JULY 2017 NEWS Above – Mercantile at Henley on Thames All news brought to you by your faithful correspondent Trident, who has all the tough gigs such as HRR and Lucerne. News covered below: • Arthur Atkins’ 100th birthday party Sun 6th August • Mercantile zootie spotted at…. • William Patrick Crawshay set for the 2040 Australian team • Australian Senior Team announced – Mercs members included • Gold for Mercantile at World Under 23 Championships • Women’s Under 23 Four win repechage at WU23 Champs • Men’s U23 Four win heat at WU23 Champs • World Under 23 Championships start tonight • Scotch Mercantile Regatta 2017 – YouTube video now available • Aussie Under 21 Trans Tasman Series – First leg • World Cup III – Lucerne – Golden Day 3 • World Cup III – Lucerne – Day 2 • World Cup III – Lucerne – Day 1 • Henley Royal Regatta – Day 5 • Henley Royal Regatta – Day 4 • More Mercs members join Australian team • Expressions of interest called for Masters in Paradise • Advance notice – Arthur Atkins’ 100th birthday party Sun 6th August • New Mercs tie • Member Profiles Arthur Atkins 100th Birthday Celebrations Published 29th July 2017 We are only one week away from the party of the year, Arthur Artkin’s 100th birthday at the Club. Details are: High Tea Sunday 6 August 2017 – 2pm Mercantile Rowing Club Adult $20.00 Athlete $10.00 Champers on arrival then drinks at Bar Prices RSVP 2 August 2017 on Try booking Above: Arthur at the boat naming of the David Browne Mercantile zootie spotted at…. Published 27th July 2017 This month our intrepid zootie spotters were on the Canning Stock Route, approximately 500 km north of Wiluna WA. Above: Andrew Phillips way out west unsuccessfully trying to find a rowing club William Patrick Crawshay set for the 2040 Australian team Published 25th July 201 Congratulations to Siobhan and Crawsh on the arrival of William Patrick Crawshay, a doubles partner for brother Daniel. He arrived on 19 July 2017 at 9:25am, and weighed in at a handy 10lb 5oz (4.68kg) and measured 55cm, continuing the theme of whopper babies. Mum and bub are going well, and brother Daniel is looking forward to a new play pal/doubles partner! Above: A happy Mum with William Patrick Above: The future doubles combination get acquainted under Crawsh’s watchful eye Australian Senior Team announced – Mercs Members included Published 25th July 2017 Rowing Australia today announced the 10 crews that are set to represent Australia at the upcoming 2017 World Rowing Championships to be held in Sarasota-Bradenton, USA. The four women’s crews, five men’s crews and one men’s para-rowing crew will compete at the event held from 24 September to 1 October 2017. The selectors have made a clear choice in both the men’s and women’s sweep to make the fours the priority boats. The Mercs members in the team are: Katrina Werry – Four Red Matthews – Lightweight Quad James Rook – Eight and Coxed Pair Gus Widdicombe – Coxed pair The full team is: PR1 Men’s Single Scull (formerly AS Men’s Single Scull) Erik Horrie (NSWIS/Sydney RC/NSW) Lightweight Women’s Quadruple Scull Amy James (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Toowong RC/QLD) Georgia Miansarow (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Sydney University BC/NSW) Alice Arch (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Melbourne University BC/VIC) Georgia Nesbitt (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Huon RC/TAS) Women’s Quadruple Scull Caitlin Cronin (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/UQBC/QLD) Rowena Meredith (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Sydney University BC/NSW) Genevieve Horton (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Sydney University BC/NSW) Leah Saunders (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Sydney RC/NSW) Women’s Double Scull Madeleine Edmunds (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Commercial RC/QLD) Olympia Aldersey (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Adelaide RC/SA) Women’s Four Molly Goodman (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Adelaide RC/SA) Sarah Hawe (TIS/Huon RC/TAS) Katrina Werry (VIS/Mercantile RC/VIC) Lucy Stephan (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/Melbourne University BC/VIC) Women’s Reserves Fiona Ewing (NSWIS/Sydney University BC/NSW) Georgina Gotch (Hancock Prospecting Women’s NTC/ Sydney University BC/NSW) Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Scull Sean Murphy (NSWIS/Mosman RC/NSW) James Kerr (WAIS/University of WA BC/WA) Redmond Matthews (Mercantile RC/VIC) Hamish Parry (QAS/Toowing RC/QLD) Lightweight Men’s Sculling Reserve Cameron Fowler (Swan River RC/WA) Men’s Double Scull David Watts (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Swan River RC/WA) Luke Letcher (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Black Mountain RC/ACT) Men’s Four Alexander Hill (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Adelaide RC/SA) Jack Hargreaves (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Sydney University BC/NSW) Spencer Turrin (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Sydney RC/NSW) Joshua Hicks (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Sydney RC/WA) Men’s Eight Alexander Purnell (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Sydney University BC/NSW) Hamish Playfair (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/University of Technology Sydney RC/NSW) Simon Keenan (NSWIS/Melbourne University BC/VIC) Campbell Watts (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Sydney University BC/NSW) Tim Masters (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/University of Technology Sydney RC/VIC) Benjamin Coombs (University of Technology Sydney RC/VIC) Nathan Bowden (Sydney RC/SA) Angus Moore (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Sydney RC/NSW) James Rook (Mercantile RC/VIC) Men’s Reserves (also racing Men’s Coxed Pair if not required as a reserve) Angus Widdicombe (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Mercantile RC/VIC) Darcy Wruck (Reinhold Batshi Men’s NTC/Commercial RC/QLD) Men’s Coaches – all based at Reinhold Batschi Men’s National Training Centre Head Coach: Ian Wright Senior Coaches: Mark Prater and Andrew Randell Women’s Coaches – all based at Hancock Prospecting Women’s National Training Centre Head Coach: John Keogh Senior Coaches: Tom Westgarth and Ellen Randell Para-rowing Coaches Senior Para-rowing Coach: Gordon Marcks (Rowing Australia) Coach: Jason Baker (Sydney RC/NSW) Gold for Mercantile at World Under 23 Championships Published 23rd July 2017 We wake up this morning to the great news that the Australian Men’s Four containing Club members Liam Donald and Rob Black have won gold at the World Under 23 Rowing Championships. Above: the winning four on the podium – photo Igor Meijer This crew won their semi-final in a new under-23 World Best Time of 5:44.28 over eventual silver medallists Great Britain. After this semi-final, the final was to be a cracker against Great Britain. Above: celebrating success – Photo Igor Meijer The start was tight with nothing between the two crews over the first 500 metres with Australia gaining a narrow lead only at the 500 metres. The Australians then had a superb middle 1000 metres burning off the British crew in the second 500 metres. The remarkably even pace of the Australians show that they raced a highly disciplined race, 1:25.15, 1:27.55, 1:28.41 and 1:29.05. Rob Black said: We had a perfect race, it was completely to plan. We had rehearsed our plan throughout our campaign and I am proud of all the hard work. Today was the reward for all that we’ve done. It wasn’t won today it was won over the last three months. Above: crossing the line – Photo Igor Meijer This was Rob’s second gold medal at the Under 23 level having been in the winning quad scull last year. In other news at the regatta, the Australian women’s four which includes club members India Dempsey and Amanda Bateman finished second in the B final behind Belarus. The World Rowing website reported the race as follows: Belarus led the way out of the blocks and got some clear water between them and the rest of the field. This left a close race between the Czech Republic, Australia and New Zealand. Coming through the third 500 Australia had gotten into second with New Zealand challenging them. This closed the gap on Belarus and saw get second just over New Zealand. From the results sheets, the Australians again clearly had a poor first 500 metres finishing last at that point and giving the Belarus crew nearly three seconds advantage. However the rest of their race was clearly superb with an even and fast performance. Without hearing from the crew, one must conclude that the lack of tough racing experience impacted their start. The other Australian crews also performed well with two silver medals coming to the team in the women’s quad scull and women’s pair. Women’s Under 23 Four win repechage at WU23 Champs Published 21st July 2017 The Australian women’s four had a far better race today in the repechage with a far stronger first 1000 metres to finish first and through to the semi finals. Their heat had all the hall marks of a crew coming out of an Australian winter into a European summer against race hardened crews. The additional race through the repechage will have done them much good. The Rowing Australia website reported as follows: The crew, coached by Annabelle Eaton, fired out of the start, at a rate of 44 strokes per minute in the first 50 metres, ready to do battle with their competitors, who ultimately came in the form of the USA. Through the first 500m of the repechage, it was the USA that led but, as the crew passed the marker, Australia maintained a fast pace and passed the Americans to take the lead, holding it through to the conclusion of the race and booking themselves a spot in tomorrow’s semi-finals.