August 18, 2023

In this edition of the eNews, we highlight rowing shell lights requirements ... life jackets ... SAFETY! 

You can't be safe on the water if you can't be seen. So, be sure to light up! Safety is every rower's responsibility.

Don't forget the AGM and Awards night on Friday, August 25. There's more info down the page. We hope to see you there!

Navigational light requirements - rowing shells

On 31 May 2018, after a consultation period, Rowing Tasmania wrote to affiliated clubs and schools to advise the new lighting requirements from 1 June 2019. Lighting requirements are as follows:

• Strobe light forward on the bow with 360 degrees of visibility
• White light on the stern which will be visible at 270 degrees aft of the stern
• Lights will have a range of 1 nautical mile

Shells and rowers must not display red “bike riders” lights under any circumstances as they may cause confusion with conventional port lights on other craft.

You can view the MAST video, Rules for lighting on paddle craft and rowing shells, by clicking on the above picture.

Click here to view the safety documents and videos on our website

Life Jackets

The Marine and Safety General Regulations are being amended to include:

• No life jacket to be worn (on a rowing shell) if the coach boat or safety boat is within 500 metres of the crew
• Carriage of four additional life jackets above what would normally be required by the occupants in the coach or safety boat
• No life jackets are required during a Rowing Tasmania sanctioned event provided an approved safety management plan has been prepared

Recently, one of our rowers capsized and inflated the life jacket which assisted the athlete in swimming to the bank in cold water conditions.

IF YOU'RE OUT ON THE WATER WITHOUT A COACHES BOAT IN ATTENDANCE
A LIFE JACKET IS A MUST-HAVE PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Have you got this important date in your diary? Rowing Tasmania's 111th Annual General Meeting and the 2023 Rowing Tasmania Awards Presentation function are on Friday 25th August at the Tamar Rowing Club, 14 West Tamar Rd, Launceston.

In a break from the traditional format the Awards Presentation will precede the AGM.

7:30pm: Awards Presentation
8:20pm: Annual General Meeting

We hope to see you there!

King's Birthday Honours

Reeconian and Ulverstone Rowing Clubs member Roger Blake was inducted into Membership of the Order of Australia (AM) as part of the 2023 King's Birthday Honours list announced in June. Roger was recognised for his significant work in sport (rowing and basketball) as a competitor, administrator, and statistician.

He was presented with his Order of Australia medal by the Governor of Tasmania, Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, at a ceremony in Launceston earlier this month.

In the pictures above, Roger is shown receiving his award from the Governor, left, and, on the right, with his father Bob Blake OAM and Rowing Tasmania CEO Rob Prescott.

Congratulations Roger!

RT appointed positions - put your hand up!

Rowing Tasmania is calling for expressions of interest for the following appointed positions for the 2023-2024 season:

• Selectors - Club x 3 positions
• Selectors - Masters x 3 positions
• Team Manager - Club
• Team Manager - Masters
• Rules Committee x 4 positions
• Regatta Photographer
• Media Liaison Officer

Please send your EOI to admin@rowingtasmania.com.au by August 21, 2023.

World Rowing Championships

RT congratulates Tasmanian rowers Henry Youl (TRC),
Sarah Hawe (SRC) and Anneke Reardon (ANUBC) on their
selection in Australia's squad for the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Serbia.

Henry is a member of the men's quad (M4x) with Caleb Antill, Jack Cleary and David Bartholot; Sarah will row in the women's four (W4-) with Giorgia Patten, Katrina Werry and Lucy Stephan OAM; and Anneke will team with Lucy Coleman in the lightweight women's double (LW2x).

The WRC will be held from September 3-10 in Belgrade. Follow the event here.

Optus upgrades mobile coverage

Optus has switched on a new tower to strengthen mobile coverage for the Lake Barrington area.

The newly installed Optus-owned site, located
on the hill overlooking Lake Barrington, will provide Optus customers with improved density of the mobile network and network capacity.

Peter West, Optus Territory General Manager
for Tasmania, said: "The introduction of a mobile tower for the first time near Lake Barrington will enable customers to take advantage of our amazing network."

The investment to expand Optus' telecommunications infrastructure and mobile coverage is part of an ongoing project to improve coverage and reliability across the Optus mobile network throughout Tasmania.

Water levels at Lake Barrington

Lake Barrington was created in the 1970s when Devils Gate Dam was built and is a run-of-river storage in the Mersey-Forth hydro generation scheme. But why do water levels change at Lake Barrington? Hydro Tasmania provides the details in this "What's that about?" document.

World University Games

Congratulations to Rowing Tasmania member Sophie Robinson (TIS/UTas/TUBC) and her LW2X partner Maggie Foley (Deakin Uni/Corio Bay RC) who rowed the A Final of their event at the World University Games in Chengdu, China, earlier this month, finishing in sixth place. The event was won by the Italian crew (Borghi/Corazza) in a time of 7:01.87.

Queensland based former Rowing Tasmania and Buckingham Rowing Club member Alec Paterson (QUT/Toowong RC) and his M2X partner Darcy Watter (QUT) won the B Final of their event in 6:42.67.

Book launch invitation

The rowing community is invited to attend the launch of Sandra Harvey's book, Making waves: Tasmanian Oarswomen 1922-2022, at 5pm on Friday, September 15, 2023, at New Town Bay Rowing Centre. RSVP to Sandra by Friday September 8: Sandra59harvey@gmail.com.

"In the decades from 1922 until 2022 Sandra Harvey selected a number of prominent Tasmanian oarswomen and crews, showcasing their pioneering stories of success against all odds. She has included stories of the women who volunteered their time and support, for they too are an important part of Tasmania's rowing history." (Editor Forty South Publishing)

Coastal Rowing and Beach Sprint Championships

Two of Rowing Tasmania's Master rowers, Glenn Keppel and Julie Sillifant (GRC), headed to warmer climes in late July for the Australian Coastal Rowing and Beach Sprint Championships in Queensland.

Glenn can be seen in the above picture (Rowing Australia/Con Chronis) guiding a  quad through the Mooloolaba Beach swell.

Glenn and Julie returned to Tassie with a gold medal in the Masters Mixed Beach Sprint Double Scull and silver in the Masters Mixed Coastal Rowing Double Scull. The pair were supported by boat handler/coach Alex Hutchinson (GRC).