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Captain’s Update – 1st September

After the excitement that was Club Day 2015, things have been a little quieter this week.

On Saturday the Sarah Powell had her christening voyage with a merry crew made up of old friends from far and wide! Dave G coxed, with Sue Cole at stroke, Jenny Adams, MT Maroske, Laura Fitzgibbon, Sarah Caffrey, Katie Mountain, Sarah Powell, and Catherine O’Leary.   Went like a dream I’m told!

On Sunday we had our first session with Mark, new Head Coach to Pink House and back, with excellent coaching and video footage to share over coffee (and cake).  He will be doing an introductory weights session in the shed this Thursday after the New Season Meeting.
Emanuel School are going to have our old launch on permanent loan, allowing us to use it whenever we need it.  It will be stored in their boathouse.  This will ease the congestion in the our Boathouse, and will cheer up quite a few (increasingly grumpy) scullers!
The GFAR course starting on September 7th is filling up nicely – our Novice Squad (already an exceptionally enthusiastic bunch) will soon be twice as big!  Many of them will be coming down in the morning on Sunday 6th to take a look around and meet us.
Sunday 6th is also Boat Fix Day, followed by pub lunch at the Sun Inn in Barnes – come along if you’re free.
Lastly a reminder that our New Season Meeting is this Thursday at 7.00 and I hope to see many of you there.
Jo
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Captain’s Update – 25th August

Thank you to all of you who came and raced, ate, drank, laughed, space hopped, hoola hooped, tasted cake and blew bubbles last Saturday. We had a wonderful Club Day, with unbroken sunshine and wall to wall entertainment – heartfelt thanks to Michelle and Vicki for their committment, good humour, and hard work.
Beth and Sarah P were our glamorous marshals for the mixed doubles races.  Against the published odds, the Captains’ double held off their oppo in the semi and the final to bring home the trophy (blue on blue commemorative rigger jiggers for all participants). Well done to Cris and Sarah T, Tom and Clemmy, and Gav and Clare.
The cake competition (judged by Jackie Darling) was won by Olivia Stockdale (age 2 yrs) with a little help from her Mum, Nicola.
BBL’s new Filippi 8 was christened Sarah Powell, as a mark of appreciation for everything Sarah has done for the Club.  Not just the practical things (the availability spreadsheet, the group emails),  not just the exciting things (Henley win, Mo Farah coming to visit), not just the (sometimes irritating) tidy uppy thingies (little plastic boxes, big plastic boxes), or the fact that as Chair of the Boathouse Exec she deals with all the practical housekeeping and maintenance for the Boathouse, but also because she built a new website,  started the GFAR courses, runs the timing team for the Pairs Head, and provides Web services for HORR.  Good luck to the Sarah Powell!
The next big event is Pairs Head on 10th October.  This is our race The BBL Pairs Head, and Lucy Fry is Chair of the Pairs Head Committee.  Put it in your diaries now – you will be baking cakes, serving tea, helping on the timing teams, checking numbers and clearing up.  You might even be racing – let me know asap if you would like to enter (we already have 4 doubles and 2 pairs) so that I can source boats for everyone. Let’s go for it ladies, and make it the best Pairs Head yet!
Next week we have our New Season Meeting on Thursday 3rd September at 7pm – I hope to see most of you there to welcome Mark, our new Head Coach, and to hear what the coaching team are planning for the year ahead.
Enjoy your Bank Holiday – let’s hope the sun comes out again!
Jo
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The Season Ahead

Following the captaincy elections in July, BBLRC have a new team in place to see us through the year ahead – congratulations to all elected – details here

Building on her success as the Happy Monday’s squad captain, Jo is now in charge of everything. And the first thing she did was go on holiday. But she hasn’t forgotten us and has taken time out from her holiday to send us this update:

 

Greetings all from windy Tiree!  Not a trestle, boat tie or blade in sight………….I am pining for the river and have almost forgotten how to shout…………
After a careful selection process we have at last appointed a new Head Coach
 
His name is Mark Calvin and he comes with an excellent CV.  He is very experienced at club level on and off the Tideway, and currently coaches Weybridge RC Junior Squad. He is working for his Level 4 Coaching Qualification, and is a qualified Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Mark has been appointed to provide coaching to all squads across the Club in collaboration with our current coaching team, ensuring effective communication and feedback. He will draw up a training plan and outing schedules which will cater to all of us at every stage of development and commitment.
Sounds perfect?  Well ladies, with your input it will be!
From the beginning of September the weekly training schedule for Intermediates will go like this:
Sundays 07:15 – long water session followed by core strength and conditioning (both coached by Mark)
Mondays 19:15 – water outing coached by Simon (joined on alternate weeks by Mark)
Wednesdays – Erg night
Thursdays 19:15 – water outing coached by Mark
Saturdays 07:15 – water outing – side by side battling where possible
Mark will also coach the Novice Squad on alternate Wednesday evenings with Carry.
Intermediates will all train together for the time being.  Row as much and as hard as you can, fill up that Availability Sheet and let’s romp into the Head Season with a phalanx of fast and furious crews.
Two important dates for you:
Sunday 30th August 07:15 – Mark’s first coached sessions
Thursday 3rd September 19:00 – New Season Whole Club Meeting (whole club, ladies, whole club).
And last but not least – here’s the sting – subs for the next year are due at the beginning of September, and after careful consideration the Committee has decided reluctantly to put them up to £350 (£430 for non CSSC members). They have not gone up for a few years and in order to appoint a well qualified Head Coach we needed to commit to an increased coaching budget for next year.
Please keep your feedback coming – I have had some really helpful emails so far and would like more.  We will review the weekly training schedule after the first few weeks, so I will need to hear how it’s going for you.
I’ll be back on Monday 17th August; if you prefer collar me at the Club.
Here’s to a cracking year ahead, ladies!
Jo

 

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Captain’s Update 30/6/15

All
A quick update this week. Firstly, well done to everyone who raced this weekend. We came away with pots for the IM3 quad and the cygnet pair, and the IM3 8 had a very strong race and got through to the final. Also, well done to the Henley crew, who unfortunately go knocked out in the Quarter finals on the Saturday to Royal Chester, but well done for getting so far, you looked really strong and gave them a very tough race.
Two important dates for the diary –

16th July 8pm – Boathouse executive AGM

22nd July 6.45pm – BBL  Captains meeting (AGM with Captaincy elections)
Election forms are up in the club house for the executive positions and will shortly be going up for BBL captaincy. I have included a note at the bottom of this update with the BBL captain roles and current post holders from 2015 for information. Please feel free to chat with me or the current post holder about one of the roles if you are interested in standing or more details.
Please remember the next love your boat day is on Sunday (5th July) where we are also having an open day for new starters on the get fit and row course. Please come down to help as we have lots of jobs to be done and if you see anyone lost or even a passer by who looks slightly interested in finding out more about rowing please have a chat with them and send them towards me or one of the other helpers for a tour and a quick erg!
There will be plenty of us heading to Henley this Friday to soak up the atmosphere, watch some rowing and have a picnic; so I hope to see as many of you there as possible. Let Marj know if you are joining in for the picnic and what you’re bringing so we don’t all bring the same thing.
Also a reminder from cygnet over the House of Lords drinks and Canapés on the 17th July. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most, to go into the exclusive areas within the houses of parliament and be one of the smug people sat on the best terrace on the river in London. We are definitely privileged to be invited, so why not join in! Have a look on the cygnet website for more information http://www.cygnet-rc.org.uk/event-house_of_lords.html . If you want to go and not sure who else is, just drop me a line as there will be other friendly faces you can go with! This is a one off to celebrate 125 years of cygnet rc.
The PLA is currently consulting on the new code if practice, so please take a look at
Thanks
Sian
 Vice-Captain

Captain, Clare Stuart-Adams, leads Captaincy meetings about crews, oversees the committee – makes the general decisions about crews and boats. Sits on the Boathouse Executive and ensures BBLRC continuity from season to season.

Deputy Captains, Sarah Powell & Katy Baldwin, arrange outings for Development & Performance Squads and enter all crews to races

Vice Captain, Sian Kunert, assists decisions and organises training camps and off tideway training session

Novice Captain, Sarah Thompson, looks after newcomers to the club and manages the Novice squad

Happy Mondays Captain, Jo Broadhurst, manages the Happy Mondays squad – our recreational rowers