News Archive 2008

News Archive 2008
'Family' boats get a boost - GGBC strives to cater for a wide range of river users, be they users of the new fine sculling boats, the stable restricted fours or the super fast eights. We even have a couple of excellent punts moored at The Swan at Streatley. However there has been a small but important craft missing from our fleet - the 'tub'. This is a stable, wide sliding seat boat for two rowers with a bench seat for up to two passengers / coxes at the rear - very much like a traditional Thames skiff but outrigged, and with a sliding seat.....and a hull made of fibreglass! To this end we purchased 'Snuffy' last year, an Eton pair and we've since restored a second identical boat that has been rigged as a double. Excellent I hear you say....but there were still a few essentials missing! Getting the boats into and out of the water easily is very important.....Snuffy came with a purpose built trolley, but we still need one for the second boat. Another must have are covers to stop them filling with water. The plan is to have the boats accessible to all, both young and old, so safety is as always a high priority.....hence we needed a range of adult and child life jackets. A boat is no good with blades.....and 2 sets of sculls are very expensive....but obviously very necessary. The cost of this little shopping list....almost £2k! We were very fortunate to receive a fantastic grant from the Waterway Trust.... it has made our dream of a fleet of family accessible boats a reality. We'd like to thank the trust for helping the club make this very exciting new facility available to our members.		The tubs have already proven very popular with their first touring weekend being a great success - see the Touring page for full details of future events. Both boats have also been very well received as training boats.... ideal for ironing out those annoying little technical problems. What better way to spend a summer evening - an elegant rowing boat, a couple of friends and a few hours on one of the loveliest reaches on the upper Thames.....and with a quiet approach you'll be surprised how close to the river wildlife you'll get.... crested grebes and herons, and keep an eye out for the barn owl and even a hobby. Ella & Sally in the tub

Learn2Scull a great success - well.....apart from the horrendous weather on Bank Holiday Monday! The eight participants on the L2S course made great progress on the water .... helped by their confidence building swimming pool trip on Wednesday. The session started with learning the basics with an outing in the wide stable coxed quads. It wasn't long before the fine doubles were in action.....everyone having a great time practicing circles, slaps and rigger dips!......and no one fell in! By the end of a gruelling day everyone was getting the hang of sculling......some excellent potential for the G&S regatta! Unfortunately the three single sculling sessions scheduled for Monday had to be abandoned due to driving rain and gale force winds!.....the final sessions will be rearranged soon.		Rigger dips.....one of the more testing confidence exercises If you fancy learning to scull then keep an eye out for the next GGBC Learn2Scull course (~August 08). Email to get your name on the mailing list....

Swim Test and Capsize....a fun evening for all! - there was a little trepidation from some of our members as the requirements of the swim test were read out..... 50m front stroke, 50m lifesaving backstroke, 1 min treading water and a bottom hugging drive underwater. They needn't have any fears....everyone completed the tasks with flying colours - and had a great time in the process! We followed the swimming with some throw line practice - essential skills .... just in case.	John & Pete demonstrate the 'buddy' rescue	GGBC members enjoying a dip - having a great time testing their swimming abilities to the limit...
The Learn2Scull capsize drill followed....with everyone doing exceptionally well. Standing rigger dips from all!

Henley Regatta anyone? - another great GGBC social event. Your chance to dress up, watch some top international rowing and have a few glasses of wine. Thursday 3rd July - add it to your social engagements now! We aim to take Snuffy to the regatta so everyone should get the opportunity to get the very best view of the racing... from the barrier. Fancy coming along please contact Vanessa		Learn2Scullers prepare to make a splash! - the first L2S course kicks off at the deep end....literally! A capsize drill at the local swimming pool - should be fun. John testing out one of the new sculls

Touring Weekend a great success - a 10 mile row visiting some new stretches of the Thames, a night camping on an island (with it's associated merriment), and a leisurely row back the following day....what better way to spend a weekend? All the better for being in the company of 10 keen members of the boat club. Many thanks to all who came along and helped out..... we had a great time! Want to know more about the GGBC touring weekends? Then visit our touring page. Richard, Adam & Chris in the 'new' tub 2+ Tim, Sally and Ella in Snuffy		The 'new' tub.....all shiny after refurbishment Fen takes a turn in the 2+ For more photo click here.

Learn2Row...the final session - It seems only yesterday that our group of intrepid would be rowers first set foot in a boat.... and now they are full fledged athletes racing at high speed down the reach. A fantastic achievement and a credit to the hard work of both the participants and the many GGBC volunteers who helped out. We all had a great time but the highlight was the head to head race between the two fine eights. A racing start and then 500m of high pressure rowing..... it was neck and neck right to the line with everyone giving their all. It's not all about rowing and we've made lots of new friends and had plenty to talk about. Just a warning to those entering the Goring & Streatley regatta....these guys and girls are good!.... and they aim to win. The next Learn2Row will be held in the autumn - for further details and to get your name on the mailing list please email.

Regatta Entry Now Online - after a small technical problem we've got the regatta entry system up and running. It's time to get your crews together and join in the fun! Ticket pre-sale and the regatta train session booking will be available soon.		Social Update - two more great events for the diary: - Thurs 3rd July - Henley Regatta (with Snuffy) - Sat 12th July - Pre-Regatta BBQ, at the Catherine Wheel

Learn2Row - in just 6 sessions (only the fourth on the water) our Learn2Rowers have made great progress. As can be seen from the photo opposite they also seem to be enjoying themselves too. Lots of new friends, a beautiful riverside setting, moderate exercise and a great team spirit....all this in less than a month! Already there is talk entering the regatta, camping trips, and adventures abroad....and for one member a marathon row across Scotland! The next Learn2Row is planned for the autumn.....get your name down quick as it's sure to be popular. Worried you might be too old or unfit? - don't be! GGBC is proud of it's inclusive culture.... if you fancy rowing we'll do our very best to help you.

Round the Island Head results - great weather and perfect river conditions gave our crews the ideal opportunity to show the benefit of all that winter training. 5 scratch crews competed for the main event - the restricted fours, with some very respectable sub 11 minutes times. The winning crew in action The results: First place - 10min 45s - Richard, Catherine, Howard & Tim Second place - 10min 59s - Andy, Chris, Sally & Andy Third Place - 11min 20s - Romilly, Annie, John & Trish The fastest boat of the day was an exception sculling effort by Pete who just missed being the first boat ever to break the 9 minute barrier - his superb 9min 1.9s was a fantastic row. Andy also made a strong showing in the single .... our scullers are really showing great potential. 1min erg challenge: Top women - 276m - Annie (a new L2R course member) Top guy - 327m - John (a member of the spring 2007 L2R course) And finally - Richard, Annie and a three man coxing team managed 16min 8s in Snuffy! For full coverage of the day's events click here A great day of rowing - many thanks for all who came down and help out.		Winning crew receive their medals posing with cox Stuart	Pete winner of the fastest boat of the day
		A top GGBC crew pushes to the line

Learn2Rowers make the grade - it may be only their third time on the water but the latest batch of learn2row participants are exceeding all expectations....must be the superb tuition! They've progressed from the restricted fours to the super fast eight .... with stunning results. Well balanced, powerful and fast, these guys and girls have already turned the heads of the riverside walkers. Almost perfect.....the spring L2Rers		From G&S competitor to Mayor of London! - Boris Johnson MP makes the grade winning the top London job.... Obviously his row at the 2006 Goring & Streatley regatta proved the turning point in Boris's fortunes - although unfortunately he failed to win that time! Boris in action....

Happy Event - a very proud mum shows off her new arrivals. Romilly's cat has given birth to 3 kittens ....ahhhh! Two standard tabbies plus a grey tabby. She's obviously enjoying the extra attention, food and warmth....listen for the contented purring as you row pass the narrow boat. RYA Powerboat level II - two of our members have recently passed the launch drivers course. Romilly and Pete West attended to one day course at Longridge, Marlow and had a great day. Many thanks to the TRRC for their support in helping fund the day.		Learn2Row course update - the latest GGBC L2R course is going exceptionally well despite some inclement weather! Everyone is make great progress and the boats are flying along.. Bow and 2 could do with some extra coaching!

Touring Weekend - reserve your place NOW. An exciting weekend of rowing, camping, and merriment. See the Touring page for full details. To book your place please email Round the Island Head - this annual fun event is being held on Sunday 4th May....just turn up, and put your name down to compete. Bring your friends and family....I'm sure they'd like to see what you get up to on weekends!		Swim Test - at GGBC we take safety very seriously. In line with ARA recommendations we've organised a swim test at Oratory school pool on Wednesday 21st May, 6-7pm. Just a quick drip in your rowing kit and a few lengths of the pool....to prove to yourselves you can confidently swim the required minimum distances. Should be fun....we'll also have a go at practicing using throw lines just in case one day we need to use them in an emergency. Please email if you'd like to come along.

Learn2Row Talent - it may have been a very wet and windy day for the first session of the spring Learn2Row course but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of our latest group of novice rowers. A very impressive first session....everyone has already progressed to the advance erging techniques. Lots of potential for some first class crews at this years regatta.... there should be some great racing this year. The next session is based in the rowing tank at Oxford - we'll build on the excellent rowing machine technique and start moving some water!		Punt facilities get a boost - a bunch of GGBC members have been working hard to improve the punting access at the The Swan hotel. Thanks to Stuart the task of removing and replacing the rather heavy covers from the punts is now a thing of the past.....a floating cover protects the boats from the wind and rain. Should be so much easier to take to the water and enjoy an evening on the river.... Why not join GGBC and take advantage of this superb local facility. Social membership which includes use of the punts is just £25 for the year! For more punting information click here.

The Round the Island Head - is an annual event that no member should miss......a great start to the season. This year's spring event is to be held on Sunday 4th May, at the Oratory Boathouse, from 10am-1pm. This is a 'scratch' event - all crews are drawn out of the hat on the day - so there's no need to find a crew.....just turn up a row! The boats used are the stable fours used at the regatta. The race is a timed event, the start and finish are at the boathouse - all you need to do is row to the island, turn, and row back. The best crews manage this in around 10 minutes. There's even a prize for the winning crew.... What better way to meet all your friends at the boat club, dust off your rowing skills, and enjoy the river? Don't forget to bring some lunch..... Contact social@goringgapbc.org.uk for more details.

GGBC Car Sticker - new for the 2008/9 season - a fabulous car sticker! Each new or renewing club member will receive, along with the 'Members Handbook', a stunning GGBC car sticker. We're rightly proud of GGBC - so why not let everyone know you're a member of the areas' leading recreational rowing club? Please help promote your club and raise it's presence in the local community.....

Learn2Row / Learn2Scull - both of the spring courses are fully booked......but don't despair if you've missed out. There will be more courses later in the year, but in the meantime please feel free to come down to the boathouse on Thursday evenings or Sunday mornings for a taster session. Free temporary membership is available for a couple of outings.... so you can soon find out if rowing is the sport / pastime for you. We're sure you'll enjoy it.... don't be shy we are friendly bunch!		Dinner Dance - plans are well underway for this years annual dinner dance...... we can't stop Vanessa organising exciting days out! Put the date in your diary now:- Saturday 15th November The Swan at Streatley Black tie and elegant frocks....for more details please email

Boat Race - another weekend....and another excellent social event. Obviously it had to include some rowing.....so despite the rain and wind we cheered on the winning crew giving them some technical tips from the bank side at Hammersmith. Exclusive footage of the decisive Oxford push for victory is available here! And for those who missed the whole race... see the ITV coverage. A great day out....if rather hazy after celebrating another classic (if rather slow) race.		Regatta 'Call for Entries' Posters - all members should have received one of the posters with their membership renewal. Lots of people have asked for extra copies to put up in their local pub, workplace, gym etc.....so here they are as downloads. 12 different designs.... Posters: - Black 1, 2, 3, 4 - White 1, 2, 3, 4 - Yellow 1, 2, 3, 4

Summertime - Thursday Rowing.....with the clocks going forward the Thursday evening club sessions will resume on 3rd April, be there as early as possible to make full use of the evening light....		Learn2Row - just 2 places left on the spring L2R course .....there is usually a rush of interest as the start date approaches - act now to avoid disappointment. At just £90 it's great value for money....particularly as it includes full membership to GGBC.

Angers Triumph - oh, what a weekend! After the disappointment of last year's event the GGBC crews were keen to show off their rowing abilities. Somewhat worrying was the rather fast flow of the river Maine......a definite red board condition on the Thames! However come midday Saturday the race was still on.....15km but the course had changed. The start line was downstream....a quick 7km with the stream and then a hard slog against the current upstream to the boathouse. And along the way a rather narrow arched bridge that we'd have to negotiate in both directions! The girls crew were made up of 4 GGBC rowers, plus Sarah and Liz from Derby RC, and two rowers from Angers Nautique....a bit of a scratch crew but they performed magnificently. After a lightning fast racing start the GGBC crew soon pulled away from the local Angers crew and stayed in close contention with the other crew in their line up until the turn. Digging deep they lengthened their lead over Angers during the upstream push for home finishing with a sprint to the line. GGBC managed a very creditable 1hr 15min 2s....almost 9 minutes in front of the Angers crew! A superb result - well done girls. After a night of celebrations it was the guys turn to perform. Same course as the girls, so the stakes were high.....slower than 1hr 15 and we'd never live it down. Our opposition were soon boated and on their way towards the start......however Sunday morning was rather windy. A fast current combined with and up stream wind provided some rather choppy conditions ....so much so that one of the octuples sank! The racing was quickly revised .....from a gruelling 15km to a 500m sprint! Undeterred the lads lined up at the start alongside two other crews and despite a rather late start came in an easy second.....and through the the next round. Here we managed a very creditable performance coming in a close second again. Our racing was over but we'd proved we were a crew to be feared! A great weekend of racing, superb hospitality from our friends and Angers Nautique, and an excellent team effort from all involved. And next year....we hope to return.... More photos from the weekend - Gallery 1, Gallery 2 , Gallery 3		GGBC, WRC, and DRC members celebrate a great weekend The girls crew in full flow The guys....perfectly balanced!

New Sculls get christened - Pete , Roger and Richard took to the water on Sunday morning (yep it really was that calm) in the new sculls. The verdict - superb! Pete had his perfectly balance and speeding along in no time. He's no slouch in a scull being the current holder of the round the island record.....a time which he'll no doubt smash in the near future...		Roger had 'a moment'....but remained dry and confident. Guess he momentarily lost concentration while calculating the extra lift he'd be getting from those aerodynamic wing riggers! The boats are relatively stable, have lots of room at the finish and actually go it a straight line (unlike some of our boats!). Come the summer we hope to have a very active sculling group....and may be some races at the regatta.

Boat Race anyone? - our ever resourceful club sec Catherine has teamed up with the Vanessa, the social sec extraordinaire to organise a day out at the races...... Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race Saturday 29th March It kicks off at 17:15.....so plenty of time to catch a train uptown, do some shopping and site seeing and then get a seat in a local pub overlooking the Thames to watch the action......................		...followed by an evening discussing the pro and cons of female coxes! Sounds like a great day out. If you fancy coming along please drop Vanessa a line. Obviously we'll be supporting the blues...in our GGBC splashtops. For full details of the race, crews, & news see the Boat Race website.......plus a video of the course and highlights of the 2007 race (in Italian!)

Learn2Row & Learn2Scull - places going fast......just 3 seats left on both courses. If you want to join us don't delay, book today! STOP PRESS - make that just 2 places on L2S		Angers - The final training outings for our crews has taken place.....and both squads are looking in tip top condition, eager to take on the 15Km course. Could be a new GGBC record time...

GGBC continues to grow and develop - 2008 should be a great year for our ever growing membership with lots of new initiatives to excite our rowers. See below... a brand new course with brand new sculls! To be run over 3 sessions: an evening at a local swimming pool for a swim test and capsize drill. Full day learning the basics of sculling in quads, and doubles. Another full day but this time in the singles.... Should be a great way to start the season - leaving the rest of the summer to practice and perfect your newly found skills. Poster 1, Poster 2 Places on the course are limited to just 8 adults....we expect demand to be high so if you'd like a place please don't hesitate. Full details can be found on the Learn2Scull page. Touring the Thames - the club is working hard to get 3 touring boats on the water in the next few months so we can start a new venture for GGBC.....a touring section. We plan to have some extended trips along the Thames, camping over night as we travel further a field. 'Three Men in a Boat' style rowing.....but with a modern boat, sliding seats, and cleaver blades! Given the success of Snuffy - see right - these trips should be great weekend away for all the family. For full details see the new Touring page. Your chance to name a Scull - there is an exciting opportunity for just 4 local business or individuals to help the club. We need some new sculling blades for our fleet of brand new sculls - in return you get: to name a scull, some valuable publicity, a place on our Learn2Scull course.... Full details on the Sponsorship page....		Snuffy takes to the water - GGBC's newly acquired wide and stable double / pair recently took to the water for the first time.... and the verdict - a superb craft. Room for four on board, easy to balance and stable enough to walk around in! Even rigged as a pair two unmatched rowers can stay on a straight course even in very windy conditions thanks to the large rudder..... ideal for adults and kids alike. To get Snuffy down to the river and back we used her trolley - it works fine. We soon hope to get a custom cover to keep out the rain. Snuffy should soon be joined by a second almost identical boat once renovation is complete. We'll have a nice fleet of very accessible boats ideal for teaching beginners, family outings, and touring trips... Snuffy back from another outing STOP PRESS - movie footage of Snuffy in action - click here!

New Racking complete! - Phew, it's been a lot of hard work but we've finished. The whole of the right hand side of the boat house has been fitted with extra boat storage.....we've even got spare racking! Enough racking for 4 eights, 4 fours, and 10 singles.... The GGBC racks...on the dark side. But that's not all.....the left hand side has extra racking for up to another 4 eights. It's reserved for Oratory boats. For the first time in living memory there are not boats living on trestles.... Oratory Racking...on the sunny side Well done all those who put in many hours to get the structure built. Just the old racking on the lawn to straighten now.....and some covers to build for the tubs...		New Sculls arrive - it's a special day, for the first time in the club's history we've taken ownership of some brand new racing craft......4 shiny singles sculls! They've already had lots of admiring looks and comments.... quick release aluminium wing riggers, beautiful red and white coachwork, brand new shoes....the list goes on. The wing riggers don't just look cool.....there are no shoulders sticking out to bash your hips into! We have 2 x 80kg boats + a 70kg and a 90kg.....so there should be one to fit everyone. If you row these boats (and the other sculls) please note the crew weight label on the hull and only use boats that are suited for your weight. The purchase of the sculls was made possible by a very generous grant from Awards for All. They will enable the club to run a series of Learn2Scull courses during the summer. The first L2S courses is planned to start mid May....if you're interested please drop us a line. We've increased our sculling seats from a lonely single boat (Pegasus) to a fleet of 8 singles (2 are private boats that the owners have kindly given us permission to use) and a double in less than a year. All excellent boats that should provide lots of fun during the summer. New boats...with no names. May be you or a local business would like to sponsor a scull....and buy it some new blades? In return we'll emblazon the scull and blades with your chosen name, provide publicity in the press, web and at the G&S regatta......and give you a place on the Learn2Scull course...for more details please email.

New racking gets a boost! - The new racking is almost complete.....and looks really professional. The right hand side of the boathouse now has racking for potentially 4 eights, 4 fours, and 10 sculls .... all in a sheltered shaded spot, ideal for our wooden boats. Many thanks to Roger and Andy (among others) for putting in many hours of work getting it designed and erected. Superb racking....but what about the tree? We're also adding some racks to the other side for Oratory.... could this be the end of boats living on trestles? One niggling problem has been a thorn in our sides (or should that be a pain in our backs!) - the trees! We've had to thread our 60' eight around the offending trunk for quite a time now. Well things have changed - it's been cut down! Many hanks to Brian and Nigel for felling the tree....suddenly the whole area looks twice are big. Where did all the boats go I hear you ask? - thanks everyone who helped move them onto the lawn. You'll also notice a lack of coaching launches as you manoeuvre the eights from their racks.....they've been moved. Will life ever be the same without the tree / launch obstacle course?		Expert chainsaw work Almost ready (click for video) Cleaning up the stump The final result

Latest Members Handbook online - a riveting read if ever there was one ..... especially the Chairman's introduction. All the latest rule changes have been added along with contact details of your new committee. Seriously - please read through the safety advice and regulations, we don't want anyone doing something silly. Available in printed form in March.....once you've paid your subs!		New sculls set to arrive any day - 4 brand new sculls are just passing through customs ....and will be on their way to GGBC in the coming week. The sculls will a milestone for the club - the first new racing shells we've purchased - thanks to a generous grant from Awards for All. We've worked hard to improve the club's sculling facilities over the past year - Pegasus, our existing craft has now been joined by the 'Red Scull', Nev, Sound (Pete's scull) + the 4 new Wintechs. And of course we've also recently purchased Martin Kay, a superb double, and Snuffy, the tub double.

New Scull for GGBC - We've just acquired a very nice Burgashell single scull complete with two sets of blades. A superb boat for those who want to improve their technique during the summer months. It's been named Nev after it's former owner Nev Llewellyn - who has contributed much to the club over the years. We wish Neville all the best in his new life 'up north'. Sculling will be one of our focus activities this year - we hope to encourage lots of our membership to enjoy an outing in a single....may be as a follow up to the Learn2Scull course that'll be run in the spring.		Angers here we come! - 2 GGBC crews have entered in the gruelling 15km head race held annually in Angers, France. We'll be fielding a strong men's eight and a very competent ladies octuple. It should be a great weekend - rowing, partying and meeting all our old friends from Angers and Basse Seine. It's worth noting that quiet a few of the crew only started rowing this year at the Learn2Row courses...it just shows what can be achieved in such a short time. Still a few places left on the spring L2R course - Click here

Spring Learn2Row course - This year's first Learn2Row course is now taking bookings. We hope to build on the success of last years courses and make the 2008 spring event even better. It's a great way to learn a sport, make new friends and keep fit. Open to adults of all ages, this course has proven extremely popular - we have a large waiting list from last year! So if you're interested please don't delay. Click here for full details or email L2R@goringgapbc.org.uk Update - 50% of the places have already been snapped...in just 3 days. Be quick....... or be disappointed!		Want to tell your work colleagues and friends about L2R? Why not download a poster and pin it to the notice board? Poster Download 1, 2, 3, 4

Flooded again! - not quite up to the July 2007 levels yet...... needless to say there will be no rowing for a while. Click image for the big picture.

Angers 2008 - La Coupe des Dames on March 15th & 16th..... It's a great weekend of racing for both men's and women's eights / octuples. A testing 15Km on the river Maine....plus lots of parties and fun. Fancy being part of the 2008 squad? Please contact us now ....there's some serious training to be done!		Winter rowing - for many of us a fresh frosty winter morning has to be one of the best rowing experiences - bright sunshine, a traffic free river, and mist rising off the water.... what could be better. The weather is never as bad as it looks when you first pear out....just get up and get down to the boathouse - you'll not regret it!

Happy New Year! 2008 Promises to be a Great Year - GGBC is gearing up to another great season of rowing events. We've already received an invite to Angers, France to compete in the 'Coupe des Dames' in March.....lets hope to rain holds off this year. We then have a series of Learn2Row and Learn2Scull courses, and of course the Goring & Streatley regatta in July. Also planned are a couple of touring weekends - rowing and camping on the Thames. Plus of a few regattas and head races throughout the year. Social events should also feature highly - the Santa Row was great fun. An exciting year ahead.....2008 promises to be the best yet.		Goring Gap BC - good value for money? - we've always tried to make GGBC affordable to everyone.....but how do we compare with other rowing clubs? The answer is very favourably! According to a survey carried out by 'Rowing Voice' we are the least expensive river based club to join in the country. Our adult membership fee of just £50, a far cry from those of London RC ....at £496! Here are the figures for full adult membership at a few of our local clubs: Wallingford RC - £300 Reading RC - £285 Maidenhead RC - £280 Goring Gap - a great value fully inclusive rowing club.....why not make 2008 the time to find out more?