JUNE 2017 NEWS Above – Mercantile at Henley on Thames News covered below: • Henley Royal Regatta – Day 3 • Henley Royal Regatta – Day 2 • Henley Royal Regatta – Day 1 • Day 2 – Holland Beker Regatta • Holland Beker Regatta – Saturday results • Vale Harry Mahoney • Fiona Albert in the news • Holland Beker Regatta commences • World Cup Results – Katrina takes Gold • Mercantile represented well in SC and MGS 150th year crews • World Cup 2 underway • Great cocktail party for our travelling athletes • Cover story in Row360 – Josh Dunkley Smith • Australian team arrives in Europe for World Cups • Mercs Fundraising Cocktail Party Saturday 10th June 2017 • Team Tomanovits – Winners at the Trivia Night • More Mercs members to Australian team trials • Mercs members racing overseas • From the Archives • Expressions of interest called for Masters in Paradise • Advance notice – Arthur Atkins’ 100th birthday party Sun 6th August • 150th Head of the River Celebration Dinner • National teams 2017 • New Mercs tie • Member Profiles Henley Royal Regatta – Day 3 Published 30th June 2017 The day started with the Wyfold Challenge Cup where our crew came up against a very good crew in Sport Imperial Boat Club. They were not only good, but too good for our crew. This heat was the fastest of all the heats today by a material margin. We suspect that this crew will be the winning crew on Sunday. A disappointment for our crew but beaten by a better crew on the day. Above: Coach David Pincus with Tony and Marcus Burke in the umpire launch Above: The crews passing Temple Island Above: Early in the race Above: Also racing at Henley was Hugo Laborde in the stroke seat – our French connection The Scotch College crew made it through to the next round in a tight finish. Above: Scotch in the closing stages Next up for Mercantile was the women’s four in which an international crew of rowers, all employed by EY, raced against a crew stroked by Addy Dunkley Smith. Alas Addy was defeated by this international crew which included Kim Brennan. Above: Addy’s four Josh Dunkley Smith had a better result finishing easily in the Silver Goblets The final stages of the Joshs’ races Finally Jen Cleary raced in the scull but alas without success. The lack of opportunity to race before this race was a telling factor. Above: Jen Cleary Above: Bill Tait and Andrew Cleary following Jen’s race in the umpires boat – umpire Matthew Pinsent Above: Scenes from HRR Above: Refugee lightweights from Holland Beker regatta – Will Legge and Jayden Grey Above: Scenes from HRR Henley Royal Regatta – Day 2 Published 30th June 2017 Our Wyfold Challenge Cup crew of Andrew Burke (bow), Tom Hunt (2), Callum Nott (3) and Angus Maloney (str) and coached by David Pincus had a commanding victory in their second round. They got away well to have an all the way win. On day three they come up against Sport Imperial Boat Club. Above: Our Wyfold crew watched by coach David Pincus and parents Martin and Kammy Hunt in the judges boat. Above: Our crew in action on day 2 All of our crews will race on Friday. Henley Royal Regatta – Day 1 Published 28th June 2017 Finally, the regatta is underway with the Mercantile crew in the Wyfold Challenge Cup taking to the river. After a conservative start, they worked their way into the lead in the second half of the race and recorded a solid victory. The verdict was 1 1/4 lengths over Molesey Boat Club A crew. Time to the barrier 1:59, time to Fawley 3:21 and finished in 7:05. Above: the closing stages – photo courtesy of HRRPhotos.co.uk Tomorrow they front up at 8.30am UK time to race the German crew Akademischer RV Westfale who defeated St Neots Rowing Club in their heat. This is the first race of the day. Our other Mercantile crews start later in the regatta on Friday. These crews include Josh Dunkley Smith in the pair, Jen Cleary in the single and Addy Dunkley Smith in the four. Above: The Enclosure. Yes there is some racing taking place in between the social activities of the regatta – Copyright HRR Holland Beker Regatta – Day 2 Published 25th June 2017 Day 2 of the Holland Beker Regatta is underway. This article is being written as the results come in. First up today was the men’s pair of Josh Dunkley Smith (Mercs) and Josh Booth (MUBC). They repeated the Saturday result with an all the way win from Nerus Rowing Club from The Netherlands and Ratzeburger Rowing Club from Germany. It was a comfortable win although the margins were not great. Next up was the lightweight double of Jayden Grey (Mercs) and Hugo Berry (Banks) who finished last in a race which was won by UTS Haberfield of Sydney, Matthew Curtin and James Chuter. The women’s four produced a better race than yesterday finishing third as obviously more combination comes to this crew after only a week together before departing Australia. They were still off the pace of the Danish and Czech crews which finished first and second and well ahead of the fourth placed Sydney crew with who they will join in an eight later in the day. Our crew was stroked by Addy Dunkley Smith. As the results of the four foreshadowed, the girls were outclassed in the eight. In the last race of interest today, Will Legge took the keys and stroked the lightweight eight to a win in 5:50.73, just 0.16 seconds ahead of the second placed Laga crew in a photo finish. Jayden Grey was in the seven seat with Ed Manton of Banks in the six seat. The crew had only a reasonable start but raced a good middle thousand to take the lead. In the final stages of the race they had to fend off a strong finishing Laga crew to win in a photo finish. The crew comprised: cox: Charlotte Lawrence (Banks), Str: Will Legge (Mercs), 7: Jayden Grey (Mercs), Ed Manton (Banks), Matthew Curtin (UTS), James Waldersee (UTS), Sam Bongiorno (Banks), James Chuter (UTS) and Hugo Berry (Banks). Go Lighties. Go Mercs. Holland Beker Regatta – Saturday results Published 25th June 2017 The first day of the Holland Beker Regatta brought mixed results for our members. Josh Dunkley Smith teamed up with Josh Booth in the pair and won comfortably. After a false start and a very shaky first 100m, they forged into the lead by 300metres and never looked back. They got a half second lead at the 500, extended that lead to 3.94 secs and clear water at the 1000, 6.33 second lead at 1500 and finished the race in a time 6:31.06. The conditions were tail. Coach Bill Tait called the race as follows: Challenging and battling their way to a win today in the M2. In a year away from international representation, it’s great these guys have managed to get some time away to represent their wonderfully supportive clubs. Some generous Club members have supported Josh Dunkley Smith and Jen Cleary. Our lightweights were not so lucky being outclassed in their finals today. The lightweight quad scull of Jayden Grey, Will Legge, Ed Manton (Banks) and Sam Bongiorno (Banks) finished last in their final. Also our lightweight under 23 double of Will Legge and Ed Manton also finished last in their final. Also the women’s four with our own Addy Dunkley Smith finish third and last in their final today. This crew got together a few days just before departure for Europe and hopefully will improve their combination for Henley Royal Regatta. The crew comprises Addy in the stroke seat, Meaghan Volker from Tasmania in the 3 seat, Kate Rowan from Queensland in the two seat and Kate Michelmore from MUBC in the bow seat. The crew raced in Mercs colours. In other racing, Scotch College finished second in the junior eights beaten by the Dutch junior eight. Vale Harry Mahoney Published 24th June 2017 It is with deep regret that the Club advises members of the passing of one of our respected members, Harry Mahoney – 16 March 1923 – 18 June 2017. Harry was born 1923 in humble circumstances, left school early and became a fitter and turner. He later specialised in the heat treatment of metal and understandably metallurgy was his passion. He set up his own steel heat treatment company in 1955. He met his wife June on a blind date at a dance. Amongst his other interests he was very keen amateur builder and squash player. He built the Moorabbin Squash Centre and had a squash court at home. Harry joined Mercantile 1946 at same time as Thrasher Richardson and raced in many post war crews. He loved his time at the Club and was a frequent visitor to the Club throughout his life. He was proud of his assistance of the Oarsome Foursome back in 1992 in their early stages of success. A generous and thoughtful person who was a Mercs man to the core. Fiona Albert in the news Published 24th June 2017 Fiona Albert was in the news today in The Australian in an article about women in rowing and the expected opening of the soon to be opened Women’s Training Centre in Penrith. Quoting from the article: Rio Olympian Fiona Albert joined the NTC in January but was forced to drop out of this year’s national team in March, when an ongoing back injury was diagnosed as a herniated disc and required surgery.