ANA Rowing Club

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Joining Up.

The club welcomes new rowers of all standards, whether they be interested in racing or recreational rowing.  The racing season usually runs from mid April through until October (yes, it's a winter sport here in the West), with the long distance head races being run until July, followed by pennant regattas held on the 2000m course at Canning Bridge.  The pennant regattas are generally held every second weekend culminating in the State Championships which are held over one weekend.  For the 2008 season, the championships will be held on the weekend of the 20th and 21st of September, with the Sprint Championships one week earlier on the 13th September.

Recreational (non racing) membership is also popular within the club.  Wed' nights at 6pm and 7am Sunday mornings are regular times for the recreational group but once you're a member, you can row whenever you like.  

For both racing and recreational rowing enquiries, contact the Club Captain.  Member information packs can also be downloaded for both racing and recreational members. For a full timetable of coaches availability and session times, please see the Coaches, Instructors and Self Education section below.

To apply for membership for 2008-2009, please download the Membership Application Form.  Applicants will need to fill in the form and get it signed by two existing members.  Once done, please deposit the form in the suggestion box in the boatshed along with a nomination fee of $180.  This amount will be subtracted from your fees if the application is approved and you will then be contacted and informed of the remaining fees owing and any other requirements (Eg: the boat handling course).  Please see the 2008 Fees section below for a full list of the various membership categories and their cost.

For existing members who want to renew their membership, please download the Membership Subscription Form.

2008-2009 Fees.

Membership fees are set by the Committee in February each year, at the first Committee meeting following the Annual General Meeting.  The club’s financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December.  However, as the fees are only set in February, they effectively run from the 1st of April to March the following year.  Fees are payable in advance.  There is a discount offered for early settlement of fees (paid in full by the 1st April) and various payment options are available for individuals and families.

Separate fee levels are set for full adult racing members, student or unemployed members, non-racing members and social (non-rowing) members.  Membership fees are generally reduced for those nominating for membership near the end of the financial year.  The proportionate reduction will depend upon whether the member is nominating as a racing or non-racing member.

To renew your membership for 2008-2009, please download the Membership Subscription Form.  For new members, please see the Joining Up section at the top of this page.

In line with the usual economic indicators that dictate the pace of our life, ANA's fees have risen for the 2008-2009 season.  Whilst this years rise is significant compared to those of  the past several years, the new fees have been set at the minimum required to keep the club operating effectively.

• Discount applies to fees that are paid in full by the 1st April.

• Fees (non discount amount) can be paid in two 6 monthly installments (due 1st April and 31st August).

• Members racing in RWA regattas will incur an entry fee (oar fee) of $5 per race.  This is a RWA levy which goes direct to the association.

• Family Membership Discount - First two members pay designated fee with next dependent's fees capped at $100 and any subsequent dependent member's fees capped at $50.  No discount on social fee.

• Private boat storage (singles, doubles, pairs) is allocated on a first come first served basis and is entirely at owners risk.  The cost is $100 for a single or double/pair and members storing boats must also pay membership to at least recreational level.  Special circumstances will be taken into consideration at the discretion of the committee covering points such as storage location and the extent of use of other club boats.

Coaches, Instructors and Self-Education.

All of the Club’s coaches and instructors are volunteers who contribute their time to the Club above other commitments.  Coaches like to be appreciated and generally are more prepared to associate with crews or individuals which are committed to improving technique and who attend training regularly.  If you have a coach show them that they are appreciated and that you are willing to learn.

The Club has a number of experienced coaches and instructors who may be encouraged to provide some assistance if requested.  The Club attempts to provide a fairly high level of support for beginners but thereafter it is up to members and crews to show initiative and perform some training unsupervised.  Although desirable, it is not essential to have a coach alongside every session once the basics of technique are learnt.  Crews and individuals are able to develop with regular but occasional coaching by being disciplined enough to follow a training schedule and guidance from the previous coaching session.

Rowing WA conducts level 1 and level 2 coaching courses at times during the year which provide a wealth of technical information to assist those considering coaching or to further their own knowledge.  The Australian Rowing Magazine and books on rowing technique also provide a useful reference for those wishing to learn more about rowing and sculling technique.  Most coaches would also be happy to pass on knowledge to beginners who may wish to observe them when coaching other crews

For 2008, the following coaches will be available for club members at the times indicated.

Non-Racing.

Learn-to-Row:  Enquiries:  Daina Tamasauskas.  Phone: 0404 967330.  Email Contact: Daina.Tamasauskas@irc-australia.com

Recreational Rowers:  Coaches: Megan Phillips and Ian Hilton.  Contact #: (Megan) 0407 478 069 : (Ian) 9470 2456
Session Times: 6.00pm Wednesday Nights,  8.00am Saturday mornings and 7.30am Sunday mornings.

Racing:

The 2008 coaching schedule for racing members has not been finalised, but the club is hoping to provide an improved level of coverage from last year.  Full details will be posted here when the new schedule is available. 

Inappropriate Behavior.

As the club has increased in size over recent years, so too have the responsibilities of it's members.  The club has a code of conduct that covers key principles for both racing and recreational members and it can be downloaded here.  Please take the time to have a read and if you would like to pass comment on the document, do not hesitate to contact the committee.

If you believe that any member of the ANA Rowing Club has acted in an inappropriate manner or not in line with the club's code of conduct, you can contact senior members of the committee directly via the email address anacomplaints@iinet.net.au

Your complaint will be treated with confidentiality and you will receive a written response from the committee.

Boat Allocation and Handling.

Rowing equipment is delicate and incredibly expensive and does not respond well to mistreatment.  Once you sign up as a member of the club, you have a responsibility to treat all club equipment with care and in the event of damage, report it immediately to the Club Captain.

Please read the club's Boat Handling Guidelines and make sure you know how to look after the club's equipment.

Allocation of boats is performed according to the club's grading criteria which can be downloaded here (requires Adobe Acrobat reader).  This document covers both racing and recreational members and it clearly lays out the levels of equipment in the club and what you have to achieve to gain access to each level.

Participation in the RWA Racing Season.

Members taking part in inter-club competition have some additional responsibilities and costs to non-racing members. 

For a rower to compete in inter-club regattas they must be registered with Rowing WA.  The various registration and affiliation fees, which average $50 in total per racing member, is included in the full and student member subscription rate.  In addition nomination fees are payable to Rowing WA for every event entered at each regatta.  The method of computing race fees is complex but averages at around $5 per race entered.  This fee is charged to members who nominate for races.  Generally members are encouraged to have paid up most of their membership subscription before they race and should pay race fees in advance.  In the past many members have paid race fees late.  Because the club pays these to Rowing WA following the regatta this has often left the club short of funds.

The dates of each regatta and categories of events offered are determined in January each year and included in the Rowing WA Yearbook which is published around March/April.  If you are interested in competing in these races, discuss the possibility with the Captain or your Coach who will be able to advise you on how to enter.  Nominations must be in by 5pm on the Sunday before each coming regatta.  Entries can be submitted to the club Captain in person or by email (check the contacts page for the current email address).  No late entries are accepted, therefore please make sure your nomination is completed prior to 5pm on the Sunday before the regatta you wish to race in.

Once the nomination is made then the club becomes liable for payment of the race fee.  Therefore, you accept responsibility for paying the race fee as soon as you nominate - whether you race or not.  You should also be aware of and comply with Rowing WA race rules which impose a whole series of penalties for infringement of racing rules during the regatta.  In particular be careful not to break the following rules:

·      Crew members failing to wear club uniforms during racing

·      Crews failing to arrive to the start of their race five minutes before the scheduled race time

·      Crews failing to notify race control of intention to withdraw from a race in advance of the race time

·      Crews failing to notify a crew substitution

·      Crews infringing the traffic rules of the regatta course

If you are in any doubt as to the rules of competition, where the start is located, how the races are started or the general etiquette of racing ask your coach or a senior club member.

Most regattas are held at Canning Bridge with a number of others held at country locations or elsewhere in the metropolitan region.  Transporting boats to regattas is a major exercise which involves derigging of boats and loading them onto a trailer the evening before the regatta, transporting them to the regatta on the morning of the regatta and rerigging them before to use.  After racing is completed the boats are derigged, reloaded on the trailer, transported back to the boatshed and rerigged prior to the next training session.  You will quickly learn that it is a good idea to carry your own 7/16th spanner on regatta days to make derigging and rigging easier.

Crews are responsible for the loading and unloading of their boats.  This means that the night before the regatta you will need to arrange to load the boats and then unload them after the regatta.  Because the club sculls are used on sculling courses on Sunday mornings those using sculling boats must make sure the sculling boats are rerigged and available for use by 9am on the Sunday morning following the regatta.

Whilst racing is fun, there are obligations that go with a commitment to a racing crew that should be considered carefully.  If you form part of a racing crew your attendance at training and availability on race days is essential.  Whilst arrangements can be made in advance for known commitments, nothing is more frustrating for crews and coaches than to arrive for training and have a crew member missing.  It is difficult to carry out effective training with one crew member short.

Competitive rowing offers satisfaction and camaraderie but cannot be undertaken in a spasmodic manner.  If a commitment to crew rowing represents a commitment to fellow crew members and coach to attend training and race days.  Before committing to a crew it is important to establish the level of commitment required by the group and to identify any specific difficulties or planned absences at an early stage.

For more information including regatta dates for 2008, see the Racing page.

Uniforms.

If you're planning on racing, you'll definitely be needing a club uniform and there are also a range of t-shirts, rugby tops and tracksuits for both recreational and racing members alike.  Click here to download an order form or email Sharon Walton for more details.

Learning to Row

Sculling Courses.

ANA runs courses designed to teach beginners the correct technique for sculling, boat handling skills and general river craft.  Sculling differs from sweep oar rowing (where each rower has just one oar, such as in a four or eight) in that each rower has two oars.  Sculling is an excellent way to learn rowing and makes for an easy transition to sweep oar rowing at a later date.

Each sculling course runs for 5 weeks with lessons being held at 9am on Sunday morning, although alternative days and times can be arranged if required.  Each lesson typically lasts for around 90 mins.  At the completion of the course, participants should be competent and confident enough to take a boat out unsupervised and return it to the shed at the end of their row.

The course costs $65 which covers provision of instructors and boats for each lesson.  If you are interested and would like to sign up, or just want to know more information, please contact Daina Tamasauskas on 0404 967330 or via email Daina.Tamasauskas@irc-australia.com

Challenge Cup Regatta.

The Challenge Cup regatta is held once a year on the third weekend in March.  It's designed to introduce work and social groups to rowing and give them a first hand experience of competition in a rowing boat.  The next regatta will be held on Sunday the 16th of March, 2008.

Each team rows as a four and is allocated five training sessions with a coach to learn the basics of rowing (because it's harder than it looks !).  The regatta is held as a one on one knockout competition over 500m with categories for Men's and Women's crews.  

Keep an eye on the News and Events page for details of the next regatta.