WELCOME TO RV E-NEWS

The Victorian rowing season is just around the corner, with the Grand Ponderosa Cup kicking off the action next weekend! 

With no on-water racing to follow this weekend, this edition includes a variety of education opportunities to prepare members for the season ahead.

A special mention to Shane Wood & Glenn Bottrell, who were also awarded Life Membership of the Rowing Victoria Umpires' Commission last month, with over 20 years of service. We apologise for the oversight, and congratulate them on this much deserved recognition!

Read more below.

Rowing Victoria

       UPCOMING REGATTAS

LEVEL 2 COACHING ACCREDITATION

Are you Level 1 accredited and ready to take the next step?

To gain your Level 2 Coaching Accreditation you need to:

The next series of in-person workshops will be:

Discussion & Problem Solving
Thursday 11 September from 5:30-8:30pm @ RV Office, 31-33 Aughtie Dv, Albert Park

Rigging
Sunday 14 September from 9am-12pm @ The Geelong College Boatshed
 
If you are interested in attending these workshops please contact delwyn@rowingvictoria.asn.au. Places are limited!

DISCOVER YOUR TOP MENTAL SKILLS FOR PERFORMANCE

The Centre for Wellbeing Science at the University of Melbourne are piloting a performance skills inventory that will help young adults to build personalised plans for everyday performance.

18 to 25 year olds can complete the online questionnaire and receive a personal performance profile that highlights the mental skills and practices that they are strongest in, and the ones that they could develop further.

Take the questionnaire to receive your personal profile!

ROWING & HEART HEALTH

UNDERSTANDING AF IN ENDURANCE ATHLETES

Rowing builds some of the strongest athletes in sport, with its intense aerobic demand and full-body coordination, rowing builds cardiovascular strength, endurance and resilience like few other disciplines.

In a new feature, world-leading sports cardiologist Dr Andre La Gerche shares insights into atrial fibrillation (AF) in endurance athletes, including the latest research on its prevalence among former Australian rowers, and why awareness, not alarm, is key.

PPEP TALK - PERIODS, PAIN, ENDOMETRIOSIS PROGRAM

The Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia is a not-for-profit dedicated to improving the lives of people with pelvic pain and the health professionals who support them. Through education and advocacy, they strive to build a healthier, more informed, and productive community.

PPEP Talk® Sports is an engaging, age-appropriate and medically accurate program. It integrates modern neuroscience of pain and connects menstrual cycle information with training, aiming to empower and educate young athletes. PPEP Talk® addresses the number one priority of the National Action Plan for Endometriosis – education and awareness.

This session is for post school rowers, senior school rowers, parents, & coaches.

HEAD OF THE YARRA - BOAT LOAN

2025 Head of the Yarra is fast approaching, with a number of international and interstate crews looking to hire boats for the event.

If your club or school has boats and equipment they are willing to loan out, please visit the Hire/Loan Facebook page via the link below.

CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF BRIAN RICHARDSON OAM

A celebration of the life of Brian Richardson OAM is to be held at Mercantile on Monday 15 September at 5.30pm. Please see link below for invitation.

Brian represented South Australia in the Kings Cup on 8 occasions before moving to Victoria in 1975. He was a member of Monash Rowing Club and stroked the Victorian Kings Cup crews in 1976, 1978, 1979 and 1980 had his first win in 1979 and followed this by winning again in 1980.

Brian was a dual Olympian (1976, 1980) and a member of the winning America’s Cup Crew of Australia II in 1983. He coached many winning Victorian Kings Cup crews starting in 1985 and also the Australian VIII at Barcelona 1992, Beijing 2008 and for silver in Sydney 2000.

BEACH SPRINTS REGATTA - ENTER NOW

Beach Sprints is BACK! As the sun begins to shine come September, it's the perfect time to try out the excitement filled new variation of our sport!

Everyone is welcome - whether you're an experienced rower or completely new to the sport.

You can register with a friend, or on your own and we'll match you with a partner.

Ready to hit the beach? Fill out the form below and join the action!

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.