From President Dorle Pauli Helloall,hereweareagainatthebeginningofanewseason,butthisyearitwillbeasummerwithadifference.Forthefirsttimeinmanyyears,URCwillbesendingjuniorcrewstoRNZregattas,andIamsurewewillallkeepfingerscrossedforourgirlsastheytackletheirfirst‘proper’races.AspointedoutbyDannyonpage2,theyareallcompetentinthesmallandbigboatsnowandtheresttheywillhavetolearnfromhard-wonexperience.Wewishthemallasuccessfulseasonandtheconfidencethatcomesfromworkingtogetherasamutuallysupportiveteam.GoGwen,Ashlinn,Aleisha,Lauren,Eva,Darcey,Beth,JaimeeandAshtyn…andtheircoxswainNoah,haveagoodtimeoutthere.Andneverfear,youwillhearDannycheeringyouonfrommilesaway!Otherthanthat,IreallylikedreadingthestoriessomeofourformerLtRgraduatescontributedtothisnewsletter.AsfarasIamconcerned,allIeverwantedforourchargesisjustthat,enjoymentofwhatIbelievetosimplybethebestsportever.Missionaccomplished,Ithink,andIhopewecanprovidethesameforourcurrentandlargesteverLtRgroup.ThankyoutoDebandallourhelpersfororganisingandlookingafterournewestrecruits.Itwasgoodtoseeafewnewfacesatthisyear’sAGM,andwiththeclubsteadilygrowingtowardsthe100membermark,weareplanningtooffermoresocialeventsandadditionalopportunitiesforourrecreationalrowersespecially.Wearealsoup-skillingourcoachestohelpuslookaftereverybody.Asaresultofourcontinuedgrowth,wewillhavetothinkaboutreconfiguringtheshedtoaccommodateusallandourever-increasingplant,butthiswillrequiresomecarefulplanninginlinewithCCCregulations.Inthemeantime,nothingmuchhaschangedintermsofthepressureontheAvon,itiscrowdedouttherealready,sostaysafeandlookaftereachother.Haveagreatsummer,andenjoyyourrowing.

URC newsletter www.unionrowing.co.nz

SPRING 2019

U

From Club Captain Deb Hymers-Ross

Cheers, Dorle

Congratulations – and there are plenty of them! v ToJimLittleforhislifemembershipoftheCanterburyRowingAssociation,inrecognitionofhis

life-longdedicationtothesportofrowing.v forthecombinedeffortsofnationalsrowerswhobroughthometheUnionRowingClubTrophy,

awardedtothemostsuccessfulclubattheNZMastersChampionships.[Thetrophyisawardedtotheclubwiththehighestaggregatepointsfromfirst,secondandthirdplacingsatMastersNationals,withcompositecrewsineligible.Unionlastwonin2017.Atthisyear’snationals,wewonwithamassive138points–54pointsclearofsecondplacedAramoho.

v toourgoldmedalistsfromtheNZMastersChamps:KirstyMahoneyA,Bsingle,DomMahoneyBsingle,StuartWadeDsingle–andAudsleyJones,KirstyMahoneyandGregMcLaughlinfortheirgoldmedalwinsincompositecrews.

v seeingDiannaDonaldtackleherfirstsinglesracecertainlyinspiredmeovertheweekend!

Club news: v Ournewquad/fourcamebackwithusfromNZMasters

NationalChamps,hasbeensetupandisgracingourwaterway.Thecommitteewillvoteonthenameatthenextmeeting.

v WithNationalsbehindus,Stuhaskindlyputupthe“away”regattasfortheupcomingseasonandbelowitaresomelongdistanceracesthatareclosertohome.Pleaseaddyournametothelistofcompetitors.TheAorakiRegattaisoneUnionhasnotattendedpreviously.It’safunregattawearetoldwithlotsofflexibilityintheprogramme.Theywillbeabletoaddinrequestedraces.It’sanopportunityforourJuniorstoracewithourMastersin50/50eventstoo.

v Thankyoutothoseofyouwhorespondedtothesurveyfollowingthecoachingclinic,it’sgoodtoknowweareontherighttrackandhalfdaysessions,coachedinquadstwiceayeariswhatweshouldbetargetingasaclub.

v Armedwithnewskillsanddrills,whetheryouaregoingoutasagroupwhorowtogetherregularlyoranorganisedcrew,Iencourageyoutotakeamomentwhileyouaresettingyourfeet,adjustingtheheightofyouroarlocksandcleaningyourslidestodiscusswhatthefocusofthisparticularrowwillbe,thengooutandexecute;followingtherowtakeamomenttodebrief.Selfcoachingisparamount.

v Lastly,thankyoutoallofyouwhounselfishlypitchinaroundtheclub.Alotofpeopledoingalittleachievesalot!

Nationals gold medalists Stu, Audsley, Kirsty and Dom with the URC Trophy

Thegirls’grouparetrainingfortheirnoviceseasonasUnionRowingClub’sfirstjuniorsquadinmanyyears.Wehaveacoregroupofnine,allofwhomscullandsweeprow.Sevenofthegroupsinglescullandthegirlsarenowadeptatnavigatingtheriverandsteeringcoxlessboatssafely.ThegirlshavealreadyhadatasteofcompetitionattheKaiapoilongdistanceandKerr’sReachheadbothofwhichtheythoroughlyenjoyed,acquittingthemselveswell.Withracingfortheseasonfastapproachingweareallgettingexcited.ThefirstbuoyedracingregattaisAoraki1000inearlyNovember.Thegirlsarehopingtoracebothsweepandscullingeventsincludingoctupleandeight,whichwillbeaproudmomentforourclub.Astheirmaincoach,Icansaytheyareafun,dedicatedandattentivegroupofyoungathleteswhosmilealot,talkalotandareajoytoteach!ThefullsquadisGwenSidebottom,AshlinnSherwood,AleishaOlds,LaurenIsitt,EvaBader,DarceyEdwards,BethFarrell,JaimeeGarlandandAshtynHill.

Junior squad coach Danny Blair

Hi,I’mLaurenandIjoinedtheUnionRowingClubatthestartof2018.IstartedrowingbecauseIwaslookingforasportdifferentfrommyfamilyandIhavealwayslovedthewater.Asmyschooldoesnothaverowing,IstartedlearntorowlastJanuaryandhavebeenrowingeversince.IhavebeenfortunatetohavesomereallygoodcoachingfromDanny,Liz,DebandDorle.ThebestpiecesofadviceIhavereceivedistoslowdowntheslide,beconfidentandnotpanic,andtoleanbackatthefinish.IamattheverybeginningofmyrowingcareerbutmyfavouritethingsofarwastheKaiapoi10kraceinMaybecauseIgottoexperiencewhatracingwaslike.AnotherhighlightwasRaffWyatt’sclinicwherewegotsomevaluableadviceanditwasagoodchancetobondwiththeothergirls.Ithinkthemostimportantqualitiesarowerneedsaredeterminationandcommitment.Myadviceforanyonewantingtorowistogiveitagoandjusthavefun.Iamverythankfulforallthesupportand assistancetheUnionRowingClubmembershavegiventomeandtheotherjuniorrowinggirls.

Lauren Isitt

Learning to Row at Union Ourspringnewsletterhasa‘learntorow’theme.Fiveyearsago,URCbeganitsLtRprogrammeinearnest.We

hearfromsomeourfirstgraduatesfromLtR,aswellasoneofouryoungerLtRstoo,givingustheiradviceonwhatattractedthemtorowing,theirrowingcareerhighlighttodate,themostimportantqualityamastersrowerneeds,whythey’drecommendLtRtoothers–andmuchmore!

Back: Jaimee, Beth, Lauren Front: Gwen, Aleisha

Ian Dyson

Atage52Idecidedtotakeupthenewchallengeofrowing.MywifeSusanhaddonetheLearntoRowcourseayearearlier,aimingtoraceintheWorldMastersGames,whichshedid.Oureldestdaughterhadalsostartedrowingatschool.

Likeanysportyoutakeupinyour50s,nothingiseasy.Concentrationonmanydifferentaspectsalwaystaxesthebrainandbody.ButIlovethefeelingwhenitoccasionallyallcomestogether…relaxandslowtheslide.Greatforgeneralfitnessandgettingtomeetnewpeople.

Myhighlighttodatewasrowingasingle,thenracingintheNoviceSinglesatPicton.Therewasnothing‘nice’aboutit,butverysatisfyingtostayuprightwithwavesfromthewind,motorboatsandferry.

Junior squad training day at Lake Hood

Afteraseasonofwatchingmyson,Jakob,rowingforschool,ImetDorleatarowingparentsmeetingfiveyearsago.ShementionedthatshewastheClubCaptainattheUnionRowingClubandsaidthatifanyoftheparentswerewantingtogiverowingago,shewouldbeabletotakeusout.IjumpedattheofferasIhadseensomeMastersRowersatsomeoftheRegattasIhadbeentoandhadthoughtthatmaybeIwouldlikeit.Iwaswrong,Ilovedit!IenrolledinthefirstLearntoRowprogrammeandIhaven'tstopped.AtfirstIhadproblemswithmylackoffitnessandquicklylearntthatsweepwasnotgoodforme,butscullingwasawesomeandmyfitnessimprovedthemoreIrowed.Ihavebeenluckytohavehadgreat(andpatient)coachingfromDorle,Deb,Danny,Jim,theclinicwithRaf,andlatelyFionaformyDoublewithSarah(myfavouriteboat).AbigThankyoutoallofyouforyourtimeandknowledge.Ihavealsopickedupsomehandytipsfromthegeneralmembershipoftheclub,likeMiketellingmehowtogetoutofasingle,itmaylookuglybutitiseffective.Everyoneseemstogetalongandarealwaysreadytolendahelpinghandandgiveencouragement.Theatmosphereisalwayspositive.Ilovehowrowingislowimpactandthatwhilerowing,ittakesyoucompletelyoutofyourownhead.Youjusthavetobeonewiththeboatandwiththecrewyouarerowingwith.Ilovethefullnoiseofthebigboatsandthequietofthesingle.WhenIgetthatperfectstrokeeverynowandthen,Ican'twaitforthenextone.I'mstillhopingtostringtwoormoretogether!ThankstoallatUnionformakingitsuchafabulousclub!

Pam Van Gestel

Myrowingjourneybeganwhenmydaughtertookmeoutforarowmyoutformy50thbirthday.Ilovedit,Iwashooked,shetoldmeIshouldjoinUnionRowingClub.AfteranenquirythroughthewebsiteIjoinedthelearn-to-rowthathadjuststarted.Learntorowwasagreatintroductiontorowingwithveryencouragingcoaches.Itopenedthedoortocompetitiveorrecreationalrowingandalotofnewfriendships.Thebestcoachingtipformeweretechniquestomakelegstotheworkratherthanshoulders,stillaworkinprogress!CareerhighlightwasagoldmedalwinforthemixedfourinAustralianNationals2018.ThemostimportantqualityisforaroweristopossessOCDtendenciesinordertoreachperfectioneachstrokeandasenseofhumourtolaughatyourselfforthinkingyouwilleverperfectit.

Wendy Duggan

ImetDorleatafunction.Shewaslookingtofillanoviequadandneededafourthrower.So,Ithoughthowhardcanitbeandgaveitago,beingquiteasportyperson(mountainbiking,surfing,skiing)-butIwaswrong.Thereisnothinglikerowing,andIhavebeenhookedeversince.LuckilyIwassingleatthattimesoIcouldspendmytimetryingtogetbetter.OneofthebestpiecesofcoachingadviceIgotwastorow`likeaswan'asitmakesyousittallatthecatchratherthanhunchedup.Iloverowingverymuchandcontinuetorowmostdays,competingatthehighestleveloftheMastersRegattaprogramme.IhavewonnationaltitlesinNewZealandandAustralia.IloveourLTRprogramasIamabletogivebacktothesporttheknowledgeIhavelearnedandpassonthepassionIdevelopedforrowing.Seeingournovices(young&old)comethroughourprogrammeoverthelastfewyearsisgreatandveryrewarding.Newfriends,newfamily:)Thankyouall!

Tanja McDonald

URC OFFICERS 2020 … ElectedatourrecentclubAGM:Patron:JimLittlePresident:DorlePauliVicePresidents:DebHymers-Ross,MikeFowler,RodMcLennanSecretary:JanMaisterTreasurer:IanDysonClubCaptain:DebHymers-RossHealthandSafetyOfficer:TanjaMcDonaldCommitteeMembers:WendyLawson,AstridHarris,PamVanGestel,StuWade

CRADelegates:DebHymers-Ross,BrendanO’Dea,StuWadeLeanderRepresentatives:RodMcLennan,BrendanO’Dea,BrentMirfinReviewer:JohnDraytonLifeMembers:JimLittle,BruceKnight,BruceFraser,DaleMaher,MarkBorgfeldt,DesBorgfeldt,JamesSheehan,BrentMirfin,BrendanO’Dea,StuMitchell

2019 Masters Nationals, Ruataniwha

Forthefirsttimein11years,itwasbeautifulweatherandconditionsonbothdaysatLakeRuataniwha!Itmustknowwearetryingtochangethetimeofyearofthisregatta!Thecompetitionatthetopcontinuestobestrongifnotstronger,asmorerowersreturntothesport.AheartfeltcongratulationstoKirsty,DomandStuartforwinningGoldsintheirsingles–medalresultsandphotoswillbeupshortlyontheresultspageonourwebsite.ItwasequallyrewardingtoseeourMastersrowers,someasrecentasthisyear’sLearntoRowcompleterscomeupthroughtheranksandmedal.Thesecombinedeffortsofexperiencedandnewerrowersallowedustobringhomethetrophyforthehighestaggregatepoints.ThankyoutoTanjaandStufororganisinganothergreatget-togetherandtoallparticipantsforcomingalonganddonatingtoawonderfulmealtogether.Itwaswonderfultosee41ofourmembersandpartnerstogetherononenight!DebHymers-Ross