Steel and progress..
Traditions.
10 Days in the life of Lincoln Rowing.
Paddy on BBC Look North!
Paddy the single and an as yet unidentified rower featured on BBC Look North on Tuesday evening when the Centre played host to the local MP’s.
The Beeb fancied a change from the normal Lincoln backdrops and came to see us at Stamp End Lock to interview the local candidates about the European and Local elections taking place today. The Lincolnite explains the elections here.
We would like to thank Look North for their donation of a facilities fee, our members who came down to help out and wish the MPs good luck for today and hope they bring something to the table for sports clubs!
The first year, 2006..
2006
2006 was a year of trying all the pubs in Lincoln to make sure the original oarsome foursome; Bruce Margetts, Jim Sockell, Niall Cleary and Paddy Ibbotson found the best meeting place. They recognised that there was something missing from Lincoln’s waterways and sought to reintroduce rowing boats after an absence of nearly 100 years.
Boston Rowing Club provided a virtual base for The Lincoln Rowing Centre to affiliate to British Rowing in August which allowed Bruce & Jim to become the first crew to show off the red and white stripes and undertake the Boston marathon!
Ancholme Head provided the first competitive wins for Lincoln members. Bruce & Jim joined up with Chris Morrill from the RAF Rowing Club to win both the coxed 4 category and a veteran pair event.
It’s official, another Lincoln Rower holds a world record..
We have just had confirmation from the rowing machine manufacturer Concept 2 that Deb officially holds the world record for the Longest Continual Row for heavy weight women, aged 50 – 59.
http://www.concept2.co.uk/indoor-rowers/racing/records/ultra-distance/longest-continual-row
She completed 27 hours rowing a massive 221,873 metres and raised over £1000 for the Centre and Macmillan cancer support. Deb is now one of 3 world record holders who row from The Lincoln Rowing Centre, who will be the next??!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Deb, the sponsors of the event and all the members and none members who helped out over the weekend.
National Junior Inter-regional Regatta.
Today sees Lincoln at the national water sports centre on the outskirts of Nottingham for the Junior Interregional Regatta. Rowers aged 13 to 18 from all over the country go through a selection process and then come here to compete to win points for their regions.
Lincoln have 3 athletes competing for the East Midlands in the Womens Junior 16 single scull and in the junior 16 mens coxed 8.
Good luck to all!
New Facilities + Challenges
With our membership growing it was decided nearly two years ago that we required more than just a port-a-loo to support our current members and any growth. The then Centre Chairman tried many different avenues for funding eventually securing some through a combination of member loans, Sport England, The Lonsdale Trust and a British Rowing facilities pot.
Funding secured and planning application submitted and approved the build faced a challenge that would set the project back nearly a year. The main sewer for Lincoln North passes under street view man’s feet and directly through the middle of our compound.
This meant that the first version of plans had to be scrapped while we sought Anglian Waters support for the project. Negotiations were started and both parties settled on a compromise; we could build near the road and suspend a lightweight shed between the 2 buildings to house our small boats, but we couldn’t disturb the ground (no piling) and we had to leave 3 metres either side of the sewer in case there were any problems.
That brings us roughly up to date.
Record set..
Deborah’s target was 24 hours, on Saturday she finished her row at a massive 27 hours. All we have to do now is wait for Concept 2 to verify the data card that was in the machine and Debs will be another Lincoln Rower who holds a World Record!
We would like to thank everyone who supported the event, The Handmade Burger Company, The Hilton for providing somewhere for Deb to be warm over night and the bed and breakfast prize, and especially the passers by who generously made donations.
The money is to be counted and split between Macmillan Caner Support and the Rowing Centre.
23rd hour..
23rd hour and still smiling.
Revellers enjoying a cocktail at the Hilton filled our buckets last night to the point that our chief fund raiser can’t lift them anymore. Debs is on for hitting her target of 24 hours and will be carrying on today until she can’t anymore.