|
|
World Junior Championships As you will be aware, Hannah Vermeersch returned to Perth on Tuesday with a big gold medal to show off after her crew dominated the WJ4- in France at the World Junior Championships. This is an incredible achievement and I know I speak for everyone in the club when I say we are amazed and impressed with Hannah’s feats and very proud of her as an individual and as an athlete. Well done Hannah. We are really, really happy for you and your family and look forward to supporting you through what will almost certainly be an exciting future. |
|
|
Bunvegas? We own it. Freo may have managed more points on Saturday, but in my view, WARC totally dominated last weekend’s regatta! Thanks to everyone who pitched in over the weekend. Particular thanks go to John Murdoch and Peter Klemm for towing trailers there and back, Tim and Clem for their organisational skills with loading so many boats on our 2 trailers, and all the heavy lifters who made it to unloading on Sunday afternoon looking dead on their feet. Our success so far this season has been very impressive. The solid training the athletes have put in over the dark winter months is paying dividends. Thank you all again (whether you are racing or not) for being such great competitors, team players, amazing athletes and brilliant people. |
|
|
What happened 50 years ago? In 1959: Mike Lane was born, Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, Barbie Doll was launched, Bob Menzies was PM of Australia, Dwight Eisenhower was US President, Melbourne defeated Essendon in the VFL grand final; and WARC WON THE WA STATE PENNANT!!! That’s right, it has been 50 years since Westies took out the overall pennant points at the end of the season. All season the focus has been solid preparation, boating the best crews in each event with a view to developing every athlete to the point where they are in the best position possible to win a medal at States. So far, this is paying dividends. We are in a solid, but by no means unassailable position, on the points table. Overall, Uni are only 291 points behind WARC and Fremantle are only 261 points behind. If winning the pennant for the first time in 50 years is important to you, you can certainly help make it happen. Including each day of States, there are 6 more regattas in which points will be earned for each club. Importantly, Masters points contribute to the overall pennant points. A win in a masters four, quad or 8 is worth as much as an A grade win at a pennant regatta in those events (16 points for an 8 and 12 points for a four or quad). If we are going to win the pennant this year, we need to come out and row solidly at each of the 6 remaining regattas, including the masters regatta on 30 August. Importantly and predominantly however, you need to look after yourself, particularly at this time of year when fatigue may be setting in. Eat well, hydrate, stretch, make sure you rest and speak with your coach or with me about any concerns you have. For what it is worth, I could not be more proud of being captain of this club in 2009. Well done; let’s keep up the momentum for the next 6 weeks! |
|
|
Nutritionist presentation To assist you in your preparation for racing and in general, WARC have arranged for an expert nutritionist to come to the club on Thursday, 27 August at 6pm to speak to members about appropriate sports nutrition. The information presented will be invaluable for your preparation going into States and more generally and I encourage every member of Westies to come along. Cost will be $10 or $5 for students, which is an absolute bargain considering the value of the information you will receive. |
|
|
Cocktail Party As you know already (from the last newsletter and the posters around the club), the annual WARC cocktail party in on this Saturday, 15 August 2009. The theme this year is Saturday Night Fever, so get out your best 70s disco gear and get ready to carve up the dancefloor JT style this weekend. Tickets are $25, which includes a free drink at the bar. Please see Clem Jolly or Amy Walters to secure your ticket for what promises to be a fantastic night! |
|
|
Pre States Club Breakfast Saturday, 5 September is one week before the State Sprint Champs. There is going to be a club breakfast in the function room that morning following on water training. The breakfast will be an opportunity for us all to come together as a club before the 2 big weekends of State Champs, consolidate and focus on the task ahead and get in some carbs. It will be a pretty informal affair and all members are asked to bring something to contribute to the breakfast. A request list will be distributed in the week prior to the breakfast. Squad photos, whole competitive squad photos and a whole club photo will also be taken that morning, so please make sure you are there. This is shaping up as possibly the most significant season in 50 years, so we want as many club members in photos on the walls of the function room as possible! |
|
|
Safety on the Deck As you are probably aware, recently there have been several falls on the launch deck at the club. At least one of these falls has resulted in serious injury, which may require surgery. Please take extreme care whenever you are on the deck. The deck is an inherently dangerous environment and is very slippery. Scrubbing the deck regularly will help to alleviate the problem with the slippery surface, but it will not stop the deck being slippery. The club has investigated options over time to deal with the deficiencies in the existing launch deck. Unfortunately, the options are currently prohibitively expensive. In the long term, it is hoped that the club will be in a position to replace the deck entirely. Until that time, it is every member's responsibility to take reasonable care for their own safety and the safety of others when on the deck. Only ever walk on the deck. Do not hurry or run. Always take your time and take all care when walking and especially when carrying gear to avoid becoming unbalanced. |
|
|
Reporting Damage to Fleet Thankyou to all athletes for the good care you have been taking with the fleet recently. Considering the number of athletes using the boats and gear, the potential for damage has been high. You deserve a pat on the back for taking care, so thank you. If damage does occur to any boat or piece of equipment, it is really important that you report it as soon as possible to Michael Jones, Tim Murdoch, Zak Campbell or myself. Also, please write the damage on the whiteboard, along with the date. Lastly, there should be a supply of "out of service" tags in the stackable draws near the door to the shed. Please attach one of these to any boat that should not be rowed until repaired. |
Pennant Table |
Next regatta: CUBC Regatta at CHAMPION
LAKES, Saturday August 29 |
For the Diary...
|
Freddos
|
And that's the lot for this month - if you have any comments, queries or flames, please send them to the Captain David Winch at captainwarc@iinet.net.au |