MAY 2018 NEWS

Above – Amanda Bateman and Ria Thompson on one of their many podium visits at the Nationals

News covered below:

• Winter Starts • Mercs race at • Fundraising for our international competing members • Henley Royal Regatta • National team members • Member Profiles • Thursday Night Social Hour

Winter Sculling Starts

Published 30th May 2018

Yes, it is winter and that means winter sculling.

The first event is the Albert Park Grand Prix on June 9 (the Queens Birthday weekend), followed by the John Whiting Round the Island race on June 16 and then the handicap series starting June 23. Then it’s every Saturday until August 18.

Registration will open later this week. Mercantile races at Henley Royal Regatta

Published 22nd May 2018 In addition to our members in the Australian men’s and women’s eights, Mercantile has had accepted by the Henley Stewards an entry in the . The crew is:

The crew is:

Angus Maloney Mitchell Hooper Ben Canham Jack Kelly The crew is coached by David Pincus.

The Wyfold Challenge Cup was first presented in 1847 and is an event for genuine club crews. Our crew clearly meets that criterion.

The Cup has an interesting past. The old rules for Challenge Cups resulted in all challengers racing off against each other for the right to race the winner of the previous year. Originally this cup was for the winning of the challenge crews for the . In 1855 it was used for the four oared event.

In 1995, the same rules for the applied to this race, namely for genuine club crews.

Our crew deserves your support and many Mercantile members will travel to England to see them and our other club members race.

Fundraising for our international competing members

Published 7th May 2018

This year we have Ria Thompson in the U23 team and Sky Froebel and Kirstie Green in the U21 team. Alex Clarke has also been invited to re-trial in June for the U23 team.

We also have a possible men’s four racing in the Wyfold at HRR.

These experiences are critical for the continued success of our rowers and of the Club.

The following fund raisers are planned for our crews:

Trivia night 17th May 2018

6,30 for a 7.15 start.

$10 entry which includes a drink on arrival.

Plenty of prizes and games through out the night.

Cocktail night Save the date of Saturday 23rd June.

More details to come.

Tax deductible donations can be made for these crews – please see the Treasurer for details.

Henley Rowing Regatta

Published 7th May 2018

The centenary of the 1919 Henley Peace Regatta is in 2019, but that has not stopped our members racing there.

The Australian men’s and women’s eights will be racing at HRR and so will include the following members:

Australian men’s • Gus Widdicombe • Liam Donald

Australian women’s eight • Kat Werry • Addy Dunkley Smith • James Rook (cox)

Scenes from HRR

The blazers do stand out

But wait there is more. The Club is on the verge of sending a crew for the Wyfold under coach David Pincus. More details will follow once this is confirmed.

And yes there is some rowing

National team members

Published 5th May 2018

Now that most of the selections have finished, we can now see all those Club members in national teams.

Senior team Women’s eight – Kat Werry, Addy Dunkley Smith and James Rook

Men’s eight – Liam Donald and Angus Widdicombe

Men’s lightweight quad – Michael McNamara

Under 23 team Mercantile’s Ria Thompson was selected. Ria has had an outstanding year and finished it with good performances at trials.

Under 21 team Our outstanding under 21 girls had a great season and so it was no surprise that two of them, Skyla Froebel and Kirstie Green, were selected as the women’s pair, and their coach Brigette Carlile, again selected as a coach.

Junior team Andrew Cleary’s fine work with his support of Geelong school rowing paid off with a junior pair of Hamish Wynn-Pope from GGS and Jack Thornton of GC being selected with Andrew as coach.

Member Profiles

Republished 1st April 2018 Each month more profiles are added.

We wish to record profiles of all current and past members so please submit others to [email protected]. Subject to editorial review, they will be published with the author’s name and date. The latest profiles added are that of Roger Wilson, the voice of rowing and Arthur Lingham, a member who died in WWI and who was remembered at this years ANZAC service.

Tuesday night masters ergo night

Republished 1st April 2018

With the masters now doing ergos on Tuesday nights, the gym is getting crowded after 6pm. Every ergo was used on 1st August and there was not even a need for an ambulance.

Tuesday night is ergo night

Thursday Masters Nights

Republished 1st February 2018 Reminder that all masters rowers are welcome for a row on Thursday nights followed by a sausage sizzle and refreshments. Row at 6pm and sausage sizzle at 7.30pm. All welcome. Please call Andrew Guerin on 0417 554799 to get put on the weekly email.

Thursday nights after the row