The 3k race takes place at Henley on Monday 9th March - entry fees are �40 for Quads, �80 for Octuples.

For more details see the attached poster (word doc). ]]> ]]> 1234396800 http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/slug/slug.htm Paul Thompson, GB Rowing's chief coach for women and lightweights, will be giving a talk about his adventures at the five-ring circus at the River and Rowing Museum in Henley on Saturday 28 February. Paul will be joined by Katherine Grainger - Britain's most successful oarswoman - to add anecdotes and insights into being an Olympic athlete.

Paul joined the ARA coaching staff in 2001. In 2003, he coached Katherine Grainger and Catherine Bishop to a gold medal in the women's pair at the World Rowing Championships in Milan. In 2004, they took silver at the Athens Olympics. In 2006, the quad were disappointed to win silver behind Russia but four months later were awarded gold when one of the Russian crew was found guilty of a doping violation and the crew was disqualified. At the 2007 Worlds in Munich the quad capped off an excellent season by winning gold. At Beijing 2008, the quad took silver.

"From Sydney 2000 to London 2012, The Olympic Experience" starts at 12pm (coffee served from 11.30am) and costs �5.50 (RRM and ARA members �4.95).

Booking recommended on 01491 415605 or edbookings@rrm.co.uk. ]]> ]]> 1234396800 http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/slug/slug.htm The 2009 National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships will be held on the 17th March at the Battersea Evolution Site in West London.

The competition is open to everyone of secondary school age, whether they are expert club rowers or have never been near a rowing machine. There will be plenty of things to do in between races at the event, including street dance, free running, meet the Royal Marines, canoeing simulators and trying out the latest indoor bikes and a climbing wall. Some of the top GB rowers like Katherine Granger, Tom Aggar and Tom James will also be there on the day.

In 2008 the event drew over 1,200 competitors and organisers are hoping to smash that number this year.

More details and entry forms are available at:
www.londonyouthrowing.com/events/njirc

Entries need to be sent to Matt Rostron by the 9th of March. ]]> ]]> 1234396800 http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/slug/slug.htm An interesting take on the recent "RowSafe" document, produced by the ARA, can be seen on the Leo Blockley website at www.leoblockley.org.uk/documents/In-at-the-deep-end.pdf

This comes from a concern that the Rowsafe publication raises a number of safety issues by putting the onus of responsibility, and therefore blame, onto individual clubs and rowers.

The document linked above explains what you can do if you are unhappy with the situation.

For a more detailed analysis of the RowSafe document see:
www.leoblockley.org.uk/news.asp ]]> ]]> 1234224000 http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/slug/slug.htm In the mid 1950s when common sense finally won out and the split between Amateur (read Gentlemen) and Tradesmen (read people who did manual labour for a living) in rowing was welded shut, the associated governing bodies merged.

Where previously there had been the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA) and the National Amateur Rowing association (NARA), there stood only the "British Amateur Rowing Association" - or the "ARA" as it was then conveniently shortened to (ahem...)

Now, 50 years later, it seems that finally the British is being embraced and the Amateur dropped once and for all, as the Hammersmith Mafia have voted to rebrand the organisation as British Rowing.

The new name has come from research done via corporate partners AstraZeneca and Brand development agency Brand(X), all at negilible cost to the ARA, and the new name and logo is expected to be launched in September.

Not sure if this heralds future plans to re-incorporate Northern Ireland & Scotland into the mix... but the new logo is rumoured to include the Union flag. ]]> ]]> 1234137600 http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/slug/slug.htm

If you fancy a night of glamour, Thames Rowing club are hosting a Charity Masquerade Ball at their clubhouse on Friday evening. Starting at 8pm, entry is �15 - the ball is being run in aid of Help for Heroes and the club's building fund. More details on the attached poster.

As well as an anti-love song karaoke for those sick of the mention of Valentine's day, some fine men and women (including bad boy Ben Jessel) will be on offer to the highest bidder. He's currently off skiing - so we've posted the image below to allow potential bidders to have an advance look at the goods.

]]> ]]> 1234137600 http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/slug/slug.htm Scrubbers will be running their popular Alec Hodges Easter Sculling course again this year. Open to Adults and Juniors of any level of ability, the cost is �190 (including lunch). The course runs from 30th March to 3rd April, and bookings are now being taken.

More details can be found on the TSS website:
http://www.tidewayscullers.com/sculling-courses/ ]]> ]]> 1234137600 http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/slug/slug.htm The slug has noticed that Thames Tradesmen's has recently developed a reasonable women's squad.

While this can only be a good thing, from the photographic evidence provided, it would appear that the male members have been pulling out all the stops - above and beyond the call of duty - in their quest to attract the lay-dees to castle Greyskull...

hmmm! ]]> ]]> 1234137600 http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/slug/slug.htm In case you hadn't heard, the Henley lap dancing club has opened after all.
http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=553668)

We particularly enjoyed Councillor Barry Woods' previous comments on the subject:

" I�m not a prude or a puritan � I have been to strip clubs and enjoyed them, but I don't want my face rubbed in it."