Welcome to the March Issue of Perfect Balance
The last issue of Perfect Balance was in October 2005 and it is now March 2006. It has been a long time between issues – sorry about that – time seems to run away when you’re having fun!
Previous issues of Perfect Balance:
In this issue:
However Wellington Waterfront Limited and the Tenths Trust have both lodged an appeal of these conditions to the Environment Court. The respondent to the appeal is the Wellington City Council (because the Council granted the consent). Wellington and Star have joined the appeal, which means we can now have a say in the matter.
The formal process of the appeal is that there is first compulsory mediation, where a court appointed mediator attempts to broker an agreement between all parties. If this is not successful then the matter goes to the Environment Court.
Mediation has been set for Tuesday, 11 April.
In the meantime there has been some informal dialogue between the clubs and Wellington Waterfront Limited. We have a better understanding of Wellington Waterfront’s concerns and we feel they have a better understanding of ours, and of our operations. This dialogue is continuing.
The clubs are adamant that the conditions granted are necessary for their continued viable operation. We need to find a way that the conditions basically stay as they are but the concerns of Wellington Waterfront are addressed. The ideal situation would be for the clubs and Wellington Waterfront to agree before we get to mediation – but we are not there yet.
More next newsletter …
Fundraising
A very successful quiz night was held a couple of weeks ago. This raised approximately $20,000 which will be put toward the legal costs for the appeal. A big THANK YOU to Margaret Mather and members of the joint fundraising committee for this huge effort. Also thanks must go to all those who donated goods and services – the list is long but will be published in a future edition of Perfect Balance.
The next big fundraising event will be the Waterfront Art Exhibition. This is an exhibition of about 100 artworks depicting Wellington’s Waterfront. Proceeds from sales will go to the clubs’ joint submission account to help with the legal bills.
Other initiatives include a concert programme – details at another time.
Regatta Results
Wellington Championships – Wellington was third overall (yet again!). Only a small contingent of club rowers competed in this regatta because of the clash of dates with the bigger KRI-2. But there were some good results – Rowan Barbalich won both the Men’s open and club singles, and then teamed up with brother Gerard to take out the open double. And Kerstin Burridge had a good win in the Women’s open single.
It is a great pity that the Wellington Rowing Association chose to run this regatta on the same date as the KRI regatta. The Karapiro regatta has been held on the last weekend of January for many years now and is considered by many to be an essential regatta for those wishing to do well at the national rowing championships. Let’s hope the Association doesn’t make this mistake again.
KRI-2 (Karapiro Rowing Incorporated regatta number 2) – novice men won both the novice eight and four, senior men second in the senior coxless four and novice women third in the novice eight.
Wanganui Champs – gold medals to the women’s novice four, men’s novice eight, four and double, women’s under 17 double, and men’s open coxless four (and so won the Wally Sharpe Memorial Trophy).
New Zealand National Rowing Championships – the best result for a club perspective was the bronze medal in the men’s senior pair (James Little and Martin Tschaege). This is the first national championship senior men’s medal for the club since about 1978! Well done guys, we’re proud of you. Other medals were silver in the men’s club eight and bronze in the men’s novice eight. Another result worth mentioning was Kerstin Burridge’s fourth place in the women’s premier single, behind such names as Caroline Evers-Swindell, Michelle Guerette and Emma Twigg and ahead of dozen of New Zealand’s top women single scullers – this can only be described as an excellent result. Well done Kerstin, we are proud of you too.
For more information on the club’s results at the national champs click on “News” at www.wellingtonrowing.org.nz
North Island Secondary Schools Championships – Club rowers from St Mary's, Onslow and Samuel Marsden Colleges competed in this regatta.
"A" final results: St Mary's Rebecca Tong's 7th in the girl's under 17 single; Onslow boys 5th in the under 17 quad, 6th in the U17 eight and 7th in the U16 double; and Onslow girls 6th in the U17 four.
"B" final results: St Marys 4th in the U18 double; Marsden and Onslow girls 2nd and 5th respectively in the novice four; Onslow boys 3rd in the U17 four, and 6th in U17 double.
Congratulations
Our congratulations to Clemmie Marshall on her selection to the NZ Women's Eight - Clemmie started her rowing career with the Wellington Rowing Club, rowing for Samuel Marsden and the club during her school years. She continued with the club after leaving school, wining a number of medals at the national champs before moving to Christchurch for university. The club is proud to have an association with another New Zealand representative.
Rowing Magazine
Do you want to receive Rowing New Zealand’s Rowing Magazine? This is sent free to all rowers and coxswains who hold competition licences. If you haven’t received one yet it is probably because you haven’t provided us with your correct postal address. You can do so by emailing perfectbalance@wellingtonrowing.org.nz.
Website
Have you visited our website, lately? It is regularly updated with reports of the latest regattas, photos of the National Rowing Champs, the latest issue of Perfect Balance, etc. Visit www.wellingtonrowing.org.nz soon.
Contributions can be sent to webmaster@wellingtonrowing.org.nz (please make sure any photos have been compressed to the smallest possible size before you send them).
Wellington Rowing Club 2005/06 Prize Giving
Tickets will be on sale on Sundays 9th, 23rd and 30th April at 10am, and Wednesdays 26th April and 3rd May at 6pm. Phone 385 2285 for details.
Get your tickets early for the biggest event on the rowing calendar.
The organisers also have requested volunteers to help out with the bar, ticket collection, coat check, etc. Also does anyone know of a person with a bar manager’s licence? Give Debs a call on 385 2285 if you can help.
Winter Training
The best thing rowers can do after the end of their season is to have a complete break from rowing for a while, while keeping on with some physical activity. Such a break will help refresh your body and your mind and make sure you are not stale by the time you get to the 2007 championship regattas. The best thing is to take up something different, for example swimming or cycling, for a few weeks, before getting back into some degree of winter training in early May.
Corporate Rowing
This year’s corporate rowing will run from mid-May to early September. The organisers will soon be asking for help from club members (rowers, coxswains, coaches or supporters) to run this programme. It is not intended to take up too much of anyone’s time. Please consider helping if you are asked.
Obituary
His love for and support of rowing continued long after he took up a new sport of cycling - he was always available to help out coaches and often umpired at regattas.
The Wellington Rowing club extends its condolences to Brent's wife, Anne, and to his family and friends.
Next Issue
To those competing at Maadi, good luck. For those whose season is finished, we hope you had a good season – have a rest for a month or so and then get into some winter training
A club training programme is being developed – this will lead rowers from winter training right through the 2007 National Championships. More next issue.
It is planned to run the corporate rowing programme again this season – this is where company and business crews are taught to row and compete in a corporate regatta. It is great for the club as it usually contributes about $10,000 to the club’s funds, and a number of rowers for the next season. It is also great for rowing as it gives more people an appreciation of the sport and what is necessary to be successful in it.
It is with sadness that we record the sudden passing of Brent Hazelwood. Brent commenced his rowing career with the Wellington Rowing Club when he was about 38 years old. He won a gold medal in the Novice eight at the 2000 New Zealand rowing Championships. He continued rowing in the club grade and then turned his hand to coaching - coaching novice and club class crews for Wellington. Brent could best be described as the "ideal club member" - he was always willing to volunteer his services, from coaching, to filling in a seat for an absent crew member, to doing work around the club, Brent was always there. His skills with woodwork were outstanding - he crafted new trophies for the club's prize giving and made all the trophies for the Corporate Rowing. He also put his general building skills to use in the shed, helping rebuild the men's changing and with the interior lining and painting of the erg room.
If you have anything you want to include in Perfect Balance send an email to perfectbalance@wellingtonrowing.org.nz. The aim is to produce a newsletter once a month (but sometimes we forget!). However to be successful it needs contributions from members. Even just a few words would be nice, something about your crew, your coach, your goals, anything you like.