NOVEMBER 2019 NEWS Above: Australian Women’s Four (with Kat Werry in the two seat) nominated for the World Rowing women’s crew of the year News covered this month • Head of the Yarra entries • Rower of the Year Awards • Melbourne Head • Congratulations Kim Crow • Movember • Melbourne Head entries • Vale Sandy Mitchell • Apologies for the website downtime • President’s Christmas Luncheon Sunday 15th December • ‘Emergency dredging” in front of shed • New date for President’s Christmas Lunch • Mercs on Saturday morning • News from our man at Cambridge • Jump like Jess Morrison • Congratulations David Fraumano • Appointment of Paul McGann as Performance Director • Head Coach resigns • Club members appointed to 2020 National Championships jury • Thursday nights at the Club • Your new Committee • From the vaults – Henley on Yarra ______________________________________________________________________________ Head of the Yarra Entries Published 27th November 2019 The Treasurer is in despair as he tries to mount the funds to pay for eight eights in the Head of the Yarra. Every eight in the Club is being used. Go Mercs Christine Howgate, Carolyn Browne, Pernette Wijnen, Louise Honman, Virginia Mohr, FMF+8+ Kerry Morrison, Valborg Dowell, Jennifer Williams,Ally Legge(c) Geoff Barden, Henry Edgar, James Tomkins, Andrew Guerin, Chris Shinners, Hamish MME8+ Fitzsimmons, Sean Colgan, Anthony Johnson, William Webster(c) Kym Doust, Jenny Rickards, Julianne Mason, Virginia Cunsolo, Peter Dempster, Christopher XMF+8+ Ratcliffe, Hugh Sarjeant, William Stark, Lydia McCloskey(c) Gregory Hansen, Raymond Dawson, Colin Kimpton, Andrew Phillips, Mark Groves, Jeffrey MMG8+ Thompson, Euan McMinn, Andrew McDonald, Sebastian Jenner(c) Georgia Deacon, Stephanie Ferrali, Alice Levin, Gemma Sibillin, Sophie Reinehr, Louisa FB8+ Bongrain, Georgia Stewart, Meghan Hester, Eyrin McCarthy(c) Marcus Cain, Timothy Benton, Alexander Kinsella, Eric Low, Alexander Clarke, Tom MB8+ Murray, Alexander Selemba, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Lily Arnoul(c) Phoebe Wolf, Georgie Gleeson, Rhiannon Morgan, Kate Duggan, Madeleine Thomas, FO8+ Katrina Bateman, Mimi Tuddenham, Skyla Froebel, Lily Arnoul(c) Joel Cain, Eric Low, Kane Grant, Redmond Matthews, Lukas Matic, William Achermann, MO8+ Benjamin Canham, Alexander Wolf, Phillip Tran(c) ______________________________________________________________________________ Rowing Australia Rower of the Year awards Published 24th November 2019 A gala night in Sydney last night with the Rowing Australia Rower of the Year awards. Mercantile members excelled again. The evening started with a surprise with the Club’s Secretary Andrew Guerin being recognised for his work on the Rowing Australia Board and the 1919 King’s Cup Centenary celebrations. He was presented with a framed racing suit signed by newly elected Keller medallist Kim Crow. Down to the rowers awards. The women’s crew of the year was no great surprise, the superb four containing club member Kat Werry. The four has had a successful Olympiad so far and are current World Champions. Kat responded on behalf of the crew thanking many people. Kat Werry speaking eloquently to the audience on the night The next Club member to be highlighted was Jess Morrison, arguably the best athlete on the Australian team. Jess received the prestigious Gina Rinehart Leadership Award from Rowing Australia Patron and Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman, Mrs Gina Rinehart. Jess was surprised to win the Gina Rinehart Leadership Award, “I didn’t expect to win tonight’s award. It really is a great honour and to have been able to compete in two boats this season was awesome. It’s fantastic to be part of a team that has qualified virtually double the amount of boats for Tokyo 2020 in comparison to 2016.” Rowing Australia Patron and executive Chairman of the Hancock Prospecting Group, and Roy Hill and S. Kidman & Co, Mrs Gina Rinehart said, “I’m delighted to recognise Jessica Morrison with the Gina Rinehart Leadership Award. She is a perfect example that hard work, dedication, sacrifice and perseverance pays off. Jessica is an outstanding role model. It is an exciting year to look forward to as we approach the Tokyo Olympics, with hundreds of kilometres of rowing practise ahead!” Hear hear. Jess Morrison receiving her award The next award for the Club was the 2019 Pathways Crew/Athlete of the Year Award was jointly awarded to Australia’s U23 World Champions – the Men’s Coxed Four and the Women’s Single Scull. Adam Bakker, Angus Dawson, Mitchell Hooper, Ben Canham and Caitlin Hockings won gold in Sarasota, along with their team-mate Ria Thompson who won gold in Women’s Single Scull. Congratulations in particular to Ben Canham, Mitch Hooper and coach Nick Mitchell. Ria raced brilliantly at the Worlds and was of course a Mercs member before moving to Brisbane. Mercantile members were present in good numbers as this photo indicates. The full list of awardees follows. Award Winners at the 2019 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards Award Winner Female Crew of the Women’s Four – Lucy Stephan, Sarah Hawe, Katrina Werry and Olympia Year Aldersey Male Crew of the Men’s Pair – Joshua Hicks and Sam Hardy Year Para-Athlete of PR2 Women’s Single Scull – Kathryn Ross Year Coach of the Year Tom Westgarth Para-Coach of the Renae Domaschenz Year Gina Rinehart Jessica Morrison Leadership Award 776BC Rowers’ Joshua Booth Rower Joint winners: U23 Men’s Coxed Four – Adam Bakker, Angus Dawson, Mitchell Pathway Crew of Hooper, Ben Canham and Caitlin Hockings & Women’s Single Scull – Ria the Year Thompson Pathways Coach of Ben Southwell the Year Coles’ Volunteer of Neil Holmes the Year Aon Club of the Fremantle Rowing Club Year Official of the Year Greg Smith ______________________________________________________________________________ Melbourne Head Published 24th November 2019 The open girls had a great race to win from MUBC in a close finish but open boys lost their rudder on the way to the start and so missed the opportunity to race they desperately wanted. The club’s men’s and women’s club eights won their respective divisions. In the sculling, Olympic hopeful Katrina Batemen won the open scull defeating fellow club member Skyla Froebel in second place. In the men’s scull, Alex Wolf had to be content with a second placing with Eric Low in third place. Greg Hansen picked up a win in the men’s masters quad scull in a composite crew with Melbourne. Alex Kinsella came close to picking up the club single. finishing second. In the parent and child double, the Sibillins and McDonalds could not keep up with the Mollards. Some images of the day. The busy regatta scene looking towards Princes Bridge … and the other way … and even the lawns next to Richmond were full The biggest breakfast day ever? Warm ups under the watchful eye of Paul McGann Coaches Casey Cobb and Brigette Carlile remaining calm in the busy regatta The men’s open eight depart on their ill fated mission, foiled by equipment failure before even racing a stroke in anger. The successful women’s eight departs making the Dr Bibi Colgan look silver. Winners are grinners ______________________________________________________________________________ Congratulations Kim Brennan Published 24th November 2019 Congratulations to Kim Brennan who this week was awarded the highest honour in world rowing, the Thomas Keller award. The prerequisite for this award is outstanding on-water success. However it must be accompanied by significant off water contribution to the sport. Kim has made an outstanding contribution to the sport both on and off the water. Kim on the podium at Rio Her award comes following a career that ended on a high note by winning gold in the women’s single sculls at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Along the way Brennan did the rare feat of racing and medalling in two Olympic events. She did this in the single and double at the London Olympics. The diverse rower has spent time racing in the pair and eight with the Beijing Olympics included in her repertoire. Congratulations Kim. ______________________________________________________________________________ Movember Published 21st November 2019 Some of our masters faking it for Movember. The masters trying to match Rod Pilmore and Tony Inglis. Where is Pincus when you need him? The President looks like he could have easily have taken on a detective role in a early 20th Century drama, maybe with Hamish Fitzsimmons as his offsider. ______________________________________________________________________________ Melbourne Head Entries Published 20th November 2019 The head season is at the sharp end with the Melbourne Head this weekend followed by the Head of the Yarra the following weekend. The entries for this weekend follow and include two child and parent double sculls, the Sibillins and the McDonalds. Event Athletes MO2- William Achermann, Lukas Matic MO2- Tom Murray, William Kalikman MO2- Stearns Weil, Marcus Cain MO1X Alexander Wolf MO1X Benjamin Canham MO1X Joel Cain MO1X Kane Grant MO1X Eric Low FO2- Georgie Gleeson, Mimi Tuddenham FO2- Gemma Sibillin, Olivia Sibillin FO1X Louisa Bongrain FO1X Skyla Froebel FO1X Phoebe Wolf FO1X Katrina Bateman FO1X Meghan Hester MM8+ Gregory Hansen, Andrew Phillips, Colin Kimpton, Raymond Dawson, Mark Groves, Jeffrey Thompson, Euan McMinn, Andrew McDonald, Sebastian Jenner(c) MM8+ Rodney Pilmore, Andrew Guerin, Simon Morrison, Hamish Fitzsimmons, Geoff Barden, Henry Edgar, Chris Shinners, Anthony Johnson, William Webster(c) MClub8+ Stearns Weil, Alexander Kinsella,