Hants & Dorset Presentation Dinner. Saturday 14th November, 2020. CANCELLED.

It will hardly come as a surprise to anyone but in the present circumstances with regards to the Covid-19 Pandemic and Government Guidelines and because the 2020 Hants & Dorset ARA Season was cancelled in it entirety the Association Executive Officers have decided that they have no choice but to cancel the planned Association Presentation Dinner at the Southampton Novotel scheduled for Saturday, 14th November, 2020.

 

We did however wonder if we could stage a less formal pre-season event around March -  Covid-19 permitting - and we would be interested hearing your views on this and who might be interested.

As an advance warning the Association is hoping to stage a "Zoom Council Meeting" on the day the Dinner was to take place - Saturday, 14th November - at a time to be decided - to cover some important areas of the Associations organization and administration - as we have been unable to stage an AGM or Autumn Council Meeting this year.

 

Possible Trial Southampton Coastal HORR - Saturday, 17th October. CANCELLED.

The Hants & dorset ARA and Southampton Rowing Club were considoring a possible Covid Secure Trial Southampton Coastal HORR - Saturday, 17th October involving only the Southampton Clubs.

This will not now go ahead at this time as although Southampton Rowing Club were fully supportive for a trial/test Head race and have crews who are keep and willing to race they had understandable concerns about the event going ahead with the present situation of national increasing Covid 19 infections and likelihood of increase of lockdown restrictions. They were also concerned about how this may appear publicly as crews congregate at the top of the river in a planned event when restrictions are likely to be in place. The course along Southampton river is very visible to the public and whilst we know that crews will have only boated from their own clubs under government guidelines, the general public would only see up to 40 rowers on the water at the same time and this could damage the good reputation the rowing clubs have built up in the local community for safety. 

For these reasons SARC feel unable to "host" the event a decesion that has been endorsed by the Hants & Dorset ARA.

 It is hoped that the event can take place on its usual date in March/April 2021.

The 2020 British Rowing Virtual Tour.

Dear would-be touring rowers!

As you know, we have had to cancel this year’s tour because of the Covid situation, but we have the next best thing – a virtual tour!  Here’s a link:

http://recrowing.org.uk/BR%20Tour%202020/Virtual_Tour.html

You can also access it via  www.recrowing.org.uk on the home page or via Lets Tour/BR Tours/2020 Tour

Under each section of the tour there’s a link to a map with information about the main places we pass through on our route.  The information pages contain further links to websites and videos.  There’s also a river map with distances and links to information about each of the locks.

On what would have been the last evening of the tour – Saturday 29^th August – we will be running an on-line quiz based on all this information (and there’s a lot!) so I hope you’ll have time to read it all.  If you would like to take part in the quiz, please register using this link (also on the website home page):

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeREyUm_AuvcAcGXfPDwK8ROwB5PZe7XkJJ3MjQaA_S_dB2Og/viewform

Please promote the virtual tour within your club as an opportunity to get more people interested in tour rowing and show them some of the fascinating places along the Thames to whet their appetites for the REAL tour which will take place from:

29^th July – 1^st August 2021

Hope to see you on quiz night!

Best wishes,

Caroline Turnbull

07973 415656

Message from Lymington's Kirsty Mellin.

Jane Wild and I created A new lifestyle business in Feb that launched during lockdown that aims to get more people into sculling/ rowing. 

www.rowingadventures.co.uk

We are mobile, have 10 stable GlideSolo sculling boats and are fully insured.

LARC have used some of their lockdown grant to help subsidise getting the Junior Squad and crew adults afloat whilst they otherwise couldn’t. We have also hosted crew rowers from various other clubs wanting the same.

We welcome you passing our website onto All of the recreational/ social rowing leads in the HADRA clubs if you see fit. We offer a learn and explore programme to all and an omnium style competition to just Juniors.

Our latest explore trip was from Lymington around the Hurst Narrows and onto Avon beach for lunch! Ironically, the first person to approach us when we arrived was the family of 

https://teamkeane.com -On holiday!!

Kirsty Melin 

Coast Walker.

A Cambridge rower is walking the GB coast line for charity and Kirsten Mellin of Lymington is going to host/ help him whilst he is in our area... it would be good if we could encourage our south coast clubs to do the same.

https://thecoastwalker.com/

Kirsten says that Chris Howard is not known to me personally but Intriduced via a friend who was kind enough to host Jane Wild and I when we attended out BR L2 coaches course in Cambridge. It’s fine to return that favour.

Please read Chris’ mission below:

I’m going to walk almost 11000 miles of coastline around mainland Britain, surviving with minimal kit, and relying on the kindness of strangers. I’m leaving my family at home to complete a perimeter circuit of Britain. Getting home to my family is my motivation to do it as quickly as I can.