Wow, we've had a huge month, eight learn to row sessions completed with swarms of new faces getting to see our great club and many of them deciding to stay and train either as novices or return to the sport and join our open or competitive squads. Big welcome to the 25 new novices and huge props to Max for an amazing recuitment push!

Novice training started last week, this is coordinated by Avril and coached by a great team including Tiff, Alison, Becc, Lien, Pam, Soph Vo, Tilly, Jo, Max, Liam and Amazis. These guys are fully volunteering their time to be at one maybe two extra sessions a week to coach instead of row and we truely could not do it without them. If there is anyone in the open or competitve squads who would be interested in helping please reach out to me or Avril and we can get you helping as well. 

Our Opens and Competitive squads will start on the water from Monday 30th of March. All members from all squads are encouraged to come down to pre-season land sessions from 6pm on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. 

The link to the availability sheet has been sent in relevant squad groupchats. This needs to be completed by the sunday of the week before training so that coaches have time to set crews for the week, if your availability changes after that point please message your squad chats, or coaches as soon as you know, so they can adjust their plans. If you can't make a sesssion please put 'unavailable' so the coaches know you don't need to be chased up, boxes should not be left empty.

If your name isn't in here you haven't filled out our intent form for 2026 which Chris and I are using to make sure that everyone is in a squad that fits what they want to achieve for the year, and this, we hope, is a much more flexible structure than we've had in the past. Please find that form by messaging me or Chris to complete and then I will add you to the appropriate squad sheet and facebook group. 

If you are interested in coxing across any of the squads please let myself and Chris know and we can sort this out so everyone can do what they're keen on. 

Our Masters racing will commence on the 22nd of March, they've spent months training, so if you are around to get out to the lake and cheer them on that would be great to have some spectators on the banks. 

Bunbury Sprint Regatta is on the 18th of April. Accomodation bookings for that will come out over the next week, and the Saturday night theme soon after that. Accomodation will be available for the Friday night 17th (wine and cheese night) and Saturday night (post regatta themed night and antics at Bunbury Rowing Club) to drive home safely on Sunday morning 19th and unload back at the shed. 

This season we are hosting Pennant regatta one on the 18th of July and All Schools Champs(!!) on the 8th of August. Please put these dates in your calendar.

As a club, these are our two main fundraisers for the year and it is expected that everyone contributes either their time or supplies to making sure these events can run as smoothly as possible, rope in family or friends to come and watch you race or see what rowing is about. We need everyone's help at these events to make as much as possible for us to maintain our fleet. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this long update, see you around the shed soon!!

Cheers, 

Ellie