Captain’s Update – 14th January 2016

This Happy New Year is long overdue – but here it is Ladies, and I hope it finds you full of enthusiasm for the year ahead.

We started our rowing year with a BBL Time Trial on Sunday 3rd January, followed by a work session sorting blades.  Very productive and very satisfying to have lined up, checked and labelled our refurbed sets of sweep (6 sets!) and sculling blades.  The next task will be to paint them all……
Our first racing of the season was to be at Weybridge this Saturday, but the Winter Head has been cancelled, much to the disappointment of the Magnificent 7 crews we had entered.  We will thrash it out on the Tideway instead (conditions permitting).
Conditions closer to home have not been so great either, and many Novice, as well as some Intermediate outings have had to be abandoned in favour of land training.  We should be thankful that the excess water is flowing down the River and not into our living rooms…….
Quintin Head is on Saturday 23rd January at 2pm, coming upstream to finish above Chiswick Bridge. We have a WIM3 8 racing.  Cygnets have two crews entered and are desperately looking for coxes – please help if you can.  What better way to hone your race coxing skills…
Thames Valley TT is the following Sunday 31st January, and Mark did well to enter two WIM3 4+’s before entries closed 24 hours after opening.
Capsize Drill Saturday 30th January at St Paul’s School 2.30 to 3.30.  This is important for everybody’s safety, please sign up if you haven’t already done one http://goo.gl/forms/NkkPbpQNg0 .  We will be keeping a register!
We will have lots of crews out for Hammermsith Head on Saturday 20th February – please sign up to race or cox. We’ve had a request for launch drivers to help with marshalling – please let me know if you can help.
BBLRC AGM will be on February 10th at 7pm – please make sure you can attend.
Wrap up warm for the coming weeks, and keep up the land training while the river is so inhospitable – circuits on Tuesdays at 7pm at Cavendish School with Maxi are fab, and the shed is always available and free!  Come down and join the (not so hardcore) erg posse on Wednesday nights from 6pm.
See you soon
Jo