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FCRC Update March 3rd, 2023.

It's been a while, but the time has come... 


Close Your Eyes and Pull Like a Dog

Obviously we all wish that rowing was as simple as saying those 8 words, but there is a bit more to it. What really helps is being part of a rowing club. And as FCRC's annual memberships all expire at the end of the March, if you want to continue being out on the water, please consider renewing your membership, or joining us as we frolic in the waves... You'll need to get your RCA membership handy when you click on the following links (although there are buttons if you have forgotten it)
Active Membership: if you are using FCRC Boats

  • Paying upfront: $800 + $46.25 to Rowing BC and Rowing Canada Aviron = click here
  • Or by installments: $400 + $46.25 Rowing BC/RCA + 4 monthly installments of $125 starting June 1, for a total of $946.25 = click here
  • Please note that we are using the RCA payment system this year, so that first payment is through RCA. Which means: if you register but don't pay through RCA's payment provider at time of registration, we aren't going to approve your request.

Social Membership: if you just want to support us, but don't want to get your hands dirty (more on that later)

  • $30 + $46.25 Rowing BC/RCA = $76.25 = click here
  • Please note that when you sign up with FCRC as a social member, we set you up as a full member of RCA, which means that you get the RCA insurance coverage as a rower in case you do go rowing somewhere (as part of a sanctioned activity or event). We are part of the RCA and Rowing BC family and the money does go towards insurance and domestic programming that helps us all get better and stay afloat.
If you are interested in Rowing Lessons, we are just making sure that the tide, coaches and stuff is all going to converge and provide you with the experience you are looking for and we expect to provide. We have our schedule lined up, but we just need to make sure we don't commit to something we can't deliver on. Information will be here when we finalize it or please contact questions@falsecreekrowingclub.ca and we'll get you sorted...

Buying Oars from Concept 2

At our Board meeting this past week, we committed to buying 4 more sets of sculling oars and 4 sweep oars from Concept 2. I have had people ask about buying their own oars or bits and pieces and joining in on our order. We've been buying Ultralight Smoothie2 Vortex Edge sculling blades and getting them prepainted in RAAL1003
"Signal Yellow" paint (yes it's an extra charge, but it's a lot easier). And because the name just sounds cool, we'll get the same model in the sweep oars.
If you want me to order blades for you, let me know. I will get them shipped to Point Roberts and avoid brokerages and importing fees, although there is still GST and PST to pay. 

New Quads Coming

On the basis that Marc remembers to put it on the trailer, we are getting delivery of a pretty new Hudson 4x/- from Rowing BC this weekend. I think it got rowed by Sally at the Canada Summer Games last year so that bodes well. It won't have our colour scheme on the decks, but that doesn't mean you can scratch it. It will take the place of the remaining Pocock 4x+ and will be another pretty boat for our collection. 
I also got notice from Drew Harrison that our new WinTech 4x is floating across the ocean at the moment. Built by WinTech, it is on a French freighter and just passing through the islands of Japan. Because it's that kind of world... https://www.marinevesseltraffic.com/vessels/CMA-CGM-RIGOLETTO/CURRENT-POSITION/9299654/228354600


Our WinTech will look like this, but the most of the rowers will be happier.

Rudders for Blind Rowers

So this dude in Florida has figured out how to set up a remote control rudder so blind people can row and have someone steer for them. There is some mention in the article about unfair advantage, but I was looking in the Canadian Rules of Racing and I am not sure that ours have anything to say about it (under 1.3, 8.10 or 10.11). I've got a meeting in Toronto in April and I'll try to remember to bring it up.
https://www.rowingnews.com/2023/03/01/a-rudder-for-rowing-remotely/

Lightweight Women's 2x

Not that my erg times were every that spectacular, but they were ok 15 years ago. It's nice to know that I had a shot of making the lightweight women's boat for the US team. I imagine that that's not the case now, but it's nice to know that I could have. https://www.rowingnews.com/2023/03/01/now-comes-the-hard-part/ The article also has the erg times they think you would need for other athletes but now and in the lead up to the Olympics. My time was not otherwise listed. Darn.

Rowing BC Steering Committees

Rowing BC has put out a couple of emails recently: there was one about junior rowing today, but yesterday's was about creating steering committees to help support different aspect of athlete development. I'm not going to cut and paste their bit in here - sorry the formatting gets all squiffy, and Sonja asked for only certified coaches to take part. However, if you are keen as mustard (or even lethargic and sluglike) and got the email, please consider this. 

BCBH Fundraiser - Sunday April 2nd, 2023

As you know, unlike those posh clubs, we don't have a bar in our boathouse. So we are reliant on other sites to make that happen. While Rolf is all about having people to his place, there is only room for so many, although he does have very tall ceilings in his place. So rather than up our fees to the point where we could do build something, it might be easier to crash someone else's party. The BC Bereavement Helpline (who we have had a connection with through members for several years) is having a pub night. So lazy me: let's go to theirs! Details are at https://bcbh.ca/events.php?pID=17 and tickets are here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bcbh-pub-night-2023-tickets-513471205197. At some point or other, we're all going to need what they are selling so let's get in on the ground floor. 

Giving While Living...

I don't know how I got onto this website: it must have been part of scouring for grants... Chuck Feeney gave his loot to the Atlantic Philanthropies in 1984. And it provided over $8 billion in grants to different groups until they ran out of money in 2016. So he had this to say about donating money:

“It’s a lot more fun to give while you’re alive, than to give while you’re dead.”

To help you have fun, we encourage you to please contribute to help us do stuff. Perhaps you could join as a member and never actually row (the easiest kind of member to coach) or donate money through the BC Amateur Sport Fund to support the Rowing through the False Creek Rowing Capital Equipment Program. There are 18 different programs within the rowing option, but pick ours if you wouldn't mind.

Getting out of the trenches

So if you've helped get the coach boats out of the compound, you know there is a little hill to die on to get the boats over as you leave the compound and go towards the road. And the rain water builds up behind it if the little drain is full of detritus. And that makes for a mud pit to drag the boats through. So Monster Truck racing without the Lite [sp] Beer and hooliganism. 


Not suitable for towing boats, even if it looks suspiciously like the VCRC truck.

Doctor Don has a plan to address this stretch, but it will need to be drier than it's been. Basically, we need to lay down some paving stones and do it properly so the rain water coming from the compound just goes straight out to the street instead of creating a quagmire. More details on when the False Creek Shovel Day Festival is going to happen on Slack. And at the same time, we can get rid of some other stuff and tart the place up for visitors this summer.

Rowing and Golf

I was tracking a package recently and had opportunity to need to look up radio call letters because I had forgotten "H for Hotel" and it's easier using these than random names. So anyway, I notices that G is referenced by G. But I also notice that R, is referenced by Romeo. And I've been saying it wrong for years: it isn't "Rome-E-O", it's "Row-Me-Oh". My whole world shattered. I've been pronouncing words wrong for years. 


Obviously a childhood spent watching TV shows like Chips and BJ and The Bear has not prepared me well for a modern world and thoughtful discourse.

Cascadia Beach Sprints at Jericho August 5th & 6th

There's a new regatta in town this summer: the Cascadia Regatta folks are putting on a beach sprint regatta out at Jericho this summer. When the water is a bit warmer. Keep your eye on regatta central and see what's coming. As Beach Sprints may coming to the Olympics in 2028, and are certainly gaining traction here and elsewhere this is something you may want to try out. We've got some boats, and the Salish Sea Coastal Rowing Club has more...

People who can help when you need it

It's been a while since we've called out some of the people in our neighbourhood who know how to deal with rowers when they pull silly stunts or just need something.

Regatta Weekend

So for the first 10 years, this weekend would have been regatta weekend for us. And apparently it's going to snow! Which means, it's not just me! We are all cursed, it's not just me! Hurray!... That's just so awesome and for those of you going to the Elk Lake Sprints this weekend, have an awesome time.
And, if we don't have the regatta this weekend, there are some paddling events happening then Bard on the Beach consumes the parking lot until October, when it's salmon fishing season and the dock gets busy. And there is some other stuff that happens in Vanier Park so if not this weekend our next available weekend is the end of October. So the end of October it is: https://www.regattacentral.com/regatta/?job_id=8384 Sunday October 29th. The RegattaCentral page will fill out over time, but book your calendars now please.

Oxford Cambridge Boat Race - Boat Race Breakfast

Sunday, March 26th, 2023. More details coming shortly about organizing a place to watch it: if you want to watch it live, you have to have access to TSN SportsNet. It won't be streaming live on Youtube. You can in the US, but not here (for those of you with access to VPN's). The only rower from Canada that I know of is Claire Brillon who is racing for Cambridge and started rowing (and did quite well) at UBC. Go light blue's!

  • Women's race: 7 am
  • Men's race: 8 am
If you are just trying to forget what's happening to you, or around you, you can just lay back and think of England. And you might notice that there is a sale on at the Henley Royal Regatta online shop until Sunday night (which might be UK time so best shop on Saturday): https://www.hrr.co.uk/shop/ . This link might work for the sale items, and if you are thinking it's all going to be expensive, note that the cups are only 75 pence each...

UVic & UBC: Brown Cup

Our own clash of the titans is happening on April 2nd on the Gorge Waterway in Victoria... https://www.browncup.ca/ I'm not sure that UBC's Women's team page is up to date (probably some sort of evil plot by Aalbert) as it seems Claire is rowing here too, but it's neat to see so many of the people that have coached for us flying the flag for UBC - Sally, Caitlin, Renee and Mary. https://www.browncup.ca/ubcwr along with Aidan for the UBC Men...

Gay Games - Hong Kong November 9 - 11, 2023 (for the rowing)

Jockey Club Shek Mun Rowing Centre
https://www.gghk2023.com/en/program/sports/rowing/
They have an incredible downtown course there in Hong Kong's New Territories. Of course, it has walls on either side so if you fall in it might be a while before you find a way out. False Creek is way better for that. Still. Wow. And no: they don't care if you are gay or not to row at the games. So you could row at Head Up The Creek and then head over there.


I'm happy for them.

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