SURC Sheffield University Club Winter Newsletter 2016 A Message from the President James Palmer (President 2015-2016) With the Winter break approaching, I feel that now is a time for reflection. Personally, I look back on my first term as President with nothing but fond memories. The hard work and stress of running a sports club that I was forewarned about has been nothing but a joyous occasion. This has been the case due to the nature of the people that our club attracts. This year‟s committee are fantastic, the friendliest of faces; all with a firm grip on their positions, they make my job very easy! Their commitment and warm-heartedness is matched by every member of the club. From existing members, down to the new novices, the atmosphere within the club is energetic, welcoming, and great fun to be a part of. The disappointment of cancelled races has not deterred our spirits. Members are training harder than ever, cementing new and old friendships, and are ready for whatever the New Year may bring. 2016 is to be looked to in anticipation. On the horizon, we are looking forward to returning to Soustons for our Easter training camp, hosting alumni events and winning both head and regatta races. We are also looking to purchase a new “top” coxed four, to be shared between the Senior Squads. Once such a boat is found, we intend to name it after the late founding member, Dr Peter Cook. I sign off by wishing you all a Merry Christmas, and hope you have as much to be thankful for at the end of the year as me. I look forward to seeing many of you at our Alumni events in the new year.

On the first day of Christmas... Following the success of the club‟s 12 days of charity event last year, we thought we‟d run a similar event this year. Starting on the 2nd December we aimed to help as many charities as possible, both practically and financially, in a 12 day period. Our members donated blood, put together Christmas boxes for the homeless and perhaps most enjoyably, spent an afternoon digging trenches at Holly Hagg Urban Farm. In addition we partook in a number of sponsored events with our Novice Men‟s Squad having their chests waxed in Bar One and some very brave rowers trying their hand at a 12km fell run. Of course no rowing club charity fundraiser would be complete without an ergathon and ours was no exception, with our members all completing at least one thirty minute slot at one of our two twelve hour rows. All the money raised will be split between Sheffield Children‟s Hospital and Sheffield University Rowing Club; with 80% going to the Children‟s Hospital. This charity means a lot to the club and after visiting in September we saw how important it is for both the children and their families. The charity‟s current campaign is called Make it Better, which aims to make the wards more comfortable and exciting for the children. We have currently smashed last year‟s total raising over £1000, however should you like to contribute our fundraising page is still open with a link to our fundraising video (http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/ showFundraiserPage.action? userUrl=SURC12daysofChristmas&faId=652227&isTeam=true) A huge amount of work was put into organising the event by our volunteering officer Daisy Ash - thank you! SURC represents at Henley At the end of last year both of our senior squads had shown vast improvement and on the advice of more experienced rowers we decided to enter 8+‟s into the academic categories at the internationally acclaimed Henley Regattas. The senior women were first to race at Henley Women‟s Regatta on 19th June. An intense week of training following the end of term led to the crew feeling confident. They had a quick paddle in the morning to familiarise themselves with the course before boating for their qualifying races, a strong row sadly left them less than 2 seconds outside of qualifying. Nevertheless they came off the water smiling and most happy that an umpire had complimented their roll up! With even stronger competi- tion at Henley Royal Regatta, the Senior Men headed down to compete at the qualifying races on 26th June - a week before the main event. Having had a few weeks to train together following the end of term, they too looked in great form. However it too was not to be nar- rowly missing out on qualifying. This experience has only fuelled our desire to do better next year and our senior crews are deter- mined to qualify this year!

Races „Rain, rain go away‟ might be the most apt way to summarize the start of the race season. Our senior crews set an impressive precedent at their first race, Head of the Don, in October with both our men‟s and women‟s IM3 8‟s winning their divi- sions, along with the men‟s nov 4+ and IM3 2-; the Senior Women also impressively won the pennant for fastest women‟s crew of the day. Continuing this success we had a large number of senior entries for Dee Autumn Head however this is when the weather began to cause havoc with our race season. The ex- ceptionally high river levels lead to coxless boats being dropped from the gest advantage of the cancelation of racing schedule. Nevertheless those races was the extra training time it who did compete rowed well and gave us and this was certainly benefi- there were wins for our men‟s IM3 cial at BUCS indoors where SURC 8+ and IM3 4-, as well as our members won 3/4 of the categories. women‟s IM3 4+. The continuing Erg tests probably bring back rain has caused unsafe river condi- dreaded memories for most of our tions across the country and the 3 alumni but our current members put races we had planned to attend in No- this aside and many pulled PBs in vember be called off. Sadly this in- their 2 kilometer races. SURC mem- cluded Lincoln Beginners Head bers dominated in all the heats and which meant our novices have yet to our entries vastly outnumbered all experience racing. Perhaps the big- the other Yorkshire Universities. The Marathon The Boston Marathon has come to be notoriously weedy course caused the seen as the ultimate test for any rower; steering to break and the crew resorted a grueling 50km row from Boston to to pressure steering for the remaining Lincoln. However this did not deter 8 30km. The women‟s crew also faced of our senior rowers and 2 brave coxes their share of problems with the course (plus one crazy single!) who set them- proving a challenge to existing inju- selves the challenge on 20th Septem- ries. Despite these problems both ber. Both originally entered as IM3 crews posted respectable times with 4+s our Senior Men agreed to race the IM1 4+ taking 4 hr 40 mins and IM1 status to have some competition. the W.IM3 4+ 5 hr 4 mins. The crews They raced well gaining on the other also raised an outstanding £1021.50 crew for the first 20km however the for Sheffield Children‟s Hospital. Novice Training Camp

In September we saw over water and land training. A 100 students trialling for tough training plan was put just 36 spaces as part of our together by the captains and novice squads. The of course the novices were competition was tough and introduced to the infamous difficult decisions had to be erg-run. Despite the rainy made by our novice weather everyone improved captains. On 24th October, massively, benefiting from just two weeks after being the long stretch of water and selected our new novices not having to constantly turn experienced their first around! We would like to training camp on the River thank Royal Chester Dee in Chester. The two Rowing Club for making us day camp consisted of 3 feel so welcome. sessions a day with both

A SURC ROW-mance It‟s not every day you get a alumni were also in request from alumni to borrow attendance and are pictured university blades - however left (Charlie Shillito, Gemma when Emma Spencer emailed Lawless, Martin Chick and us that‟s exactly what Andy Edwards). Emma said happened. Having met her now it was „the perfect special husband, Dave Goley, at SURC touch to our day‟. in 2005 she wanted to surprise Congratulations on a him with a guard of honour as beautiful wedding Emma and they left the church on their Dave! wedding day. Other SURC

Acknowledgements SURC relies on donations from alumni and sponsors in order to fund the equipment we need to func- tion as a competitive club. We are continuously overwhelmed by the generosity and support of our past members and current member‟s family and friends. We would particularly like to thank the fol- lowing people for their continued support: Mr David Allen Mr Andrew Hug Mr Graham Bishop Dr Alan James Dr William Briggs Mr Brian Perry Mr Richard Connelly Mr Brian Richardson Mr Christian Crawford Mr Roger Smith Could you support us? Mr Reginald Ellis Mr Miles Stevenson It is the generosity of our alumni that enables us to continue to rowing in Sheffield. We Dr Peter Gardner Mr Michael Thompson would be most grateful if you would consider Mr Stuart Green Mr Ed Wardle-Davies supporting SURC. See the attached cover letter Mr John Hartley Mrs Elspeth Wilson for more info. Looking to the Future

Key Dates Overall this term has been a fantastic success and we have many exciting  th plans for the New Year: 13 Feb — Head of the Don (Doncaster) Races  th 20 Feb — BUCS 4s After the weather caused a disappointing start to our race season, we & 8s Head (Newcastle) look forward to competing in 2016. We will again be returning to com-  th 27 Feb — Runcorn pete at both the Eights Heads and as we look towards the sum- Head mer we also hope to bee targeting a number of high profile regattas. See th key dates for a provisional list of the races we will be attending.  5 March — WeHorr  12th March — North Alumni Events of Head th Following the success of our 50 Anniversary dinner last Autumn, we (Chester) are hoping to host a similar event in the spring. Further information will  19th March — HoRR be sent out early in the new year. Additionally there will be a number of  20th –27th March — opportunities to row at Damflask. Should the club manage to acquire the Easter Training Camp proposed new top 4+, we will also hold an informal naming ceremony to (Soustons) honor the late Dr. Peter Cook.  April TBC—Varsity  May Bank Holiday w/ e — BUCS Regatta (Holme Pier Point)

Please do come and say hello and support us, should you be around.