Entries for 2015 close with 41 crews lined up
More information very shortly, but entries closed last Friday with 41 crews lined up (metaphorically so far) for the event on 6 September 2015.
Go to Event Details/Documents/Provisional Draw for a pdf of the provisional start order. This may change and indeed if you spot any errors or have any amendments let me know at eventdirector.gtr@outlook.com.
All race documents will be loaded on this site no later than two weeks before the event.. Here is the text of an email sent to crew captains on 18 August with advance information:
Dear club and crew contacts
Hello everybody. I hope this is going to the right person, one per boat; if you are not a crew captain as such, could you please pass on to all who are. We have a good entry and are making final preparations for the event. Full documents will be published no later than next Sunday on our web site and I will email you all again to say that has been done. In the meantime, here are some key points for you to consider and in a few cases act on now.
Entries
Entries have now closed and, subject to any more emerging from cyberspace, we have 41 crews: 18 stable quads, four stable fours, one Hanningfield Skiff, nine St Ayles Skiffs, four Coastal Skiffs, four coxed doubles and last but very much not least, one Ocean Challenge double. You can find the list of entries in provisional start order at www.greattynerow.com/#!documents/c1okk.
Could you check as far as possible that you are in the right sort of boat and the right category (Open, Women’s or Mixed)? I may have missed one or two changes sent to our Secretary, Claire, as she is on holiday for another couple of days or you may just not have told us. We can takes further changes to category up till this Friday – email both me and Claire please. Also you are encouraged to think up a witty and entertaining name for your crew. Those I have at the moment are shown on the start order.
Night before BYOB meal
Tyne United Rowing Club has kindly offered to host a meal for all crews and supporters on Saturday 5 October. It will provisionally be at 7.30pm. For £7.50 they are offering nibbles and a drink on arrival, pasta main course, salad, bread and pudding. They do not have a licence, so other than the first drink it will be BYOB. There are shops quite close. We need a reasonable turnout to make it worthwhile, so could you let me know now if potentially interested and I will ask again in a week’s time for confirmation.
Timetable
The timings for the day will be as follows, subject to marginal changes possible (tbc in final documents). All admin functions will run from Tyne United RC (NE15 8NR). Boating will also be from Tyne RC (NE15 8NL) and Newburn Country Park slipway (NE15 8ND) – you will notified which to go to at the weekend.
* Gates to these locations open (and food on): 07:30
* Registration open: 08:00-09:00
* Safety briefings: 09:15 and 09:45 (at least one per crew, preferably two)
* Boating: 10:10-11:00
* First division off: 10:45 (just on high tide)
* Last division off: 11:35
* Finish opposite North Shields Fish Quay: 12:30 onwards
* Landing at Tynemouth RC: 12:45 onwards
* Prize-giving: 15:30 approx
Food and bar available till perhaps 17:00 at Tynemouth RC (NE30 4DG)
Trailerage on day
You need to drop your boat off at the start and pick it up at the finish; a reserved car park is available from early on the day at Tynemouth for you to park up your trailers there. We hope you have made arrangements for this, ideally not involving actual crew members in the driving on the day. If your only trailer driver is also rowing or coxing, then you will have to drop off your boat at the start, drive the trailer to Tynemouth and then get back to the start. That can take 90 minutes maybe. We will provide transport by car or minibus back from Tynemouth to the start if necessary, leaving about 08:30, but we will need to know in advance that you need it. Please think about this and I will ask again in a week’s time.
Trailer storage
If you are travelling a long distance we can very probably provide secure parking for your trailer and boat overnight Saturday and/or Sunday. This would be at Scotswood next to the eponymous bridge, about 2 miles from the start. There is 24-hour security and access. Again I would need to know in advance, together with the name of the driver/s dropping off and picking up.
Crew names and fancy dress
Don’t forget that as well as prizes for fastest boats in various boat types and categories (will confirm exactly what in the final documents) there are also prizes for the best decorated boat and best dressed crew. Get working on that now!
T-shirts
Orders for T-shirts have closed, but you might just get in as we have over-ordered slightly. Get in touch with Claire asap, about additions or changes to existing orders.
Clothing
Please give some thought as to what you will wear in the boat and after and how the latter gets to the finish. We are not currently offering transport of luggage from start to finish, but let us know if you are having real difficulties. You must have a change of clothing at the finish (there are changing facilities start and finish) as you will almost certainly get wet exiting the boat on the beach; I forgot to put my change aboard when I did the event and was not happy standing around in soggy trousers for ages.
Please note you might wish to wear wellies at the start to get into the boat dry, but they are hopeless jumping out into the sea on the beach at Tynemouth – you must have some trainers or wet shoes or sandals to wear when getting out – they will get wet, though, so not your best Nike’s.
Improvements on last year
You will be pleased to know that we have taken a note of comments made after last year. Our timing will be more comprehensive (and also probably with a try-out of GPS tracking) in case we get another hold-up due to shipping movements or otherwise have to stop short (we hope not). We have more safety cover and improved marshalling at both ends. At the finish all crew members will get a goody bag and a medal as they step out of the boat (well maybe a couple of minutes later).
You may have other questions, but most will probably be answered by the event documents published in a few days. However, feel free to contact me and/or Claire with urgent questions or to register changes of any sort..
Yours, Colin
Colin Percy
GTR Event Director for Northern Rowing Council
Email: colin.percy@blueyonder.co.uk or eventdirector.gtr@outlook.com
Web: www.greattynerow.com
Mob: 07985 003304
