Start of camp: trials, water effort and a tip and slip

Trials
The mens side got back on camp and pulled trials on the 5th. Tradition has usually stated in the past that you are not allowed to row a boat on camp until you have completed a trial.
This was the second trial for the men since the start of training at the end of May and results were not good in comparison. Times were not better with the second trial, in some cases, being up to 30secs off their previous effort.

Rowing Effort
Doing a lot of water time down at settlers. We're averaging 14km easy per session. Its not a straight dam so the corners are the only worry at the moment- we're having to stop once or twive during each staright of the dam. One straight of the dam is about 3km and we're doing that 4 times per session.

It was interesting to note in the video above of Tristans race off with a schoolgirl sculler. His list of excuses for being rowed through included:
-the settings on his scull were wrong
-she was rating one or two pips higher than he was
-she had the inside line
-boatrace is a sweep oar event, not a sculling event.

Tip and slip
Manon, Jess and Jax were here a bit early for their camp and so had a session in the pair.
Jess expains in the vidoe how Jax and Manon managed to tip the pair.
The humbling part though is while I'm there jesting at the girls when they come in, I stand and take a few steps back and slip through the docking boards- have a watch:

All and all its pretty kiff training at the moment. Here's a video showing just how good it is training in Africa. Last few sessions haven't been as nice though with quite a bit of wind making training hard.

Micheen Thornycroft, Blake Friedman

Rowing in the RURC can set you up for a good future. Andrew Theron, Boatrace Crew 2006-2009 and captain in 2008, firmly states that the qualities he relies on in the workplace today, he learnt from his days in the RURC.

This being said, it can even set you up for a good career in rowing-as can be seen from recent happenings:

Micheen Thornycroft, Womens Boatrace A Crew 2006-2009, has qualified for the London Olympics representing Zimbabwe in the heavyweight scull. She had qualifying races in Egypt against other African countries toward the end of last year, which she won to earn her spot. The first hurdle prior to this was to prove that she was the fastest in Zimbabwe and perhaps an even earlier hurdle was to get fast in a scull- a boat she had not rowed in a while as her university rowing consisted of a lot of sweep oar.

On the Rowing Tour in between World Cups 2012

Since then she has competed at 2 rowing world cups coming 10th and 13th respectively. Her aim for the olympics, let alone the dream of qualifying, is to be placed in the top 12 out of the 30 or so competitors.

Boatrace womens A crew 2009, seated 5

Micheen competed in 4 boatraces at Rhodes winning in 2006 and 2007 and coming second in 2008 and 2009. She was captain in 2007, vice president in 2008 and president in 2009. While at Rhodes Micheen, known as Mouse, competed at Henley in a very good coxless four-the whole boat going on to make Blues as well as a pair with her sister Rose for Zimbabwe at the World Under 23's.

Living the dream

Blake Friedman, Mens Boatrace A crew 2008-2009 and Gondwanaland Crew 2007, won the Thames Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta. The Thames Challenge Cup is the club mens 8 event. He won with Molesey Boat Club, the English based club he now represents.

Thames Challenge Cup Winners,Molesey Boat Club, Blake 3rd from left

Racing at the Henley Royal Regatta for Molesey, seated 3

Blake was involved in the infamous Rhodes-Stellies 2007 B Crew final in which Rhodes triumphed only to be told that the race was to be re-rowed due to various clashes and claims coming from them. Rhodes were unable to row due to an after race beer too many as well as an injury in the boat and the official victory was given to stellies, a victory which Blake and the crew still reject to this day. Blake even went as far as to make a cap and shirt which read "Stellies- medals in the post", which he wore at the next years boatrace.

His results in the A crew were 5th in 2008 and 4th in 2009.



Boatrace mens A crew 2009, seated 6



Blake was most notably known for his strength on the erg and pulled a 16:36 in his last boatrace season for Rhodes.

living the dream