like traffic. On Sunday we took three guys out in single sculls on the Tideway for this first time. I know how scary it was for me first time, it's a big step up from the tranquillity of the river at Shepperton. Will, Rob and Vasil all did really well, staying upright (comfortably) developing their sculling skills and learning more Tideway navigation. Charlie was praciticing his 1x racing starts, as were Matt and Jez in a 2x, Guy and Gareth exhausted each other racing the Richmond Lock and back, and the Chairman's 4- soaked up the rays and paddle with panache. Thanks to Dr J, Sue and Sian for taking them for providing instruction and caperone services. Good to see so many boats on the water. We will make sculling pods part of the summer schedule when the tide times are right (ie every other Sunday at 10am).
So this week, it's Twickenham Regatta on Saturday and we are entered in 4 events - Nov 4+ (Claudia, Patrick, Scott, Rob, Charlie) , Mas C 2x (Matt, Jez), Mas C 1x (Charlie), Mas E 1x (Jez). Priority for Tuesday and Thursday is race training for these crews.
Tuesday 7pm
Matt (cox), Nick R, Scott, Patrick, Piers
Ergo Vasil
Thursday 7 am - Boat loading for Twickenham after the outings
2x Matt, Jez
1x Charlie
4+ Claudia (cx0), Patrick, Scott, Rob, Vasil
Ergo (sorry no more steers available)
Nick R, Piers
Weekend
Saturday
Twickenham Regatta - I'll let people know the race times once the draw is out. If you've not been, it's a great setting and a good one to watch with a beer and burger from the facilities on the finish line in Buccleuch
Gardens. I will need someone with me in the ute to trailer the boats to Twickenham and help me reverse the trailer down River Lane. So who wants a lift at early o'clock on Saturday?
There will be no squad outings on Saturday back at the club, but feel free to self organise if you want an outing.
Learn to Row - 9:30 First water outing. Boat sitters required!!! Contact Jenny (Jenhawtin@googlemail.com) if you can help out.
Sunday 8am
Squad outings at 8am, please get your availability up to date on the spreadsheet.
Further Ahead
There are some people interested in going to Peterborough Regatta on the 4th June. Your captain will not be there, but if you are keen get your crew organised, let me know what you want to enter in good time. Someone will have to drive the trailer if you are going.
Even Further Ahead
Barnes and Mortlake International 11th June is the last regatta on our home surf. 8 yesses so far, any more for any more? Let's talk about who wants to enter what event at the weekend.
Have a good week, more info on Twickers when I have it.
Jez
Weekly update
4th May 2016
Hi All,
Sorry this is slightly later than normal, I've been lazing on the Cornish coast... But back to reality now. Firstly our Nov 4+ with 3 regatta debutants raced at Chiswick Regatta and drew the eventual winners Furnival in their heat. By all accounts their start was less than perfect losing a length on Furnival but then losing no further water for the rest of the race. Losing to the winners is no disgrace and shows that the crew is competitive. Keep practising those starts, get ahead and stay ahead. Thanks to Gareth for coxing.
On land William took and passed his steering test. After a few more chaperoned outings he will be set free on the Tideway!!! Thanks to Will to taking the leading in developing his steering skills, let's see if this triggers a flood of requests from other non steers to take their test and gain the freedom of the river.
The main event this week is Borne@Chiswick Regatta. We have 5 crews entered, a Nov 4+ and four BBL/Cygnet mixed Nov 4+. so Cygnet pots are guaranteed.
The crews are: Nov4+ Claudia, Jez, Nick R, Cris Robin
Mixed 4+s
Crumpets Varsha Amelie Patrick Charlie
Doughnuts Sonja Shannon Tom [Nick] - replacement required
Muffins: Carly Hannah Rob Jez
Tiramisu Miranda Jo M Cristobal Scott Race times are as follows:
10:45 Race 28 MxNov4+Crumpets v Tiramisu
11:45 Race 40 MxNov4+Muffines v Doughnuts
15:10 Race 70 MxNov4+Final
13:35 Race 51 Nov4+ v Eastbourne College
14:50 Race 66 Nov4+ Final
(Mixed Final may need to be delayed if the we beat Eastbourne)
Important Note:
Nick can not row both Nov4 and Mix4 so we are one novice short for the Doughnuts. Please can someone volunteer for this race - Rob W? Raph?, Robin? Big Jim?
For the rest of this week:
Thursday outing at the club by 7, otw by 7:15 8 rowers plus Claudia, plan is for a 4+ and 4- doing side by side starts.
Saturday - Borne Regatta no squad outings
Sunday - outings at 8:30am
Saturday Learn To Row course starts at 9:30am led by Jenny Hawtins.
So do pop in and say hello, and help show what a friendly club they've had the good fortune to find themselves amongst.
And crucially, please spare a small bit of your time, experience, and expertise, to help Jenny with the sessions, which are 9.30am Saturdays, and 7.15pm Tuesdays. This will become particularly important towards the end of the 5-week course, when we will be getting our newbies afloat, and will need established oarsmen to sit boats.
I think that's all for now, have a good weekend, see you at the weekend Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
25th April 2016
Evening one and all,
Firstly, a massive congrats and admiration to Charlie on completing the London Marathon in 4:21min. He did it in a very good cause, so if you are minded to sponsor him you can do it here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CharlesPretzlik .
On the river we were race training on Saturday and Sunday practising race starts and high rate pieces. And we welcomed Barts brother Tom for an all star a de Groot pair. Excellent progress was made with each piece in balance and power. You guys are ready for some proper race action so please get onto to Google Drive and update your availability for the regattas, there are still an awful lot of people who haven't filled it in yet. Entries are closed for Chiswick where we have a novice 4 entered. Over the following weeks we have Bourne and Putney Town regattas. We have a chance of fun racing in mixed crews with BBL at Bourne. They have 8 rowers keen to row so we need 8 Cygnets to make up the crews. We are about 4 short, so come on dont be shy. And if people want to double up in another boat then please let me know. Entries close this Sunday.
And we need a cox for the Tuesday and Thursday outings to take out the Nov 4+ racing crew out. Any volunteers?
This week
Tuesday 7pm
Matt, Cris Tom B, Vasil, James, Rob A, Piers, Scott
Priority is to get the racing 4+ on the water (Cris, Scott, Rob Vasil). Matt can you cox if we don't get a volunteer?
Thursday 7pm
Nov 4+ Cris, Scott, Rob, Vasil cox tbc
4- James, Piers, Tom, Matt
Weekend
Chiswick Regatta - I'll let you know when our brave boys are rowing when the draw is announced. Very few people available based on the spreadsheet, I'll look on Thursday to see if there's enough to get some small boats out. Alan is away and so am I.
Beyond
Its all about regattas and getting crews together, so once again can I ask you to fill in the regatta page online even if it's to say you're not racing so I know where we stand and can plan accordingly.
Have a good weekend and best of luck to team Cris on Saturday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update
25th April 2016
Evening one and all,
Firstly, a massive congrats and admiration to Charlie on completing the London Marathon in 4:21min. He did it in a very good cause, so if you are minded to sponsor him you can do it here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CharlesPretzlik .
On the river we were race training on Saturday and Sunday practising race starts and high rate pieces. And we welcomed Barts brother Tom for an all star a de Groot pair. Excellent progress was made with each piece in balance and power. You guys are ready for some proper race action so please get onto to Google Drive and update your availability for the regattas, there are still an awful lot of people who haven't filled it in yet. Entries are closed for Chiswick where we have a novice 4 entered. Over the following weeks we have Bourne and Putney Town regattas. We have a chance of fun racing in mixed crews with BBL at Bourne. They have 8 rowers keen to row so we need 8 Cygnets to make up the crews. We are about 4 short, so come on dont be shy. And if people want to double up in another boat then please let me know. Entries close this Sunday.
And we need a cox for the Tuesday and Thursday outings to take out the Nov 4+ racing crew out. Any volunteers?
This week
Tuesday 7pm
Matt, Cris Tom B, Vasil, James, Rob A, Piers, Scott
Priority is to get the racing 4+ on the water (Cris, Scott, Rob Vasil). Matt can you cox if we don't get a volunteer?
Thursday 7pm
Nov 4+ Cris, Scott, Rob, Vasil cox tbc
4- James, Piers, Tom, Matt
Weekend
Chiswick Regatta - I'll let you know when our brave boys are rowing when the draw is announced. Very few people available based on the spreadsheet, I'll look on Thursday to see if there's enough to get some small boats out. Alan is away and so am I.
Beyond
Its all about regattas and getting crews together, so once again can I ask you to fill in the regatta page online even if it's to say you're not racing so I know where we stand and can plan accordingly.
Have a good weekend and best of luck to team Cris on Saturday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News
19th April 2016
Hello one and all.
Highlight of the weekend if not the year was Sculling Camp at our fab bungalow on its sleepy backwater in Weybridge. The river levels were just low enough for us to go ahead and give a bunch of Cygnets and Barnes Bridge ladies their first strokes in a single sculling We got all our novices out in a single with the swim/don't swim ratio exactly 50:50. Those who didn't swim will have to try harder next time. And everyone had a go in a double and a change to explore more of the Thames. Shooting the rapids at the Shepperton Weir never lost its excitement however many times you did it. And a birthday party for Will on Saturday/Sunday wee small hours. Thanks to all those involved in the organisation, loading, unloading, coaching and, catering. Sunday was a beautiful day and it was all very much worth the effort.
So....
This week
Tuesday: 40 min erg 4 x 10 mins of 4min @ 20, 3 @ 22, 2 @ 24, 1 @ 26
Thursday: Start of evening outings. 7pm at club, 7:15 on the water. The number of people we get on the water depends on the number of steersmen available. So far its Cris and myself so we should be able to get at least a 4- and 2x on the water. I'll put a message out about crews on Wednesday, in the meantime if there are any more coxes or steers available please sign up on the spreadsheet
Weekend: Saturday outings at 8am, Sunday at 8:30. I'd like to get everyone out in 4s, we do need the coxes/steers to make that happen. More work on starts and race pieces for regattas
Upcoming regattas:
Sat 30th April Chiswick Regatta
Sat 7th May Bourne @ Chiswick
Both local regattas, let's make sure we are represented. We can also do mixed racing with BBL at Bourne. Please fill in your availability.And use your diplomatic skills to persuade a suitable cox to get you down the course.
That's all for now, see you on Thursday at the club
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News
11th April 2016
Evening all,
Excellent outings on the Tideway this weekend. Two 4- crews were practicing their racing starts and getting from 0 to 60 in 16 strokes followed up with a sprint erg session in the tank. And an array of pairs, doubles, singles and a 4- out today in choppy conditions but hey the spring sunshine more than makes up for a few waves...
The regatta season gets underway in a couple of weeks with Hammersmith regatta on the 24th. Following last week's squad meeting I've created a new page for the online availability spreadsheet listing the local regattas and the ones further afield that we are usually represented at. All those who want to race, can you look at the sheet and mark up those regattas you can make and want to race in. The captaincy can plan our training and the logistics to get to those regattas. With the number of people on the water and training we should aim for a minimum of two novices fours at our target regattas doubling up as a novice 8. Can the seniors let me know what there plans/wishes are. We can put together some high quality masters crews, we just need to pick the regattas where we have enough availability. And can those wanting to race in singles also please mark on the spreadsheet the events they want to go for.
Next weekend is Sculling Camp. River levels upstream have been falling and with this week's forecast I'm confident it wont be disrupted by the conditions. We will load the trailer on Thursday evening so need a team of people to help with de rigging and loading.
So this week...
Tues Erg: 30 mins r 20 feet out
Thursday: Squad erg, 4 x 1000m r 26, 28, 30, 32 4 mins rest followed by boat loading. Bring rigger jiggers if you have one.
Weekend: Sculling Camp at Hamhaugh Island. Rowing proceedings start at 10:30am on Saturday. There's been a good response and it should be a great weekend on and off the water. There will be no squad outings on the Tideway next weekend.
Further Ahead
Hammersmith Regatta 24th April,
Chiswick Regatta 30th April
Crews wanting to enter either of these races can they let me know asap so I can get entries in and make sure we've coxes lined up.
That's all for now
See you at Cygnets bungalow,
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News
8th April 2016
I hope everyone had a enjoyable and relaxing Easter and those who went afloat stayed afloat in the windy conditions. Lovely morning on Friday for the sculling pod who went up to the Pink House and beyond. Well done to the Oxford women and grudging not a bad effort to the Cambridge Men.
So the Head Season is over, Easter off and we are quickly into the regatta season. Let's keep the momentum we have going and get good club representation at the local regattas in April, May, June and some pewterware, points and de novicing. The good news is that regatta races down require hours of marshalling and are over and done in 4-6 minutes. Racing starts and side by side racing is a great adrenalin rush. But to win pots you going to have to race a heat, semi final and final. So on land we'll be focus on shorter sharper erg sessions, on the water we'll be working on racing starts and short high rate pieces to get up to sprint speed.
To plan which regattas we want to enter and find out who wants to race we will have a squad meeting after the erg session on Thursday 7th April.
Here's a list of some of the local regattas and some more distant ones that we generally compete in:
Sun 24th April Hammersmith Regatta
Sat 30th April Chiswick Regatta
Sat 14th May Putney Town Regatta
Sat 28th May Twickenham Regatta
Sat/Sun 4/5th June Met @ Dorney
Sat 11th June Barnes & Mortlake International
Sat 18th Marlow @ Dorney
Sat 25th Richmond Regatta
Thursday 29th June - Saturday 2nd July Henley Royals
Fri/Sat 8/9th July Henley Masters
Sat/Sun 23/24th July St Neots
Sat 30th July Henley Town and Visitors
Sat/Sun 20/21 August City of Oxford
We will prioritise our regatta entry at the squad meeting.
This week:
Tuesday Erg: 30 mins feet out R20
Thursday Squad Erg 4 x 1 k @ r 26, 28, 30, 32, 4 mins rest
Weekend: Please get your availability up to date please, it looks pretty sparse at the moment.
Further Ahead:
Sculling Camp 15-17th April. First chance to master the dark arts of single sculling. Also we want to get people out of 8s and into smaller boats - 2-, 2x and getting experience of steering. It is important to increase the pool of signed off steers to maximise the outings we get on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Sculling camp gives people an opportunity to bow steer in quieter conditions.
And everybody should read up on the Tideway Code in preparation for taking the steering test!!!
Have a good week, I'm not around this weekend but will catch up with everyone at the Squad Meeting
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News
5th April 2016
A new experience of rowing in a 4 for some of our novices at the weekend and in pleasant weather too. All good experience being in a more sensitive boat and getting ready for the upcoming regattas.
This Week
Tuesday Erg: 30 min pyramid (3 x 4 mins @20, 3@22, 2@24, 1@26)
Thursday Squad Erg 7 pm 8 x 500 m rates 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 30, 28, 28, 2mins rest
Squad meeting and food after the erg. Time to talk about the regatta season and which regattas to prioritise and plan the training regime. If you can't make it please let me know what your intentions are for racing over the summer.
Weekend:
Saturday and Sunday outings - please update the spreadsheet, we are still thin on the ground for outings, you should all be fully recovered from Head of the River by now. I'd like to carry on rowing in 4s so it would be good to have at least 2 fours out both days.
Sculling Camp 15-17th April
A fantastic response from Barnes Bridge so far, but we could do with a few more Cygnets especially those who have not sculled before. Sculling Camp is the best place to take your first strokes in a single and master the basic skills. We will organise sculling pods on the Tideway (when the conditions are right) to build the skills but you need to get the basics in safe surroundings first. Sign up on the Doodle poll http://doodle.com/poll/zh79ttquym47w4tn
It's a great social event and the Cygnet bungalow is a treasure. What not to like!!!
Have a good week
See you Thursday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News
5th April 2016
A new experience of rowing in a 4 for some of our novices at the weekend and in pleasant weather too. All good experience being in a more sensitive boat and getting ready for the upcoming regattas.
This Week
Tuesday Erg: 30 min pyramid (3 x 4 mins @20, 3@22, 2@24, 1@26)
Thursday Squad Erg 7 pm 8 x 500 m rates 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 30, 28, 28, 2mins rest
Squad meeting and food after the erg. Time to talk about the regatta season and which regattas to prioritise and plan the training regime. If you can't make it please let me know what your intentions are for racing over the summer.
Weekend:
Saturday and Sunday outings - please update the spreadsheet, we are still thin on the ground for outings, you should all be fully recovered from Head of the River by now. I'd like to carry on rowing in 4s so it would be good to have at least 2 fours out both days.
Sculling Camp 15-17th April
A fantastic response from Barnes Bridge so far, but we could do with a few more Cygnets especially those who have not sculled before. Sculling Camp is the best place to take your first strokes in a single and master the basic skills. We will organise sculling pods on the Tideway (when the conditions are right) to build the skills but you need to get the basics in safe surroundings first. Sign up on the Doodle poll http://doodle.com/poll/zh79ttquym47w4tn
It's a great social event and the Cygnet bungalow is a treasure. What not to like!!!
Have a good week
See you Thursday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News
29th March 2016
I hope everyone had a enjoyable and relaxing Easter and those who went afloat stayed afloat in the windy conditions. Lovely morning on Friday for the sculling pod who went up to the Pink House and beyond. Well done to the Oxford women and grudging not a bad effort to the Cambridge Men.
So the Head Season is over, Easter off and we are quickly into the regatta season. Let's keep the momentum we have going and get good club representation at the local regattas in April, May, June and some pewterware, points and de novicing. The good news is that regatta races down require hours of marshalling and are over and done in 4-6 minutes. Racing starts and side by side racing is a great adrenalin rush. But to win pots you going to have to race a heat, semi final and final. So on land we'll be focus on shorter sharper erg sessions, on the water we'll be working on racing starts and short high rate pieces to get up to sprint speed.
To plan which regattas we want to enter and find out who wants to race we will have a squad meeting after the erg session on Thursday 7th April.
Here's a list of some of the local regattas and some more distant ones that we generally compete in:
Sun 24th April Hammersmith Regatta
Sat 30th April Chiswick Regatta
Sat 14th May Putney Town Regatta
Sat 28th May Twickenham Regatta
Sat/Sun 4/5th June Met @ Dorney
Sat 11th June Barnes & Mortlake International
Sat 18th Marlow @ Dorney
Sat 25th Richmond Regatta
Thursday 29th June - Saturday 2nd July Henley Royals
Fri/Sat 8/9th July Henley Masters
Sat/Sun 23/24th July St Neots
Sat 30th July Henley Town and Visitors
Sat/Sun 20/21 August City of Oxford
We will prioritise our regatta entry at the squad meeting.
This week:
Tuesday Erg: 30 mins feet out R20
Thursday Squad Erg 4 x 1 k @ r 26, 28, 30, 32, 4 mins rest
Weekend: Please get your availability up to date please, it looks pretty sparse at the moment.
Further Ahead:
Sculling Camp 15-17th April. First chance to master the dark arts of single sculling. Also we want to get people out of 8s and into smaller boats - 2-, 2x and getting experience of steering. It is important to increase the pool of signed off steers to maximise the outings we get on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Sculling camp gives people an opportunity to bow steer in quieter conditions.
And everybody should read up on the Tideway Code in preparation for taking the steering test!!!
Have a good week, I'm not around this weekend but will catch up with everyone at the Squad Meeting
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News
23rd March 2016
Winter is officially over. Head of the River weekend marks the end of winter and beginning of spring and it certainly felt cold out there on Saturday. Well done to all 3 crews that competed over the two days and especially well done for the 5 guys (Scott, Piers, James, Vasil and Robert) rowing HoRR for the first time after joining the club and taking up rowing just 5 months ago. I hope everyone got a buzz from it and didn't mind the choppy water down the course. Bragging rights go to Marj and Dave's crew, I hope those out on Saturday for Cristobal's 4.0 were kind to the members of the losing crew. Results were:
Cygnet 1 - 21 mins 23 secs (280 overall)
Cygnet 2 - 22 mins 02 secs (308 overall)
Both crews put in very encouraging rows that gives promise for the regatta season if we keep working hard on and off the river.
On Sunday the Cygnet/TSS Mas F composite finished in 22 mins 39secs 161 out of 219 after many changes and late substitutions in the crew but the main thing is that the made the race!
Go check out the race faces:
Cygnet 1
Cygnet 2
Cygnet/TSS MasF
This week:
Thursday 7pm Squad recovery erg, 30 mins r20 feet out
Weekend
Not many of us around at the weekend and not enough to make up crews so it will be small boats for those who are signed off to steer. The river should be much quieter that of late so we could make up a sculling pod at 8 on Saturday and 9 on Sunday.
Further Ahead
Sculling Camp 15-17th April. Great opportunity to learn new skills. One on my aims for this summer is to get more people signed off to steer small boats. It makes organising crews over the summer much easier. It starts with learning to scull and gaining enough skill on sculling camp to be able to carry on under supervision back on the Tideway.
Even further ahead
Regatta season starts soon. That means side by side blade clashing action and lots of the thrills, spills and hopefully pots. In the next week I'll compile the list of regattas for us to target. In April, May and June we have a run of local Tideway regattas and we should aim to be represented at all of them. We will start training on the river on Tuesday and Thursday evenings after Sculling Camp and we will be spending more time in smaller boats rather than 8s. That requires steersmen to bow steer 4s and 2s, so that's why we need more people to pass their steering tests.
More of the summer plan in the next week or so.
Finally
A massive thanks to all those who helped in the run up to HoRR with coxing and coaching and on the day:
Alan, Marj, Sue, Robin, Matt and Claudia
Finally, Finally
Boat Race on Sunday, Women's race at 3:10 Men's at 4:10, come and cheer the Dark Blues to more wins.
Jez
Eric Wale
9th March 2016
Eric William Wale
30th April 1931 - 11th February 2016
Rowing often runs in families. It is not hard to think of some of the longstanding names in our sport - the Phelps and the Barrys come easily to mind. Still, such longevity remains the exception rather than the rule at Cygnet. That said, though, one family that can point to almost a century of association with Cygnet is the Wales.
Eric William Wale, who died on 11th February 2016, was the son of W.G. (Billy) Wale, who joined Cygnet at Hammersmith in the early 1920s and remained a keen supporter in the post-war period. Minutes of annual general meetings throughout the early 1950s record the presence of both father and son and some of Eric's surviving contemporaries still recall Wale senior as an enthusiastic cheer leader at regattas, sharing in their trials and triumphs.
Eric joined Cygnet in 1949, directly from National Service, having served in the RAF. Indeed, according to Frank Caughlin, a fellow crew member, Eric's first appearance at Cygnet was in his RAF uniform. However, Eric quickly made the transition to 'civvy' street, initially joining the Treasury Solicitor's Department, before moving to the Telephones Branch of the General Post Office (GPO), thus maintaining family tradition ('Billy' had also worked in the GPO as a postman). In later years, this branch of the GPO would be hived off as British Telecom (BT), where Eric would enjoy a highly successful career until retirement in the late-1980s.
In 1949, Eric would have been welcomed at Cygnet as one of a new wave of 'young blood' upon whom the club's hopes of reclaiming the victorious years of the 1930s would hang. Eric took an active interest in club affairs and soon found himself on the committee. By 1950, the club was in a position to boat an Vlll for open regattas consisting entirely of the post-war intake of new members. Thereafter, Cygnet continued to build up a competitive head of steam such that by 1953, in Eric's own words (penned in the 1990s), 'there was a real feeling that the breakthrough had been achieved'.
Eric was referring to a Junior Vllls win at Chiswick, Cygnet's first win in open competition since 1939. A photograph of the victorious crew drawn from Cygnet's digitized archives (available to view on the web site) shows Eric standing on the far right, the initials E.W.W. proudly emblazoned across his tracksuit top. Silverware aside, Eric also met Sylvia, his future wife, at Chiswick Regatta. By 1954, Cygnet was riding on a high and Eric rowed in winning Junior-Senior Vllls at Horseferry, Willesden and Kingston, followed by Maidenhead in 1955.
Every generation retains fond memories of their competitive (and less competitive) years at Cygnet. In Eric's case, we are fortunate that he chose to devote some of his retirement to authoring 'Cygnet Rowing Club: The Fifties'. This account, which proved invaluable in the compilation of a more recent history of the club, captures the spirit of the post-war era at Cygnet and justifiably concludes that 'the fifties were by any standard a period of significant achievement'.
Although Eric retired from active rowing in the fifties, he retained a keen interest in the club's activities for the rest of his days and regularly attended club social occasions. As club historian, I am particularly grateful for the club memorabilia that he periodically passed on to me in later years. Some of this memorabilia dated back to the time of Wale senior, like the 1922 Civil Service Regatta programe, which lists 'Billy' rowing three in Novice lVs.
One of Eric's regrets was that he never competed at Henley Royal Regatta, although 'the intention or aim was always there'. Nonetheless, he rarely missed an opportunity to attend Henley Royal, joining Vic Reeves and Frank Caughlin for an annual visit to the Stewards Enclosure. That said, Eric was happiest picnicking with family and friends out on the towpath close to the start of the regatta, comfortable in the knowledge (as he put it) that 'everybody does Henley in their own way'.
Eric is survived by his wife Sylvia and two daughters, Gill and Sarah. Among those who attended his funeral at Chilterns Crematorium, Amersham on 26th February were his rowing contemporaries Frank Caughlin, Maurice Hart and Brian Lovis, all of whom recalled carefree days sparring in club regattas on the Chiswick reach more than half a century ago.
Paul Rawkins
Club Historian
March 2016
Cygnet Weekly News
21st February 2016
Main event of the weekend was Hammersmith Head with our novice crew getting more battle hardened and used to marshalling for an hour is heavy rain and strong winds. They put in a solid performance and tidy rowing to keep Marj happy coming 94 out of 147 overall and 13th out of 17th in category. The crews were tightly bunched and a 14 second improvement would have gained 5 places in the category.
As well as the race we had 4-, 2- and 2x out in windy conditions on Saturday and 4-, 2x and 1x on Sunday morning and we can vouch for how much effort it takes to get to the Pink House against wind and tide at the moment. The 8+ can vouch for how rough it was on the flood tide with wind against tide. And it was good to welcome Tom McCauley to the 4- crews and I hope your hand recover soon.
So we are now 4 weeks away from Head of the River weekend. We have all of 3 weekends to get out on the water. 2 crew have been entered at IM3, we need to see two crews on the water in training. It's asking a lot just to turn up on the day and expect a good result. So please please please make every effort to make the outings for the next 3 weeks. Get your availability up to date on the spreadsheet. Time together as a crew improves performance, cuts your time and gets a better finish position. We will publish the provisional crews shortly, but they are not set in stone (we had to get the crews entered by last Friday's deadline). I we can get two eights out we can do race pieces side by side or chasing each other. It gets us fitter and race ready. Make it happen!!!
So...
This week,
Tuesday 7:15
Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School. I hear guys on squad erg night complaining how much it hurts SO IT MUST BE WORKING. Only 4 more sessions to go before HoRR so make them count!.
Thursday 7pm
Squad Erg
Sorry guys it's time to put in the miles. So its 50 mins made up of 10 mins repeats of 4 mins r20, 3 mins r 22, 2 mins r 24, 1 min r26.
Weekend outings at 8am Saturday and Sunday
Please make every effort to get on the water and get two crews out. Sue is available to coach on Sunday and will put you through your paces, Alan with coach on Saturday. As per the squad erg it will be about the hard miles and hard pieces on the river
Further Ahead
Sculling Camp is coming up on the 15-17th April. This is a unique opportunity to get in a single scull on a quiet and calm stretch of the river at our lovely bungalow at Hamhaugh Island. For our new novices you can get the basics of sculling in the Weybridge play pen then develop them back at base over the summer. Sculling is fab fun, singles are scary and exhilarating and a great thing to master, great satisfaction as your skills improve and you gain control of the boats and freedom of the Tideway.
It has also been suggested that for more experienced rowers we make it more of a training camp ie more work less beer, or no beers before 6pm. If there is the interest we could get the boats to the bungalow early and take the Thursday and Friday as additional training camp days. I think it's a great idea. Let me know if you are interested.
That's all from me, have a great week, see you for the erg on Thursday
Jez
Cygnet weekly update
9th February 2016
Dear All,
Hats off to all those who got out on the river on Saturday in extremely challenging tide and wind conditions. It's a while since we had a calm day so when eventually spring turns up we will row like the Masters of the Tideway that we are. We are very much in doing the hard yards on and off the water to get ourselves into best shape for HoRR weekend so get down to circuits on Tuesday, get along to the squad ergs on Thursday and make sure your availability is up to date online so we can get maximum water time.
Next job for the captaincy is to pick the crew/s for Hammersmith Head on the 20th Feb
The following said they were available and would like to row in the event
Jez
Nick Rae
Mike England
Charlie
Bart
Iain G
Cris
Scott Liv
Matt B
Gav H
Tom Broadhurst
Simon Suthers
William Mardell
Plus Wylie, Rawks P and Rawks A
That's exactly 16!!! No spares or subs so if anyone isn't available please let me know asap. And if anyone else now finds they are available again please let me know. I want to enter crews by Thursday, entries close on Friday. As things stand I would sort the crews by age with a youthful crew rowing IM3 and MasC/D crew. If we fall short of the numbers for 2 crews we'll enter a Nov 8.
So...
This week:
Tonight 7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School
Thursday 7pm Squad Erg at club 3 x 10 mins 4,3,2,1, @ 26,28,30,32, with 3 mins rest.
Friday: Anniversary drinks at the Dukes Head Putney from 6:30
Weekend: Outings at 8am Saturday and Sunday for all those signed up as available.
Have a good week, see you for the erg on Thursday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News
2nd February 2016
The highlight of the weekend was Quintin Head with two Cygnet VIIIs racing and 5 guy making their debuts in Cygnet colours. Not only that they skipped the Novice category to debut at IM3 and had a highly promising row well in contact with the IM3 pack finishing in 15 mins 11 secs, 114th out of 212 finishers. The Mas D Rawkings special can in 24 seconds behind in 15 mins 35secs in a ridiculously competitive category.We would have done fine in Mas E if Cris had been just a year older. The conditions were great for the time of year, more like spring than January, sorry we cant always guarantee that, Great to see the levels of excitement and enthusiasm so let's build on that and continue to train hard for Hammersmith Head and Head of the River in February and March.
We had a good training outing on Sunday in the VIII plus Raph and Laurent starting training for Pairs Head, it's never too soon to start!!!
This week:
Tuesday 7:15 at Cavendish School, Circuits with Maxi. Good attendances since Christmas is building that all round fitness for the long head races.
Thursday 7pm at Club - Squad Erg 50 mins 5 x 10 mins of 4 mins 20, 3 mins 22, 2 mins 24, 1 min 26. It's time to get those long solid pieced under the belt.
Weekend
Squad outings at 8am, please make sure you availability is up to date. Focus is on longer and harder outings getting us used to pieces at race pace.
Further Ahead
I've had most peoples responses about their intentions for the remaining Head races. We have enough to get 2 VIII into HoRR proper. We should also be able to get two crews for Vets HoRR on the Sunday without having people rowing both days. Paul Rawkins will be chasing people to sign up for a Mas E/F crew, we also have the core of a Mas B/C crew for Vets Head, if someone will volunteer to take the lead on it.
Can I ask that everyone fills in their full availability through to the 19/20 March so we can get a good idea of the number of outings we can get in before the races. If we can get two VIIIs on the river together to push each other and increase competition that can only help. If we have sufficient numbers we can also do Thursday evening outings to maximise water time.
Other Stuff
Capsize Drill Saturday 30th January at St Paul's School 2.30 to 3.30 - everyone is obliged to do this as a condition of rowing on the Tideway, so please attend if you can
Spring Sculling Camp 15/16/17th April Cygnets Bungalow Shepperton.
Get it in your diaries. You've learnt to and mastered sweep rowing, now do the same with sculling. Once you can scull and have passed the steering test we can sign people off to take out singles on the Tideway. Start now and be ready for the summer season on the Thames. And drink beer, eat burgers and generally have fun.
That's all for now
Have a good week, see you Thursday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Bulletin
2nd February 2016
Morning All,
So back to the hard training last weekend after the excitement of Quintin Head, with solid outings up to the Pink House in choppy water. And thanks for those who organised and supported the Capsize Drill and for those who attended. I bet you can't wait to do it for real in a cold River Thames. If I were you I'd wait till July before trying that one, or even better, never fall in.
This Week:
Tuesday 7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School
Thursday 7pm Squad erg This weeks delight is 3 x 4 k rate 20 with 2 min rest between, to keep building the stamina
Weekend outings 8am Saturday and Sunday
Both Robin and I are not available on Saturday so am looking for a cox for the VIII, if any cox is is available please let me know...
Keep up the good hard work getting in shape for the upcoming head races, see you on Sunday
Jez
New Year Update
4th January 2016
Happy New Year to one and all. I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year Celebrations and are recharged, energised and straining at the leash to get back out on the river and training hard for the Head race season. They come fairly thick and fairly fast all on our doorstep with: 23rd January - Quintin Head (Chiswick Bridge to Harrods) 20th February - Hammersmith Head (Chiswick Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge) 19th March - Head of the River Race (Mortlake to Putney) 20th March - Vets Head of the River (Mortlake to Putney)
So this week...
Tuesday 7:15 New Year Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School. Please remember to bring a drink and a towel!
Thursday 7pm Squad Erg - 30 mins @ 20 spm feet out Weekend: Back on the Tideway. Please. please please update the spread sheet with your availability. We should be looking to get two eights on the water so we can do pieces together. Wrap up warm it's turned a fair bit colder and wetter in the last few days.
Other stuff... To enter the head races you need to be a member of British Rowing. Details can be found here http://www.britishrowing.org/
Jez
Cygnet weekly news
22nd December 2015
It was our final full weekend on the river of 2015 the highlight of which was our two evenly matched and carefully selected 8s taking place in the Plum Puds organised by Quintin. It was the first experience of racing and rating 34 strokes minutes for our superb GFAR recruits and at 4.7k it was longer than Quintin and Hammersmith Heads. We had to make a split second decision on the start line of which crew was Cygnet A and which Cygnet B. Funnily enough it was the crew that turned out to be Cygnet B that was asked by the martial to nominate. So whereas Cygnet A was racing Quintin & MAAs first VIIIs, Cygnet B was racing against closely matched crews leading to blade clashes and 3 abreast racing between the Kew Bridges.
And the results were (drum roll......)
Out of 13 crews on the start line
Cygnet B - 7th in 16:00 dead
Cygnet A 10th in 16:17
So Cygnet A crew buy drinks for Cygnet B for the whole of 2016.
And thanks for Claudia and Marj who get free drinks for ever.
This week:
There wont be any "official" outings until the new year, but if people want to organise sculling pods, use the availability sheet to say when you plan to do it so like minded people can join up. It's always better to have a buddy out on the river especially when it's quiet. Keep an eye on the the tide and weather, there is a lot of windy weather over the coming days.
Further Ahead into 2016:
If we have enough availability on Jan 2nd & 3rd we'll get an VIII on the river (once I've sorted out the spreadsheet)
5th Jan Circuits with Maxi starts again at Cavendish School.
Then it's all about Head Races in VIIIs. We should be able to get Senior, Novice and Vets VIIIs out, I'll be pestering each and everyone of you on whether your up for it and getting the crews training and on the river as soon as possible so we perform up to our potential in the races:
23rd Jan Quintin Head
20th Feb Hammersmith Head
19th March Head of the River
20th March Vets Head of the River
Finally, have a great Christmas and a rowtastic 2016, see you all soon
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Bugle
15th December 2015
Hi Cygnets one and all,
A fab time was had by all who made the Waddle and the Christmas party on Saturday with unrestrained wild dancing display from the Cygnets. Bouncing up and down is without question our best move and we can keep it going most of the evening which is a testimony to the circuits and Ergs that we've put in over the autumn. Special awards to Tom, James and Rob for innovation and energy. We must do it more often. Hopefully by now the last of the hangovers should have cleared.
Well, a very rare calmish weekend on the Tideway, with more good experience and rowing miles for our latest recruits without the help of any seniors. A few wobbles but lots of encouraging signs of the crew coming together. Thanks to Alan for his excellent instruction. For those who made it on the river on Sunday, I tell you it was the bestest, flatest water for months, absolute sculling heaven. And thanks to everyone who did the 5k erg test on Thursday, good to see all the ergs in use and the competitive juices flowing. So, this week:
Tuesday:
7:15 pm Circuits with Maxi - final session of the year to be held AT THE CLUB!!!! Burn off some Christmas calories pre-emptively.
Thurs:
7pm Squad Erg 3 x 10 mins 4,3,2,1, @ 26,28,30,32 with 3 mins rest between. A bit of a thrash to work up a thirst for drinks in Ye White Hart afterwards.
Weekend:
Saturday 8am
Coached session
Sunday 10am
Plum Pudding Race (race starts from the Pink House at 11:15) So far we have the following crew available PPs and Y on the spreadsheet: Bart, Gav, Matt, Jez, Simon, Iain, Robin, Tom B Rashid, William, James, Rob, Scott L, Abhijeet Marj is available to cox, Claudia TBC.
If we find a couple more people we could get 2 8's out. Otherwise we'll try to enter an 8+ and a 4. So BDF, Nick B, Nick R Big Jim R are you up for it? More info to follow when the final numbers are in.
I think that's it for now. Have a good week, see you on Thursday
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News 7th December
7th December 2015
The weekend's rowing was rather impacted by Desmond which (who?) caused the cancellation of Scullers Head. It was certainly the right decision given the strength of the wind but it's disappointing for those who trained and psyched themselves up for it. Better conditions on Sunday allowed the 8+ to get out and by all accounts it was a good outing.
With that in mind, Plum Puddings festive rowing event should take place on the weekend of 19/20th December, probably on the 20th. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, it is a processional rowing event usually from the Pink House in Isleworth back to Chiswick Bridge (~4.5k) that resembles a Head race except it's not a race as such. It involves local clubs and about 15 or so crews with a rough handicap of setting off slowest crews first with the winner being the first back to Quintin flagpole. Mulled wine and mince pies back at the club afterwards. Depending on who is up for it, I'd like us to to put out and crew made up half and half between newer youthful rowers and more experienced guys. It's a lot of fun and gives you a taste of what racing might be like (without actually being a race). So if you are keen to be in it then please put "PP" for the 19th /20th on the spreadsheet. You know you want to.
This week:
Tuesday 7:15 Circuit with Maxi at Cavendish School - final chance to tone up before the Xmas party and trying to squeeze into your dinner suit.
Thursday 7:00pm 'Fraid it's got to be done.... 5k Test rate capped 26 spm. Let's aim to start together at 7:30 following a 10 min warm up. Weekend:
Weather prospects look better so we may even get a relatively calm weekend and good water, so get your availability up to date so I can get as many Cygnets as possible on the water. Plan is for 8am outing on Saturday and 10 am Sunday (chance to recover from BBL Xmas Party and Cygnet Waddle)
Other Important Stuff: Go take a look at the Cygnet RC Historic Archive which is now published on the club website. Immerse yourself in club history and nostalgia. And see what some senior members looked like in their prime. And for those looking for Last minute Christmas gift ideas, what every well-heeled Cygnet should be unwrapping on Christmas morning etc, essential reading blah, blah. is the Club History. Beautifully presented in Cygnet Stripes it will surely grace any bookshelf and coffee table and be the talking point amongst all your Christmas drinks guests. A mere £15 for a quality gift. Contact Paul Rawkins (prawkins@googlemail.com) to secure your festive copy whilst stocks of these collectable items last!
Much Further Ahead January to March is 8+ head racing season culminating in the Head of the River Race on the 19th March. The aim is to get at least 2/3 crews racing over that weekend. This will be the focus of the training in the new year so I'll be chasing you to know who is up for it so we can plan the campaign. Based on what I've seen we've got a great bunch from the GFAR who are getting the water time and doing the land training to be ready to put in a good performance come March. I think that's it for now, update your availability and I'll get the weekend plan out later, Have good weekk Jez PS The Waddle on Saturday is pretty much mandatory even it you are not attending the BBL Party. Cris will plan the route and timings, lookout for his update.
Cygnet Weekly Update 30th November
30th November 2015
Well the seasons certainly have turned and those Indian summer days of September and October are a rather distant memory. Wild and windy at the weekend, but it's a tough sport and we rowers man up and get on with it. The Sculling Six rowed the Scullers Head course in 40mph winds on Sunday as a dress rehearsal for Saturday when the conditions could be just as challenging. And there were another couple of outings in the 8+ for our GFAR graduates getting more rowing miles under their belts and showing real promise. No reason why we can get a mixed Senior/Novice crew on the water for the Plums Puddings and get first experience of rowing at race pace. The most likely date for it is the 20th December, if you are interested in taking part can you put "PP" on the availability spreadsheet for that day.
This week:
Tuesday 7:15pm Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School, Edensor Road
Great turnout last week, lets see the same again tomorrow.
Thursday: 7pm Squad Erg in the Shed. For those entering Scullers Head a short but sweet. Erg: 1x7', 1x5' @ target 5k pace, 2' @ over rate/pace, drag 125. If others feel short changed by this then the alternative is 2 x 20 mins r24/26 (change after 10 mins) 5 mins rest. Claudia is cooking afterwards, stay for food and chat after the erg.
Weekend:
Saturday
It's Scullers Head at 11am with Bart (150), Guy (288), Neil (299), Jez (321), Robin (380) and Cris (383) entered. This is one mentally and physically tough event rowed in the depths of winter over the Boat Race course. We would all very much appreciate a cheer as we go past the club or anywhere else on the course.
The river will be closed from 10am for Scullers Head so any outing has to be early and so far only 4 people have signed up as available and our two regular coxes are racing SH so I think this is likely to be a land based session,
Sunday - we have more people available so will have an 8+ out (10am to avoid the flood tide), but there are lots of gaps on the December spreadsheet right now. Now we've moved on to December can you fill in your availability for the month please.
Further Ahead:
Saturday 12th December is BBL/Cygnet party time. Cris is doing a grand job as usual publicising this. If you are not coming to the party you still should come along to the Cygnet Waddle that takes place before hand which will take in a selection of Mortlake and Barnes pubs before ending up at the Bulls Head. Cris will send the itinerary nearer the time.
Sunday 20th - probable date for Plum Puds
A thought for 2016
It's been great to welcome a bunch of new recruits to the club and seeing their development and enthusiasm. It would be good to grow the squad further, so can we all look to "find a friend" to introduce to the club and give them the gift of rowing (that just keeps giving) .
Have a good week, see you Thursday/weekend
Jez
Cygnet Weekly Update 23rd November
24th November 2015
High seas on the Tideway on Saturday kept us on dry land, well done to those who made it down to do an erg as well as everyone who did Thursday's 50min erg.
The MAG 8+ was out on Sunday with our new recruits getting more rowing miles under their belts and getting used to the cold. And the Sculling Pod made it down the full course to get used to the pain they'll go through in a couple of weeks in Scullers Head and learn where the PLA have put their buoys.
This week:
Tuesday: Circuits with Maxi, 7:15 at Cavendish School Edensor Road. Let's keep the good attendance going and keep building the fitness for the Barnes Bridge Christmas Ball. Please remember to bring a towel and some water.
Thursday: 7pm Squad Erg: 4 x 5 mins at target 5k pace, maintain throughout and have 10 min warm up & down. A breeze after last week. Sign up for food with Bart after the erg ( BdG@gmx.net)
Weekend: Looks like we have good availability both days, if you're availability isn't up to date please get online and update it so I can put you in a boat at the weekend. To fit in with the tide times and give the scullers a chance to get out on quieter water the squad outings will be at 8am both days.
Further Ahead:
5th December 11am Scullers Head with 6 Cygnet and 6 BBL scullers entered. Everyone of them will greatly appreciate a cheer from the bridge or the club.
20th December (probably) Plum Pudding Race which is a great chance to give people of first taste of race like rowing with a festive flavour. Can you let me know if you'd like to row in it.
Important Notice:
Unfortunately Scott L had his car broken into last Thursday. It happens to us and other local clubs , the club is isolated and the parked cars can be easy pickings for the local oiks. Best plan is not to drive to the club, next best is to leave you car on the Barnes side and walk across the bridge, if you have no option, please make sure there is nothing on show in your car.
Have a good week, see you Thursday
Jez
Cygnet update 16th November
16th November 2015
Wild, wet and windy weekend on the Tideway. But that didn't deter our brave boys. Excellent 8+ outing in the rain on Saturday, good mileage for our new recruits getting up to Syon House for the first time. Great to see Hamish back on the water. The wind was the challenge on Sunday gusting close to 40mph so another new experience for our rowing academy graduates and challenging for Scott B on his first water outing. Afterwards 5 scullers made it against the headwind to the Pink House, excellent tough training for Scullers Head.
And we voted in 8 new members at the committee meeting on Sunday so welcome and I hope you have a great time on the river and as part of the club. The offer of captains beers for new members still stands, if you are down for the Squad Erg on Thursday, that's a good way to rehydrate...
This Week:
Tuesday 7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School.
Thursday 7pm Squad Erg 2 x 25 mins @ R20 incl. 4 x 1 min @ 24,26,28,30 (2 min rest) Long erg to build strength and stamina - stay on for food, Sian in cooking sian_kunert@hotmail.co.uk and captain will buy you beer. What not to like.
Weekend:
Outing plan to be sent out on Friday am, get your availability on the sheet by Wednesday please, there are a few gaps at the moment.
Sculling Pod: High tide is at 9:12 on Saturday and 10:30 on Sunday so the best time for sculling would from 2 hours after that - 11am Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday. Scullers let me know what you prefer to do, there's not much time before the race, I certainly would be up for rowing the course on Sunday at 12:30.
Further Ahead
5th December 11am Sculler Head - 7 Cygnets have their entries accepted, 3 debutants, it's a tough race so support is very welcome.
Plum Puddings - A race like social row organised by Quintin RC, probably on the 19th December should be a first opportunity for racing for our new recruits. Get fit and get as much time as you can on the water to have a good first race experience.
KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT
Get your warm winter Cygnet kit from Godfrey now - look good, go faster, stay warm!!!
Click onto the links below for details. A splash top, fleecy leggings and long sleeve top will get you through the winter. If we order together, we get stuff cheaper.
URL: http://godfrey.co.uk/club/cygnetrc
Order Deadline: 29th November
There are some useful links to pass on here:
http://godfrey.co.uk/collation-information
http://godfrey.co.uk/sizing-guide
Have a good week, see you Thursday.
Jez
Cygnet update 9th November
9th November 2015
Busy busy weekend on the water at the weekend in wild and windy conditions. We had 2 crews racing in Vet 4s Head, Mas B 4- (Bart, Gav, Jez, Ian) were 3rd in category (podium finish) and 36th overall, Mas C 4x (Simon, Tom, Rob W, Charlie ) 6th in category, 162 overall (out of 207 starters). The river was seriously rough from Hammersmith to Putney and it took guts from all the crews to get through it. Rowers are all tough guys and gals.
Well done to Rob on his first ever race and to Charlie and Tom for their first race in a quad. Thanks to Simon who was super sub for Cris on the day.
And a first for our newest recruits as appropriately on 4s Head weekend they had their first outing in a 4. Wobbly aren't they?
Lots of activity in the clubhouse on both days, vodka consumption hit record levels thanks to Stefan and Warsaw RC. Stefan is an old Cygnet returning to race on the Tideway and trying to build amateur rowing on Poland. Maybe we'll row the head of the vistula one day...
This week...
Tues 7 15pm Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School. Good turn out last week, let's keep the momentum going.
Thurs 7pm Squad erg night 2 x 4.5 k r 20 with 4 x r 30-32 bursts in each. 90 secs rest between the 2 pieces.
Weekend
Scullers Head is the next big race on the 5th December. We have 8 entries so far, so we'll organise a sculling pod to do race training each weekend. Timing will depend on the tides trying to avoid high water and busy river. Sunday is always quieter, before the committee meeting at 10am could work. I'll confirm soon, but can those scullers who want to join in put that on the spreadsheet.
And if anyone wants to join the pod in a 2x or 2- feel free.
Outing plan will be published on Thursday so get your availability up to date on the spreadsheet.
Finally, for all the new guys, there is a committee meeting on Sunday where we will vote in new (and returning) members. We'd love you all to join, so if you've not already done so , fill in the membership form and get it pinned on the board in the changing rooms and by Sunday 1pm, you'll be a Cygnet!!!!
(If you've misplaced the form then you can download them from the website).
Have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet update 2nd November
2nd November 2015
A weekend of sharp contrasts, gorgeous autumn sunshine on Saturday, crews training hard for Vet Fours Head, doubles and pairs, single scullers and the GFAR squad exploring new stretches of the rive above Kew Bridge and getting to know the joys of power strokes...Sunday, old fashioned London pea-souper, couldn't see Barnes or the bridge from the club and no chance of getting out onto the water. I've never seen such a queue for ergs in the Shed or so much steam rising from the hard working athletes doing their 4x relay races...
This week:
Tuesday 7:15pm: Circuits with Maxi - essential for your core conditioning and overall fitness, please make an effort to get along...
Thursday 7:00pm : Squad erg in the Shed, this week something a little lighter than last weeks endurance test.
1x15', 1x10', 1x5', r20 (5' rest), drag 129 so time to do some weights afterwards.
Plan ahead and stay for food, Helena helenasmith@yahoo.com is cooking let her know if you are partaking.
Saturday:
Fours Head of the River at 12:45. From Chiswick Bridge to Putney with a stellar cast of GB internationals racing for their clubs. Really worth coming down and seeing top class rowing outside our front door. Eat hot dogs and cake, drink beer, what not to like.
Any outings will need to be at 8am to get off the river before the river closure for 4s Head.
Quite of lot of guys off to row in Gloriana so we may not have enough guys to get the GFAR 8 onto the water, but if you can make it get your availability on the sheet and we'll see what we can get together.
Sunday:
Vet Fours Head of the River at 13:45 with a stellar cast of Cygnet rowers. Come and cheer on Cris, Charlie, Tom and Rob (Mas C 4x) in boat 14 and Bart, Gav Jez and Ian (MasB 4-) in boat 22.
As with Saturday, get your availability up to date to see what we can get together for an outing at 8.
Further Ahead...
December 5th Scullers Head, Lots of interest in racing we'll get sculling pods organise to get race like training for all those planning to race, probably on Sundays when the river is quieter.
The GFAR team are starting to get river miles under their oars and should be ready to go out and doing some semi serious racing in the Plum Puddings before Christmas. The more outings you can make the, the more circuits and ergs you do, the better the result!!!
Finally, for the GFAR team, we've got a few applications filled in and on the board, can I encourage the others to get their applications done in time for the committee meeting on the 15th November that will vote you into the club .
Have a good week,
Jez
Cygnet update 26th October
26th October 2015
On Saturday we held our annual lunch in the hallowed surroundings of Leander RC in Henley. Many generations of Cygnets present including Ronnie Lambe who joined the club in 1947, plus guests from BBL RC our guest speaker Robert Treharne Jones (The Voice of Rowing) and Tichel from Ruder Gessellschaft Benrath.
Katie M organised an all star crew packed full of ex captains to go out with Tichel on the Tideway at a very civilised hour in lovely autumn sunshine. Before that our GFAR grads were out again exploring previously unknown stretches of the river beyond Hammersmith Bridge and then rowing all 8 from Harrods back to the club and getting 300 or so strokes in in the process. Thanks to Robin (especially), Tom, Cris and Iain G for helping out with the outing.
This Week:
Tuesday 7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School, Edensor Road. Make up for last week by putting double the effort in.
Thursday:Squad Erg: 50 min tower, 5 x 4' r20, 3' r22, 2' r24, 1'r26 (in one go) to build up an appetite for Captn's Chicken Curry afterwards...
Saturday:Senior outings at 8, focus on the Vet 4s Head Crews (4x Charlie, Cris, Tom & Rob, 4- Bart, Gav, Jez, Ian)
GFAR squad outing at 10 (get the spreadsheet updated to get a seat in the boat!) (will be looking for willing helpers to boat sit/cox...)
Sunday:More 4s Head Training outing times TBS
GFAR squad outing at 10 (will be looking for willing helpers to boat sit/cox...)
Crews and outing times will be confirmed by Friday noon.
Ahead:
Saturday 7th Nov 4s Head at 12:45- come and watch some seriously good crews battle in out and see how many GB rowers you can spot
Sunday 8th Nov - Vets 4s Head at 13:45 - 2 Cygnet crews to come and cheer
Saturday 5th December - Scullers Head. We will look to organise sculling pods a suitable non peak times at the weekends in the run up to the event to get some serious race training against each other.
That's all for now, have a good week, see you for the killer erg on Thursday.
Jez
Cygnet update 20th October
20th October 2015
Last weekend saw the graduation of the Get Fit and Row students. They had more water outings on Saturday and Sunday with the excitement of rowing on choppy water. Thanks for all those who have helped in all the sessions, on land and on the water. We now have a group very keen to carry on their rowing careers at Cygnet and we've invited them all to join the club. For the time being we will still need experienced rowers in the outings as well as coxes. The plan is to keep their outings late morning on Saturdays and Sunday to get a quieter river and make it easier for boat sitters to do their own outings first.This weekend with the Henley Lunch I think we will be short handed on Saturday but we will need helpers for Sunday.
This week:
Tuesday Circuits I've just heard Maxi is ill so can't run circuits tonight. Suggest an extra erg and weights as a substitute. Sorry.
Thursday 7:15 Squad Erg 15 min steady state warm up. Then 5 x 1000m @ r26 with 1 minute light pressure in between. There should be some of our new recruits attending, please give them any assistance they need. Matt is cooking afterwards.
Weekend:
Please update the spreadsheet and I've get crews out by Thursday. We should be out training for Vet 4s Head (see below).
Sunday: I'll need a couple of boat sitters for an 11am outing for the new guys
Vet Fours Head Sunday 8th Nov: We have 7 people committed to racing. We need one more and we can race two boats (a 4- and 4x). Don't be shy, it's better to be in it than watching and it's all valuable race experience. Entries close in a couple of days so now's the time to come forward.
Scullers Head 5th December
Cygnet update 13th October
13th October 2015
Thanks to all who helped with parking, boating, marshaling, eating cakes & hot dogs and drink in the bar afterwards.
Of no less significance Saturday and Sunday saw the first water outings for the GFAR guys. 5 separate 8s got out on the water and before long the coaches had them rowing all 8. They was no shortage of promises and enthusiasm, very positive after the outings, all keen to get out and do more. Thanks for all those who took a turn at boat sitting. There will be more of that to come over the next few weeks till they become self sufficient. The GFAR officially ends after next weekend and we will be inviting them to join the club. Once the course is over it will be down to Cygnets to organise them and get them on the river with coaches and coxes etc.
This week:
Tuesday 7:15 Circuits with Maxi at Cavendish School
Thursday 7 Squad Erg ( erg TBC)
Weekend:
Fours Head is only 3 1/2 weeks away (7/8th Nov) and is the priority. I've had a few replies from those wanting to race, any more people interested let me know asap so we can plan outings and crews.Please fill in the spreadsheet for availability please.
All those interested in Scullers Head and outings in sculling pods put that on the sheet two so we can fix up the best time for them.GFAR on the water again, if we need more volunteers I'll put out another appeal,
Further Ahead
5th December - Scullers Head
Cygnet update 5th October
5th October 2015
Back from Benrath and the Rhine Marathon in one piece! It was my first RM and would recommend it as something all Cygnets have to do at least once in their rowing career. Our hosts at Ruder Gesselschaft Benrath made us all so welcome laying on a dinner to celebrate 50 years of friendship between the clubs and annual visits to the Rhine Marathon and Head of the River. It's a great Cygnet/BBL tradition and one that enhances the clubs. The race itself is fantastic once it's over. There were 5 Cygnet/BBL crews participating. Best time went to Chairman Wylie's invitation quad, narrowly ahead of Bates/French/Mountain/Gibbons 4+. Happy Mondays BBL crew awfully close behind those two. The mixed quads took a little longer, honours in that duel go to Cris/Tom/Sian/Katie over Helena/Marj/Cap/Klaus/Uli. Perfect weather helped offset the sore hands and sore backsides. Post race alt beer made all the pain go away completely.
This week:
Club Circuits with Maxi, 7:15 at Cavendish School or leaving the club at 7. Great way to improve fitness and enjoy good music... Be there.ThursdayPairs Head final outing at 7:15 with Sue. It would be good to get all 3 crews out on the water to push each other and get race ready.Squad Erg for those not on the water TBC
Saturday:
Pairs Head at 3:30Please come down to the club to eat a hot dog, slice of cake and a couple of beers and cheer on:Cris and Charlie (245)Alfonso and Jez (257)Nick and Dave (297)and a whole lot of BBL crews. Pairs Head is run by BBL so its our home race, come and support, bring the family, watch Wales vs Wallabies in the bar after the race....
Saturday 11 am
Get Fit and Row venture onto the Tideway for the first time. I'll let you know if we need more volunteers for boat sitting/coxing.
Sunday am
GFAR on the river for the second time!!! Anyone who wants to get out on the water in crew boats in the morning before Pairs Head or on Sunday, please put your availability on the the spreadsheet to we can put crews together..
Further Ahead
7th November 12:45 Fours Head
8th November 13:45 Vets Fours Head We should have 3 if not 4 crews entering over the two days. Please let me and Sue know if you want to be part of it so we can fix up the crews and get training going.
5th December 11am, Scullers Head
Cygnet Update 29th September
1st October 2015
Next up is Four Head so lets start planning and training for it and please get you availability up to date so we can plan outings.
Cygnet Update 21st September
21st September 2015
All,
Firstly, we had a successful Sculling Camp in the sunshine at Cygnets Bungalow. We got a bunch of first time scullers out onto the river. I am still awaiting the final score but it sounds like a record low swimming count which is great result for those showing them the ropes (or holding them by a rope). Thanks to all those involved in the organisation - Nick, Nick, Cris, Tom , Stu, Anna, Jo, Helena that I know about and others that I don't. We were short of some o of our old Scamp hands, it's good to see others step into vacancies they left. The GFAR moves into its 3rd week, again thanks to those who've helped out on the sessions to date. The numbers and their enthusiasm is very promising for a new Cygnet intake, and we've had others come along after the course started wanting to get involved. It does put a strain on our resources but the club will be in a better position if we get a good proportion to stay on so please help out when you can, please say hi to the new people to make them feel at home. Sian will let me know week by week the help she needs, but we'll need more helpers once the course moves onto the river.
This week...
Tuesday - Start of a new era with Circuit Training with Maxi running the session at Cavendish School, Edensor Road W4 2RG. Please come along to make sure it's fully supported for her debut. Meet at the club by 7 or at the school for a 7:15 start.
Thursday - new squad erg night - time to get in your 5k test as Sue has kindly given us 2 extra days to post our scores. Let's all get a time in so we have baseline to improve on. Or if you've already done that then 4 x 2k with 1 min easy
Weekend: Hmmm, availability on the sheet is pretty lamentable... Please please please update the spreadsheet. If you are planning a Pairs Head training outing put that on the sheet so we can line up coaching and crews to compete against each other.
3rd/4th October Rhine Marathon - a good few of us will be in Dusseldorf, if you are back at base please make your availability clear so we can plan outings
10th October 15:30 Pairs Head - if you are not it and can help with boating/parking etc contact Nick Bates and come and cheer those who are in it. Our boathouse is HQ for Pairs Head and it's run by BBL so come and support it if you can.
Beyond, winter training starts here. I'll be sending a separate email to ask you all what you want from your rowing and how much you can commit so we can work out what resources we need not least on coaching and get an informed and realistic view of what crews will be out regularly. We've high hopes that the level of interest shown in the GFAR will translate into new recruits and as a club it's our interest to support their integration into the club and their rowing development, so be prepared for calls for volunteers to for experienced guys to jump into novice crews and helping out with coxing duties,
That's all for now,
Cygnet Update 14th September
14th September 2015
G'day all,
Tales from the riverbank...
The Get Fit and Row course is well underway, great turn out of likely looking future Cygnets have now had their first four sessions, great to see so many new keen guys and gals at the club on Saturday morning. Thanks for those who are helping Sian with the sessions, I'll pass on requests from her when people are needed for specific sessions. But be prepared to jump in when we need to get experienced rowers in boats when they go on the water for their first outings.
Pairs Head crews were out training at the weekend despite the odd sore head after the end of season dinner on Friday night. Well done to Charlie and Cris on their well earned awards.
This week:
No planned mid week outings but if you do, you must take lights!!!
Weekend is Sculling Camp at our lovely bungalow. If you can make it, please sign up to the poll or let Nick Rae know directly, we could do with a few more seniors to help with the 3 GFAR guys who've signed up. Weather is looking very promising for sculling and socialising. Nick will let you know when boat loading will be taking place.
So not many around to row on the Tideway, if you do plan to row at HQ on Saturday please put that on the availability spreadsheet so we can put crews together.
Next Week:
Tuesday 22nd 7:15 - Start of Circuit Training at Cavendish School with a new coach, Maxi (ex of BBL) new exercises, same opportunity to improve fitness and core strength for the head races. Please put it in your diary and come along and support this important component of Cygnet life and training.
So squad erg night will move to Thursdays from next week.
Beyond:
3rd October - Rhine Marathon
10th October Pairs Head - time to finalise combos and get entries in
24th October - Henley Lunch, stripy blazer time again
Finally
We are getting the outboard of our launch repaired and serviced on Saturday, I need someone to ensure Joe can get access to the launch and that the boat shop is open. If you plan to be down at the club on Saturday and keep a look out for him can you let me know please.
And that's all for this week
Have a good one
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News 7th September
11th September 2015
Further ahead, it's sculling camp on the 18/19/20. Nick has sent out the details so please sign up via the Doodle Poll. In the current squad there aren't that many who haven't sculled before, so it would be good to treat this as a mini training camp and organise some pieces, maybe a mini head race if the river conditions allow. And some of the GFAR guys are keen to come along so it's a good opportunity to meet them and make them feel part of the club. We'll need a number of volunteers to go down on Friday to rig the boats, get them across to the bungalow and generally set up camp before heading to the pub. Nick will be chasing for volunteers!
Cygnet Weekly News Monday 17th August
24th August 2015
Cygnet Weekly News Monday 24th August
24th August 2015
Hope you all had a great weekend on and off the water. Thanks for Michelle and team for organising a really fun sociable Club Day and arranging such great weather. When it is as good as it was on Saturday it really makes you appreciate the asset we have in our garden when the sun is shining. We had some semi serious blue on blue double scull racing in lively conditions where everyone was a winner. Modestly prevents me from saying who the ultimate winners were other than it was a good day for Captains...
Although we are in the middle of holiday season, 10 scullers made it to Sid's Sculling Session on Saturday morning. We paddled serenely up to Syon Crossing and then a Head style row back line astern. All agreed that that made us work much harder for longer than we would have done if we'd been on our own. It looks a good formula to get us all braver and stronger and better scullers for Scullers Head and other races.
This Week
As per Sue's note, note a lot of us around on Tuesday and Thursday but if you are going out you need lights at any boating time after 6:30pm.And it's time for the long ergs to start so this week its a 10k piece, record you time as a benchmark for the start of the winter training.
Weekend
Cygnet Weekly News Monday 10th August
11th August 2015
Hope you all had a great weekend on and off the water in the fab weather. It was relatively quiet on the Tideway although Sid got 7 scullers on the water by 7am to put them through their paces between Chiswick Eyot and UL. But 7 am isn't early enough to beat the gin palaces and 4 mins into our piece 6 of them steamed passed swamping our frail craft and rendering the river unrowable to all but Sid. Still what doesn't kill you makes you stronger if wetter. And we did get a written apology.
Sue was coaching the Nov 4+ in preparation for Oxford City regatta next weekend, the crew definitely coming together and getting off the start faster, but we might find the flat water at Oxford rather disconcerting.
This week:Outings on Tuesday and Thursday as per Sue's note. Sue has also offered a choice of ergs but if you're not sure which to do then why not do both.
Thursday Food is already prepared and just getting better by the day as per Cris note.
Next Weekend:Oxford City RegattaNov 4+ (Anna, Jez, Nick, Cris, Robin) racing at 16:30 in a semi finalSid and Sharon (MxEli 2x ) at 15:03 in round 1 of 3Trailer loading post outing on Thursday please.
Special Note - can we all look to promote the Learn to Row starting on the 7th Sept through our contacts, work, etc. The more people we get into it the better chance we have of building the squads for the winter season. There are posters in the club house ready to be posted around the area as well.
Sir
I am not sure if it was your club members who suffered from my excessive wash this morning, if so, my I extend my apologies for what was a lack of judgment. By way of explanation I was on my second only tideway trip, punching the tide and on checking my log achieving only 5.3 mph, but at the expense of creating a far bigger wash than I realised until, correctly, chastised by your rowing members.
I hope I have now learnt by my mistake, again my regret at any inconvenience caused.
Yours a now slower Tin Lizzie
Ps if it was not your members involved, do you have any idea who might have been out on the Corney Reach at 0700 this morning?
Jez
Cygnet Weekly News Monday 27th July
4th August 2015
This weekend was our annual pilgrimage to St Neots. The event seems to get bigger each year and the tented village expanding along with it. For me there was the realisation that our gazebo and general camping gear is not quite state of the art as it could be next to the sound systems, disco lights, BBQs, fire pits, tents with sides on them that keep the wind and rain out. The other thing apparent is that some clubs are not following the unwritten rule that no mixed crew should have a training outings before the regatta.
So the racing: we entered 4 events over 1000m on Saturday. Mas EFG 1x (me) MasB 4+ (Ian M, Stu, Tom B, Sarah T), MasC 4+ (Anna, Sid, Big Jim, Jez, Cris) , MasB 8+ Cygnet/BBL (Stu, Ian, Tom, Cris)
So this week:
And please move the Rawkins from BBL side of the boathouse to the R Lambe slot (bottom rack right side of Cygnet side) so Neil P can get at it to fix the scratches on the hull.
7:15 OTW, Sue coaching
4+ Cox Claudia, Dave, Nick Rae, Matt B, John Stockdale,
7:15 OTW
4+/- Dave, Jim, John S, Nick R, (cox tbc)
Cygnet Weekly News Monday 3rd August
4th August 2015
2- were v competitive ay IM1 by all accounts. V close 2nd (less than 1/2 a length) in a 3 boat race. Pulling back on them, and would have clinched it if they'd had another 200m to race.
2xs reported that they enjoyed themselves at Mas.B. Both well beaten by the RAF, bit Laurent & Raph easily won the inter-Cygnet tussle for 2nd. Charlie & Cris did well for their first race.
4- had a good start, side-by-side with both other crews, until we got too side-by-side, clashed, stopped, race halted, Upper Thames disqualified (right outside their boathouse). Rerow, another good start, but Stratford-upon-Avon were too good for us and won by 2.5 lengths.
So great experience for Charlie and Cris and as a bonus Charlie passed his Cygnet trailer towing practical, so he now has a job for life. Special mention for Bart who after racing at HT&V was up at 4am to compete Ride London and complete the 100 miles in 4 hours 48mins. So it was quiet on the Tideway apart from some light social sculling for Matt, Robin, Guy, Sid and myself.Oxford City regatta on the 15th is the last one of the summer season we are planning to get to. Nov 4+ has been entered in morning and afternoon races so a getting as many outings as poss beforehand will pay dividends in the races. So outings this week...Tuesday - Cris, Nick, Charlie and John S look like a 4+ with Claudia coxing to me (tbc be Sue) (Note if taking the Pickford which is our only available 4+, it needs to be taped over the hull damage by the fin box). If there are any boats left on the trailer can you get down early and unload them and re rig them please. Thursday - Jez, Robin, Cris, Nick, (Oxford 4+) and Dave, Matt (2x, 2- 2 x 1x ???) Sian is cooking, sign up with her if you are staying. (sian_kunert@hotmail.co.uk)
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 13th July 2015
13th July 2015
All,
A relatively short and sweet one from me, as it's getting late.
There were Cygnets racing on the Friday and Saturday just gone, at Henley Masters Regatta. Unfortunately both our Mas.B 2- and Mas.B 4+ came up against some tough opposition and were knocked out (turns out that "US Veterans RC" are veterans of US rowing, rather than the Vietnam Vets we'd hoped for). However, both races were hard-fought, with overlap for most of the course, and next year, with a few more training outings... This was Cygnet's first time at Henley Masters for many years, and it's right next to Old Blades, on a lovely stretch of river, with a really friendly atmosphere, so hopefully we can make it a fixture.
Looking ahead, we have St Neots coming up on 25th and 26th of this month. We're in the process of finalising entries, with the focus on getting as many of us as many races as possible - including mixed boats with BBL. I'll send round our final entries when they're confirmed later this week. You've just about got time to make yourself available if you haven't already.
Speaking of which, if you want to come to the House of Lords for our 125th reception on Friday evening - and who on earth wouldn't - and you haven't yet booked, you might just about be in with a shout if you email Paul Rawkins (copied in) absolutely asap.
This week
Tues evening - outings (no set outings)
Squad Erg - 10k (2k @24, 2k @22, 2k @24, 2k @26, 2k @24).
Thurs evening - outings, as per Sue's email.
Thurs evening - there may be food after outings if anyone volunteers this week.
Fri evening - Reception in the House of Lords.
Sat & Sun morning outings - Sue's away on holiday, so a doubly strong plea from me to update your availability, as I'll be setting crews for the weekend and next week.
Next week
Please make a note of next Tuesday (21st) the Cygnet Ordinary General Meeting, 8.15pm, in the bar. Please try and come along if you can, as your incoming captaincy will welcome your support, and I can pretty much guarantee that the bar bell will be rung.
Thanks
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Tuesday 7th July 2015
7th July 2015
Righto,
The weekend just gone was obviously focused on Henley Royal Regatta, and subsequent recovery. Club Day on Friday was, as ever, brilliant - and our heartfelt thanks to the Slys for hosting us at Old Blades - we are a lucky club indeed. Plus we had the honour of a rowpast in the afternoon tea interval involving a crew made up entirely of Cygnet Captains - we managed not to stuff it up, although it was probably just as we weren't felt worth launching the drone for. Only 25 more Henley Fridays until the next one...
Not a lot of activity on Saturday, understandably, but there were boats out on Sunday, and there are various crews going out this week. This Friday Henley Masters Regatta kicks off. We have two crews entered:
- Mas.B 2- of myself and Nick B. First race is the Quarter-Final at 11.36 on Fri, against City of Cambridge
- Mas.B 4+ of Sue, Bart, Gav, myself, and Nick B. We've got a bye to the Semi-Final at 12.52 on Saturday (against winner of US Veterans vs Maidstone Invicta)
This week
Weeknight outings - Sue's sent out crew lists.
Squad Erg - tbc, watch this space.
Wednesday evening - boat-loading for Henley Masters - if anyone is around to lend a hand after outings, would be much appreciated.
Thursday evening - post-outings dinner, IF someone responds positively to Cris's call for a volunteer cook.
Friday morning- Ute and Trailer going to Henley Masters
Saturday morning - Ute going to Henley Masters
Sat & Sun mornings - set outings, crew lists to follow (but note that Coach Sue will be at Henley Masters on Saturday).
Further ahead
There are three important things you need to take heed of, ensure they're in your diary, and mentally prepare for:
Friday 17th (yes, next Friday!) is the House of Lords reception. This is probably your last reminder, as the Palace of Westminster needs a few days notice of the names. So don't risk missing out - if you haven't already, confirm your attendance on the website.
Tuesday 21st will be the Cygnet AGM, where the captaincy are elected. It will be good to see as many of you as possible there. If you're interested in any of the captaincy roles, please speak to myself, Ian M, or Nick B, who'd be happy to talk you through what's involved.
The weekend of 25th and 26th of July is St Neots Regatta. We have already entered a number of crews of various shapes and sizes, and will double-up bodies wherever possible (including in mixed boats with BBL) to make a good weekend of it for everyone. But this really is your last chance to confirm availability with Sue or I if you haven't already. Also, could you include your availability up to the following weekend, as we will be going to Henley Town & Visitors Regatta on Sat 1st Aug.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 29th June 2015
29th June 2015
Evening All,
A lovely weekend to be on the water, particularly up at Richmond, and particularly when Cygnet (and BBL) are winning pots! Yes indeed, Bart & Gav won their straight final at IM2 2- at Richmond Regatta on Saturday. In fact, notwithstanding the odd steering wobble (and forgetting their blades), they dominated their opposition Walbrook RC to notch a comfortable win - which is what you get when you've put the effort in getting to multi-lane regattas at Peterborough and Dorney recently. Very well deserved.
Our Novice 4+ fared less well, but reported a strong start and strong finish - bearing in mind this was the first proper regatta race for a couple of them. But a very tidy Vesta crew did for them in the middle half of the race (and went on to win the final).
And well done to the victorious BBL Quad.
It all gets a bit busy for the next few weeks, so bear with.
The next regatta in our sights is of course Henley Royal Regatta - and our club day this Friday. Cygnet aren't competing this year, but we will be seeking to impress the crowds with a row-past to mark our 125th anniversary. Hope to see lots of you at Old Blades for the highlight of the summer.
The following weekend (Fri 10th and Sat 11th) is Henley Masters Regatta - down a shorter version of the same course. Our Mas.B 2- have their first round on the Friday lunchtime, whilst both our Mas.B 4+s have byes to the semi-finals on Saturday. Watch this space.
And the following Friday (17th) is of course our House of Lords reception. Please bagsy your tickets now (website and booking form) so that we have an idea of numbers and your names can go down on the door so the bouncers (policemen with machine guns) will let you in.
This week
Tuesday evening - outings, Sue's sent out crew lists.
Squad Erg: 2 x 6k. Each piece broken down as follows - 3k @ 24, 2k @ 26, 1k @ 28 with 4 minutes light pressure for the rest period (Second weekly Erg: 5 x 1k (max rate 28) with 1 minute at light pressure between each one)
Thursday evening - outings, Sue's sent out crew lists
Thursday evening - post-outings dinner, this week Sarah T is cooking, please let her know if you're staying - details in Cris's social update.
Friday morning - outings, followed by the Ute and trailer being loaded to take the 8 to Henley
Friday day - Old Blades, Henley Royal Regatta
Saturday morning - outings will be self-organised to allow some to recover from the above.
Sunday morning - outings - crew lists to follow.
Sunday lunchtime - monthly BBL/Cygnet pub lunch, Sun Inn from 12.30, as per Cris's social email.
Also on Sunday, the Barnes Bridge Ladies are starting their next Get-Fit-And-Row course (10am). Whilst we plan to have a big push for our next Learn-to-Row in September, if you know of anyone who can't wait that long, we have agreed that some potential Cygnets can join this BBL course. If so, you may be asked to lend a hand in terms of sitting a boat or demonstrating how to erg.
Further ahead
25th and 26th of July is the mighty St Neots Regatta. Entries are already open, and both clubs are hoping to send strength in numbers, including mixed boats. If you haven't already, please do a) keep that weekend free, b) confirm you're available, and c) come with a flexibility to jump into any exciting crew combination you're put in. It's always a lot of fun.
I think that's all for now.
See you in the week.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 22nd June 2015
22nd June 2015
Evening,
Not exactly busy at the boathouse this weekend, but we did have Bart & Gav proudly flying the Cygnet colours down the 2k course at Dorney. Racing two statuses above themselves at Senior, they had a good row in the time trial in the morning, and whatever the results on the website say, they definitely did start and finish their race in the afternoon final! Well done to them, and should stand them in very good stead for this Saturday - see below..
And this weekend we have crews to cheer on closer to home, with two of our (four) entries racing at Richmond Regatta on Saturday. Indeed, if you can make it to that rather lovely stretch of river for 2pm, you can cheer on two Cygnet crews in the space of 10mins:
Our IM2 2- of Bart & Gav has a straight final against Walbrook RC at 14.05, and
Our Nov 4+ of: Sue, Cris, Mike E, Alfonso, Jim R is racing Vesta at 14.15, with the final at 17.15.
Barnes Bridge Ladies also have a IM3 8 racing at 12.45 (final at 16.45), and an IM3 4x straight final at 17.55.
This week
Tues evening - outings, Sue has sent out crew list.
This week's erg: 10 minute warm up feet out; 2 x 1k @ 26; 2 x 500m @ 28; 3 x 250m @ 30.
Thurs evening - outings, Sue has sent out crew list. We hope to have Nick Rowett down coaching for the first time this summer too.
Thurs evening - post-outing food. Yours Truly is cooking - please let me know if you plan to stay.
Also on Thurs evening - boat-loading for Richmond Regatta - please lend a hand.
Sat morning - outings may well be disrupted owing to crew members racing at Richmond
Sat afternoon - come along to Richmond at 2pm to cheer on Cygnet.
Sun morning - outings at normal time - crew lists to follow.
u - Training outing for Henley Rowpast Crew. We're at least a man short for this outing, so please mark on the spreadsheet if you're available to jump into a motley crew of captains past and present.
Other Stuff
You'll be sick of me reminding you about the House of Lords reception on Fri 17th July. But not as sick as you'll feel if you forget to sign-up for it and miss out. Do it now, here: (website and booking form).
Finally, we will probably be running our next Learn-To-Row course in September, as usual. However, if you know of anyone interested now, who can't wait that long, please point them in the direction of me and/or Ian. Barnes Bridge are running one of their courses starting on 6th July, and there's an opportunity to join forces with them if there's interest.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 15th July 2015
15th June 2015
Evening All,
First up, well done to all those that raced at Barnes & Mortlake Regatta on Saturday. The good news is that we won some pewter!...
...albeit only in the category where we were absolutely guaranteed to win some pewter. Yes, the Mixed 4+ Jam Roly Polies of J Mee (cox, BBLRC), Matt B, Orla (BBLRC), Karen (BBLRC), and Sid were victorious over the Knickerbocker Glories in the first round, and the Gooseberry Fools in the final, so well done to them. And to Coach Sue and Jo B for pulling those four crews together - it's proving a good laugh commandeering Tideway Regattas as informal Club Days.
Honourable mentions also go to our IM3 4+, who were 2nd out of 3 in their heat losing out only to younger students. And to Guy, who despite being 'bumped up' from Mas.C to Nov 1x, won through a round. And of course, to the BBLRC Nov 8+ who have been through a roller-coaster of emotions as they won through to the final to de-novice, then got disqualified for an undeclared sub, then appear to have been undisqualified.
The next regatta Cygnet are represented at is Marlow at Dorney Lake this Saturday. Rather less of the novelty-mixed-blue-on-blue-events, and rather more of the deadly-serious-2k-versus-overseas-crews. Bart & Gav go off in the morning in Senior 2- for the time trial, which will allocate them to their final in the afternoon. Best of luck.
And the following week is Richmond Regatta on Sat 27th - please make sure you've made your availability clear on the spreadsheet that far ahead.
This week
Tues evening - outings, crew lists to follow.
This week's erg: is the same as last week. Partly because I'm lazy, and partly because according to the spreadsheet, a grant total of two Cygnets completed the erg last week (well done to Charlie & Cris, currently Cygnet's Premier Pair). 2 x 6k no higher than r22 - focusing on technique.
Thurs evening - outings, crew lists to follow.
Thurs evening - post-outing food. Helena is cooking, so please let her know if you plan to stay.
Sat & Sun mornings - set outings, crew lists to follow.
Further Ahead
Numbers are looking a bit thin on the ground at the moment, so please make sure you've got the following firmly ensconsed in your diaries (and do note the three events in July that are Not To Be Missed):
- Sat 27th June - Richmond Regatta. We'd like to have as many crews as possible entered, with lots of doubling-up.
- Fri 3rd July - Club Day at Henley Royal Regatta. Not To Be Missed #1
- Fri 10th & Sat 11th July - Henley Masters Regatta - we currently have two Mas.C 4+s and a Mas.C 2- entered.
- Fri 17th July - House of Lords reception. Not To Be Missed #2. Make sure you go tothe website and fill in thebooking form. And do remember to tell old friends of Cygnet and BBLRC that may no longer be on the distribution lists - all are welcome.
- Sat 25th & Sun 26th July - St Neots Regatta. Not To Be Missed #3.
- Sat 1st Aug - Henley Town & Visitors Regatta
Finally - if you fancy the chance to give coastal rowing a go, some of BBLRC will likely be going back to Herne Bay Regatta on Sat 18th July. Please let me/ Claire BBLRC Captain know if you're interested.
That's all for now.
D
Update to the update 9th June
9th June 2015
Now with race times for BMI on Saturday Full Draw Race Timetable
Alas no oppo for Neil at Mas.C 1x (again!), nor for Bates & French at Mas.B 2-,
but that's more than made up for by:
Mixed IM2 4+:
09.38: Cream Puffs vs Gooseberry Fools
14.50: Knickerbocker Glories vs Jam Roly Polies
18.26: FINAL
Nov 4+:
11.01 Semi-final vs Parrs and RUMS,
13.15 FINAL.
IM3 4+:
12.04 Semi-final vs Putney Town and Imperial Medics,
14.14 FINAL.
Nov 1x (Guy, oh yes!):
10.34 Heat vs Putney Town,
15.28 Semi-final,
16.54 FINAL
Mas.E 1x:
11.33 FINAL vs Quintin and Medway Towns.
BBLRC have also got at least a Nov 8 and two Nov 1xs racing
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Sunday 7th Jun 2015
7th June 2015
Good evening,
Focus this week is looking to Saturday's Barnes & Mortlake Regatta (13th). Draw not confirmed yet, but thanks all of you that confirmed availability and flexibility, as a result of which we've got over dozen Cygnets entered in 10 crews. So fingers crossed that as many as possible of the following crews get a race:
Mixed 4+ (with BBLRC) [Cream Puffs]: cox Ania W, 4 Sharon L, 3 Cris, 2 Tom B, 1 Rachel H.
Mixed 4+ (with BBLRC) [Gooseberry Fools]: cox Anna, 4 Sue, 3 Stu, 2 Jez, 1 Sian K.
Mixed 4+ (with BBLRC) [Knickerbocker Glories]: cox Neil P, 4 Dave F, 3 Clare SA, 2 Jo B, 1 Robin H.
Mixed 4+ (with BBLRC) [Jam Roly Polies]: cox J Mee, 4 Matt B, 3 Orla, 2, Karen G, 1 Sid.
Nov 4+: cox Sue, Nick R, Robin, Cris, Mike E
IM3 4+: cox Sue, Sid, Matt B, Nick R, Mike E.
Mas.B 2-: Dave F, Nick B
Mas.C 1x: Guy
Mas.C 1x: Neil P
Mas.E 1x: Jez
Given that there should be lots of us around for bits of the day, we've decided to move Neil's boat-fixing Masterclass to Saturday 13th, when people are around the boathouse between races at BMI Regatta. Please make the effort to watch and learn if you possibly can. When Neil moves away, the loss of his boat-mending skills will leave a significant hole (if you'll pardon the pun.
This week
Tues evening - outings, crew lists to follow.
This week's erg: 2 x 6k no higher than r22 - focusing on technique (Rock - opening and closing hip not bending back; Keep shoulders behind hips - when thinking of direction of travel during leg drive; Straight arm leg drive; Keep muscles in shoulders and neck relaxed).
Thurs evening - outings, crew lists to follow.
Thurs evening - post-outing food, tbc
Sat morning - unlikely to be set outings, given BMI Regatta during the day.
Sat - Neil's boat-fixing Masterclass - see above.
Sun morning - outings.
A few brief reminders
Do please turn up on time for outings, and remember that 'on-time' means at least 15mins before the stated on-the-water time. With our current faffing-quotient getting up beyond 15minutes, it's important to turn up promptly so that everything is ready to head off on time, and it isn't all left to the few punctual ones.
There's the Cygnets Bungalow working party starting on Monday 15th, for anyone that can. Please let me or Derek Bush know if you can help out.
And finally, there's still time to put your names down for the House of Lords reception on Friday 17th July. All details are on the website as is a simple booking form. Do it now (although of course, if you miss out on this, you'll only have to wait a quarter of a century for the next one...).
That's all for now.
D
Chris Gates
6th June 2015
Christopher St John Gates - 1934 to 2015
Every successful club needs both energetic and determined oarsmen and also an equally committed team behind them to provide the support to enable them to get on with winning races. Chris Gates, who died on 21st May, was definitely in the latter group - a very committed supporter of Cygnet RC yet one who never sought to be a member of a regular racing squad.
Chris Gates was introduced to rowing during an overseas posting with the Department of the Environment to Ndola in the copper belt of Zambia and was joined in this by his wife, Margaret, who although coming from a rowing family had not rowed before going to Zambia. There were not many opportunities for competition but events were held in conjunction with the rowing club in Harare, then in Southern Rhodesia. This led to rowing on the Zambesi River, which saw then rowing along the international border, requiring crews to carry passports!
On their return to London in 1973, Chris joined Cygnet and Margaret CSLRC (the forerunner of BBLRC). Chris was the epitome of the "casual oarsman", willing to turn his hand to anything and happy to construct scratch crews around whomever was available on the night. Such qualities did not go unnoticed and Chris was soon inveigled into becoming Deputy Captain in 1982, a post he held until 1985. The photograph below was taken later in the 1980s on the occasion of a president's supper with Chris pictured second from left.
Cygnet has often been regarded as a club of administrators first and oarsmen second. Chris Gates was very much of this mould and he was soon in demand as Chairman of the Boathouse Executive. As with rowing, so with managing the boathouse, Chris's conciliatory yet firm approach got things done. However, his rowing days were far from over and the late 1980s found him running the Business House Head, an invitation event for business house rowing clubs including the clearing banks, major oil companies, utilities and London Transport. It was he who arranged for a (victorious) Cygnet veteran Vlll to row as number 100 in 1990 (out of a field of 30-something) on the occasion of the club's centenary.
Chris Gates' move to a DoE posting in Bedford in 1988, to escape the London rat race, was much regretted by the Cygnet casual squad. However, never one to let the grass grow under his feet, he and Margaret were soon immersed in St Neot's RC, where those in authority sought him out to run St Neot's Regatta, an event much-loved and well-attended by Cygnet. Under Chris's five year stewardship, a competitor-friendly atmosphere coexisted with an efficient running order that took challenges such as multiple 'doubling up' by participating crews in its stride.
Even after Chris had passed on the reins of St Neot's Regatta, he and Margaret remained regular visitors, always keen to meet visiting members of Cygnet and BBLRC, until illness precluded his attendance. A memorial service for Chris Gates will be held at St Neot's Parish Church on Thursday 11th June at 2.30pm, with light refreshments afterwards at the nearby Chequers Restaurant.
Phil Brown and Paul Rawkins
A Personal Recollection
As another of the regular "casuals", I was often in contact with Chris. A frequent evening outing was 5 oarsmen in a IV+, with cox and stroke changing halfway. This was not always appreciated by the other 3 as just when they were beginning to dream of a gentle return to the boathouse for a pint a fresh stroke could set a challenging pace. One memorable outing with Chris was in "Non-Sequitur", we fitted well together, neither working very hard, and soon had this light pair skimming over the water. My last outing with Chris was a composite IV- from St Neots RC, when we were joined by Margaret and Rubina Curtis.
It was through Chris that I rowed in a St Neots crew in the Head of the River. One of his crew had not turned up and Chris spotted me settling down in the bar to enjoy watching the race. A plea that I had no kit was answered with "we will find you some", as indeed they did with the final item (a pair of socks) being tossed over as the boat pushed off from the hard.
When Chris moved to St Neots he handed over the running of the Business Houses Head to me. This gave me several year's of pleasure with the opportunity to meet crews from far and wide. It was really rather easy as Chris had established a well organised process. It was from Chris that I learnt the art of organising the draw. To make matters more interesting we set up local matches rather than a strict adherence to the results from the previous year - London Transport (District Line) were not worried where they came, as long as they "beat the buses" (London Transport (DRS)).
The Head gave rise to a useful little earner for Cygnet, probably devised by Chris, - the pennant factory. Having set up a process for cutting and sewing the felt and someone prepared to print the artwork, it was possible to expand the production batch by taking orders for other local heads, notably from CSLRC (as it then was) for the Pairs Head. Clearly this was too lucrative market to continue as Cygnet was undercut and the market was taken over by others.
On winter evenings, Chris took on another task, that of timekeeping for the Club run, which was run on a handicap basis. Once the last (ie quickest) of the runners had left, Chris would set off on a short run of his own, to return in time for the first of the returning runners.
For a number of years, Rubina and I made the pilgrimage to St Neots, to support our respective Clubs and to meet Chris & Margaret. There was Chris at the centre of the organisation and Margaret helping out with the refreshments. Often we ended up in a local hostelry for a meal. Sadly in recent years, Chris' health made it difficult for him to get to the Regatta. The tradition will continue, however, and we have already accepted an invitation to meet Margaret at this year's event.
Phil Brown
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 1st June 2015
6th June 2015
Righto,
Apologies for the radio silence last week, consequently quite a lot to get through this week...
First up, you may not have realised that there was some Cygnet racing at the weekend. Bart & Gav manfully lugged their IM1 2- up to Peterborough on the roof of the Ute. Unfortunately, their efforts weren't rewarded with a win - a long way to go to lose out by only 5 seconds, but they'll be all the faster for it in their next race.
Closer to home we had boats out training over the weekend, on some lovely water (if a bit on the low side - Black Flag was out for a bit).
Looking ahead to upcoming regattas, we've got:
- Barnes & Mortlake on Sat 13th. We're finalising crews to enter for this one, including doubling-up options, so now's your last chance to confirm your availability on the spreadsheet.
- Reading on Sat 13th and Sun 14th. It looks like we might have a pair heading to Reading instead of BMI, so if you're interested in some 2-abreast racing upriver, let us know.
- Marlow (Dorney Lake) on Sat 20th June. Again, and as mentioned previously, we've got at least one pair entered.
- Richmond on Sat 27th. One we'd like to hit 'en masse' particularly since we didn't get to race that stretch when Twickenham was cancelled.
Further ahead we've also got Henley Masters (Fri 10th and Sat 11th July), where our entries of two Mas.B 4+s and a Mas.B 2- got in just before the deadline and have been accepted.
And of course St Neots (Sat 25th and Sun 26th July, where we'd like to get as many Cygnets (and Barnes Bridge Ladies) racing as possible.
So this means my now weekly plea for all active oarsmen to update the spreadsheet until the end of July. We can't race you if we don't know whether you're available to race (and train).
This week
Tues evening - outings, crew lists to follow (apologies from Coach Sue for her lack of coaching recently, as she balances it with coxing BBL for Women's Henley).
This week's erg: 4 x 750m / 1 min light pressure between each. Then 6 minutes break and repeat.
Thurs evening - outings, crew lists to follow.
Thurs evening - post-outing food, this week courtesy of Nick Rae - please let him know if you're sticking around.
Sat morning - outings.
Sat morning - post-outing crash-course (excuse the pun) on boat-fixing - see below.
Sun morning - outings.
Sun lunch - 12 pm Sun Inn lunch, please let Vicky or Michelle (BBLRC) know (vickibowes[at]gmail.com/ mweiss[at]hotmail.co.uk /social[at]bblrc.co.uk )
Other Stuff
Boat-fixing - you may know that a) we rely on Neil's goodwill and boat-knowledge to a disgraceful extent, and b) he's buggering off to live in Kent shortly. In light of that, we thought it would be useful to have a session where he shows anybody who might interested about repairing boats. Conveniently, a couple of us have put a couple of dings in boats recently. So please try and stay for no more than an hour after outings on Saturday. Please let me know if you're intending to come.
Since we're on the subject of lending a hand, it's less than two months until the captaincy re-election. So now is a good time to think about it, and if you're at all interested having a word with me, Nick B (Deputy), or Ian M (Vice (Captain)). All of whom would be happy to talk you through what's involved, and reassure you that none of the roles are as bad as we perhaps occasionally make out.
Also on the subject, there is a Cygnets Bungalow working party starting on Monday 15th, for anyone that can. Please let me or Derek Bush know if you can help out, including if you would like to stay overnight at all. There will be many jobs to do so the more that come, the merrier!
125th
You've missed the boat if you didn't order cufflinks or tshirts. However, orders for blazers and ties remain open, why not do it now via the on-line order form only.
But in terms of rare opportunities, the House of Lords reception on Friday 17th July takes some beating. There will be plenty of attendees from Cygnet, Barnes Bridge Ladies, and Benrath, and you'd be a fool to miss out. Friends and family are also welcome to join us as well as any ex-members who you know of that might not be on the email circulation lists. It would be great if you could make the organisers' lives a lot easier by going on the website and indicating that you'll be coming along. All the details are there, as is a booking form and a contact for Paul Rawkins if you have any questions or prefer to do things the old fashioned way. There is a maximum number for tickets, so don't delay.
I think that's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 18th May 2015
18th May 2015
However, the time spent practicing for this weekend certainly won't be wasted, and good to see boats out in the week and over the weekend. And particularly good to see so many 'taking advantage' of the foul weather on Thursday evening to enjoy the Squad Erg, and then staying on to enjoy the Mountains' fine catering.
With Twickenham out of our diaries, attention turns to other regattas coming up later this month and next, including:
- Peterborough Spring, Sat 30th and/or Sun 31st May. It looks like we've got at least one Pair looking to race on the Saturday, and if there's enough wider interest and availability we can make it a trailer-load. Let me and Sue know if you're interested - including by filling in the spreadsheet.
- Barnes & Mortlake, Sat 13th June. Our next 'priority regatta' that we'd like as many of our active squad as possible to be available to double-up into different crew combinations. Please put it in your diaries, and make sure you have updated the spreadsheet until at least this weekend.
- Marlow (Dorney Lake), Sat 20th June. Again, it looks like we've got at least one Pair wanting to race, so if you're up for the experience of racing down the Olympic venue (twice, one in a head-style time trial, and then in the A,B, or C final), please let me and Sue know.
This week
Tues - evening - coached outings (crew already sent out).
Cygnet Weekly Erg: 2x 15mins (5mins r19, r26, r19), 1x 10min (2mins r19, r28, etc.).
Thems of us that are doing these regularly are definitely feeling the improvement. Good to see so many of last week's ergs being completed. According to the spreadsheet we had just enough to make up an 8 - but I know there were more than that, so do remember to record your time.
Thurs - evening - no set outings. Either organise your own crew, or enjoy the Squad Erg, above.
Thurs - evening - post-outing food, courtesy of Sue E, as per Cris's email please let her know if you intend to stay.
Sat morning outings - if you cleared your hectic social weekend diary for Twickenham Regatta, don't fill it just yet. We are looking at plans to have a slightly longer coached water session, perhaps alongside another tideway club who were expecting to race that day. Watch this space.
Saturday evening - is Eurovision, in the bar, from 7pm until late. Please contact Cris, our very own polyglot Social Secretary, who emailed about this, and on the night will be able to tell you what they're all singing about. Probably.
Sun morning outings (crew lists to follow)
Other stuff
Kit - as promised, and with thanks to Mike E, a kit ordering window has been opened for us on the Godfrey site. Key details are:
Kit page: http://godfrey.co.uk/club/cygnetrc
Collation information: http://godfrey.co.uk/collation-information
Sizing guide:http://godfrey.co.uk/sizing-guide (although based on the recent experiences of a couple of us, you may want to go for a size smaller than you first though - unless I've shrunk, or unless hoodies are being worn particularly 'room-to-grow-into' this season)
Closing date: 31st May
Details are as per usual for orders - No money is taken until after the cut-off date has passed. When they have had a chance to collate the orders, they apply the discounts and then payments are taken. Worst case scenario will be the 2-11 price level, even if someone is the only person to order a particular item, if it is ordered within the club ordering window.
And since we're on kit, another reminder about the 125th commemorative kit available - order via the online form on the website. So far only Cristobal has been man enough to order the full Cygnet Monty (blazer + tie + cufflinks + tshirt).
That's all for now - and I'm afraid you'll go without an update next week, as I'll be down in the West Country for half-term week. I'm sure you'll manage.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 11th May 2015
11th May 2015
Evening All,
A very busy Saturday for some of us at Borne Regatta on Saturday, where Cygnet were represented from the very first to very last races.
- First up was a cracking row from our Novice 4+, beating Putney Town and Quintin crews, to meet Canford School in the final. Unfortunately in the final youth triumphed by a few lengths, but a very positive performance to build on as we start the season.
- Also in the morning was Guy in his 1x -, entered at Mas.C.Nov but bumped up to Nov. Losing by only a length to a Tradesman sculler who made it to the final.
- In the afternoon Cygnet and Barnes Bridge Ladies stacked the Mixed 4+ category with four pudding-themed entries to guarantee a) some pots and b) lots of fun, and were successful on both counts Coach Sue further stacked her crew selection so that her Eton Messes beat Spotted Dicks in the final. So congratulations to Sue, Matt B, Stu, Katie M (BBLRC), and Charlie (BBLRC) for their (ahem) well-deserved pots.
- Finally, a straight final in the IM3 8+ against St Paul's School, where again youth prevailed, but a good close to a day that gave a few Cygnets their first taste of regatta racing.
Worth noting that the namesakes of all three boats we raced in - the Ronnie Lambe, Neil Pickford, and Marjorie Israel - were officiating (superbly) at the regatta.
Then we all decamped to the boathouse bar where beer was drunk, pasta was consumed, and regatta-related anecdotes were recounted.
Next up for us is Twickenham Regatta on Saturday 23rd. If you want to race, this is your last call to update the availability spreadsheet. We already have enough for various boats, including doubling-up - although it will depend on what other entries the regatta gets to some extent. The BB Ladies will also be going, there's a possibility of Mixed racing again, and it's usually a good day on a lovely bit of the river out so do try and make it.
Twickenham regatta will also require trailering, but not very far. So an ideal opportunity for any of you who might be encouraged to become a Really Useful Cygnet and learn the simple arts of hitching the trailer, towing, and parking. Please let me or Sue know if you can help out on that front, so that it's not always the usual suspects.
This week
Tues - evening - coached outings (crew list sent out).
Cygnet Weekly Erg: 3x 8mins (each with 6mins r28, 2mins r30)
Thurs - evening - outings (crew list to follow).
Thurs - evening - post-outing food, courtesy of Ian & Katie, please let them know if you intend to stay.
Sat & Sun - mornings - outings (crew lists to follow)
Whilst we want racing combinations to go out on the water as much as possible, we will endeavour to get everyone out training if we can. So do keep your availability up-to-date, and bear with us.
Other stuff
Kit - Another reminder about the 125th commemorative kit available - order via the online form on the website. Also, Mike E will be coordinating a kit window with Godfrey shortly.
Further ahead - dates for summer diaries should include:
- Fri 3rd July - Henley Royal Regatta Club Day
- Fri 17th July - House of Lords Reception
- Sat 25th - Sun 26th July - St Neots Regatta
- Sat 22nd Aug - Boathouse Club Day
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Tuesday 5th May
5th May 2015
Evening All,
This week's is slightly later and shorter than usual, for which I offer no excuse except the bank holiday yesterday.
A bank holiday Monday, incidentally, that saw Cygnet crews training on the water. And very encouraging to see so many at the club tonight and that a) all crews wisely stayed off the water on account of the conditions, and b) everyone decamped to the shed to do an erg instead.
All good prep for Borne Regatta this Saturday, where all but one of our crews have got races over the whole day:
Nov 4+ heat at 0830, final at 1040
Guy's Nov 1x heat at 1025, semi at 1230, final at 1335
Guy's Mas.C 1x straight final at 1600
And then all hell breaks loose:
Our four Cyg/BBL Mixed 4+s make up the entire field (first pots of the season!). Semi finals at 1554 and 1630, final at 1724.
And finally, the IM3 8+ is in a straight final at 1748.
By which time, we'll all be in need of a beer. At lest two of which will be served in pewter.
This week's focus is on racing crews getting on the water (conditions permitting). Crews lists being sorted separately.
Don't forget Cris is cooking after training on Thursday evening, let him know if you want some grub.
Looking further ahead, or next priority regatta is Twickenham Regatta on Sat 23rd. That's the bank holiday weekend (and the Queen's birthday Privilege Day for the Civil Servants amongst us). Please update the spreadsheet with availability for the rest of the month.
Other stuff
Kit
A reminder about the 125th commemorative kit at the smarter end of the scale (Blazers, ties, cuff links etc.) Details on the website along with links to the online order form (Doodle poll). Bagsy early to avoid disappointment.
In terms of kit more suitable for being in a boat, be assured that there will also be a kit ordering window opening soon.
Not a sub-heading that appears too often... Put Friday 17th July in your diaries for a reception in the House of Lords as part of Cygnet's 125th birthday celebrations. An evening reception (although earlier for those who may want a tour of Parliament), hosted by Lord Moynihan, and will involve varying quantities of canapes, wine, speeches, Cygnet blazers etc. More details here. All welcome.
And finally, a message from the Slys:
GRATEFUL THANKS
Pat, Prudence and Oscar Sly would like to thank all the very many friends who were in touch following Peter's death on 9 March. We received over 200 cards, letters and emails as well as phone calls - many containing personal recollections starting from those early days in the 1960s and 70s when Peter and I were so very involved in the two clubs as well as more recent times, especially Henley Fridays. Thank you also to all those who were able to actually get inside St Nicholas Church, Remenham,for Peter's funeral and to those who listenedto the service from outside over the loudspeakers. We are sorry not to have been able to speak to everyone on the day - and we understand that there were over 300 people at the church! - but your presence to celebrate Peter's life and to say "Goodbye" to him was so very much appreciated.
Henley Friday at Old Blades will continue to be available to the members and friends of both Cygnet and Barnes Bridge Ladies, the 2015 date being 3 July. We look forward to seeing some of you then. The Sly Family x
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 27th Apr 2015
27th April 2015
Evening All,
Good to see various boats out over the weekend, even if it didn't feel particularly summery and was rather choppy. But all good on-the-water time now that Regatta season is upon us. (And under-the-water time for those that chose to do an impromptu capsize drill...)
As discussed at the Squad Meeting last week, we will be looking to enter several boats at Borne Regatta on Saturday 9th May. So far we have about a dozen Cygnets down as available to race, which is encouraging at what will be our first regatta of many this season. Entries close at the weekend, so if you haven't updated the spreadsheet, do so asap. And not forgetting to include availability through the week, so that we can get crew combinations out training.
At Borne we're also looking to enter some Mixed 4+s with Barnes Bridge. These will be largely scratch crews, and should be fun, so we're assuming everyone that is available to race is also up for doubling-up on the day.
We will have a couple of potential new members around the club over the next couple of weeks. It doesn't look like we've got the numbers for a formal Learn-to-Row course, so if you see a new face on the ergs, do introduce yourself, and perhaps share some of your rowing wisdom.
This week
Cygnet Erg of the Week: 3x 8mins (1st r24, 2nd r26, 3rd r28)
(Now that British 'Summer' Time is upon us, we don't have a set Squad Erg Night - although Tuesdays are still our priority night in the shed. But you should endeavour to fit in at least this erg at some point in the week)
Tues evening 7pm - coached outings. If you're not in a boat, Erg of the Week in the shed.
Wed morning 7am - sculling pod (with BBLRC). Note that this is an informal and uncoached session, so for those who can already scull.
Wed evening - 7.30pm Cygnet Committee
Thurs evening 7pm - outings.
Thurs evening - post-outing food if a volunteer can be found to cook. Last week was an enjoyable St George's Day pint in the pub, next week Social Sec Cris is cooking, so if anyone can fill the gap this week, let him know.
Sat & Sun mornings - outings.
Other stuff
There is some spiffing kit and 'merchandise' being released to mark our 125th anniversary this year. Neil's been designing/ coordinating, and the details are already on the website along with links to the online order form (Doodle poll) and a pdf of a paper order form for those who prefer the old ways. There are also a couple of copies up in the changing room.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 20th April 2015
20th April 2015
So, with Sculling Camp done and dusted, the Spring sunshine upon us, and the culmination of the Head season seemingly but a distant memory, it's time for regatta season.
We've got a Squad Meeting tomorrow (Tuesday), 8pm in the bar. Please come along if you can - it will be short and informal, but very useful to get an idea of what you want to get out of the summer season, what you'll be able to put in, and what the club can offer to help you get there. If you can't come along tomorrow evening, please drop me and Sue a line with your intentions/ ambitions for racing this season.
I've appended, below, a list of all the regattas that we have been to in the past or might consider. We very likely won't be represented at all of them, but have a look. We'll aim to identify the key ones we want to go to at the Squad Meeting.
Of course, we can't enter regattas unless people have told us they're available for the race and for the necessary training outings. So go onto the google sheet now, and update your availability, pleeeeease.
This week
Tues pm - Squad Erg: 2k test. This will hurt, but only for 7 minutes or so (ideally less - but remember that ANY TIME IS BETTER THAN NO TIME AT ALL!)
Tues 8pm - Squad Meeting. Whereat you may have a beer if you've completed the 2k test, above.
Wed am - ad hoc outings. Note, please don't use the Benrath at the moment as it's damaged.
Thurs pm - outings tbc.
Thurs pm - post-outing food. You'll have seen Cristobal's email on this - the Thursday evening post-training-session-sessions were a very welcome feature of the Head training season, so it would be great to keep this going. If you can volunteer for a catering effort, please let him know.
Sat and Sun am - outings tbc.
Further ahead/ 2015 Regattas:
Sat 25th Apr - Hammersmith (entries now closed)
Sat 2nd May - Chiswick (Bank Hol weekend)
Sat 9th May - Borne
Sat 16th May - Putney Town
Sat 23rd May - Twickenham (Bank Hol weekend)
Sat 30th May - Sun 31st - Met at Dorney
Sat 30th May - Sun 31st - Peterborough Spring
Sat 6th June - Walton & Weybridge
Sat 13th June - Barnes & Mortlake International
Sat 13th June - Sun 14th - Reading
(Fri 19th June - Sun 21st - Women's Henley)
Sat 20th June - Marlow at Dorney
Fri 26th June - HRR Qualifying Races
Sat 27th June - Richmond
Wed 1st July - Thu 2nd - HRR first rounds
Fri 3rd July - HRR Club Day
Fri 10th July - Sat 11th - Henley Masters
Sat 11th July - Sun 12th - Kingston
Sat 25th July - Sun 26th - St Neots
Sat 1st Aug - Henley Town & Visitors
Sat 8th Aug - Sun 9th - Peterborough Summer
Sat 15th Aug - Sun 16th - Oxford City
Sat 29th Aug - Sun 30th Aug - Gloucester (Bank Hol Weekend)
Sun 30th Aug - Mon 31st - Ross (Vets on Sat)
I think that's all for now - see you in the week.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update - 6th April
13th April 2015
Afternoon Everybody,
A quieter week after last weekends head racing and I am sure a lot of us have been away from the club enjoying the long Easter weekend so things have probably been fairly quiet. I only know what the weather has been like in Billingham but if it has been anything like as nice down in London then if you did make it onto the river over the last few days you may well have started developing some tan lines... To summarise, not a lot to update you on but a couple of things that are worth mentioning:
Sculling Camp:
You should already know that this is next weekend. If you intend to be there but haven't filled in the doodle poll yet please do so here:
With a lot of people being out at the Bungalow it is likely to be another quiet weekend for us on the Tideway but things should get back to normal the following week.
Race Fees:
I won't name names... but in no particular order Nick Bates, Patrick Boundy, Alfonso Daniels, Noel Davison, Bart de Groot, Mike England, David French, Gareth Furby, Robin Harries, Gavin Hunter, Neil Jackson, Stavros Kyris, Ian Mountain(?!), Jeremy Pugh, Nick Rae, Paul Rawkins, Jim Reekie and Nick Wylie - you know who you are.
Between us we owe Matt £451.00 - it would be very good (especially for Matt) if we could settle this debt now, before we transition from head to regatta season. You can all see the tab on the google sheet showing who owes what. Please let myself or Matt know if you cannot see the spreadsheet or don't have the bank details - don't make us send the boys round!
Tuesday Squad Ergo:
I don't have anything official to give you so I am going to take a flyer and say you can choose - nice and simple, pick a session you have done over the last four or five weeks ideally, then whichever one you choose, do it again and make sure you beat the distance/average split you got last time round. As ever, try and do it with a few others (if you can agree on what to do).
Thursday Night Post Training Social:
These are still happening and I think Cris is looking for a volunteer cook for this week - let him know direct if you want to put you name down.
Think that is all, normal service should resume next week.
Ian.
Cygnet Weekly Update: Tuesday 31st March
31st March 2015
Evening All,
This should just about make it as a Monday night update... First things first, although it was a bit touch and go towards the end of last week, after a couple of disappointing years both the Veterans' Head of the River Race and the Head of the River Race happened at the weekend, and Cygnet were represented on both days.
On Saturday morning, sickness initially left the Masters B crew a man down but we were able to drag Gareth out of his bed to fill the empty seat and enjoyed a decent race, finishing 7th out of 11 in a very competitive field in a time of 20:18. Our Masters F crew also had a good row and finished just under 90 seconds further back, coming in 8th out of 19 in 21:47. On Sunday our novice crew also enjoyed a good row and finished 10th out of 14 in a time of 21:55 - there were quite a few HoRR first timers in the crew, who all did an excellent job coping with some pretty trying conditions while marshalling, racing, and then probably the worst bit - rowing back to the boathouse from Putney (into a wall of wind by all accounts).
From all three crews, a big thank you to everybody who has contributed towards getting them to the start line - coxes, coaches and subs etc. And as ever we need to say a big thank you to the people from both clubs who helped out over the two days doing all the hard work around the clubhouse to make sure everything happened as planned.
It is also worth mentioning that these occasions are just as much social events as they are competitive, and the bar was definitely put to good use once everybody was showered. Our friends from RG Beneath had brought a barrel of alt bier with them, our esteemed Chairman and Mucha enjoyed it so much that they belted out their version of 'Simply the Best' a little later in the evening. On a more serious note we also raised a toast to Peter Sly on the Saturday afternoon - I think I would be correct saying he would have been very happy to see the club buzzing with activity as it was for most of the weekend.
What Next?
Dave has gone away for a couple of weeks to put the results into a big spreadsheet and figure out how we have done once you take account of the overall winner's time, category winner's time, number of Olympians competing etc etc. Once he is back we will (I think) be arranging a squad meeting to see what people would like to get out of the regatta season, which starts at Hammersmith in a little less than four weeks, in the meantime:
This Week
Tuesday is still squad erg night - 8 x 100m with 2min rowing light between each one. Rate capped at 30.
Thursday night - no food planned in the bar this week, but those who are around may well be heading to the pub so let Cris know if you are going to be there.
For the weekend, please put your availability into the spreadsheet (complete it for the whole of April ideally) so Sue can plan outings where possible.
Race Fees - I am told by the treasurer that a lot of us owe money. I have checked and he is right (myself included), if you don't have the bank details let me know, otherwise we should all be settling up as soon as possible. Maybe even overpay a little bit to cover the first few regattas...
Further ahead, it is Sculling Camp the weekend after Easter - let Nick know if you are planning to attend.
I think that is all, just slipped into Tuesday morning.
Ian.
Peter Sly - Cygnet Obituary
26th March 2015
Peter Sly, President of Cygnet Rowing Club, 1975 - 2015
In 1950, an erstwhile club historian wrote "Cygnet had ever been a club to foster the social side'. No member embodied the spirit of that remark more than Peter Sly, Cygnet's longstanding club president, who passed away on 9th March 2015 at the age of 85. He died as he had lived, surrounded by his family in the peace and tranquility of 'Old Blades', his beloved residence at Henley-on-Thames.
Peter Sly never claimed to be an accomplished oarsman, but he was one of the sport's great extroverts. Nothing pleased him more than 'holding court' at Cygnet lunches and dinners or in the comfort of 'Old Blades', the most select enclosure on the Henley course at regatta time. Indeed, no visit to Henley Royal Regatta was complete without a pilgrimage to 'Old Blades' to be lambasted by Sly for one's shortcomings as a sportsman, a spouse, a club officer or whatever else came to mind.
Courtship rather than sportsmanship initially enticed Peter Sly into the world of rowing. Peter was smitten with Pat Heron, a business associate at Crown Agents (a government procurement agency for governments overseas), who filled her leisure hours coxing the women's first VIII at the Civil Service Ladies Rowing Club (now BBLRC). Sly rapidly concluded that joint enterprise held the key to a deep and meaningful relationship with Ms Heron, so he joined Cygnet, the men's counterpart of CSLRC.
More accustomed to the unscrupulous world of big business than the gentle art of pen pushing, Peter Sly took Cygnet by storm. Norman Cowling, an active member at the time, recounts "Peter had an immediate impact on all aspects of club life". In next to no time, Peter's 'can do' attitude had secured the club its first boat trailer and a new coaching launch, shaken up the club social scene and reorganized the club's finances, entrusting the boat fund to a sleek new merchant bank in the City.
Richard du Parcq, who was doing his first stint as club Treasurer, recalls "I well remember climbing, no staggering, out of Peter's Roller in St James St, after a goodish lunch, for a spot of customer feedback to the bank." Soon afterwards the bank went bust, but not before club funds had been withdrawn in the nick-of-time, following an astute tip-off from Sly.
Never one to let the grass grow under his feet, in 1972 Peter attained an ARA Silver Coaching Award and promptly set about putting it into practice. Success followed a few months later with an easy win for a Cygnet Novice Vlll at Worcester. While this would be his only claim to coaching fame, his greatest contribution to the sport lay in the world of women's rowing.
By the mid-1970s, Pat was juggling multiple roles as Mrs Sly, Captain of CSLRC and Secretary for the Womens' (National) Rowing Committee. These were formative times for women's rowing: CSLRC had graduated to the nucleus of the women's national squad, while several CSLRC members would participate in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Peter was hugely supportive throughout, becoming a serial cheer leader for women's rowing, a renowned supporter at home and international regattas and a champion of Henley Women's Regatta.
A man for all seasons, Peter Sly was the obvious choice for Cygnet club president, an office he was invited to fill in 1975 and one he held until his dying day, a time span of 40 years. Reputedly the longest serving club president on the Tideway, Peter once quipped that it was the least onerous post he had held in his life, apart from Church Warden. In reality, he moulded the presidency to suit his character and the two were ultimately indistinguishable.
Peter Sly never won a Henley medal, but he had the next best thing: a superior piece of real estate located half way along the Henley course. Suitably lubricated with a glass of wine or two, Peter would happily recount how in 1977 he was alerted at the eleventh hour (by Len Huggett) to the auction of two riverside workmen's cottages close to Remenham. Sly subsequently 'bet the ranch' to acquire the two properties and the builders moved in to transform them into 'Old Blades'.
A high spot of the early years of Peter's presidency was the President's Lunch held in the River Room at Old Blades where momentous decisions were taken, but none remembered. These occasions were always preceded by generous libations at the Flower Pot while Pat was slaving over a hot stove back at base.
Always happy to imbibe with the 'Last of the Summer Wine' set, Peter was equally at home with the younger membership, or quaffing 'Alt' beer with our friends at R G Benrath in Germany. Some members were greater butts of his jokes than others, but he was a shrewd judge of character and had a warm spot in his heart for everyone. 'Old Blades' rarely turned away a deserving waif or stray.
Latterly, Peter was often to be found taking 'walks' along Remenham Lane on his mobility buggy, wearing one of his 'trade mark' wide brim hats. This mode of transport suited him very well and allowed him to arrive in style at the President's Lunch at Remenham Club during regatta week. Following a lunch replete with port and brandy, he would happily motor back up the towpath to 'Old Blades', oblivious to all the regatta goers who had been mown down in his wake.
In sum, to quote Norman Cowling again, "Peter Sly was a genuine life enhancer. You could not have a dull time in Peter's company; he would not allow it." The rowing world will be a poorer place without Peter Sly; at Cygnet he will be sorely missed as the club prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary, devoid of its most vociferous dignitary.
Paul Rawkins, 20th March 2015
Peter Sly - Benrath Obituary
26th March 2015
Peter Sly
The late President of our London friends has passed away. For those that knew him, this news is exceptionally sad, as Peter Sly was such a key part to our partnership with Cygnet Rowing Club.
Peter was a gentleman. Whoever met him commented on his imposing stature, as well as his larger than life gestures and facial expressions. One of my earliest memories is from the 70s: with his enormous hat and his cigar he was "The Godfather" incarnate.
Peter Sly was a patriarch. I have a vivid memory from 10 years ago during a visit to Henley Regatta how Peter came down from his house above the Thames in order to greet the throng of visitors assembled on the patio by the river.
Peter Sly was a force for our integration and not just for members from his own club. He was always concerned about the Benrath rowers and their safe journeys while the UK. Through these acts of kindness both Peter and his wife Pat showed enormous hospitality.
These memories and descriptions of him can barely scratch the surface in describing the fond memories many of us hold for this gentleman, some of us as a result of over 50 years of his friendship with RG Benrath. He himself took great joy in this partnership between the clubs, a good example coming from his congratulatory speech for our 75th anniversary when he said: "Many lasting friendships have been made, although there have so far been no marriages!". You could see him smiling when he said that. He also gave us occasion to smile a lot, for example through his speech to RG Benrath in German.
The older "Head" competitors from Benrath will remember the "After Head Regatta" at Peter's house in Henley. From the 80s Peter was often in Benrath with his wife Pat, his children Prudence and Oscar as well as his mother-in-law (Peter couldn't really pronounce the German for Mother-in-Law, *Schwiegermutter). Benrathers were always welcome as guests of Peter and Pat when they visited the Thames. And in 2005 we were lucky to enjoy this on a grand scale again at a big party in Peter's garden by the banks of the Thames for the 40th anniversary celebration of the two club's partnership.
Thank you, Peter. We shall not forget you.
Ferdi Picker, March 2015
pdf of the original German version
(Translated from the original German by former Cygnet Captain Rob Henderson)
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 23rd Mar 2015
23rd March 2015
Good Evening,
The coming weekend is one of the busiest of the year in terms of activity around the club. Cygnet have one and a half crews racing in the Vets' Head on Saturday, and a crew in the Head of the River on Sunday. Plus Benrath are over for the weekend, and we've got an open morning on Sunday.
But first things first:
This week
Tues - Squad Erg Night - 30min r20, feet out. This will be 40% less horrible than last week (but I for one am definitely feeling the benefit of all these feet-out ergs when I'm in the boat). Hope to see lots of ergs in use tomorrow night.
Wed am - small boat outing.
Thurs - circuits - 7.15pm at the school. This will be the last circuits session of the season, as we look to move to mid-week evening outings.
Thurs - post-training food - Coach Sue is cooking this week. Please let her know if you're staying on for food (and thus avoid a FHB panic when e.g. 50% more people stay for food than had said so)
Sat & Sun outings won't be happening as usual, given that the river will be either closed or heaving for much of the weekend. Please use the energy you've saved to a) race harder, b) help out with organisation, c) socialising.
Saturday
The Vets' Head kicks off at 11am, with 50-odd crews boating from our club. If you are helping on the hard, or in a launch, or round the club, then many thanks in advance. As for the race itself, there are several crews for the loyal Cygnet to cheer on:
#16 Cygnet RC Mas.B
#81 RG Benrath Mas.E
#129 Barnes Bridge Ladies Mas.B
#155 Cygnet/Tideway Scullers Mas.F
#183 Barnes Bridge Ladies Mas.D
#198 Barnes Bridge Ladies Mas.B.Nov
There are also Barnes Bridge Ladies in composites at #122 and #138
After all of that the bar will almost certainly be open, our friends from Benrath will be down, and there will of course be ample opportunity to raise a toast to our sadly departed President.
Sunday
The race starts at 12noon, so if anything, there will be even more boats around the club than the previous morning. But only one that counts: our Novices are off at #286.
You should also be aware that we're holding an open morning - alongside BBLRC - for new and experiences rowers on the Sunday, from 10.30am to 12noon. The idea is that a few of us can show newcomers around, introduce them to what's involved if they're new to it, and culminate by letting them enjoy the top quality racing on the Tideway. If you can help out, even if only for half an hour or so, please let me or Ian know. Otherwise, if you're around doing other jobs, please make any newcomers feel welcome.
And I think that's about it for now. I'm disappearing for a couple of weeks straight after the HORR, so you'll be in Ian & Nicks capable hands.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 16th Mar 2015
16th March 2015
Evening All,
First up, well done to the Barnes Bridge crews who raced in the Women's Head on Saturday. And many thanks to those of you that helped with the boating, numbering, eating, as required. In amongst that activity, we also had crews training at ungodly hours - the Tideway's lovely and quiet at 6am...
In other news, our kit order has arrived. It's in a box in the caboose, conveniently sorted into named bags. If you missed out on this order, we'll likely open another ordering window in the summer (although you can of course order at any time at slightly more expensive prices on the Godfrey website).
This week
Tues - Squad Erg Night - 50min r20, feet out. Only a couple more Tuesday night Squad Ergs until the clocks change and we have more evening outings - do keep at them, they're all part of Coach Sue's masterplan.
Wed am - small boat outing - largely self-organising (but let me or Ian know if you're interested in jumping in a boat).
Thurs - circuits - meet at 7.00 at the club or 7.15pm at the school.
Thurs - post-training food - I'm cooking this week. If you're staying on for food, please let me know (and probably brace yourselves for an anticlimax following Cris's bigging up email and Sarah T's magnificent Mexican feast last week).
Sat & Sun outings - currently both 8s are sorting out their own availability (much to Sue's visible relief) - please help out by jumping in if asked. If you are not in a racing boat but available to row, please keep the spreadsheet up to date, and we will try and get a smaller boat or two out.
Other stuff
- there's still a call-out for helpers at the HORR weekend - let Nick B know if you can help. Also, the race organisers are still looking for launch drivers - let me know.
Finally, the Head season finishes on Sun 29th with the HORR, just in time for the Regatta season starting (Hammersmith Regatta is 25th April). Both 8s (including supersubs) are improving all the time, and so we should be able to get strong racing combinations out of both for the summer races. And/or some sculling crews. We will try and have an informal squad meeting after the Heads, so worth thinking now about what you want to achieve in the Summer, and how to build on the solid base we've developed so far.
I think that's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 9th Mar 2015
9th March 2015
Evening All,
And sad news to report. Our Cygnet President Peter Sly died peacefully this afternoon, surrounded by his family. A long time friend, supporter, and stalwart of the club - many happy memories (one of my favourite Cygnet moments is passing Old Blades in the Henley Qualifiers, hearing Peter's vocal support from the bank, and spying him under his wide-brimmed hat). A great loss, and we send our love to the Slys.
On the Tideway, we are ramping up to the last hurrahs of the Head season, with Women's Head this Saturday, and the Vets and Mens' Heads two weeks after that. The boathouse will be very busy this Saturday, as 60-odd crews boat, including three Barnes Bridge Ladies crews. A couple of important things to remember:
- the race starts at 9.30am, Chiswick Bridge to Putney.
- Barnes Bridge Ladies are racing at #40 (IM3), #69 (Mas.C), #70 (Mas.F composite), and #294 (Nov). Come down to give them a cheer.
- if you can lend a hand with any of Nick B's boating jobs, there's still time to put yourself forward and you will be put to very good use.
- there will be catering and the bar will be open.
- BBL will be using the men's changing rooms (gawd help them), so don't barge in.
That then leaves only two weeks until the Vets Head on Sat 28th, and the HORR itself on Sun 29th. Both our crews are trying to squeeze extra training outings in between now and then (so please lend a hand if you're asked to sub in).
This week
Thurs - circuits - 7.15pm at the school. Don't forget a towel and a bottle of water.
Sarah T is cooking dinner post-training - let her know if you'd like to stay.
Sat outings will either be very early, very late, or not happen at all, as the river is closed from 0830 to 1230 for the Women's race.
Sun morning outings - crew lists to follow.
Reminders
- Don't forget to read, inwardly digest, and observe the safety notices that get posted from time to time. They're on email, facebook, and on the website. Currently there's one regarding Chiswick Bridge centre arch closures and the temporary circulation pattern (until Fri 13th, and then from Tues 17th to Fri 27th). There's always one crew that doesn't pay attention (and nearly smashed into BBL's shiny new boat) - don't let it be Cygnet.
- Don't forget to keep you race fees up to date. It's on the spreadsheet, so you (and the rest of us) can see if you're in the red. I should also point out that we're well into the third month of the year, so there shouldn't be any outstanding subs to pay... but there are. You know what to do.
Thanks
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 2nd Mar 2015
2nd March 2015
Evening All,
And first up, well done to our two crews racing in Hammersmith Head yesterday. Both reported strong rows:
- Cygnet Mas.B came 53rd overall, in 11:20
- Cygnet Novices came 127th, in 12:12
Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience, except perhaps for seeing just how inept schoolboy crews can be at marshalling, and possibly also the moment the Master crew had to easy briefly during an 'altercation' with a Molesey boat.
Both crews significantly improved their performances compared to how we did at Quintin Head. For example, although the Masters crew were again overtaken by London, we fought hard and made them work for their 22 second lead (down from over a minute). And the Novices took revenge on both Team Keane and Putney Town, and indeed, halved the gap between the Cygnet boats...
We need to continue this upward trajectory in the remaining four weeks until the Head of the River Races. Which - as ever - means training hard and doing exactly as Coach Sue tells you.
After the race, there was some disappointing rugby watching, and the last two 300 club draws of the year. The lucky winners were:
£25 Paul Rawkins, Stavros Kyris
£40 Jeremy Pugh, Solomon Peters
£60 Ian Mountain, Mrs Houldershaw
£100 Stavros Kyris, Sue Cole
Actually, of course, the lucky winners were current and future Cygnets who get to enjoy a fleet supported by people buying 300 club tickets. If you haven't got any, contact Nick B or Guy to get some. If you have got tickets, contact Nick B or Guy to get some more.
Also, well done to everyone that took part in the capsize drill on Saturday afternoon. And thanks to Neil P for leading it.
Tues - Squad Erg Night - 2x 4500m (90s rest in between), r19/20, drag 120. Both to include 4x 10 stroke bursts r30/32k.
If you haven't done the 5k test, please prioritise that.
Thurs - circuits - meet at the club at 7.00pm or at the school at 7.15pm. Last four sessions before the HORR, so am expecting a big turnout
Also on Thurs, post-training food. Cara & Clemmy are cooking this week, please let them know if you'd like to stay, as per Social Sec. Cris's email.
Sat & Sun morning outings - crew lists to follow.
Further Ahead
Sat 14th is Women's Head is on Saturday, 9.30am, which will a) disrupt morning outings, and b) be a good opportunity to lend a hand around the boathouse for boating, marshalling etc. Watch this space.
Weekend of Fri 10th Apr to Sun 12th is Sculling Camp. Definitely save the date if you can.
Sat 26th April is Hammersmith Regatta. Yes indeed, a mere four weeks after the HORR weekend, the summer regatta season kicks off. So stick at it up to the HORR and beyond, I can almost taste the pewter already...
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 23rd Feb 2015
24th February 2015
Evening,
Busy again at the boathouse over the weekend. Various outings, a learn-to-cox session that it was gratifying to see a couple of Cygnets at, and all culminating in the climax that is the Cygnet AGM on Sunday lunchtime.
Thanks to those that put themselves forward for various roles on the committee - everyone was duly elected in, and the bar bell was rung by our (alas, outgoing) Treasurer. There is still one committee place up for grabs, plus the Boathouse Exec will be convening shortly and looking for people from both clubs to take on roles, so do please consider it if you haven't already.
After the sunshine of the AGM, it seemed to rain hard for a long time, with the result that... the Tideway is currently Yellow Flagged. So exercise even more caution than usual, no inexperienced crews out on the ebb tide, no night outings without agreement of the captaincy.
This coming weekend sees two important events:
- Saturday we have a capsize drill. 4pm, St Paul's School. The response hasn't been overwhelming, and it really should be - it is immeasurably preferable that your first/ only capsize experience is in a safe environment. And it's a condition of your membership. And it'll be fun. And there's bound to be some sort of socialising afterwards.
- Sunday sees the Hammersmith Head . We've got our Mas.B and Nov crews racing, both using this as our last stepping stone to the HORR weekend at the end of March. And whilst we're on the subject, note that crews are not finalised for the HORR races weekend, so keep focusing on training and availability. That includes this week's 5k test - I've confirmed with Sue that it is very unlikely that any seats will be decided on 5k results alone - but it is rather more likely that if you don't do the test at all, you won't be in any seat!
This week
Tues - Squad Erg Night - 5k test for all, rate-capped at 28.
If you've already completed it, then second erg of this week is: 40min r20, feet out.
Also on Tues we have a planned outing of the Mas.B crew.
Thurs - circuits - 7.15 at the school.
Also on Thurs, post-training food. Anna C is cooking this week, please let her know if you'd like to stay.
Sat morning outings - crew lists to follow.
Saturday afternoon - capsize drill, 4pm, St Pauls School. Please let Neil P know that you'll be there.
Sun morning outings are likely to be affected by those racing in Hammersmith Head.
Hammersmith Head
Race starts at 12.30pm, so if you're not racing, do come along and cheer on our boats.
- Our Mas.B crew are #175
- Our Novices are #192
- BBLRC are also racing at #151 and #210
After the race many of us will decant to the bar to recount our efforts over a beer. And also to conduct the latest 300 Club draws. For those of our newer members who don't know about the 300 Club and its essential role in maintaining our fine fleet, come down and Guy or Nick B can fill you in. All your future/ nostalgic Cygnet racing exploits will have been in boats part paid for by the 300 Club.
Finally, another reminder that our Learn To Row course starts on Sun 29th March, to coincide with the Head of the River Race. I.e. just over 4 weeks away (i.e. we've only got 4 weeks until the HORR!).
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 16th Feb 2015
16th February 2015
Good Evening,
A week that involved boozy social celebrations, rowing training and racing - which is appropriate for our 125th birthday.
A strong turnout on Thursday night in the Duke's Head (no availability issues there!) - including some nostalgic faces. Many, many toasts made to the club, and a fun time had by all.
On Saturday, we headed to Henley 4s & 8s Head. We had three crews racing over two divisions, in what was an enjoyable, well-organised, and muddy event. Results:
- in the mixed 4xs, our Love Boat #1 (Mountain Gibbons) came in 3rd out of 5.
- Love Boat #2 (Captains' Invitational) came in 4th, some 25 seconds later. (Thus proving that pre-race training outings are a waste of time...)
- In the afternoon, our IM2 8+ - drawn from across the Seniors and Novices - came 33rd, and got more valuable race experience.
All in all, a nice spot for a friendly head race. Thanks in particular to Sue for trailering and coxing, and Matt for supporting and photographing - both of whom also hung around for unloading the trailer back at the club. Unfortunately we didn't have enough bodies back at the boathouse to re-rig... see below.
This week
Tues - Squad Erg Night (for those not outing). 50min "staircases" (5x 4min r20, 3min r22, 2min r24, 1min r26)
For all those down to either erg or go out on the water, please lend a hand for 15mins at 7.00pm to help re-rig the 8+.
Wed am - a regular weekday morning outing for those who are keen is establishing itself. This is informal and self-organising, in singles and small boats, but if you are interested let me know.
Thurs - circuits: meet at 7.00 at the club or 7.15 at the school. There are now just half a dozen sessions between now and the HORR weekend, and if you get to all of them it will make all the difference.
Thurs - after circuits, Jo Broadhurst is cooking, please let her know if you're staying on.
Sat & Sun - morning outings, crew lists to follow.
Further Ahead
Learn to cox (please). The Ladies are holding a coxing course this Sunday, 22nd Feb, 9.30am, and it would be great to have as many Cygnets as possible able to take a turn in the coxes seat. As you know, we sometimes struggle to get outings due to lack of coxes - and as you probably also know, you are never too heavy to sit in the cox's seat at Cygnet! The course will be a useful introduction/ refresher on water safety, navigating the tideway, and how to steer boats.
Capsize drill - planned for Sat 28th Feb, 4pm, St Paul's School. I don't need to emphasise the importance of this for everyone. It's only a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon that may one day make all the difference. Plus we'll try and co-ordinate some sort of food afterwards. tbc.
Hammersmith Head - Sun 1st March. Our last stepping stone to the HORR weekend - if you want to be considered for a crew for HORR please do everything you can to be available for this one. And of course update your availability and see you at ergs and circuits...
Women's Head of the River Race - Sat 14th March - you'll have seen Nick B's call for boating volunteers, do please spare an hour or so if you can.
Vets Head of the River Race - Sat 28th March
Head of the River Race - Sun 29th March
Crews are by no means decided for these races. We will also consider wider options to get as many of us a race as possible, e.g. in a composite crew.so keep making yourself as available as you can.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 9th Feb 2015
9th February 2015
Good Evening,
First up, to mention tragic business of Mike Hill, the Thames & Latymer coach who has been missing since last week. Our thoughts remain with his family and those that row with him. I will forward on any update as and when I get it, and it's not particularly helpful to speculate until we know more - in the meantime we will continue to focus on the safety of everyone on the Tideway.
The rest of the update is reasonably short this week, you'll be happy to hear.
I'm pleased to say that we've got an Eight and two Quads racing this Saturday at Henley 4s & 8s Head. The Eight has even had some training (including counting Quintin Head), plus an outing on Tuesday night. The two Quads, on the other hand, are in the 'Valentine's Special' mixed event alongside Barnes Bridge Ladies, and the row down to the start may be their only practice. BBL also have two Eights racing, so it's a satisfyingly full trailer heading down.
If you happen to be in Henley (e.g. for a romantic weekend break), the Quads are in the lunchtime division at 12noon, crews #50 and #53. The Eight is in the afternoon division at 2.30pm, #116. BBLRC are #162 and #167. Will let you know how we all get on.
If you happen to be racing, please can to check out the race fees page on the availability spreadsheet, and make sure you're in the black.Top ups to Sort Code 07-01-16, Account 15401264.
This week
- Tues evening, Squad Erg Night. 2x 20mins, rating 24/26, changing every 5mins. (Racing 8 will be having an outing instead)
- grateful if people could stick around for 20mins afterwards to help with derigging and trailer-loading.
- Thurs evening, Circuits. 6.15pm in the Shed. NOTE THE CHANGE OF TIME AND LOCATION. This is a special arrangement to allow for...
- Thurs evening, Cygnet's 125th Birthday drinks, Duke's Head, Putney. You'll have seen Stu's reminder about this - there will be Cygnets at the bar from 7pm until late.
- Sat morning - no coached outings, owing to Henley Head race.
- Sun morning - crew lists to follow.
Further ahead
Finally, our Spring Learn-to-Row course will kick off with an introductory session on Sunday 29th March. Tell everyone you know. You may have spotted that this is also Head of the River Race day, but there is method in this. There will be lots of activity around the boathouse, and lots of Cygnet Seniors, full of their exploits from the Vets Head the day before, to share their wisdom. We will show the newbies the facilities, perhaps a first session on the ergs, then retire to the hard to watch the racing and partake of the BBLRC catering facilities. So if you know of anyone who might be interested in giving rowing at Cygnet a try, do let them know - you can't forget the date.
Thanks.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 2nd Feb 2015
2nd February 2015
Evenin',
First up, well done to those that raced or otherwise contributed to a successful Quintin Head on Saturday. It was a brutal day to be sat marshaling, but the sun just about came out for the race, and our two crews flew the flag proudly.
The Masters B crew had a solid row and clocked 13:35, coming in in 94th overall. Crucially this meant that du Parc Braham Senior beat du Parc Braham Junior(16) - but only just. However, we did do the chivalrous thing and let the Oxford University Women's crew go past us.
The Novice crew had various marshaling 'experiences', and - in what was for some their first ever race - came in in 15:13, 175th overall.
The BB Ladies, unfortunately DNS due to their own marshaling 'experiences'.
A good effort from all involved, particularly those who spent all of that time sitting still in the freezing cold: cox Marj; cox Sue (who'd also coxed an outing beforehand!); and not forgetting Josh, who was driving a marshal in the Cygnet launch - the sort of job without which these Heads couldn't run. Thank you.
Subs
A reminder that these are now well and truly overdue. As Quintin was the first race of the year, we didn't stick to our usual rule of 'no subs: no race' - which is just as well, as that would have left us with one boat racing somewhere around Masters H. So please make the Treasurer a happy man and transfer your subs to Sort Code 09-01-55, Account 71834000. £260 for CSSC, £320 for non-CSSC.
This week
- Tues evening, Squad Erg Night. It's another 40mins feet out, rating 20. (You should all now have a pb at this event to aim for).
- Thurs evening, Circuits. 7.15pm at the school, bring a towel and some water.
- Thurs evening, food after training - Mark and Chris (aka The Twins) are cooking, so let at least one of them know if you're staying.
- Sat & Sun mornings - crew-lists and outing times to be confirmed later in the week.
More reminders
Kit - our Godfrey ordering window closes on Mon 9th Feb, so this is your last reminder. Following Saturday's baltic conditions, your captain has just added a Cygnet beanie to his order...
(And I've still got a sample new Gilet going cheap - reduced to £50, let me know).
Scumbags have been around the boathouse recently. Greg had his car window smashed in during the week, and there's been a bit of fly-tipping near the trailer. Please take care, and please report anything dodgy to the police (101 number, or online), as the sooner they see a hotspot in their figures, the sooner they'll do something about it.
Launch drivers for Head races - if you're able and willing to drive the launch at the Women's Head (14th March) let me know. It helps us do our bit for Tideway races, and also brings in a bit of cash.
Further ahead
Thur 12th Feb - 125th anniversary - Duke's Head, Putney, from 7pm onwards.
Sat 14th Feb - Henley 4s & 8s Head - if you haven't seen Sue's email on this, let us know. If you have, do respond. We should be able to take enough oarsmen to double-up across categories (including the Valentine's Special Mixed "Love Quads" event!)
Sun 1st Mar - Hammersmith Head
Looking ahead to these races, we want to be seeing all contenders for seats completing the weekly erg and ideally circuits too. Both are invaluable, and both are tailored to get the best out of us by HORR weekend. We also need to pay for entries for these events, so please check on the spreadsheet that you're in the black for race fees, and if not, top ups to Sort Code 07-01-16, Account 15401264.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 26th Jan 2015
26th January 2015
Evenin' All,
Great to have 8s training side by side on the water over the weekend. And not a moment too soon, as the first race is upon us, with Quintin Head on Saturday.
We've got two crews racing, and the draw's up: our Masters B crew are off at number 60, and our Novice crew are off at number 175. BBLRC are off at 186. Race starts at 1.45pm, from Chiswick Bridge to Harrods.
It's great to have two 8s racing on Saturday, as that's our aim for the Head of the River Race weekend at the end of March - and we'll enter more crews if we've got the numbers. We've got more opportunities to race and try different combinations in the timetable, including Henley 4s & 8s Head (14th Feb), and Hammersmith Head (1st Mar), and we will get as many Cygnets racing as possible. But that does mean having 16+ oarsmen available for regular on-the-water training as much as possible for the next couple of months. And turnout at ergs and circuits has been well short of that recently. So please update the spreadsheet for all of February and March, and do as much training as you can, alongside crewmates if at all possible.
This week
- Tues evening, Squad Erg Night. 40mins feet out, rating 20.
- Thurs evening, Circuits. 7.00pm at the club, or 7.15pm at the school. Hopefully Greg will be back to chivvy us, as some of us have barely recovered from Neil's regime last time, but I'm not going to be too rude about that session, because...
- Thurs evening, food after training - Neil P is cooking, let him know if you're staying. Essentially, on a Thursday night you can get an intense training session, a beer, and a hearty dinner, for about £5. You'd be crazy not to.
- Sat & Sun mornings - crew-lists and outing times to be confirmed later in the week. The early morning outings (7.15am) have been effective in securing some quieter water. Outings on Saturday will be changed on account of Quintin Head.
Further Ahead
- Don't forget Thursday 12th Feb, drinks in the Duke's Head, Putney, for our 125th anniversary drinks.
- Sculling Camp is now pencilled in for Fri 10th to Sun 12th April. Not to be missed. We'll also try and incorporate Sculling Camp into the next Learn-To-Row course. More details to follow from Nick Bates.
And finally:
- another gentle reminder that subs are due. £260 for CSSC, £320 for the rest. Next week's reminder may be slightly less gentle given that it's payday later this week...
- no-one put in a bid for the bargain Godfrey sample kit I've got, so it's now reduced to £45 for the all-in-one, and £60 for the Gilet, both Large - let me know. (This may process may continue until the price drops far enough for me to buy it or for Bates to pounce on it as 'unclaimed kit').
That is all.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 19th Jan 2015
19th January 2015
Evenin' All,
A cold but busy weekend. Albeit with much heat emanating from the shed on Saturday morning as a good number of us completed our 5k tests. It was a beautiful thing, and it did everyone good to see crewmates giving it their all. Thanks all who clocked a time (and as ever, any time is infinitely better than no time at all), and thanks to Sue for sticking around to encourage each of us in our ordeal.
This week
- Tues evening, Squad Erg Night. 50mins feet out, rating 20-22. Blimey.
- Thurs evening, Circuits. Usual time (7.15pm), usual place (Cavendish School). Numbers had dropped off a bit from an encouraging start, so do please try and make it - the more the merrier.
- Thurs evening, food after training - Matt B will be cooking up a feast, let him know if you're staying.
- Sat & Sun mornings - crew-lists and outing times to be confirmed later in the week.
Other stuff
- We're entering at least one crew, and hopefully two, for the Quintin Head on 31st Jan - so please make sure you're available if called. Various combinations have been going afloat over the past couple of weeks, but a key aim is to get as many of us our first Head race experience for a long while (or ever, in some cases).
- Sincerely hope that Thursday 12th Feb is firmly in your diaries, for our 125th anniversary drinks. 7pm, Duke's Head, Putney. With perhaps some associated revelry.
- We will be running our next Learn-To-Row course in April, which means planning and marketing now. In particular, if you know of any friends/ colleagues/ acquaintances who might fancy having a go, do let them know and encourage them. A very high proportion of Cygnets learned to row at this club, which is great.
Kit reminders:
- the ordering window closes on 9th Feb. http://godfrey.co.uk/club/cygnetrc
- if you order that time the most you'll pay for an item is the '2-11 items' price (even if you're the only one), e.g. £54 for an all-in-one, £70 for a 'Mazu' gilet.
- if you're minded to get something to mark Cygnet's 125th year, a number of us will be investing in the Cygnet 'Zephyr' - which is fetchingly retro, and indeed is probably the only bit of kit that any of the original 1890 members would recognise...
- finally I have a couple of bits of brand new kit that Godfrey gave us as samples, yours for a reduced price (to go to into the Cygnet coffers): Cygnet 'Custom Finesse All-in-one' (L) £50 ono, and a Cygnet 'Custom Mazu Gilet' (L) £65 ono. Let me know.
Other reminders:
As we approach the first competitive race of the year, now is a particularly important time to make sure that you're up to date with your British Rowing membership - as we literally can't enter you into a race without it. Also, if you're a CSSC member, worth ensuring that that's still valid.
And finally:
There will shortly be a number of 'opportunities' coming up on the Cygnet Committee, and indeed on the Boathouse Exec. None too onerous, all good for the soul, and all playing a crucial role in the well-being of the rowing club and boathouse that we know so well. Nomination forms will be issuing shortly, but do have a think now whether you could lend a hand on one of the committees - the club and boathouse really do depend entirely on volunteers to keep things working so that we can all enjoy ourselves.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 5th Jan 2015
12th January 2015
Evenin' All,
Welcome back from wherever you've been over the break. And welcome to 2015, the year in which Cygnet reaches the ripe old age of 125!
There were a few smaller boats seen out in the water over the Christmas break, as well as a few (smaller) ergs witnessed in the shed. Otherwise hope you were treating your bodies like temples throughout the festivities. If the shock of the return to the domestic and work routines has hit you half as hard as me, then you're in need of returning to the rowing and socialising routine around our favourite boathouse.
And we're straight back into it, with a clean and fresh training plan from Coach Sue, ergs and circuits this week, and only just over three weeks until the first race of the season. And less than three months until the Head of the River Race weekend. Three months is time enough to substantially improve your fitness, technique, and boat speed - but only if you work on it from now, it simply won't do to get to March and wish you had several weeks' more training backing you up.
This week
Tues evening - Squad Erg Night. 2x 20min, rating 24/26 (changing after 10mins). The more of us that can do this together, the better - and will start getting us into the right frame of mind for the Head distance, and indeed next weekend's 5k test.
Thur evening - Circuits, 7.15pm at Cavendish Primary School, or meet at 7.00pm at the club to jog over together. Turnout waned slightly towards the end of last term. Circuits is really invaluable, is rowing-specific, and makes a tangible difference to speed and fitness. And furthermore, it's paid for directly out of the coaching budget, so you've no reason at all to miss out. If you want to be in a Cygnet boat for HORR weekend, you ought to be putting in three months' worth of Thursday night 'fun'.
Also on Thur evening is the welcome return of post-training food. Nick R is stepping up to the plates this week, so please let him know if you want to stick around. See you there.
Sat and Sun mornings - 7.45am and 9.45am outings (for 8am and 10am sharp on the water). Crew lists to follow.
Note that we may have one or two boats going out earlier if that means we can do some side-by-side pieces with the BB Ladies.
Further Ahead
Quintin Head is on Sat 31st Jan, 1.45pm start. We ought to be able to muster two crews for this, so please update your availability, which we use as confirmation that you're up for racing.
If you're interested in attending the British Indoor Rowing Champs on the 8th Feb (Olympic Park Velodrome) let me know. You can enter directly, or they are also hosting relay events this year - ideal for any four Cygnets who fancy their chances over 500m each.
Finally, a little moan to start the year - my Sunday evening riverside run was interrupted by spotting that the shed lights were on, and in fixing that, discovering that the shed garage door was unlocked - you know what to do.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 12th Jan 2015
12th January 2015
Evenin',
A relatively full update this week, but covers such exciting and important topics as racing, kit, and subs, so do bear with.
Time on the water was scuppered somewhat this weekend by the weather and a couple of no-shows (see below). But it was particularly heartening to see a strong turn-out for land training in the week. Witnessing all the ergs full of Cygnets knocking out 2x 20mins was a beautiful thing, as was having nearly 20 oarsmen and women from both clubs showing for circuits. Let's see if we can't beat those numbers this week.
This week
- Tues evening, Squad Erg Night. 2x 20mins r26/28 (changing every 10mins). A slightly more exciting/ painful variation of last week's.
- Thurs evening, Circuits. 7.15pm sharp at the school, don't forget to bring a towel and a water-bottle.
- Thurs evening, food after training - Cristobal is doing the honours this week, let him know if you're staying.
- Sat & Sun mornings - crew-lists and outing times to be confirmed. Please turn up 15mins before the time stated, so that we can boat on time.
Further Ahead
In terms of racing, these are the likely events we'll be building on over the Head season:
- Sat 31st Jan, Quintin Head - crew(s) to be confirmed shortly.
- Sat 14th Feb, Henley 4s & 8s Head - we haven't done this for a couple of years, but it's in a lovely location and divisions run at separate times (so we can double-up e.g. two 4s into an 8). Please indicate on the spreadsheet if you're available.
- Sun 1st Mar, Hammersmith Head
- Sat 28th Mar, Vets HORR
- Sun 29th Mar, HORR
Please update your availability as far as you can. And whilst we're on the subject of availability, a couple of things:
- Over the weekend we had a couple of issues with Cygnets not turning up - now that we're prepping for the Head races, please pay close attention to the weekly crew lists, and if you're in a boat definitely definitely don't unilaterally decide to not turn up. (As it was there was no real harm done, as we took the decision to cancel outings on Saturday due to the conditions, and on Sunday we had a vaguely competent sub (moi) who jumped in).
- We'll also be looking to do some midweek evening outings in the run-up to the races, so please indicate availability for those too.
Kit
If you want to race in the above, you will require as a minimum a Cygnet racing all-in-one (as well as raw power, technique, co-ordination etc.) Having been disappointed by DiBi's service with our last order, we've decided to go back to Godfrey. Their new fabrics got the general thumbs-up in the bar (and they also have the advantage of being able to produce some of our 'retro' items, for those so inclined).
All the available items are now on our club-page on the Godfrey site here:
http://godfrey.co.uk/club/cygnetrc,
and they have set up an ordering window with a cut off date for ordering ofMonday 9th February, to deliver kit around the beginning of March. You can order kit from their website anytime, but if you order in this window you will save money by only being charged the 2-11 price level, and only paying a fraction of the postage.
Apparently, almost all questions can be answered by info on the website, in particular:
- http://godfrey.co.uk/collation-information
- http://godfrey.co.uk/sizing-guide
- no money is taken until after the cut off date has passed, when they have had a chance to collate the orders, apply the discounts and then they can take the payments.
- the worst case scenario will be the 2-11 price level, even if someone is the only person to order a particular item, if it is ordered within the club ordering window.
Remember, you need at least a Cygnet all-in-one ("Custom Finesse AIO") to race , and the ordering window closes Monday 9th Feb.
Subs...
...are due I'm afraid. £260 for CSSC members or linked members, £320 for others. Best value club on the Tideway, cheap at twice the price, etc. etc.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 22nd Dec 2014
22nd December 2014
Evenin' All,
Final one of the year from me, and a short one as we all wind down for some mostly well-earned rest.
Several boats out over the weekend, and one unfortunate crew of 7 who were treated to an erg-relay instead of an outing on Saturday morning. And as well as outings on Sunday morning, we also had the Plum Puds. A crew was carefully selected(!) from across the range of our active squad, and was ably coxed by Marj - which was just as well, as the conditions at the start were pretty parlous. However, a surprisingly solid row and we finished fourth, allowing us to retire to the bar without the chore of having to trek to MAA to collect any prizes...
We also took the opportunity on Sunday to present Coach Sue with a small token of our appreciation for all the extra hours/ encouragement she provides Cygnet crews with. Unfortunately, no sooner had we done that, than she emails us all with a training timetable for the Christmas break. There is talk of a 5k test early after we all return, so I'd suggest you do what you can.
This week
Tues evening Squad Erg Night. Oh yes - just because it's Christmas Eve Eve, doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy: 5x 10min (each 4min r22, 3min r24, 2min r26, 1min r28) 4min light pressure in between.
(Next Tues evening, 30th Dec, it's 40min r20 feet-out).
Thurs evening no circuits, on account of it being Christmas Day. But there's nothing stopping you doing 200 burpees (well done to all those that completed last week's circuits in one piece...)
Circuits will start again after Christmas, once we've confirmed arrangements with the school. Do please include it in your regular weekly training timetable - it is invaluable, and is easier/ more fun the more turn up.
Sat & Sun morning - no set outings this weekend (27th/28th), but nothing stopping you arranging something amongst yourselves.
Sat 3rd Jan & Sun 4th Jan mornings - there may be set outings, depending on availability (so update your availability).
And that's all for this week, and indeed for 2014 - have a smashing break, and look forward to seeing you all in a couple of weeks for the ramp up to Head of the River Race weekend.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 15th Dec 2014
15th December 2014
venin' All,
Lots of speculation and excitement this weekend around the Sports Personality of the Year award, or as we colloquially refer to it, "Barnes Bridge Ladies' Cygnet of the Year" - so congratulations to Stu, who had a bit more of a spring in his disco steps after that point on Saturday night.
Yes, it was the BBLRC Xmas Bash on Saturday night, and a grand time was had by all. Indeed, by the end, some of the partygoers had be on the go for nearly 12 hours straight, from the ruthlessly efficient Waddle (professionally administered by new Apprentice Whipman Mark W-R), to the venue for good food, good company, and energetic dancing, and afterwards onto the 'Waddle Into Darkness' back to the boathouse. Which was locked up at 4am I understand. Thank you to the BB Ladies for hosting, and for the Cygnets for managing to look halfways respectable.
There was also some rowing going on over the weekend, including some side-by-side pieces with BBLRC, and several scullers out. We hope to have one or two boats out for the Plum Puds on Sunday - see below.
This week
Tues evening Squad Erg Night. 30min r20 feet out. A classic to (almost) end the year on.
Thurs evening Circuits. Meet at 7.00pm at the club, or 7.15pm at the school. This is our last circuits of the year, and it would be good to have a good crowd to finish after a slightly disappointing turnout last week. (If you're looking for clear evidence of of the benefits of regular attendance at circuit training, may I refer you to Tom B's performance on the dancefloor on Saturday night).
Thurs evening post-circuits food. No-one on the rota this week - but the plan is to head to a local eatery within staggering distance of the boathouse afterwards.
Saturday morning outings. Remember, turn up at least 15 minutes before the boating time. Crew lists to follow
Sunday morning outings and Plum Puddings. For those who haven't done it before, the Plum Puds are a fun(ish) 'training piece' alongside other clubs. This year it's from Chiswick Pier to MAA boatclub, and kicks off at 11.15am. So can you please update your availability for this weekend - and if you put "Y" for Sunday, we'll assume you're up for the Plum Puds, unless you state otherwise. We ought to have enough for an 8+ and a mixed crew with BBLRC.
Other Stuff
Thanks to those that attended the 'Special General Meeting' on Sunday. Only agenda item was subscriptions rates, and those present approved the changes. From 1st Jan subs will be £260 for members with a CSSC membership, and £320 for non-CSSC members. It is impossible to mention our subs without also saying that we're still the cheapest club on the tideway etc. etc. Also, if you're not a Civil Servant or similar, you can become a 'linked' member by linking to a Civil Servant member, and thereby benefit from the cheaper subs - let me or Marj know if you need get linked.
Looking ahead to the new year, our first Head Race will be Quintin Head on Saturday 31st Jan. The organisers are also looking for anyone who can drive the launch to help out - let me know.
Finally, some sad news from Benrath. Many of us know and remember Fred Blasberg - indeed, several of us will have rowed the Rhine in the boat named after him. He was involved at the very beginning of the great partnership between Cygnet and Benrath, and would have very much enjoyed celebrating the half century of that relationship next year. Unfortunately that was not to be. He died aged 81 after a long illness. We will raise a glass of something suitable to him at the next opportunity.
D
Fred Blasberg
12th December 2014
Dear Cygnet Friends,
Some of you will have known and some will remember
Fred Blasberg, who died a little over two weeks ago. He was involved at the very beginning of our partnership with the Cygnets and would very much have enjoyed celebrating our half century with you next year. Unfortunately that was not be. He died aged 81 after a long illness.
Fred was one of our few honorary members. He was an active rower for over 60 years and held various positions on our management board. These began with responsibility for our youngsters and culminated in three decades as club secretary and editor of our club magazine.
He held many rowing honours, and in 2004 was awarded the equator prize for having rowed 40,000 Km.
Because of his deep and constant involvement with our club and its members, both young and old, he held a very special place in our hearts. He had a prodigious and encyclopaedic memory, an open ear for our troubles and the twinkling eyes of a committed and enthusiastic rower. We called him, with great respect, Mr. RGB.
All the best
Nick (Kennedy)
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 8th Dec 2014
8th December 2014
Evenin' All,
Lots of activity around the boathouse over the weekend, and it's on course to increase over the next couple of weeks as Christmas careers upon us.
Saturday saw two Cygnet/ BBLRC mixed 8s train alongside each other for a change. The side-by-side power strokes on the way back more than made up for the M25-like conditions on the way up. Particular thanks due to Robin and Ania for coxing safely through crazy traffic. We will look to do some more of the same, which gives us a bit more flexibility in terms of boats, but paradoxically also means that you'll need to keep availability up-to-date as early in the week as possible (by 6pm Wed please).
This weekend also saw some of our newer novices going out in Cygnet crews for the first (of hopefully many) times. And thanks to all of those from across the squads who helped out with jobs around the boathouse on Saturday after outings.
This week
Tues - Squad Erg - 20mins followed by 16mins. (4x 5mins r16,18,20,18, then 4x 4mins r18,20,22,20). Perfect prep for a session on the dancefloor on Saturday night.
Thurs - 7.15pm - Circuits at the school. Following last week's brutality, Greg asked me to pass on this message "thank everyone for their mega effort tonight. Boom!", which certainly makes it all seem worth it. Do come along for more of the same.
I'm not sure if we've got anyone catering after circuits - failing that we may have to resort to pizza/ fish and chips, we'll let you know.
Sat morning outings - 7.45 for 8.00 on the water. Note that timings may change if we do mixed outings. Crew lists to follow.
Sun morning outings - uncoached outings tbc, as we focus on recovery from the BBLRC Christmas Party the night before.
Sun 12noon - Cygnet Special General Meeting - bar, see below. Do come along if you can, it's important, as it involves how much you pay in subs. It will also involve a 300 Club draw, which means it's odds on that someone present will win an early Christmas present and may well immediately invest some if it behind the bar...
Other Stuff
This Saturday evening is the pre-BBLRC Party Waddle. Starting at the club, finishing at the Party venue, it's an essential part of the social calendar (and doesn't even require you to be attending the Party at the end). Details to follow from our Social Sec.
Also on Saturday evening, is the post-Waddle BBLRC Party. Looking forward to seeing many of you there.
On Sunday 12noon, the Cygnet Special General (oxymoron, surely?) Meeting, the perfect way to recover from the above excesses is to ensconse yourself in our warm bar at 12noon for a brief but important meeting. It's important, as it involves how much you pay in subs. It will also involve a 300 Club draw, which means it's odds on that someone present will win an early Christmas present, and may well immediately invest some if it behind the bar...
Agenda:
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Proposal from the Cygnet Management Committee
Introduced by the Treasurer: subscriptions 2015. It is proposed that the subscription fees for 2015 be changed to £260.00 for members with a CSSC membership, and £320 for non-CSSC members.
3. Any Other Business - (Although not strictly AOB, we will also hold the Christmas draws of the 300 Club immediately after the meeting).
Looking further ahead, the first Head race for 8s will be Quintin Head on Saturday 31st Jan - so put that in your diaries, and update your availability from now until then.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Tuesday 2nd Dec 2014
2nd December 2014
Evening All,
A little later than usual this week, apologies for the inevitable angst and uncertainty this no doubt has caused you all. As you were.
But lots to report on. First up, hearty congratulations to all our successful scullers on Saturday. And remember that merely getting to the start and the finish of the Scullers Head is a success in itself - particularly with the high flow at the weekend, and the organisers giving any doubtful entrants valid excuses (i.e. their money back) to withdraw.
22:17 79th Sid (TSS)
23:26 192nd Bart
24:14 302nd Neil P
24:33 343rd Guy
24:55 370th Katy B (BBLRC)
25:04 379th Jez
Particular congratulations to Bart, fresh from his strong performance in the Pairs Head, who has taken the crown of Fastest Cygnet Sculler. Thanks also to those that came down to help with boating etc. All in all a good showing for Cygnet.
Speaking of which, yesterday saw us hosting the awards ceremony for the PLA Safest Rowing Club On Tideway Gong. Cash, a nice plaque, and free beer, which is nice. It doesn't happen by accident though, so please do keen focusing on sensible safety steps to avoid damage and injury (and incidentally maybe some more cash, another plaque, and more free beer).
This Week
I'm too late to remind you of Squad Ergs tonight (but if you missed it, you're allowed to do it another day and update the spreadsheet. Encouraged to in fact. Required to). It's 10x 1min on, 1min off, r24, power strokes. Twice.
Thurs - Circuits. Meet at 7.00pm at the club, or 7.15pm at the school.
Thurs - post training food - I think there's a willing volunteer chef on the rota - watch this space.
Sat - morning outings - crew lists to follow.
Sat after outings - the Boathouse Exec (thems that keep the roof over our heads) are looking for anyone to hang around for an hour or so after outings to help with oddjobs round the boathouse. There's bacon butties in it.
Sun morning outings - crew lists to follow.
Two pleas(e) for the active squad
1) Availability availability availability - we can't get boats out if people are either a) unavailable or - much more frustratingly - b) available but haven't told us via the oh-so-convenient google spreadsheet.
2) Race fees. There's no such thing as a free race, and the club pays all race fees up-front to make life easier for you all. All the saints and sinners are also conveniently set out on the spreadsheet, so do take a look to confirm whether you owe Cygnet some £ (hint: there's a 50/50 chance that you do).
Other stuff
It's less than two weeks until the Barnes Bridge Christmas Bash. And minus one day to the deadline for paying for tickets. I daresay they'll still accept your payment if you haven't yet confirmed - you'd be a fool not to.
I think that's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 24th Nov 2014
24th November 2014
Evenin' All,
A hive of activity at the boathouse. Off the water, Neil P and a small band of volunteers have brought a degree of order to chaos in terms of the changing room and our collection of blades. Thanks very much to all that gave up some of their Saturday - it makes a big difference.
You should have also noticed that the Boathouse Exec have been hard at work, with a new curtain heater, they keys sorted out, and - excitingly - the latest reincarnation of The Ute (rather like Dr Who, it may look rather different, but it's still very much The Ute). The Ute's primarily for the two clubs, but it is available to book for private hire, via the Boathouse Exec.
Meanwhile on the water, we could barely move on the Tideway for scullers polishing their technique ahead of Saturday's Scullers Head. That kicks off at 9.30am this Saturday 29th, and the numbers to look out for include:
96 Neil P
100 Nick B
114 Katy B (BBLRC)
160 Bart
166 Sid (TSS)
307 Guy
342 Jez
396 Jo B (BBLRC)
(That's the start order, there will be a small prize for anyone correctly predicting the order they finish in - I think there are over 40,000 combinations).
Do come down to cheer on clubmates if you can - note also that the river will be closed from 8.30am to 12noon.
This week
Tue - Squad Erg. 30min r20, feet-out. There was a good turn-out last week, which made a big difference, let's see if we can achieve the dream of 8 oarsmen erging together...
Thur - Circuits. 7.15pm at the school, don't forget a towel and some water.
Thurs food. Sue's cooking this week, let her know if you're sticking around for food (recommended).
Saturday outings will be disrupted by the Scullers Head, above.
Sunday outings should be going ahead as normal - watch this space (and update the availability sheet).
Further ahead
The BBLRC Christmas Ball is on Saturday 13th, but before then you do need to remember to get a ticket, and indeed pay for it. See emails from Stu.
We're still on the lookout for coxes (many thanks to Jo B for jumping in on Saturday morning and weaving us through the scullers). Do please be as willing as possible to jump into the coxes seat to help out (you never know, you may enjoy it), and do bear in mind If you know anyone that might be interested.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 17th Nov 2014
17th November 2014
Evenin' All,
Last couple of weeks for some, ramping up for the Scullers Head, more below. And for the rest of us, working on and off the water as we look towards Head racing in 8s. Plus some social activities planned, as we're not a million miles from Christmas.
On that subject, those of you that are active will have seen Coach Sue's urging: as soon as Scullers Head is out of the way, i.e. from December, if you wish to race in the Head races from January onwards then you will need to amend your availability to show that you're okay to be included in squad outings. We will hopefully have a number of outings where we will have enough rowers and coxes to have side by side outings - these are likely to be mixed ability initially in order to bring on the less experienced rowers.
A couple of you have mentioned kit - now that it's raining almost constantly and getting a bit colder. We're on it, and are in discussion with a couple of potential suppliers (after our current suppliers messed us around rather too much with our last order). Watch this space.
This week
Tues - Squad Erg. 2x 4500m, r19/20. 90s rest inbetween the two pieces. Each piece to include 4x 10stroke bursts r30-32.
Thurs - Circuits. Meet at 7.00pm at the club, or 7.15pm at the school. A reasonably healthy turnout last week (in terms of numbers), but we can do better: it's pre-paid for, sort-of fun and very good for you.
Thurs is also post-training food, with Matt B donning the chef's hat this week. See you there.
Sat and Sun morning outings: 7.45am, 9.45am - crew lists to follow. (And well done to all that were prompt this weekend - it made a difference: on Saturday morning Sue was nearly speechless that her crew had got everything ready and done a warm-up run. Nearly speechless).
Also on Saturday morning after outings, Neil P is going to lead a bit of a party to sort out, rig, and paint blades on. Would be great to get a few helpers if possible. Jobs are likely to take most of the rest of the day(light) but the more the merrier and perhaps a few beers afterwards?
Further Ahead
The entries are confirmed for Scullers Head on Sat 29th Nov. Neil Pickford, Nick Bates, Bart de Groot, Guy du Parc Braham, and Jeremy Pugh will be in Cygnet colours. Plus Sid Suthers in (ahem) red & yellow. Plus Katy Baldwin for BBLRC. That's a big enough field for someone to set up a book..That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 10th Nov 2014
10th November 2014
Evenin' All,
A brief one this week. Good to have a couple of 8s out over the weekend. Would be better to have a couple of 8s out at the same time - so do confirm availability on the spreadsheet.
This week
Tues - Squad Erg. 40min, r20, feet-out. Almost zen-like in its simplicity, and similarly good for the soul.
Thurs - Circuits. Usual time (7.15pm), usual place (Cavendish School). Don't forget a towel and some water.
Thurs is also post-training food, this week brought to you by Team Broadhurst. You'd be crazy to miss out.
Sat and Sun morning outings: 7.45am, 9.45am- crew lists to follow.
(Note the times: the radical idea is to be actually on the water by 8am/10am. Having completed changing, faffing, getting blades and launch out, and warming up - do that for only a few mornings and before you know it we've added the equivalent of a whole additional outing!).
Further Ahead
I've already mentioned Scullers Head on Sat 29th Nov. The Monday after that is also a date that ought to go into diaries...
...FREE BEER in the bar. Yes, really! For one night only though. Mon 1st Dec to be precise, as Cygnet are hosting the PLA Safety Awards (spoiler alert: we won). You may know that we won a cash prize as part of the award - and as we are also hosting, the PLA will be putting a similarly large sum behind the bar that it is our privilege/ duty to deplete. (More info: http://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/post-safe_as___039_ouses.html)
BBLRC Christmas 'do' on Sat 13th, which is the perfect prep for...
...The 'Plum Puds' annual inter-club training piece on Sun 14th Dec (please have your availability up to date at least until then).
And looking even further ahead, to 12th Feb 2015 it's Happy Birthday To Us, with 125 candles. There'll be various events to commemorate this milestone, including a reception in the House of Lords on 17th July - all of which will be detailed on the website (http://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/sspage-news__amp__events-social_events-cxxv.html)
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weely Update: Monday 3rd Nov 2014
4th November 2014
Well, well, well...
...is how our three 4s Heads crews did at the weekend. Actually, more like well, very well, and very very well.
First up, our IM1 4- in the Saturday race. Despite only managing to coordinate four training outings (three of them in the dark), we had an enjoyable race and kept it together. 18th out of 31 in our category, gratifyingly beating both Putney Town's boats. And much more importantly (for Stu) we went faster than the Parrs Priory crew racing in a completely different category.
Next up, our Mas.B 4x, who were the 11th fastest crew out of nearly 200 boats on Sunday! A brilliant result, they also came 2nd in their category, behind a composite crew (ringers), and nearly a minute ahead of the next placed crew.
And finally, a fantastic result from our Mas.Nov 4+, who came 2nd in their category. Stav, Nick R, Jez, Cris, and Anna were a mere 7s away from claiming the pennant, and beat a Molesey crew in the process. Big thanks to Coach Sue and Cox Anna in particular for jumping in and getting the best out of the boat.
Meanwhile on dry land, it was good to hear support from the Boathouse, and to see Cygnets lending an invaluable hand with boating, marshalling, administrating, and of course frequenting the Barnes Bridge catering corps.
In other news - we're going into 8s now, so this is yet another reminder to update your availability. At least until the end of the year, i.e. the Plum Puds race. We definitely have enough active oarsmen for two 8s, and ideally we'll have some mixed ability boats going out for some power stroke 'battles' - but only if we know who's available.
This week
Tues evening - Squad Erg Night. This week it's 20min (5@16, 5@18, 5@20, 5@18) + 16min (4@18, 4@20, 4@22, 4@30).
Thurs evening - Circuits at the school. Hopefully Neil will be taking this one, as Greg's not available.
Thurs evening - post-training food in the bar - Katy B is cooking, let her know if you're sticking around.
Sat morning - 8am and 10am outings, crew lists to follow.
Sun morning - crew lists to follow. Coach Sue's not around on Sunday, so if any seniors could help with coxing, or even sharing their wisdom from the coaching launch, that would be wonderful. Let me/Sue know.
Further ahead
Scullers Head is on Saturday 29th Nov. It looks like we'll have five or six entries for the club, which is great. We may well have a social gathering in the bar afterwards to cheer their efforts. You should have seen Nick's call for volunteers for boating - do help out if you can.
In terms of dates for diaries - or at least dates to not arrange to go skiing - it's worth making a note of the following races. We're not sure that we'll make all of them, but we will definitely be looking to use some as milestones up to the HORR weekend at the end of March, where we should get at least two boats out over the two races
Sat 31st Jan - Quintin Head
Sat 14th Feb - Henley 4s & 8s Head
Sun 1st Mar - Hammersmith Head
(Sat 14th Mar - Womens Head of the River Race)
Sat 28th Mar (11:00) - Vets Head
Sun 29th Mar (12:00) - Head of the River Race
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 27th October
29th October 2014
Right,
First up, good to see a fair few of our dedicated oarsmen doing a 3 mile training hike on Sunday. Albeit a walk preceded with a few ales and a three course meal, and concluded with a few more ales. Yes, it was the Cygnet Henley lunch at Leander on a beautiful day. Those who weren't there missed out on fine food, good company, and a spiffing autumnal riverside stroll (as well as perhaps rather too much time spent getting into position for the group photo, and having to listen to the Captain's speech).
In other news, we also had some crews out training, which was just as well, as it's the Fours Head races this weekend.
This week
Tues - Squad Erg. 2x 4k, r19-20, with 90s recovery between them. Each 4k to include 4x 10-stroke bursts r30-32.
I did mine this lunchtime, and can report that it's a humdinger.
Thurs - Circuits. 7.00 meet at the club, or 7.15pm at the school.
Thurs - post-session-food. Stu's emailed separately, do let Bart know if you want to stay for food.
Weekend outings. Will be severely affected by the Fours Head races - more info below - as both involve river closures. Watch this space.
If it ends up that we can't make outing timings work (and we will try for the Novices in particular), fear not, there will be ample opportunity to a) do an erg, b) cheer on crews in the races, or ideally c) do an erg AND cheer on crews in the races.
Fours Heads this weekend
We've got one crew in the Saturday race, our IM1 4-, going off at #169. Race starts at 9.45, so do give us a cheer.
We've got two crews on the Sunday Masters/ Novice race, which starts at 11am. Our 'Quad Squad' Mas.B.4x is going off almost immediately at boat number#6.
Our Mas.Nov.4+ is number #208. (Unfortunately, we had to scratch the other Nov boat due to injuries- but we hope to get everyone racing this head season before too long).
Barnes Bridge Ladies are at #144.
So if you're about do come down the club for one or both days. To cheer on clubmates, to lend a hand with boating/ parking/ organising, and to contribute to our sister club's accounts by eating cake and drinking tea.
We're still on the lookout for launch-drivers for either of the races - please let me know if you think you can help.
Further ahead
If you're wanting to do the Scullers Head (Saturday 29th Nov), you need to let us know asap, as entries are apparently filling up. So far we've got three brave fools confirmed, but it's always good to see as many Cygnets racing as possible.
And good news! We have been cordially invited to the Barnes Bridge Ladies' Christmas Party. Saturday 13th Dec, at Duke's Meadow Golf & Tennis Club. More details to follow, most importantly regarding the pre-Party Waddle, but also regarding dress code (SO important to have the right shoes for both the Waddle and the party - they don't necessarily need to be the same shoes).
I'm also pleased to announce that Cygnet have (again) won the overall prize in the annual PLA Rowing Safety Awards. Well done all, and particular Neil for keeping us on the proverbial straight and narrow as our Water Safety Adviser. We do have a strong safety culture at the club, which exists because we all keep working at it - keep it up. (As well as the warm feeling, and the lack of serious injuries or deaths that that comes with winning the award, there is also a not-inconsiderable cash prize!). Awards ceremony at the club on Monday 1st Dec.
Also to note that after the recent demise of our much-maligned Ute, our Boathouse Exec have swiftly and successfully sourced a new one. It looks great (all-leather interior! (wipe-clean?)), and is a Volvo XC90, so whether the nickname 'Ute' will still apply remains to be seen.
And finally...
A bit of a proper moan I'm afraid. On Saturday evening the boathouse was not only left unlocked, the outer door was pinned back, the lights were on in the Shed, and a massive neon sign had been erected saying 'Help Yourselves'. Okay, not the last bit, but we were fortunate (again) that an eagle-eyed member was walking past in the evening, and was able to put it all right. If you're the last to leave the club, you MUST make sure it's all switched off and locked up. Not sure if you're the last to leave? My cunning method is to shout "IS ANYONE ELSE HERE?" before checking the sign-out board.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 20th Oct 2014
20th October 2014
| Evenin' All, |
A a short and painless one from me tonight.
Several of our Fours Heads crews have been out on the water, fitting in outings when they can. With thanks to Sue and Matt B for doing turns in the cox's seats. We also had a reasonably healthy (pun intended) turn out for circuits and ergs last week. Keep it up.
Tues - Squad Erg. 40min r20, feet out.
If you enjoyed last week's, you'll enjoy this one 33% more. I may be to blame, as on the water at the weekend I told Coach Sue how beneficial the last feet-out erg had been for on-the-water technique. (It's almost as if she's planned it that way).
Thurs - Circuits. 7.00 meet at the club, or 7.15pm at the school. Greg will be back this week (many thanks to Bart for running last week's session).
Thurs - post-session-food. Stu's emailed separately.
There may be some boats going out in the week, as we build up to Fours Head. Obviously only in well-lit boats, steered by someone signed-off for night-time steering, and with a coaching launch alongside if at all possible.
Sat - 8am and 10am outings - crew lists to follow
Sun - 8am and 10am outings - crew lists to follow
This Saturday is the Cygnet Leander Lunch (which seems to involve being out for a large majority of the day, for one meal). Don't forget to let Stu know if you want to join-in the taxi-sharing.
Further ahead
Fours Head (1st Nov) and Vet Fours Head (2nd Nov). The latter are still on the lookout for a launch driver - do let me know if you can help (or if you fancy getting 'trained-up' on launch driving).
Safety
You cannot have missed Neil's reminders about the changes to the use of the arches of Chiswick bridge. This will affect just about everyone who goes afloat, so it's essential that you familiarise yourself with it - even if you're not a steersman.
There has been a break-in at our upstream neighbours Thames Tradesmen. A slightly strange one, in that the intruder was well turned out, had a good look round, and even took a shower. However, he did try and steal some launches, and broke into the men's locker room. A reminder to challenge anyone you don't recognise - no-one minds being asked "Hi, can I help you?" if they're around for the right reasons. We do have a few new faces around, recruited from the open morning - but they'll all know who I am and Stu is if you ask them who they're here to see.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 13th Oct 2014
14th October 2014
Right,Firstly and foremostly, heartfelt congratulations to Ian Mountain and Katie Coyle, who got married on Saturday in the Lake District. It/ they looked fantastic, and are the latest in a proud tradition of Cygnet & Barnes Bridge nuptials.
That did justifiably seem to distract many of our active squad this weekend - but we still had a handful of single scullers out on both days, plus nine 5k erg tests completed according to the spreadsheet (that's the Ist VIII selected for Head of the River then!).
If you haven't done it yet, please do. Coach Sue has given us until Wednesday to post a time I think. Now that the weather has turned dark and grim, the ONLY WAY to get through the week is by erging next to your crew mates on a Tuesday, and celebrating the nearly-end-of-the-week with Circuits + food on a Thursdayl
It's only a few weeks until the Fours Head races on the first weekend of November, and we've got one crew entered for the Saturday (Seniors) race, and two for the Sunday (Masters & Novices) race. They are:
(Sat) IM1 4-, Bart, Gav, Dave F, Stu
(Sun) Nov.Mas.A 4+, Stav, Cris, Nick R, Jez
(Sun) Nov.Mas.A 4+, Charlie, Jim R, Mike E, Patrick
There's also a faint possibility of a 4x crew, if we can organise something in the next 24 hours or so before entries close.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted that this amounts to two coxed crews, when we don't currently have a regular cox. Whilst we may be able to call on Coach Sue and a volunteer from BBLRC for the race itself, we will be in dire need of coxes for the next couple of weekends of outings - plus some mid-week evenings. If you can help, please let me know - we're keen to get as many of the squad confident in the cox's seat as possible, and will aim to have a coaching launch out alongside.
Also on the subject of helping out at the Fours Head, you should have seen Nick B's plea for boating volunteers. With 60+ crews boating from our hard for each race, we really rely on lots of people to give only an hour or two of time to help it all run smoothly.
The Vet Fours Head (Sunday) organisers are also after someone to drive our launch with a race marshall - again, let me know if you can help.
This week
Tues - Squad Erg. If you haven't done your 5k, this is your last chance. If you have, it's 30mins r20 feet out. (If you're like me, it'll be welcome opportunity to get your technique back after thrashing away agriculturally through the 5k test).
Thurs - Circuits. 7.00 meet at the club, or 7.15pm at the school. A more encouraging turn-out last week - from both clubs; it definitely makes it easier to get through with more people.
Thurs - post-session-food. I think there's a volunteer on the sheet - watch this space for further details from Stu.
Sat - 8am and 10am outings - crew lists to follow
Sun - 8am and 10am outings - crew lists to follow
Futher ahead
If you're coming to the Cygnet Leander Lunch on Saturday 25th Oct, now's the time to make sure you've paid for your ticket (which is excellent value, by the way)
Rather further ahead, I understand that the Barnes Bridge Ladies Christmas party is set for Saturday 13th Dec. It's so far ahead that I haven't established whether we've been invited yet, but let's behave ourselves and hope so.
Safety
A quick reminder to all to always use the white-board in the boatshop to log you and your boat out and back. And for everyone to check it. Logging out is an invaluable safety measure - but only if you sign yourself out, and only if others read and act on it. So next time you're passing the white-board, and every time you're shutting up the boatshop have a check that all the boats are ticked back in, and no-one's been out for longer than expected.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 6th Oct 2014
13th October 2014
Evenin' All,
It's not every club that can boast boats in two big races on two of the continent's most significant rivers on the same day - 15 Cygnets spent their Saturday racing down the Thames and the Rhine.
First up, the Pairs Head, where Bart & Gav were our only pairs entry, racing at IM2. Their time of 15:21 (over the slightly longer course this year) meant that they came in a very creditable 6th out of 22 in their category.
In the Mixed double, Sid and Bec (BBLRC) were in Mas.B/C, and clocked a very swift 15:01, the fastest in their category! (Unfortunately, a slower older crew had a bigger handicap, so robbed them of the pennant).
And in the Masters double, Neil J and partner (AK) came in at 17:11 in Mas.G/H.
Well done to all crews - and to those that helped out marshalling on the water and on the bank.
Over in Germany, Cygnet and Barnes Bridge hit the Rhine Marathon hard. Six crews between the two clubs might be a record, and sure enough, we secured a podium finish. Congratulations to Rob H, Stu, Ian, and Matt B, coxed by Jutta L (Benrath), who won a well-deserved bronze medal in the Seegig category.
With 25 of us flying out, this was a significant logistical exercise - and our Benrath friends' remarkable hospitality and good humour continues to astonish. For example, 24 oarsmen & women racing = 6 (massive) boats to ferry to the start and from the finish = 6 experienced coxes required (plus the 7 for the Benrath boats), plus taking over the club gym, and basement, booking dinner, tickets to the beer tent etc. etc.
Highlights too numerous to mention, but included:
- the happy throng arriving in Dusseldorf Altstadt on a sunny Friday afternoon on German Reunification Day
- Stu's face when he realised he'd medalled
- your Chairman and Mucha dancing to Tina Turner (the earth literally moved under our feet)
Lowlights were few, limited only to:
- the hire-company failing to produce the minibus we'd booked (but suddenly fleets of Benrath cars appeared to drive us back and forth).
- Stu's face when he realised that despite medalling, he'd still been beaten by a 75-year-old from Parrs Priory
- your Captain's hungover response to a local journalist's query about what we liked most about the parade ("the tractors").
On our side, particular thanks are due to chief cat-herders Marj & Neil. Amongst other things, Marj coordinated the record entry - and still managed to do the bakery-run on both mornings (and make the coffee machine work). Whilst as whipman, Neil had the best part of two and a half grand passing through the london-bus-purse over the weekend.
After all that excitement, it's back to work...
This week
Tues - Squad Erg Night - 3x 8ms (6min r28, 2min r30).
Thurs - Circuits. 7.00pm at the club, or 7.15pm (sharp) at the school. Bring a towel and a water bottle.
Thurs - there should also be post-circuits food - not sure who, but watch this space.
This weekend
Sat am - 5k erg test. Oh yes. If you can't do it with others this weekend, deadline is Tues 14th to post a time (and remember, any time is faster than no time).
Sun morning outings - crew lists to follow.
Sun 10am - coached erg in the shed. Aimed mainly at the newest guys, but anyone is welcome. We'll go through the stroke, and for those that are ready/ able, finish with a timed 5k piece.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 29th Sept 2014
29th September 2014
Evenin' All,
A busy weekend at the boathouse. Boats of various sizes going out on the water, enjoying the late summer sun.
Sunday also saw a successful Open Morning, in conjunction with Barnes Bridge Ladies. Aimed primarily at recent graduates joining the civil service, there were 20+ fresh-faced new-comers being shown around. Some had rowed before, some hadn't, but all were keen, helped by the sunshine and by the evident effort that had gone into the day. Many thanks to those that were around to welcome them - in particular to Sue for a couple of coaching stints in the tank, and Stu for making the whole thing run like clockwork. We will be endeavouring to capture that enthusiasm, so please say hello as and when you see new faces around the club.
This week is the final ramping-up/ tapering-off/ dawning realisation of what's in store this weekend. Closest to home is the best race of the winter season: the Pairs Head. Despite the clash with the Rhine, this year we've got the Cygnet flag flying proudly in three boats:
Crew 219: IM2.2- Bart & Gav
Crew 267: Mx.Mas.B/C.2x Sid & Bec (composite with Barnes Bridge Ladies)
Crew 515: Mas.G/H.2x Neil J (composite with AK)
BBL crews are racing at numbers 400, 434, 470, and 495.
Race starts at 1pm, so if you're around, do come down to the club to cheer them on. There will also almost certainly be some catering set up by Barnes Bridge Ladies, and no doubt some opportunities to 'volunteer' to help out, particularly around boating time.
This Saturday is also the Rhine Marathon, where we have a fantastic 25 oarsmen and women from both clubs hitting Dusseldorf hard, sweeping, sculling, seegigging, beer-carrying. You will be hearing all about it shortly.
This week
Tues - Squad Erg Night - 20mins, followed by 16mins. 5'5'5'5' r16/18/20/18. Then 4'4'4'4' r18/20/22/20.
Thurs - Circuits. 7.00pm at the club, or 7.15pm (sharp) at the school. Bring a towel and a water bottle.
Thurs - is also post-circuits food. Sarah T is cooking, so please let her know if you're sticking around, as per Stu's email
It would be fair to say that numbers showing up to last week's Squad Erg and Circuits were not fantastic. And most of those that did, did both. And as a consequence those few are well on their way to becoming massively fit and powerful, beautifully balanced, coordinated Adonises. And the rest of you will wither and fade and lose races. Unless you do this week's erg and circuits, in which case you should be okay.
This weekend
We will try and work out outings, but given the Pairs Head on Saturday, and the fact that all the club captaincy, the coach, chairman, secretary, water safety advisor, and social secretary are in Germany, that may not happen. Watch this space.
Given the above, if anything urgent arises this weekend, please let Bart know (except for the hour or so he's on the water for the Pairs Head, during which time you'll have to sort it out yourself).
Further Ahead
Sat 25th Oct is the Henley Leander lunch - be there if you can.
Sat 1st and Sun 2nd Nov are the Fours Head Races - we're finalising crews and will be confirming this week, as we need to get entries in.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 22nd Sept 2014
22nd September 2014
Evenin' All,
Well done to everyone that took part in Sculling Camp at the weekend - from loading, unloading, shopping, trailering, coaching, sculling, swimming, loading, and finally unloading again - great to see the clubs making the most of our beloved bungalow.
There were also outings on the Tideway, which included some of our very newest arrivals from the current Learn-To-Row course. Thanks to Sue and Ian for coordinating, and to those more experienced oarsmen who jumped into boats (including the cox's seat) to ensure new bodies could get on the water.
With Sculling Camp out of the way, winter training is now upon us. With only the weekend mornings to get our on-the-water training done (we'll do some evening outings nearer to the big head races), it's even more important that you update your availability. Please do so for at least the rest of this month and October, up to the Fours Head races on the first weekend in November. Judging by the current state of the spreadsheet, we have all of five oarsmen available to race at Fours Head, and we know more of you than that are up for it.
Also, whilst I'm on a bit of a moan, the turn-out for last week's Squad Erg wasn't completely edifying - and even fewer distances were entered on the spreadsheet. However, for those that did, it was good to see some classic erg-techniques on show, including the Shaky-Start (stop after 10mins in a fit of pique, then restart and finish); and the Shaky-Finish (Go off a bit too hard, stop with heart palpitations with 10mins to go, recover then get back on and finish). Naming no names. But in that context, always remember the truth that: Dead last always beats Did Not Finish, which always trumps Did Not Start.
This week
Tues - Squad Erg night. This week it's 30mins, r20, feet out. And post your distance on the spreadsheet.
Thurs - Circuits. First circuits of the season. 7.00pm at the club, or 7.15 at the school (late-comers risk moderate humiliation from Greg). We had 20+ from both clubs at its peak last season, and would be great to have that again. Please try and make this first session in particular if you can, as Greg will be going over the format and techniques.
Thurs - post-Circuits food. A well-established club tradition this, and organiser-Stu will be showing us how it's done on the catering front - please let him know if you're staying around for food.
Sat - morning outings. Crew lists to follow (if you've put your availability on the spreadsheet).
Sun - morning outings. Ditto
Also on Sunday morning both clubs are hosting an Open Morning, 10.30am. Primarily aimed at Civil Service graduates (but anyone is welcome), we've pushed this out through government departments, and there has been a fair bit of interest. If you're around after outings to present a welcoming face to some potential new members, please do.
Further Ahead
Sat 4th is Pairs Head - run by BBLRC, who are still after two camera tripods for the day. If you are able to help, let me/ Sarah P know - they're still after volunteers for the timing team too.
Sat 4th is also the Rhine Marathon - we've just had it confirmed that no fewer than six crews have been successfully entered from across the two clubs (two Cygnet boats, two BBLRC, and two mixed - with particular thanks to Marj for coordinating). Surely there's got to be a fair few medals out of that lot?
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 15th Sept 2014
15th September 2014
Evening,
Lots of boats out over the weekend, which is always pleasing to see. Fours, Quads, a couple of new faces, and even a 4+ doing some cheeky training (cheating' for the Rhine Marathon.
All only slightly marred by the hard being so freakishly slippery that we dinged a boat, and the launch trailer collapsing onto the floor very much in the style of an exhausted Cygnet. Nothing that can't be fixed however.
Thanks to all those that contributed to the discussion at last week's Squad Meeting - and to those that posted furher feedback by email. What Coach Sue and I took from the meeting were:
- There's an encouraging level of enthusiasm, spread across our various abilities and experience.
- We've got Pairs and Doubles entered for the Pairs Head, and Scullers interested in the Scullers Head. Which we'll support.
- We'll continue to focus on enjoying rowing, and building our abilities over the Head season.
- There's also appetite to race competitively at both of the Fours Head races in early November, and the HORR races in late March. Including at Novice and Masters categories.
- Racing isn't the be-all and end-all of Head season, but the Fours and Eights races in particular are good milestones to aim for.
- The Learn-to-Row recent graduates and current crop mean we should be looking at some Novice boats, including potentially a Nov 8+.
- We may consider entering our more experienced oarsmen in Masters categories, for a change.
- That said, we will aim to have Cygnet represented at both the Fours Head and HORR proper.
- Depending on availability, we'll also look to some of the off-Tideway Heads, including Kingston, Weybridge Silver Sculls, and Henley Head.
Integral to all of the above - both enjoying rowing and being competitive - is the beautiful training plan that Coach Sue has crafted for us. All those that the meeting have a copy, and we'll make a copy available online - a lot of work has gone into it, and it will yield results. Can I remind you of the half-dozen 5k pbs set by those who were most closely following the plan last season. Not a coincidence.
Active squad members should be looking to make at least two mid-week sessions, which should be the Squad Erg, and circuit training:
- Squad Ergs will hopefully be Tuesday evenings (still to confirm shed-sharing with BBL), and doing them together is the way forward
- Circuits should start on Thursday 25th Sept (just need to confirm that the school hall's available), and you have to do circuits to earn yourself the continuing Thursday night food in the bar afterwards.
This week
Squad Erg: 40min pyramid. 4x (4min r20, 3min r22, 2min r24, 1min r26). Then put your distance on the spreadsheet.
Thurs: Boat-loading for Sculling Camp, and food in the bar. With no planned outings, and circuits not starting yet, there is still plenty of opportunity to engage. 2nd Erg of the Week (oh yes, it's on the training plan), or weights, or a run. Plus helping load the fleet onto the trailer for Sculling Camp. Followed by food in the bar cooked by Aoife (let her know if you're coming - drudyah@gmail.com)
Sat & Sun: is Sculling Camp, so there won't be fixed outings at the club. But if you can spare even half a day, popping down to the bungalow on Hamhaugh Island is heartily recommended.
(Note - there will be a working party from the Bungalow Committee down there this Thursday - if you fancied the prospect of an extra day on the river, in exchange for helping wash up crockery etc., that got flooded in the shed).
Further Ahead
Sat 4th Oct - BBLRC are looking for volunteers to help with timing at the Pairs Head - hours required from 11am to 2.30pm. Please let Zoe know if you can help (zoeguiniven@gmail.com)
Sat 11th Oct - first 5k test of the season. If you start sticking to the training plan from today, you'll be okay. Just sayin'.
I think that's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 8th Sept 2014
8th September 2014
Right,
Well, I hope you enjoyed the 'lull' between seasons. Because it's definitely over. We've got a number of important things kicking-off this week: Squad Meeting, new website, Learn-to-Row recruits around, and Coach Sue's back in the country with ergs and set outings. So do pay attention.
First up, we can proudly announce that the refreshed, revamped, redecorated Cygnet website is back on the scene!
cygnet-rc.org.uk
Everything you could possibly want to know about Cygnet is there - including joining, boating, a blog, social calendar, these updates, photos of past glories, tides, weather, flag status. Enormous thanks to Neil P who has been labouring long and hard on this - take a look now and I think you'll agree that it's been well worth it. Three quick things:
- direct your friends and colleagues to it, particularly if they've shown the faintest whiff of thinking about rowing;
- some bits of the site will be for members only - info & login details will follow;
- if you've got photos for the site, do please send them to Matt B for approval, editing (photoshopping), and uploading.
Second up, please come along to the Squad Meeting on Thursday evening, 8pm if you can. It won't be long and formal. But it will be a chance to discuss what we want to get out of the months ahead: competitively, social rowing, and off-the-water. We won't be nailing down commitment there and then, but the Captaincy and Coach Sue will find it helpful to get an idea of where people are.
That said, it would be helpful if you could have idea of whether you are looking to row in the Fours Heads (Sat 1st Nov and Sun 2nd Nov), and the Head of the River Race (Sun 29th Mar). Including availability to train (and not e.g. planning on taking a week off skiing immediately before the biggest race of the year). Please put availability on the spreadsheet if you can.
I'll also be cooking some food - which may or may not be an incentive.
T
his week
We don't have any more set outings mid-week, now that there's less light. Scullers and individual crews can still go out, but be back by sunset unless you're signed off for night-steering, and have lights.
But you can use the time to do this week's Squad Erg!: 30mins, rate-capped at 20spm, blind (i.e. no looking at splits).
- Use a peice of card and a rubber band to block out the split time, and focus on a) your technique, and b) working as hard and as consistently as you can.
- Enter your distance on the spreadsheet afterwards (I know more of you did 30mins last week than the three times on the speadsheet).
- And whilst you're on the spreadsheet, why not put in your availability for the next month or so?
Thurs - Squad Meeting in the bar, 8pm. Timed so that you can do you Squad Erg first. If you'd like some food, please give me a shout so I know how many turnips to peel.
Thurs - is also the next session for the current Learn-to-Row course. We've got a small but promising looking intake this time around, so do say hello to Jonathan, Mike, Henry, and Valeska when you're down. We may look to get them into boats on the water sooner rather than later.
Sat am - Outings for Senior and Novice squads - crew lists to follow.
Sun am - Outings for Senior and Novice squads - crew lists to follow.
Further Ahead
You'll have seen Nick B's email about Sculling Camp (Fri 19th to Sun 21st). You can help him by indicating when you'll likely be down, here: http://doodle.com/mnmpd5k42mm9nqat.
Pairs Head is Sat 4th Oct. Entries are now open (and will fill up), so speak now if you haven't already done so if you want to race.
Stu's sent out details about the Cygnet Leander Lunch, on 25th Oct.
Thanks
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 1st Sept 2014
1st September 2014
Evenin' All,
A busy weekend around the club - even without set outings at the moment.
Friday evening was the End-of-Season dinner, in the now traditional surroundings of the backroom of the Coach & Horses. A healthy cross-section from across the club, and a good time was had by all - particular thanks to Stu for organising. And it was a salutory reminder that it is ALWAYS better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.
That event also saw the awarding of our two annual awards:
- The G.P. Jeffries Cup for Cygnet Rower of the Year. This goes to the oarsman who has improved most over the past 12 months - and there were several to choose from, with at least three of our scullers de-novicing for example, and our Novice 4+ continuing to work hard. It was difficult to single out an individual, but given how quickly he has picked up the rhythm, and his admirable attendance at training, congratulations to Nick Rae.
- The Wally Whedal Cup for Cygnet Sportsmanship & Endeavour, also known as 'Clubman of the year, was another category where we had more than one worthy candidate. This award is about showing willing, jumping into new boats, crews, and races, and putting up with what crewmates/ coaches/ other river users throw at you. For doing all of this, and staying smiling, congratulations to Louise Johnson.
There were a few boats out over the weekend, and then on Sunday we had the BBLRC & Cygnet Club Day. The sun shone, the bar was open, the barbecue was fired up, and there was even some rowing done - congratulations to the winners of the Mixed 4x and Mixed 2x side-by-side-training-pieces-events. And thanks to Orla and Sharon of BBLRC for arranging.
This week
-Tues and Thurs evening outings by crew arrangement. Remember to check sunset times and take (and switch on) lights.
- For those not on the water, this Thursday is Squad Erg night this week. With Coach Sue still overseas, I'm setting this one, and drunk on the power, it's an old favourite:
30mins, rate-capped at 20spm. Do it alongside others if possible, and don't forget to post your time on the google spreadsheet. We'll also have a couple of the new Learn-to-Row chaps down on Thursday, so do say hello.
- That erg will mean you can enjoy Thursday's post-session-session with a clear concience. Sarah T from BBL is cooking, you'll have seen Stu's email, please let Sarah know if you're staying for food.
- Sat & Sun 8am outings, and 10am for newer novices. We will have a look at availability on the spreadsheet and allocate crews if there are enough...
... which leads me to the first (of many) pleas of the Head season - please put your availability onto the spreadsheet. It's remarkably quick easy and painless, and makes the captains' and coach's life soooo much easier. Thank you.
Next week
We're holding an informal Squad Meeting next Thurs (11th) in the bar. Please put it in your diary and come along. If you're intending to race in the Head season, and/or prepare for next summer, and/or want to focus on social rowing/ fitness/ the social side, we want to hear from you. I'll even provide some food!
Looking ahead to the bigger Head races - the two Fours Head races and the HORR in particular - a lot will depend on numbers and commitment, as ever. We'd also like to take the squad's view on whether we might take a slightly different approach to some of them. For example, we could consider:
- focusing on 4x's for the Fours Head Saturday (4 point minimum in the boat, 10 point minimum for sweep boats).
- getting two or three Nov 4+'s for Fours Head Sunday - including one made up graduates from the most recent Learn-to-Row course.
- in 8's, putting our more experienced oarsmen into a Masters boat to in the Vets HORR, to go for a result there,
- and for the HORR itself, focusing on getting a Nov 8+ out and training regularly (with the more experienced guys subbing in where necessary).
All just thoughts at this stage - but hopefully food for thought - come along next Thursday and tell us what you think.
Further ahead
I've already banged on about Sculling Camp (weekend of 20/21 Sept) up at the Bungalow - not to be missed. And following that, the Pairs Head/ Rhine Marathon weekend on 4 Oct (if you're not doing one, you should be seriously considering doing the other).
I should also start flagging the Cygnet Leander Lunch, which is on Saturday 25th October. Fine dining, fine company, a mediocre speech from your captain (recycling much of the material from Friday night), followed by a fine post-prandial stroll to a local hostelry. Stu and Phil Beckett will be in touch with more details - but for now do save the date.
That's all for now.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Mon 25th August 2014
25th August 2014
Right,
Am back in civilisation after a couple of weeks in Cornwall - so this will be short and sweet.
The regatta season has now ended for Cygnet, and we've now entered a slightly quieter period on the rowing front. But the first head races are around the corner (see below). Please, please, use this time to maintain your core fitness, erg, run, cycle. I.e. whatever you do, do not end up on the finish line of an Autumn or Winter head race thinking "if only I'd kept a bit more of my summer fitness in the bank..."
For the next couple of weeks outings will continue, but will be in boats either organised by the crew, or show-and-row. 8am Saturdays and Sundays. Mid-week outings to be organised by crews, but note that earlier starts will be needed and/or lights on boats.
We will have a Squad Meeting shortly - date tbc. It will be a chance to discuss the season ahead, ambitions, and how to get there, with clubmates, captaincy, and coaches.
The end of the season does bring with it two welcome social events this weekend however:
- Friday evening is the End of Season dinner at the Coach & Horses, Barnes. You should have given your details over to Stu already if you're up for dinner - if you're not up for dinner but up for a beer or two, do drop in - we'll be in the room at the back, all are welcome.
- Sunday noon is the Cygnet/ BBLRC Club Day. Messing around in boats. All welcome including newer novices (and families) to come along to what is always fun and informal and involves members of all abilities from both clubs jumping into mixed scratch boats. (Essentially what St Neots was like, before other bigger clubs starting spoiling our fun).
Further ahead
- Sculling Camp is on 20/21 September. More to follow from Nick on this, but all are welcome to learn to scull/ hone sculling skills/ watch from the bank whilst discussing past sculling exploits.
- Pairs Head is on Saturday 4th Oct. So far we have two crews up for it: Bart & Gav's 2-, and an intergenerational 2x of Guy & Guy Jr. So there are boats available if you're interested, and we'd like to have as many entries as possible. I'd encourage anyone to consider it - it requires some reasonably competent steering, full pressure rowing for 15minutes, and (ideally) some training. There are also mixed categories available. Let me/ Sue know, or if you want to discuss.
Finally, on safety, I was going to draw everyone's attention to the current BLACK flag status on the tideway, due to low fluvial flows. However, given the biblical amounts of Bank Holiday rain we've been enjoying, it may end up jumping straight to RED... which is why doing a sensible risk assessment every time you go out is the only way to go.
Goodnight all.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: 4th August 2014
5th August 2014
Right,
This weekend was Henley Town & Visitors Regatta, a beautiful stretch of water, with a great atmosphere, and crucially less than half the race distance of Henley Royal.
The sunshine was broken by a couple of cataclysmic downpours, one of which whilst the BBLRC 8+ was racing - who got off the water almost as wet at Gav & Bart (who earlier had found pushing off in a 2- so strenuous that they decided to take a dip in the Thames to cool off).
As well as under the water, it was also however a frustrating day on the water, with our three crews producing strong rows that weren't quite enough. First up was the IM3 4+, who were in a tussle with Putney Town in a three-boat heat, a really encouraging row responding well to cox Sue's calls throughout meant that we didn't let Putney get away, and overlapped with them down the course. Next up was the IM1 2-, who had a great start against a tidy-looking Upper Thames boat, but couldn't quite stay with them for the second half. Finally, the Sen 4- had a straight final against Nonesuch (alumni of Bristol Uni - very recent alumni by the look of them), threw everything at it, and were bitterly disappointed to lose by only a canvas.
This week
Tues outings at 7pm, coached by Nick Rowett. Sue's sent out crew lists.
Erg of the Week: 3 x 2k with 90 seconds light pressure between each one. There is no rate cap to the pieces however I am keen for the split to be consistent as possible so ideally don't go above r30
2nd Erg: 6 x 1k with 2 minutes light pressure rowing between each piece. This is the same distance as the one above but should be at a higher intensity due to the shorter distance and longer breaks.
3rd Erg (Base fitness) 10k with rate change every 2k (22-26-22-26-22)
Thurs outings at 7pm. Sue's sent out crew lists.
Sue will also be coaching an erg session, so please let her know if you'll be coming along.
There's also a post-session-session in the bar, I know there's a volunteer cook, but don't know who it is - details to follow no doubt.
Sat & Sun, 8am outings. Crew lists to follow.
Oxford City Regatta
is on 16th/17th. This will be our last regatta of the season, and a couple of crews have expressed an interest (a Nov 4+ and a 4x of some description). The BB Ladies are unlikely to be going, and with only two boats going we may try and cadge a lift with a neighbouring club. Entries close on Wednesday, so speak now if you want to race, or miss out.
Further Ahead
You'll have seen Stu's hectic social calendar email - put them all in your actual calendars now, you'd be crazy to miss out.
Our next Learn to Row course is in the planning stages. Please chip in as an when you can in terms of sitting in/ sitting boats, and generally welcoming newbies to the club.
Finally, I thought I'd mention the Pairs Head (Sat 4th Oct): this may seem a bit previous, but now is the perfect time to be thinking about it , as regatta season winds down and you've got two full months to prepare. If you've never raced it, it's recommended: mercifully short (Chiswick Br to Hammersmith Br), only one other person in the boat to get on your nerves, and it's run by Barnes Bridge Ladies. Most categories (except Novice), including Masters, and Mixed. it would be great to get as many boats as possible racing. This year some of our usual suspects will be away on the Rhine, so there will be more boats available. So please have a think about whether you and A.N.Other fancy it, and let me or Sue know. (If you fancy it, and want to be match-made, also let us know).
That is all.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Mon 28th July 2014
4th August 2014
Right,
First things first, I'm pleased to say that both clubs hit St Neots Regatta hard this weekend, and a cracking time was had by all. It's been a couple of years since we've trekked up the A1 for that particular slightly chaotic mini-festival of rowing , but it was well worth it, with over 20 oarspeople from both clubs enjoying themselves in the sun.
Alas no pewter for Cygnet, but highlights included:
- a brilliant and hard-fought win for the BBL IM3 8+, screamed on for every stroke by campmates on the bank;
- Rowett's sleeping arrangements of a double airbed, sheets, duvet, pillow, under the gazebo - essentially an al fresco four-poster bed;
- the Mixed IM3 4x winning through a round, and seeing off London RC;
- Coach Sue & Coyle's reaction to Fleetwood Mac's The Chain in the marquee - those who saw it will never forget;
- Disco Stu having a bit of a disco-huff when he finally realised that the disco tent didn't have a disco, and was actually more of a cover-band-tent.
Lowlights were few, limited only to:
- your Captain's 'steering' of the Nov 2x: on approaching the notorious St Neots bend he called harder on the wrong side, with predictable results;
- our collective chagrin when it emerged that Cygnet weren't included on the St Neots Regatta 2014 t-shirt; and
- boating and de-boating almost completely melting down on Sunday afternoon after several hours of a race every 2 minutes (a situation that was in dire need of a Marj and a loud-hailer).
Thanks to all involved, great to see everyone sticking around to the end to cheer on crews and ensure the trailer was fully loaded. Thanks in particular to Neil for uteage.
In other news, you may have spotted your 'new' captaincy was elected last Tuesday. Ian and I are staying on for another year, joined by Nick Bates as Deputy Captain. Which means that Matt Byrne has stepped down after several years as Deputy Captain. Most of the things that run smoothly around the club, finances, race entries, sculling camp, have been down to Matt's prodigious efforts. An absolute stalwart, whose efforts are key to the club being what it is (this gives him more time to focus on his continuing role as Cygnet treasurer - so why not take this opportinuty to check your race fees are up to date).
This week
Tues outings at 7pm, coached by Nick Rowett. Sue's sent out crew lists.
Also on Tues can you check whether any more boats/ kit need unloading from the trailer after St Neots
Erg of the Week: 3 x 10minutes r 22/24/26/28 as 4min/3/2/1
2nd Erg: 2 x 25 min r20 within each 25 minute piece you should do 4 x 1 min bursts at rate 24/26/28/30.
3rd Erg (base fitness): 40 min Rate 20 - feet out
Thurs outings at 7pm, coached by Nick Rowett. Sue's sent out crew lists.
Sue will also be coaching an erg session, so please let her know if you'll be coming along.
There should also be a post-session-session in the bar, Stu will no doubt let us know who's cooking
Also on Thurs, boat-loading for Henley Town & Visitors, below.
Sat & Sun, 8am outings for those not racing. Crew lists to follow.
Henley Town & Visitors Regatta
is on Saturday, and we've got three crews racing:
- an IM3 4+, in amongst a big field. Heat at 10:28 vs Reading and winner of Putney/ Henley. Final at 11:36
- Bart & Gav's IM1 2-, who have a straight final at 12:16 vs Twickenham and Upper Thames,
- and a Sen 4-, who have straight final at 17:32 vs Nonesuch.
The BB Ladies are also taking an 4+ (08:44, Semi-final at 10:08, Final at 10:48), IM3 1x (09:48, Final at 11:24), IM3 8+ (14:04, Repecharge(!) at 17:10, Final at 18:52), and a Mas.BC 4x (straight final at 18:00.
So a long day with plenty to cheer on in pleasant surroundings - and don't forget there are plans to have a bit of a social back at the boathouse afterwards.
Further Ahead
Oxford City Regatta is on 16th August. If there's sufficient interest we'll send a Nov 4+ and a Mas. 4x - please let Nick Bates know if there are other boats that want to go. Our attendence may depend on whether the Ladies are going, as we don't currently have a ute driver available (requirements: their own fully comp car insurance, and a driving test passed before 1st Jan 1997).
And finally
I've been asked to send round the link to the CSSC regional survey -http://www.cssc.co.uk/RegionalSites/LondonSite/LondonNews/Londonregionalsurvey2014.aspx
- apparently everyone who completes the survey will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win an iPad Mini.
'Night All.
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Mon 21st July 2014
21st July 2014
Right,
A busy week this one, as we undergo final preparations for the festival of fun that is St Neots regatta this weekend. It all kicks off with Jez in his single at 1pm on Saturday, the first of 12 (twelve) categories that the two clubs are racing in, hopefully culminating in a Mixed 8+ winning their final on Sunday evening. The draw and timetable are up on the St Neots website.
But there's some housekeeping to go through before all that. Not least because all those boats don't magic themselves up to St Neots - so grateful for as many hand as possible on Thursday after outings and before dinner, to load up the trailer.
Before that, on Tuesday 8pm, is the Cygnet Ordinary General Meeting (OGM). All are invited, and the principal aims are to a) vote in your captaincy for 2014-15, and b) have a drink with clubmates. See you all there.
So this week looks like:
Tuesday - 7.00pm outings. St Neots crews are to sort out amongst themselves.
After outings, it may be that we decide to derig the 8+, so please bring your rigger-jiggers and chip in.
Tuesday - 8.00pm. Cygnet OGM. Be there.
Thursday - 7.00pm outings. Please keep them short, because afterwards we'll be loading the boats onto the trailer.
After outings and loading, it's the post-session-session in the bar - please let sarahthompson70[at]gmail[dot]com if you're staing for food.
Saturday - the ute and trailer will be heading off to St Neots on Saturday morning. Currently three spare seats, please let me or Neil know if you want to bagsy one of them.
Saturday & Sunday - 8am/ 10am outings for those not racing. Crew lists to follow.
Further ahead
We've currently got a 2-, a Sen 4-, and an IM3 4+ entered for Henley Town & Visitors Regatta on Sat 2nd Aug. Entries close this Saturday, so shout if you want to race and have let us know.
That may be our last regatta of the season, but if there's enough interest, we'll also head up to Oxford City Regatta (16th/17th Aug). So if you're interested in that, please update your availability until then.
Finally
In case you haven't seen the latest from our Water Safety Advisor, please note that the PLA's flag warning system has turned black. Which means there's not a lot of water out there, and so could have an effect on the tidal predictions. Be extra careful around the Inshore Zone at low tide too.
Cheers
D
Cygnet Weekly Update: Mon 14th July 2014
17th July 2014
Cygnet Weekly Update: Mon 14th July 2014 blog post
Hello hello,
Some new combinations of crews and boats out over the weekend - but if you think any of those were adventurous, wait until you see what we're entering for St Neots!
This week
Tues 7.15pm outings, coached by Nick R, followed by...
Thur 7.15pm outings, coached by Nick R, followed by...
Thur after outings, post-session-session with Bart working his culinary magic this week I think.
Crew lists to follow, from Sue. Plus of course, this week's ergs. Do please continue to do at least the first one of these, and ideally both - none of us are doing so much work on the water that we can't do the ergs as well. At the end of the summer we'll go back to doing these together on a set night, but for the time being they're still important, and Sue has carefully arranged them to ensure we're as prepared as possible for the last regattas of the season.
Sat & Sun, 8am outings - crew lists to follow. Plus the new Novices later in the mornings.
OGM & Elections
Next Tuesday (22nd) will be the Cygnet Ordinary General Meeting after outings. Nomination forms will be going up in the changing room for you to stand for or propose the club's Captaincy for the year ahead. Then on 22nd will be a briefish General Meeting and elections. It'll also be a chance to collar the current Captain, Vice Captain, and Deputy Captain and pointing out where they've gone wrong/ right in the past year, and how they or their successors might do better in the year ahead. It doesn't happen by magic. Plus, I can practically guarantee that the bell will be rung by someone who got lucky in the most recent 300 Club draw...
Regattas & Social
St Neots is the weekend of 26th & 27th. The entries for this extravaganza requires the computing power of Deep Blue - but Matt's all over it, involving as it does rowing, sculling, Novices, Senior, Masters, Mixed, and doubling-up (and even tripling-up). So please don't be too precious about who you're racing with in which category - the way it's looking is that everyone will get into at least one reasonably serious boat and one reasonably scratch 'experimental' boat. And often St Neots is where we find out that the scratch experimental crews go quicker than the reasonably serious crews...
St Neots also requires all hands to the pumps in terms of derigging, loading boats, loading camping kit, driving etc., so please pitch in, if you'll pardon the pun.
The following weekend is Henley Town & Visitors Regatta (Sat 2nd Aug). Since it'll be one of the last regattas of the season and both clubs are going, we'll be using the excuse to have a bit of a social and barbecue back at the club after the racing's over. And it would be great to get as many of the newly graduated Learnt-to-Rowers along from both clubs. So put Saturday 2nd evening into diaries.
Other stuff
1 Bedroom flat to rent in a quiet street in central Putney.
Less than 5 minutes walk from the mainline station (where trains only take 6 minutes to the club!)
£1,200 p.c.m. Available furnished.
Call Rachael on 07956177510 or email Rachael.beaumont@russell-cooke.co.uk if you are interested.
That is all.
D
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Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 7th July 2014
7th July 2014
Cygnet Weekly Update: Monday 7th July 2014 blog post
Evening All,
A mercifully short one this week, as we recover from Henley Royal Regatta. And a Henley where the Cygnet colours were seen on the water as well as on the riverbank. Nick & I were very pleased to get through qualifiers to earn ourselves a race on Thursday. We did our best, but we weren't a match for the University of Western Ontario boys (and I mean 'boys' - one was 18 years old). But we had a great day - the sun was shining, we didn't row like complete donkeys, and we had supporters cheering us on on the bank and (silently) from the umpire's launch. Many thanks to those that made it down to support.
All of which was the precursor to Henley Friday, and therefore club-day at Old Blades as guests of the Slys. A smashing day, and evening, with a number from both clubs getting completely smashed, and some of us taking most of the weekend to recover. Heartfelt thanks again to the Slys for putting us up/ putting up with us.
This week
- Tues evening outings, as per Coach Sue's email.
- Squad Erg is 2 x 2000m rate increase / 4 min easy. Row two 2000m pieces. In each piece, row the first 1000m @26, then 500m @28, 250m @30, and 250m @32. Row for four minutes at light pressure during the rest period.
- 2nd erg is 40 minutes feet out - max r22 holding a consistent split
- Erg for the New Novices is 2x 15mins r20 or lower.- Thurs evening outings, as per Coach Sue's email
- Thurs evening post-session-session, and Nick Bates is catering afterwards.
- Sat and Sun morning outings - crew lists to follow.
Other stuff
That's all for now.
D
Weekly Update
2nd July 2014
Evening,
We had two Cygnet pairs racing at Marlow Regatta at Dorney Lake on Saturday - our only 2k racing this season. It was some of the best conditions we've seen, skylarks singing above the fields, damselflies dancing on the stern as we paddled up the practice lake etc etc. Which was a welcome distraction for those parts of the day where we weren't being brutalised down the course. Because whilst the format has changed from previous years, unfortunately 2,000m hasn't got any shorter, and the propensity for very good oarsmen to rock up at Marlow hasn't changed.
The pairs put in some solid rows against big opposition, with Nick & I managing 3rd in the B Final of Sen 2-, only a few seconds ahead of Bart & Novice Gav, who were racing at least one status up. (Nick & I also doubled-up into the Elite 2- race, which proved to be a race & status too far).Still, the change of format was much better in our view, and we should definitely make an effort to fly the Cygnet colours there next season: the time trial in the morning required the self-discipline of a head-race, with the excitement of finding out the results afterwards. And then the finals being split into A, B, C etc. in the afternoon, made for some close and adrenalin-fueled racing.
This week
Tues - 7.00pm outings (Nick R coaching).
Boat unloading at TSS for the boats that raced at Marlow.
Wed evening - Greg E has offered to extend Jez's 1-to-1 session to a sculling pod for any Cygnets who wants to join. Let Greg/ Jez know.
Thurs - 7.00pm outings (Nick R coaching)
Followed by post-session-session in the bar. I think there's a name down to cook - no doubt more info to follow.
Fri - 4pm a Cygnet Pair will be first off down the Henley course in the Qualifying Races. (It's 2 to qualify from 4 boats, and we're being chased by a a pair from the Oxford boatrace 8, a pair that's flying in from Canada, and a pair that's flying in from the USA - I'm just managing your expectations here).
Sat and Sun - 8am outings - plus recent graduates of the Learn-to-row course later in the morning.
Further ahead
This weekend there's no regatta (following the cancellation of Richmond). If you're interested in Kingston Rgatta on Sat 12th June, please put your availability on the spreadsheet. Some of the BBLs may be going to that, so we can make a trailer of it.
The next regattas that we want to prioritise are St Neots on 26/27 July and Henley Town and Visitors on 2 August. Please put them in diaries, as they're two of the best of the season. St Neots for local painted-bottles-for-lane-buoys authenticity, and Henley T&V for all the setting and splendour of Henley Royal, but without the massive Oxbridge, Candian and American oarsmen.
So update training availability for July now please.
Scumbags - unfortunately in the space of a week or so three sets of scumbags (or one set of diversifying scumbags) have visited the environs of the clubhouse . A bag was stolen out of a car parked behind the boathouse - please do be careful and avoid leaving just about anything remotely valuable visible in cars - even bags with nothing in, or loose change is sufficient temptation for some to smash a window. A car was torched next to the Emanuel trailer rendering both the trailer and a new Flippi 4 unusable. And for good measure a truckload of rubble was fly-tipped between the trees. So another reminder that if you see anyone acting suspiciously round the boathouse, please do call the Chiswick police (their number is on the notice board), or the non-emergency 101 number.
Henley Royal Regatta - you'll have seen Marj's emails on this - there'll be lots of us at Old Blades on Henley Friday on 4 July - thanks as ever to the Slys for their hospitality.
Bungalow -The bungalow is unbooked between June 29th evening and Sunday July 13th midday. Anyone can stay free-of-charge providing they help with maintenance. Just advise Derek Bush (via the captaincy) what days you can manage. Derek will be there Mon - Fri both weeks (the middle weekend can be booked as normal if wished)
D
Weekly Update
2nd July 2014
Evening All,
A rather nice weekend, which saw various training outings, a committee meeting, plus our newest single, 'Port2Port' named and beautifully sculled past by Neil P.
Also, the big news on Friday, was that Nick Bates' superstitious attachment to his old Cygnet all-in-one was finally broken. We had a solid training outing on the course in the morning, which seemed to be the last straw for the gusset. So it was in smartish newish Cygnet kit that we qualified for the Silver Goblets! Thanks to all for the support - both from the riverbank and from cyberspace. I'll spare you the stroke-by-stroke analysis of our qualifying piece - rest assured you'll get that on Friday at Old Blades.
(The other qualifying crew, from Western Ontario University, started two boats behind us, and finished one boat behind us. And we've drawn them in the first round on Thursday).
This means, incidentally, that since 2004 Cygnet have raced at Henley Royal Regatta more years than not.
This week
- Tues evening outings, as per Coach Sue's email.
- Squad Erg is 5x 6min, r28 or higher, 1min light pressure inbetween. Or 30min, r20, feet out.
- Erg for the New Novices is 2x 15mins r20 or lower.
- Thurs Bates & French 2- racing at Henley Royal Regatta (time to be confirmed on Wednesday evening)
- Thurs evening outings, as per Coach Sue's email
- Thurs evening post-session-session, I understand that Claire S-A of BBL is cooking.
- Fri Club Day at Henley Royal Regatta. You'll have seen Marj's emails on this: read and obey.
- Sat morning outings traditionally suffer somewhat after Friday's exertions...
- Sun morning outings - crew lists to follow.
- Sunday 6th is also "open house" at the Cygnets Bungalow. Anyone who wishes may visit - there will at least be a pot of tea (to detox from Friday?). A day or an afternoon by the river? Why not?
For St Neots at the end of the month (26th/27th July), the Coach and captaincy will be putting crews together based on availability + optimal boat speed + fun, from both clubs. So if you want to be involved - and believe me you do want to be involved - please update the spreadsheet now to show that you're available for St Neots regatta, and for training outings between now and then.
After that we approach the end of the regatta season, with Henley Town & Visitors on 2nd. We've already got crews up for that, so again, please put it in your diaries.
Small Ads
- If you're after a Concept II MOdel D, and/or a Turbo trainer - I've been contacted by someone converting his home gym into a nursery. £600 for both for a quick sale.
That is all
D
Weekly update
19th June 2014
Evenin' All,
A very busy Saturday at the boathouse, with training outings, two learn-to-row crews out, racing at Barnes & Mortlake Regatta, plus six boat-loads of Germans stopping over on their trip down the Thames.
We had three crews racing at BMI Regatta - alas all met stiff/ young opposition in their first rounds. Indeed, by my estimation, our IM3 8+ was between one and one and a half centuries older than the Tideway Scullers crew they were racing. But they had a good race, with overlap with the second-placed crew (Radley) all down the course.
The learn-to-row outing on Sunday was the last of the series - doesn't time fly when you're having fun? However, this is hopefully only the end of the beginning for the particpants as we will be working to bring them into squad boats. Judging by the solid LTR outing I was in on Saturday, that won't be long at all. Copious thanks to Ian and Sue for bringing them up to speed, plus all the other helpers that have jumped in to sit boats, cox, and coach.
This week
- Thurs 7.00pm outings. Nick R coaching. Followed by the Post-Session-Session. I think there's a volunteer cook this week - watch this space. (Also boat-loading for Marlow)
- Sat 8.00am outings.
Crew lists to follow.
Saturday is also Marlow Regatta at Dorney, and we've got two Pairs entered. A new format for us, as each category has to do a time trial in the morning, which dictates whether the boat makes the A Final, B Final etc. Both our pairs have got races at Senior, so we have potential for some blue-on-blue action. (Time Trials: Senior 2- 8.45am, Elite 2- 10.51am. Finals: Senior 2- 2.15pm, Elite 2- 5.05pm)
Before we start ramping up to St Neots at the end of next month, we'll think about entering Kingston Regatta on Sat 12th July - so please update your availability at least that far ahead.
Other Stuff
Double room to let in East Putney, good location 10 mins from tube & 15 mins from Putney high street/station. It's in a 3 bed flat sharing with two girls. £530 exc bills. Email kowen991[at]gmail.com if you/anyone you know is interested/wants to take a look.
That's all for now.
D
Weekly update
18th June 2014
Evening Everybody,
Our Captain is holidaying in Turkey at the moment so a quick update from myself in his absence, and it will be an even quicker update than you are used to I'm afraid because no racing over the weekend means that there are no Cygnet victories to report on this week, so no easy first paragraph to kick things off with...
With no regattas happening, the Captain on holiday, and the coach also on holiday (a sort of Spartan warrior holiday - cycling from Glasgow to Fort William then running up and down Ben Nevis) things were a little bit quieter than usual at our favourite boathouse on Saturday and Sunday but there was still an impressive selection of singles, doubles, pairs, fours and quads out on the water enjoying the weather, and Nick Bates and Neil Pickford stepped in to run the Learn to Row course while Sue was away. Alternatively, if you planned to do some land training but happened to pick up a hangover then away from the water and out of the sunshine the BBC were also showing the European Championships from Belgrade all Sunday morning. That no doubt counts as homework on a training plan...
Looking ahead, the Captaincy would like to get a good number of crews (including mixed crews with BBLRC) entered for Barnes & Mortlake International Regatta on Saturday 14th June (a lot like the European Championships but without the travel) so a(nother) request from us to get your availability into the spreadsheet, including weeknight availability. And if you have already filled in your availability make sure it is still accurate
This week there will be coached outings at 7pm on Tuesday and Thursday (with an eye on BMI) as usual, and food in the bar after the outing on Thursday. I don't know what the land training is yet for this week but if no detail is forthcoming then get yourself to The Shed, warm up for 5-10 minutes, work hard on the ergo (or run) for 30 minutes, stretch plenty, warm down for 5-10 minutes then eat something. And drink plenty of water. We will also be rowing on Saturday and Sunday so keep an eye on your inboxes for further detail...
Time to hit the hay.
Enjoy the week, and keep your availability up to date!
Ian.
Weekly update
13th June 2014
Hello hello,
A couple of weekends without regattas = a chance to steel ourselves for this Saturday's BMI Regatta. We've got a veritable flotilla entered - including this summer's first airing of a Cygnet 8+ - so fingers crossed that we all get races. Watch this space for timings etc. It's the last tideway regatta of the season, and a good chance to cheer the clubs on.
Depending on timings of any races, we may also have a boat-naming of our newest 1x (albeit now not so new) on Saturday whilst people are around preparing to race/ warming up/ rigging/ undertaking visualisation exercises etc.
Meanwhile, the Learn-to-row course continues apace, with our fledgling Cygnets now on the water. We still need able oarsmen to help sit boats and encourage - please try and spare one or two sessions, and mark them on the Doodle Poll here.
A couple of minor moans:
- There is no such thing as a free snack: the Boathouse Exec are happy to supply drinks and snacks and understand that you may not always have the money tucked into your lycra as you grab a drink before an outing but please remember to settle up as soon as possible. Over the last couple of months the jar has not balanced with the drinks and snacks sold.
- If you're the last to leave the shed, please make sure all the lights are off (and windows closed etc.). Twice recently others have had to get the keys and unlock, just to switch the lights off. And whilst we're on the shed - if anyone can account for the carving knife that's currently on the shed roof, I'd be curious/ reassured to know whether there's an innocent explanation!
This week
- Tues 7.00pm outings. Nick R coaching
- Thurs 7.00pm outings. Nick R coaching. Followed by the Post-Session-Session - apparently Lou is cooking this week, so please let her know if you're staying for food.
- Sat 8.00am outings, for those not racing at BMI. 10.00am and 11.30am - Learn-to-row sessions on the water.
- Sun 8.00am outings. 10.00am and 11.30am - Learn-to-row sessions on the water.
Further Ahead
You'll have spotted that it's now June, which means we're allowed to start talking about Henley.
After BMI is out of the way, the following Sat 21st is Marlow Regatta - we'll be sending at least a couple of pairs to what will be the only 2k regatta we're attending this season.
The following Fri 27th is Henley Qualifying Races, and then the Regatta proper runs from Wed 2nd July through to Sun 6th.
Of course the most important date of all is Friday 4th July, our Club Day at Henley, where we take grateful advantage of the hospitality of the Slys - more details to follow nearer the time. The main thing to do at this stage is remember to book the day off work.
And finally
If you're able to make it into Westminster on Thursday afternoon, there's an opportunity to cheer on BBLRC as they race past the Houses of Parliament! They've managed to secure a place in the All Party Parliamentary Rowing Group Race, racing from just downstream of Vauxhall Bridge to just upstream of Westminster Bridge. The theme of this year's race is the Olympic legacy, and all the BBLs in the race have learned to row at the club since the 2012 Games. The race will be at about 3.50pm, though there will be races prior to that (including a row past by Lightermen in a shallop(?)).
D
Rowing and Racing Calendar
