WELCOME TO RV E-NEWS

Another sunny Saturday made for some good racing at the Rowing Geelong Masters Regatta, whilst our Pathway Team put in the work in Penrith!

This weekend, a number of clubs will be heading up to the Murray River for the Mildura & Wentworth Easter Regatta! Whether you're on the water or relaxing after a busy season, we hope the whole rowing community has a safe and happy long weekend.

Following this weekend, we cast our eyes towards the final Victorian regatta of the season, the RV Masters State Championships!

Read more below.

Stay Safe, Stay Rowing!

Rowing Victoria

       UPCOMING REGATTAS

VICTORIA DOMINATE PATHWAY REGATTA

A dominant Victorian performance wrapped up a super positive Interstate Pathway Regatta at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, held from 14-15 April.

Well done to our athletes, coaches, parents, and supporters for all their efforts and enthusiasm across the regatta. We are very excited to see what the future holds for these promising young rowers, and hope to see them in the Big White V into the future!

The team was very well supported by our community, with special thanks to:

MUBC for hosting the team during training week, Wesley and Korowa for the erg test venue; and Carey, Melbourne Grammar, Mercantile, and Trinity for providing boats for crews during trials, training, and the regatta.

AMRC BULLETIN

The Australian Masters Rowing Championships are to be held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre from 29 May to 1 June.

The first regatta bulletin, orphan list, and key regatta information can be accessed via the link below. Entries are open, and will close at 11:59pm on Monday 19 May.

OTRC TEAM - NOMINATIONS OPEN

Rowing Victoria is now seeking athlete and coach nominations for selection in the Oceanic U22 Teams Rowing Championships (OTRC) Team.

The team will compete at West Lakes, SA, from Thursday 24 July – Sunday 27 July.

To be eligible athletes will be 18-21 years of age on 31 December 2025. Exceptions to this age group may apply to para-rowers. Athletes selected in an U23 or Senior A Australian Team in 2025 are not eligible.

28 athletes and 4 coaches will be selected.

Please see nomination pages below for more information.

REMINDER: BOW & STERN LIGHTS

It is important that ALL rowers on ALL waterways (and coaches on bikes and powerboats) between sunset and sunrise have adequate lighting for your safety and the safety of others. 

Rowing boats, in restricted visibility and between sunset and sunrise, are required by LAW to exhibit;

• Two all-round white lights - one attached to the boat at or near the forward or bow end, and one attached to the boat at or near the stern end.
• Bow light - A continuous white light is considered acceptable if it is visible in clear conditions from a distance of 1 kilometre.
• Stern light - A flashing white light is considered acceptable if it flashes at least once per second and is visible in clear conditions from a distance of 1 kilometre.

Not withstanding the above, it is considered acceptable for a light to be masked so as not to interfere with the vision of the vessel’s occupants, provided at least one light is visible from any direction (see diagram below).

BIKE LIGHTS

In addition to safely lighting our boats, it is important that coaches are also meeting requirements off the water. By law, your bike must be fitted with a rear red reflector, a bell, and at least one working brake.

When riding at night and in low-light, you must use a front white light and a rear red light. The light can be flashing or steady but must be seen from 200 metres away. It is also a good idea to use flashing lights during the day to help other road users see you.

SAFETY REMINDER

Rowing Victoria would like to remind all members the importance of using our equipment and waterways safely and appropriately.

Please follow traffic rules, including correctly using designated turning zones. Rules and maps for all waterways can be found on our Venues webpage. By following these rules, our waterways are safer for all. 

We have also been made aware of a number of incidents where rowing coaches have been sighted either riding without helmets, using megaphones at incorrect hours, or using mobile phones while riding (both in conversation or filming their crews).

For your own safety, to avoid fines, and to respect other members of the community, we ask that you please ensure you are obeying the law and not partaking in the behaviours above.

WATERWAY ACCESS & INCIDENT REPORTING

Could all waterway users please ensure they are acquainted with their local waterway rules; traffic direction, turning points, stationary obstacles etc.

So that RV, Maritime Safety Victoria and now, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority can support the community in providing safe waterways, please register all incidents via the RV Report an Incident tile on the home page of the RV website.

A consistent management of reporting will assist us in ensuring we are kept safe on the water and the chances of equipment damage is mitigated.