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As I am sure most of you are aware, the Hampton head of the river race is coming up on Saturday February the 4th and we have entered three crews from the J14 squad. This race is important as it offers an early indication of how the squad is doing against almost all of the top rowing schools. It is a highly valuable racing experience away from home water and it will be good to see where we are standing against the likes of Hampton School and the other visiting crews.

http://www.hamptonschool.org.uk/The-School/Sport/Sports-%281%29/Rowing.aspx

This link is to the race website which should offer most of the information needed for the race.

As boating starts for the 10am race at 9am I would like the boys to arrive at 7.30 at the Hampton School boathouse (Lower Sunbury Road) to get their boats off the trailer and put them together. I know this sounds like a lot of time but when the boys are inexperienced with the boats the more time to check equipment the better. By the time the boys have raced and re-loaded the boats onto the trailers I would expect them to be done by about 12.30-1pm latest.

For the race the boys will need to be kitted out for all weather conditions. The race organisers have said that they will not allow any crew to boat if the crews are not suitably dressed for the weather. The nature of head races is such that there will be a lot of waiting around up at the start. The boys will need plenty of layers and preferably nothing too baggy that will catch on the slides of the boat or the handles of the blades. Official KCS rowing kit is not a must at all, but any boys that have purchased this should race with it. The boys will also need suitable food and drink. Ideally water, squash or lucozade over coke or anything too heavy to drink and snacks such as jaffa cakes, bananas and cereal bars as pre race food. The final thing that the boys will need is a 10mm spanner. The nuts on all of the rowing boats are 10mm and from now onwards it would be a good idea if the boys could have a 10mm spanner in their kit bags at all times in case we need to do some rigging of boats. They are widely available and should not be expensive.

http://www.rock-the-boat.co.uk/cat-5-subcat-13-product-9

This link is one option for the boat rigging tool that is used as a standard.

The boys do not need to boat into the water like we do on the Tideway with wellies so if they can turn up to the race with trainers this will help getting on and off the water a little bit faster. There is a floating pontoon at Hampton so the boys will not be required to wade in.

The race itself will be over a 3,000m course, this will take the boys something like 12 minutes to finish. The best place for parents to watch from is the Molesey side of the river on the Surrey bank. The Hurst Park area just off of Hurst Road offers the best views of the boys finishing the race. This on the other side of the water from where the boys will boat from.

As we have entered three crews there may be a little bit of confusion over who gets to race in which boat and also with only 2 coxes in the squad we will require possibly one of the smaller boys to be a team player and take the coxing seat this time around. There will also possibly be a couple of boys that can not make the race due to other school commitments or boys that have not been given the chance to race this time around due to numbers. Please do not feel that in these cases the boys are being singled out or that they are not getting on well with the rowing. It is unfortunately the way numbers have worked out due to how many entries we can put in and how many boats and coaching staff we can take on the day. This is the first proper racing experience and there will be plenty of time for those that do not race to get their chance to do so. Also there will be plenty of time for crews to change and the crews the boys race in on that weekend are not a closed shop for the rest of term.

CLICK HERE  to see the Hampton Head of the River page.
See the Locations tab above for how to find Hampton Boat Club.

Crews Entered.

Morning Division
J14 A 8X+
J14 B 8X+
J14 C 8X+
J16 4+
J16 4-
Sen G 4+
Sen 4-
Sen 2-
Sen 2-

Race Time: 10:00am
Boating @: 9:00am
Meeting at 7:30am
Meeting at Hampton school boathouse.
J14s expect to be on the water for a long period and dress appropriately.
J14s water bottles warm/water proof clothing required as well as rigger jiggers (purchased from Mr. Duggan £5 each)
Please allow time for your son/Daughter to de rig their boat after the race. (expected to be finished by 12:30pm)

Afternoon division
Crews Entered
J15 A 8+
J15 B 8+
J16 A 8+
J 18 A 8+
Race Time: 2:00pm
Boating at: 1:00pm
Meeting at 11:30am at Hampton school boathouse.

Dress appropriately
Please allow time for your son to de rig their boat after the race. (expected to be finished by 4:00pm)

Here is a link to the Quintin Head of the River page quintinboatclub.org/quintinhead

See the Locations tab above for how to find Quintin Boat Club

Crews Entered

Boys J15 8+
Boys J16 8+
Boys J18 8+.
Race Time 9:30am
Boating @ 8:30am

Meeting at 7:30 am (KCS Boathouse)

Raffle, Christmas Food, Mulled Wine, Fun races with prizes for best costumes…

and officially say goodbye to Chris Grimble as he heads off ‘up the river’ for challenges new. 

£5 per adult, on the day, under 12s are Free!

All funds raised will go to support KCSBCSA activities throughout the year.

09:30              boat for 1^st DIVISION –there may be a queue

10:15              Above Thames Ditton buoy see instructions

10:30              1^st DIVISION

11:30             Arrive and rig boats for division 2

12:30              boat for 2^nd DIVISION

1:15                above Thames Ditton Buoy

1:30                2^nd DIVISION

Approx finish time 4pm – rowers may leave once they have permission from their coach

START ORDER:

http://www.walbrookrc.co.uk/news/uncategorized/teddington-head-race-start-order/

 BRING PLENTY OF KIT ESPECAILY IF RACING IN 2 DIVISIONS, COLD WEATHER ETC

 MAKE SURE YOU KNOW RACE RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS:

http://www.walbrookrc.co.uk/news/uncategorized/teddington-small-boats-head-procedures/

 N.B. NAVIGATION OF COURSE : TIME PENALTIES AND DISQUALIFICATION ARE AWARDED FOR INCORRECT STEERING AND NAVIGATION

COMPETITORS ARE ASKED TO MAKE THEIR OWN WAY TO KINGSTON ROWING CLUB & THE EVENT

Please join us for a relaxed chilli supper and fundraising evening

PLUS –  A CHANCE TO WIN THE HONOR OF NAMING A KCS BOAT IN THE RAFFLE!!

Tickets ADULTS: £15 ROWERS: £12

There will be a cash bar for wine, beer and soft drinks

Dress: Smart casual

Please print off, complete and post – thank you.

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To: Katherine Clarke (BCSA), 1 Clonmore Street, London, SW18 5EU.

Please make cheques payable to KCSBCSA

Number of Adults ……………@£15 Number of under 19’s ………….@£12

Total: £………………………………….. Number of vegetarian meals:…………………

Names (with year groups)  …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Email ……………………………………..………….……  (Tickets will be issued by email)

RSVP by THURSDAY 3rd NOVEMBER

Oxford charity rowers including Doug Sexton

photo credit:  Oliver Cox

Oxford, United Kingdom – On 5 July 2011, eight students from University College, Oxford, including an OK 2010, will row 110 miles to London to raise money for Rape Crisis and the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.

Eight students from University College are preparing to embark on a two day row from Oxford to London to raise money for charity. Stroking this crew is Old King’s boy Douglas Sexton, who rowed for three years in the KCS 1^st VIII.

The distance of the row is the equivalent of four marathons.  Organiser Ethan Kay, a doctoral candidate who completed a similar row three years ago, said: “It is the single, most memorable experience of my five years in Oxford.  It’s an incredible, beautiful, unforgettable row.”

This year the crew hopes to raise money for Rape Crisis and the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.

Rape Crisis coordinates a national network of centres, which provide counselling and other specialist services to victims of sexual violence.

One crewmember said:  “Rape is not malaria. There is a cure, and it is to change the culture in which we live. We realise that as eight brawny Oxford men rowing against rape, we can help make a difference in that way. Rape is a difficult subject matter. To speak about it is to acknowledge its existence. But we must confront the issue if it is ever to change.”

The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust provides free depression training to health professionals, school staff, students and the general public.  Depression is an all to common problem amongst students at the high-pressure universities, which King’s boys invariably attend, after KCS.  Often students are forced to re-sit a year or even drop out due to it, when a simple coffee with someone trained to help them cope with depression was all they needed.

Toby Fisher, an undergraduate, said:  “This charity is close to me having lost a friend, whose parents are involved with this charity, to depression.  It’s aimed especially at young people so probably has some resonance among our peers.”

To support the rowers, send a cheque made out to Charlie Waller Memorial Trust or Rape Crisis (England and Wales) care of University College, High Street OX1 4BH or via the specially created justgiving websites

Charlie Waller Memorial Trust: http://www.justgiving.com/univx1

Rape Crisis: http://www.justgiving.com/univx

8:15 am      meet at KCSBC. Travel to Dorney Lake (cars and Truck)

9:00 am      Arrive at Dorney

                    rig boats & coxes weigh in

                   see race schedule for race prep and boating

please note that there is a charge of £15 for parking – passes will be emailed out.

Competitor information:

http://www.themarlowregatta.com/2011-regatta/information-for-competitors/

Regatta draw:

http://www.themarlowregatta.com/fs/downloads/2011_regatta/2011SaturdayDraw.pdf