Title: National Schools Regatta, Nottingham
27th to 29th May 2011 – Parents information
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Dear Supporters
This post contains all the information you will need to know when you come and support your Son or Daughter at the biggest regatta of the season
The KCS Boat Club Supporters’ Association will host the KCSBC marquee on the Grassy Bank which will act as the focal point for KCS Supporters. This year we have been allocated pitch 10 on the North Grassy Bank, which is the same side as the scoreboard but opposite the Regatta centre. You should park in Spectators’ Car Park A and then walk down to the side of the rowing lake our pitch is on the finish line side of the scoreboard.
This is the largest event that the school attends and is spread over three days with some 70 plus KCS & Goldolphin girls and boys competing. It is really worth the trip so do try to come along and support our rowers.
The King’s College School Boat Club Supporters Association provide food and drinks for the boys on all three days of the event and as you can imagine this is a major undertaking so please lend a hand when possible.
On the Friday the J14 food will be coordinated by Sally Whitelely and Caroline Edwards and the boys will be provided with a baguette lunch together with cakes and drinks, followed by much deserved bacon sandwiches after they have finished racing. Supporters can meet at the KCSBC marquee where there will be tea, coffee and squash available all day.
On the Saturday Nicole Clement-Weiss and Kavita Willers and the J16 parents will be coordinating food for the boys. As in previous years they will be provided with a baguette lunch or a bowl of pasta together with cakes and drinks, followed by much deserved bacon sandwiches after they have finished racing. Supporters can meet at the KCSBC marquee where there will be tea, coffee and squash available all day together with bacon sandwiches in the morning.
On the Sunday food will be organised by the parents who are present on that day once we know who they are and the timings of the events that KCS are involved in.
On Saturday an Afternoon Tea will be provided for the Supporters by Katherine Clarke, Caren Buchanan and Helen Sergeant and the J15 parents this will provide a focal point for us to congregate as a group and swap stories of KCS successes of the day. In the event that the weather is as unkind as it has been in pervious years the timing can be brought forward to help fill the waiting time!!
A few additional notes to help you get the most out of the weekend:
Click here to visit the National School Regatta website nsr.org.uk The NSR site gives details of all race entries and times.
There are large supermarkets close to the entrance to the National Watersports Centre (Morrisons on Links Bar Road in Gamston or Asda on the Loughborough Road in West Bridgeford), which are good places to buy or top up the picnic.
When you arrive please volunteer an hour of your time to help serve drinks and boys’ food. If your son’s crew is racing when you are on duty please feel free to drop everything and race to the water’s edge to cheer them on! Remember the boys are fed over the weekend by a team of volunteers and many hands make light work. Helping is also an excellent way to get to know the people you could potentially be sharing the towpath with for the next few years.
Don’t forget to bring chairs, tables, rugs, crockery and cutlery and a picnic lunch for your family, and to supply your son with any additional snacks, energy drinks, etc. that he might feel gives him the winning edge.
An umbrella/sunshade, sunscreen and a few extra layers may also help as the wind can blow hard across the course at Nottingham. As I found out in previous years it is best to prepare for every season! Please ensure that the boys bring with them plenty of kit and most importantly a waterproof jacket and warm clothing to wear between and after racing. At the recent event at Dorney a number of the boys had insufficient clothing and a couple became worryingly cold. Finally, remember to bring binoculars to watch with and cameras to record the efforts of our crews.
For those new to the event there are buses running down the side of the course, usually only on the Saturday and Sunday, which follow each race. It’s a great way to watch the racing for a small charge but be sure to arrive at the bus in good time to be certain of being down at the start for the correct race you wish to follow.
It is not possible to follow the races by bike. The only bikes allowed are those ridden by coaches wearing NSR vests; this is strictly enforced by the regatta officials, so leave those bikes at home!
On Friday, the marquee will have already been put up for the J14s and the coaches BUT help will be needed to unload supplies from cars and set up the tent; please let Katherine Clarke, Caren Buchanan and Helen Sergeant know if you will be able to help. Likewise on Sunday we will need to dismantle the site.
If your son is attending the regatta please note that there is a National Schools T-shirt which lists the names of all competitors; this much treasured memento cost about £20 last year and is available for purchase from the regatta centre. If you cannot make it to Nottingham yourself you may wish to send your son/daughter with sufficient funds!
Fingers crossed for good weather and successful racing. Please join in the cheering for all KCS crews; if you go home with a sore throat from all the cheering you’ll know you’ve done your bit to give our crews that winning edge!
