August 2026 Bow Ball Bulletin
Hawthorn Rowing Club’s Head of the Yarra
28th November. HRC NEEDS YOU!
HRC NEEDS YOU!!
The Head of the Yarra 8s Regatta is the annual fundraiser for Hawthorn Rowing Club. This is how we generate funds for new boats and other club expenses.
We need all club members to help out, either on the day or prior to the event. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Volunteers will be provided with lunch on the day.
Below is a list of volunteer roles.
Please reply to this call out and let me know your preferred role. Below is a list of roles to choose from.
Bar staff - must have Responsible Serving of Alcohol certification
Landing/ Guiding boats - help crews off the water/ walk crews up to the racking area (this year, volunteers on the landing will do a mix of boat landing assistance and walking)
Umpires - monitor various locations along the river
Soft drink stall - sell soft drinks
Pack up crew - pack up tents, put away signs, picking up rubbish at the end of the day - either city end 2.30pm, or Hawthorn end 4.00pm, or both!
Start hub city - assist with traffic management, merchandise stall, staging marshalls
Set up crew - put signs out at Hawthorn Rowing Club, accompany trailer to city start hub with tent and bins early Sat morning, set up tent
Boat Parking supervision - monitor the boat trailer parking in Creswick St and ensure crews do not crowd the area or move trailers prior to departure time
Social media - create and post content on the day for HOTY social media (e.g., interview people)
T-Shirt distribution - hand out T-shirt packs to crews on the day
Racks - direct crews to appropriate boat placements on the racks post-race (most suited to tall strong people as some crews may need assistance with lifting)
We also have pre-event roles so if you are unavailable on the 28th, please let me know and I can offer other volunteer opportunities!
If there is any other assistance you can provide, or if you have any questions, please contact me.
Many thanks,
Natasha Kinsman
Volunteers Coordinator
Head of the Yarra Committee
Hawthorn Rowing Club
Rowers Abroad!
〰️
Rowers Abroad! 〰️
To all our Masters competitors going to Bled, Slovenia for the World Masters Championships, safe travels and best of luck in rowing!
Robyn Blake, Julie Cotchin, Pat Freeland-Small, Frances Graham, Jennifer Hall, Brian Healy, Bill Olayos, Louise Olayos, Mark Oliver, Ruth Oliver, Fiona Richardson, John B. Stewart and Jen Wheelahan.
~~The President's Desk ~~
~~The President's Desk ~~
From the President’s Desk
From the untidy desk of the President:
Though true to form, August has been cold and wet, it did not dim the enthusiasm of the dedicated rowing community at HRC. The formal/informal racing of the Winter Sculling Series finished on a high note, with our very own Max Currie and Archie Critchell taking first and second spots at the final event, the scullers Head of the Yarra, with a very close finish between the two. Hawthorn in general was very well represented throughout the entire series, which was equally gratifying to see. And judging by the number of times I spotted club members out on the river at various times, in singles, doubles, quads, fours, on their own, or being coached, training for the World Masters in Bled, or the Rowathon at Wentworth, the club has stayed very active through the winter months, despite Melbourne's weather's best efforts. Well done all!
But spring is around the corner, and that brings out a lot more rowers on "our" little patch of the river, most notably is probably the schools who are back in full swing now. Please be vigilant. There will be new rowers (and coaches) who are not as conversant with the river rules as they hopefully will become. Be patient, and if any "advice" is offered to an offending party, please be civil. As a gentle reminder on a couple of commonly encountered scenarios:
STAY ON YOUR SIDE OF THE RIVER! Even if you are doing a training piece, or just working hard for a bit, remain aware of your position on the river.
There are two narrow bridges we commonly encounter in our neck of the woods/river: The Victoria St Bridge, colloquially called "The A Frame", and Leonda Bridge, colloquially referred to as "Leonda Bridge". If two crews arrive at the same time, remember, THE CREW TRAVELLING DOWNSTREAM HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY.
PASS WITH EXTREME CAUTION, especially around inexperienced crews, who are likely to exhibit random, unexpected behaviour.
If you see an uncoxed crew approaching your crew, CALL OUT A WARNING!
As a general rule, common sense is not as common as it should be so - USE YOUR COMMON SENSE!
And a couple of off water favourites continue to crop up:
If you change shoes in a boat, PUT THE ORIGINALS BACK AFTERWARD!
CHECK YOUR HEEL TIES!!! EVERY TIME YOU USE A BOAT. EVERY TIME!!
If you use equipment, ANY EQUIPMENT, put it back when you are done. This goes for everything - boats, riggers, oars, cox boxes, lights, tools, and all the stuff you bring with you when you row? Bring it home again!! The plan going forward is NOT to build a wall at the club out of abandoned water bottles and clothing!
And if you have finished with it, and it is disposable, DISPOSE OF IT!!!
There, I feel much better now. Boy, those capital letters sure are powerful!
One final note:
Rowing Development will be back in full swing shortly, starting the week of October 4, at the new time of TBA on MONDAY and WEDNESDAY nights, to better accommodate the needs of a wider range of the membership. I realize that not all people who would like to compete for the club will be able to attend RD, and so do the selectors Tristan and Shane. It is not compulsory to attend to be considered for selection, but it is helpful for the selectors. It is an opportunity for them to see and coach you, but they are fully aware that some members are unable to attend for a host of reasons. They are more than capable of scoping out the progress of all potential competitors, even those unable to go to RD. Trust them, please! And the erg is not the enemy.
Row well, train well, and try to enjoy yourselves, if at all possible!
Bill Olayos,
HRC President.
Social, Training, Learning and Returning to Row Calendar!
Members hobbies!
〰️
Members hobbies! 〰️
Members and their cars.
Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, 1976 Coupe.
I found the car in a Ferrari Club magazine and then on an auction site. It is a 1976 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, Coupe, designed by Bertone and purchased 18th November, 2019.
This car was first delivered to Japan, it’s early history is unknown.
When it came to Australia it belonged to man in Frankston in 1990’s. The car was then sold by Shannons to an owner in Qld in 1996 and stored for 17 years. In August 2014, the ‘Dino’, was recommissioned in Victoria and sold in Feb 2017 to a female owner in Sydney and from her to me, at auction, showing 50,332 miles.
The car was generally in good shape but many things have been replaced. I have mechanics who do the work, I clean and manage. I find parts are hard to get, usually come from Italy, UK or USA.
The car is kept covered in a secure under cover car park.
My favourite drive is to the Yarra Valley or the Dandenongs. ‘Dino’ loves the open road and a few revs! It is great fun to drive, no modern equipment, a lovely five speed gearbox. Don’t need a radio, the sounds of the car are enough and sometimes loud!
People seem to love seeing old cars out and about. I have happy memories of many Ferraris driving together, mainly red!
Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, 1976 Coupe.
John Stansfield.
〰️ Member of the Month
〰️ Member of the Month
Member of the Month - August
Julie-ann Cotchin.
We are thrilled to recognise Julie Cotchin as Hawthorn Rowing Club’s Member of the Month for August.
Julie’s contribution to HRC runs deep. Having served on the committee, managed our social channels, and led the Learn to Row program, her dedication has shaped much of our community. She’s often the first to welcome new faces and ensure everyone feels part of the crew.
Her dedication was on full display last season, attending every regatta - including Nationals - and she’s now gearing up to compete at the World Rowing Master’s Regatta in Lake Bled, Slovenia.
Julie is a true delight around the boathouse. Please join us in thanking and congratulating her!
Tiffany Rimmington
〰️ HOTY HISTORY 〰️ HOTY HISTORY
〰️ HOTY HISTORY 〰️ HOTY HISTORY
HOTY History
Head of the Yarra - 28th November 2026.
It’s a coxswain’s course!
Bruce and Robyn giving starters orders.
Posh Spice once said “it’s that extra half and inch, and everything in between” that makes a a difference.
She of course was referring to high heels.
In the case of the Head of the Yarra, high heels won’t help but a good coxswain can cut 65 metres off the 8000 metre course – that is a bit more than an extra half an inch!
Des Jacobsen of Oar Inspired, whose GPS units make all of this possible
Last years “cox of the course” was Angus Blackwood from Brisbane Grammarians. He steered a near perfect racing line and covered 7935 metres.
At racing pace, a saving of 65 metres is equivalent to 12.3 seconds. What was the winning margin between the two fastest crews in 2025? A mere 0.1 seconds. And 0.1 seconds is about ½ a metre – the (almost) metric equivalent of Posh Spice’s half and inch!
So what does all this tell us?
· We can now measure distance as well as time very precisely
· Local knowledge is not necessarily an advantage – 2 of the 3 winners since inception of this award have been inter-Staters
· Understanding racing lines (and kissing apexes – n.b. Posh) can save you 65 metres and at least 5 seconds in time on the HOTY course
· It’s not just about “Big Bend” but the entire course and its many twists and turns
Combined plot at Big Bend.
The Head of the Yarra partnership with Oar Inspired (https://oarinspired.com.au ) is now in its fourth year. Their GPS telemetry is providing a new way to analyse and appreciate our sport and Des Jacobsen’s pioneering of the technology and what this can mean for rowing deserves everyone’s support.
Their GPS trackers have powered the results above and delivered an extra dimension to Head of the Yarra where “less is better” - sorry Posh !
Winning cox’s course at Big Bend.
Inside the Coxswain’s mind – how to win the Head of the Yarra
The GPS trackers and the data they produce are the fun bit. Now let’s get serious. Our own Guy Besley is the real Cox whisper and his highly professional series on the Coxswain’s journey is unmissable. Guy and some of his highly experienced rowing friends combined in 2025 to produce the Head of the Yarra Series - see https://thecoxswainsjourney.com/category/head-of-the-yarra-series/
Click on the above picture to go to Episode 4: Regatta Day, Strategy, Timing, Crew mindset.
It is timeless advice If you are half serious about winning HOTY this is for you. Five episodes that are compulsory listening. Ignore this and you go home empty handed!
That’s all for this month. See you all on the 28th November for the Head of the Yarra.
Rob Perkins
Chair, Head of the Yarra Committee 2026
rob@perkinsgroup.com.au
tel 0411 402 832
HOTY Merchandise
〰️
HOTY Merchandise 〰️
Head of the Yarra Merchandise!
Click on the image below to take you to Pontoon Sports where you will find more HOTY merchandise.
2026 Head of the Yarra Sponsors
Click the sponsorship panel below to go to HOTY sponsor’s websites.
〰️ Community Sponsor
〰️ Community Sponsor
Our Community Sponsor - Bendigo Bank
We are pleased to have Community Bank Inner East as a sponsor. They share their profits with the local community so clubs like HRC can benefit.
Please contact Kate Bellamy for all your banking needs. M: 0478 435 736
RFDS Rowathon
〰️
RFDS Rowathon 〰️
Royal Flying Doctor Service Rowathon
held September 12th.
Dominique Horn, John Lake, Mark Campbell, Simon Watts, Melissa Watts, Vic Sibillin, Peter Sedawie, Chloe Cheng, Albert Smart, Cathy Frawley, Richard James, Grace Li, Jenny Lefebvre, Mike Lefebvre, James Thomas, Kate Maddock, Meredith Thornton and Eve Williamson are taking on the Darling and Murray Rivers! Training has been going on for some time now and we are nearly there!
If you would like to donate to this worthy cause please click on the RFDS photo below to take you to the fundraising site. You will find the names of those who have registered there!
The 2025 HRC rowathon squad.
〰️ Trivia
〰️ Trivia
J.B’s. Trivia
Q. 1. What galaxy is earth in?
Q. 2. What is the only country in the world with a zero birthrate?
Q. 3. In History, what is significant about June 22 1941?
Q. 4. What animal did Florence Nightingale carry in her apron pocket early in her nursing career?
Q. 5. In yachting, what is the difference between a Sloop and a Yawl?
A. 1. The Milky Way. A. 2. The Vatican. A. 3. Start of ‘Operation Barbarossa’, Nazi invasion of Russia in WWII. A. 4. An Owl. A. 5. A Sloop has one mast. A Yawl has two.
Brought to you by:
J.B. Stewart.
〰️ The Bridge Hotel
〰️ The Bridge Hotel
The Bridge Hotel
supports Hawthorn Rowing Club through it’s loyalty club.
〰️ Regatta News
〰️ Regatta News
Regatta News
Brrr……Winter Sculling.
Winter Sculling Results
〰️
Winter Sculling Results 〰️
Congratulations to our Winter Scullers! As you glance at the faces, you witness the cold of those frosty mornings and the exertion put into each stroke!
Head of the Maribyrnong: 3.5 kms - 1/8/26
Head of the Barwon: 4.5 kms - 8/8/26.
Head of the Yarra: 8 kms - 15/8/26.
Winner of the Men’s Best Boat: Max Currie (Open Scullers - Fastest MBB of 88)
2nd Archie Critchell
Winner of the Albert Park Women’s Novice Boat and the Scullers Head of the Yarra: Susan Rogers
Winner of the Ramsbottom Trophy 800m: Miho Yoneyama
Winner of the Dennis Cup 800 m Men: Chris Adnams
The start from Bridge Road Bridge and setting off from the Hawthorn Rowing Club landing!
ROWING DEVELOPMENT
Rowing Development - Saturday is at 2pm (when there are no regattas) and Sunday is at 9am. Make sure you book these at least the night before.
Rowing Development will return on Mondays and Wednesdays, (5:45pm arrival for 6pm on the water) 6pm - 7:30pm with the return of Daylight Saving.
Make sure you book in prior to 3:30pm on the same day!
Progress Squad should continue to open up as well with more opportunities for sessions on Sunday once the exam period for the coaches is over.
All progress Squad and RD can be booked via https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/20b74586/?categories[]=Rowing%20Training.
Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Tristan Krstevski.
Club Captain.
Youth News
〰️
Youth News 〰️
Youth News
Max has represented Victoria on five occasions and is a national champion in the Men’s Under 23 single scull. Max will further represent Australia internationally in the Men’s Under 23 quad scull in Germany this year. Competing on the world stage reflects not only his technical ability and physical endurance, but also his discipline, resilience and sustained commitment to excellence.
Max’s combination of elite performance, national representation and leadership makes him an exceptional young sportsperson who continues to bring distinction to the Hawthorn Rowing Club, the Boroondara community and Australian rowing.
(Courtesy of Boroondara Community Awards)
The youth program has been preparing for the first club races in the domestic Victorian season. Starting with the Scullers Head of the Yarra and the Saltwater Classic next weekend.
Unsurprisingly, the recent Boroondara Youth Athlete of the Year recipient, Max Currie won the Scullers Head of the Yarra and fellow Hawthorn Sculler, Archie Critchell took runners up, in a very strong current making for fun racing over the 8km course. It was awesome to see Hawthorn be home to the two quickest scullers at the event as well as having such strong representation amongst all ages.
Saltwater Classic
The 2025 oceania teams winning quad are coming back together to take on the Saltwater Classic next weekend, welcoming Ballarat's Josh Matheson to train over the prior week. As a crew we were focusing on finding our form from 2025 hoping the Essendon regatta will offer an opportunity to improve on last year and bring home some open medals for Hawthorn Rowing Club. The juniors will also be racing against fierce competition from schools looking for exciting racing to kickstart their u19 season.
Current Training
The ‘Youthies’, have continued to focus on small boats with Sunday's being for quads or doubles. As we near the start of State based time trials, our training has expanded to target race pace training on target splits for 2k, alongside a continued focus on building aerobic strength on long "T2" row's.
Archie Critchell
HRC Youth member and Bow Ball Correspondent.
〰️ Membership policies
〰️ Membership policies
Ouch, bumped again!
Boat damage reporting. Please notify Tristan ASAP or you could be liable for the full damage of the boat. captain@hawthornrowingclub.com.
Please be careful when you carry boats and equipment to and from the shed, move the racks gently and walk slowly.
Please use the changerooms for storing your personal items. Not the downstairs areas.
BOOK BOOK BOOK. Do not use without booking boats. If you don’t have permission, don’t use it.
Please let the Captain know beforehand if you are making a repair or if you have made one.
Tristan Krstevski.
〰️ Spotlight
〰️ Spotlight
Spotlight on HRC ‘Associate’ member.
Jemima!
Press play in the middle of the picture to see Jemima in action, along with Rob Perkins interviewing Roger Gillespie, while Bruce Bennett feeds our associate member, all happening in Scotch Straight!
We first spotted the little white duck at the bend in Fairview Park.
She was still there over the next few rows. We decided she could be a female and Jemima Puddleduck her name, or perhaps Walter or Winifred, from the less well-known children’s story, which several of our elderly crew read to their grandchildren. I brought her a slice of wholegrain bread; we stopped and she sailed over, somehow avoiding the oars, and rapidly consumed this offering. On finishing she lifted her body up on the water and gave a wiggle of thanks. We soon realised she was quite tame and would eat out of our hands.
We surmise it is an all too familiar tale. The little white duck was a present from well-meaning friends or a cute duckling spotted by the kids at the school fete. As she grew bigger, her appetite increased; and so did her output. At last, fed up with the slippery poo on the path and verandah, a weary parent, under cover of darkness, carried away the now fully grown duck, drove down to the river, threw her in, and then made a hasty, albeit tearful, escape, all the while thinking of a suitable story to tell the children.
We kept on feeding her on our twice weekly rows and Jemima seemed able to distinguish us from other crews even though we vary our boat size and oars. There was some argument in the boat as to whether she could recognize me by sight, or my bright orange top, or, as was unkindly suggested, using her sense of smell. She lived mostly between Fairview Park and Scotch College and perhaps a kilometre further either way, and was sometimes not seen for a week or so; prompting all sorts of speculation. At times she had an entourage of half a dozen small brown ducks, but obviously of an inferior sort and these hangers on were readily outsmarted or driven off by Jemima.
She survived through the COVID era when we were not permitted to row. We fed her dog pellets, and a little later we spotted a sculler from much further downstream feeding her duck pellets.
It was noted by one knowledgeable crew member that she has a preference for a particular brand of bread, and we suggested she could become a part of an advertising campaign; but apparently anything with “uck” in the title is problematic.
We were teased by a crew from the lower reaches of the river on one occasion, about feeding a duck, and we replied, “Only until Christmas”. However, we do enjoy our encounters with Jemima, and the rest from rowing, while feeding her. We have discovered that there are other white ducks on the river at Warrandyte, so perhaps it is just a matter of time before a feather floating downstream alerts her to their presence and, as in the story of Winifred, she leaves us, to find her Walter.
Bruce Bennett.
6.45am rower
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
〰️ Roaming Rowers
〰️ Roaming Rowers
Our Roaming Rower.
Robyn Blake
I’ve recently returned from Svalbard. A lot of people have asked me where it is, and when they find out, they’ve asked, “Why did you want to go there?”
Svalbard is an Arctic archipelago belonging to Norway and positioned midway between the top of Norway and the North Pole, between 74° and 81° North latitude.
I first learnt about Svalbard from the book “His Dark Materials” by Philip Pullman. I used to play the audio version of this book to my kids in the car as I drove them to school. My daughter’s Year 6 teacher, realising that she was not at all interested in reading suggested audio books to instil a love of stories and words. So I played audiobooks on the school run. It didn’t work. She would get out as soon as we pulled up at school, but my son and I would stay listening in the car until the first bell rang… So, that’s where I first heard about Svalbard. Later I heard that it’s one town, Longyearbyen, was like a frontier outpost where the supermarket displayed a sign prohibiting rifles and guns inside - people habitually carried them to ward off/?shoot polar bears. This I had to see.
It’s true. Dotted around the perimeter of the town are signs showing a polar bear in a triangle. The sign is basically saying, “Beyond here are polar bears. They eat seals, birds, eggs, berries and humans. If you go beyond this sign, be accompanied by someone with a rifle and be prepared to run fast. (Polar bears can run at 60kmph).” Two people to date this year have a) not been fast enough runners (who is???) OR b) have not been good enough shots - because they didn’t survive the expedition past the perimeter.
Svalbard is full of snow, mountains and glaciers. In summer the average temperature range is 3° to 7°C. In winter it is -25° to -11°C. The population of Longyearbyen is 2,600 but that number goes down in the long, long winter months. People stay in Longyearbyen for an average of two to ten years, then I guess the cold or the polar bear threat just gets under their skin. You might ask, “Why do they come in the first place?” Because of phenomenally good wages and good tax breaks.
Until last year there was an operational coal mine, but that’s closed now. However, two of the mining tunnels have been repurposed. One tunnel holds the original Global Seed Vault, and another holds the Arctic World Archive. The Archive is marketed as a ‘safe repository for world memory’ which, you have to admit, is a pretty enticing catch phrase. Increasingly its being used to store the world’s precious data offline on purpose-built microfilm ‘designed to last for centuries with guaranteed future access.’ The permafrost conditions - cool, dry and dark 300m in and 300m under the mountain have so far attracted clients such as the Vatican Library, Yale, the European Space Agency and UNICEF. We were taken to the Archive and the Seed Bank when we went for a tour inside the mine with an ex-miner. The inside of the tunnels shimmer with ice particles – it’s a constant sub-zero temperature all year round. We wore miner’s helmets with lights, overalls and gloves – it was still bloody cold! People would ask this miner, “Why would you ever work in a coal mine?” and he’d reply, “I’d rather work in -2° than be a construction worker on the outside working in -20°.”
But back to the polar bears and other Svalbard wildlife… My husband is a foodie - goes anywhere for a good meal. He discovered that the best meal to be had on Svalbard was at ‘Huset’ – a restaurant in an isolated building 1.5km from the town centre – (it’s the larger of the white blobs you can see in the photo). Literally on the perimeter of town. It was so distant from town that there was a ‘Polar bears – Beware!’ warning sign not 150m from the building. Of course the really sensible, life-preserving thing would have been to get a taxi there. But we didn’t. We walked. And we walked back from there at 11pm - under the midnight sun. Guess who was constantly looking over her shoulder imagining a huddle of bears nudging each other saying, “Dinner time lads. Too easy. These two are sauced and we don’t even have to run after them – the idiots have walked!”
Robyn Blake
〰️ 150 Years of HRC 2027
〰️ 150 Years of HRC 2027
Tales of Y’Oar.
The Floating Car
It was around the turn of the millennium, 1999-2000.
The Tuesday-Thursday crew were gathering in front of the HRC shed, deciding which boats to take for their morning row. Suddenly a car appeared to reverse from the southern side of the shed and quietly proceeded through plants over the staging and into the water.
The owner of the car, the late John Campbell and others quickly grabbed a tinny and proceeded to follow the floating car downstream. The quick-thinking John was able to attach a rope to the tow bar just as the car sunk and settled 200-300 metres downstream from the shed. John attached a floating device to the rope to enable the car to be located.
John returned to the shed in the tinny and rang his insurance company. Within a few hours a salvage team arrived with tow truck and divers. The truck parked on the city side of the river, while the dive team secured the vehicle thus allowing the truck to drag the car across the riverbed and up the bank.
Why did the event happen?
For years John and others would arrive via the road through the park, drive past the shed and turn left, park their cars facing uphill towards the bottom of Isabella Grove. On the fateful day, John followed his usual pattern, drove the car past the shed, turned left, facing uphill, pulled on the handbrake, joined other rowers getting ready to row. It was later established John had the day before cleaned a couple hundred kilos of his father-in-law’s tools, from his shed and placed them in the car. He also filled up with petrol on the way to rowing that morning. The extra weight overrode the handbrake allowing the car to drive its self into the river.
The good news.
Within days it was established the car was a write-off and John had a replacement. He also retrieved the naughty tools that were the major contributor to the event.
The Tuesday and Thursday crew resumed rowing as usual complete with another story to tell from time to time.
Roger Gillespie August 2026
What's on next month.
〰️
What's on next month. 〰️
Monthly Roundup
Next month….
Regattas: Sept.
3/9/2026 Thu-Sun 2026 Australian Beach Sprints Championshipshosted by Rowing Australia at North Kirra Beach, QLD. Beach Sprints.
5/9/2026 Sat 2026 Saltwater Challenge hosted by Essendon on the Maribyrnong River, Essendon Head Race.
12/9/2026 Sat RFDS RowathonWentworthMurray River, Mildura.