If you are at all interested in the Gallipoli 100 event the newsletter linked below will give you the information you need to start the planning process.
We recently visited Turkey, firstly to introduce Surfboats into yet another European country and secondly to case out the Gallipoli 100 event.
We were made feel extremely welcome by everybody we met along the way and you can’t help than to be in awe of the task set our Anzac forefathers when standing on the beach at Anzac Cove.
The 2010 ASRL AGM was well supported with a good rollup of Victorian members plus strong representation from every State.
We kicked off at 10am and a big thanks to Lifesaving Victoria for making its very comfortable facilities available to us. Great location nestled on the beach in the Bay area with a view back to the Spirit of Tasmania sitting in dock. Thanks to Frank, Guy and all the boys who pitched in to make everybody feel welcome. BBQ and some welcome ales followed at the Sandringham club facilities which was again much appreciated by all.
The committee is now into the development part of the season as we relook at everything we do and want to achieve on behalf of the membership. As has been mentioned previously we did have a bit of a swap around of roles on the committee at a meeting in Kurrawa and Tony Benfield has now undertaken the role of Secretary with Alan Gibbons backfilling Tony’s Vice President position.
Attached to this report (click on "Read More" below) you will find the result of the recent Survey completed by over 300 members. We will be using the clear message provided within this Survey to structure our thinking going forward. To most questions you have been clear in your responses and this will make it a lot easier for us to set up policy.
The Good & the Not so Good from the Wollongong ASRL Open
I would rather look for the positives then the negatives in any assessment of the recent Open. We are all in agreement that not everything went off without a hitch or that in hindsight we couldn’t have done something or other better.
Let’s firstly look at what did work:
Wollongong City Surf Club and it’s entire team did a fantastic job
The Duck & Jet Boat crews were again invaluable and efficient in removing and laying the buoys
The beach officials were on the job all day, some sitting out on the stands for upward of 7 hours without a break. Haven’t seen them on here having a whine but if anyone if entitled to do so it is this group, without whom we wouldn’t have an event
You the competitors who left the beach almost spotless when you left. Your example in taking all your rubbish with you was exemplary
The shift of venue was handled extremely well by the Wollongong CSC organizers, Wollongong CSC workers and you the competitors
The racing was tough and exciting to watch with so many 4 plus boat finishers
The skill of the sweeps and crews was commented on by our various sponsors as being of a very high level
The whole 6 finals were of the highest order and raced right to the line
Medal presentation on the beach at the completion of racing was great and shared with other rowers, club and family
Boy what a weekend, nothing but tough decisions that affected the Wollongong City club, officials & competitors with beach location change. I believe we made the correct calls, not everyone will agree but every decision was made with the thought of all involved considered. What a weekend like this does is open the door to a full discussion about setting in place standard for running events like this much better into the future.
The Wollongong Surf Club were disappointed that we didn't run on their beach for the Sunday finals but that was still a line ball decision at 6am and we weren't prepared to take the risk of making that call to return only to have trouble with 71 races still to complete. The surf was still throwing up 5 to 6 foot hollow waves but the key was that the southerly was still blowing right up the beach so it would have been pretty unpleasant based on the 6 am sighting. A different call may have been made at 8 or 9 am but we had to go with what we had at 6 O’clock.
For future discussion I do believe that we need to turn the whole process of how we conduct major events with time constraints around. It is apparent that travelling and staying at the Aussies are treated differently by crews in that we mostly are happy to stay on location for more bed days and this is perfectly understandable. Events like the various State Titles and the ASRL Open are seen as a weekend event where we arrive, race and leave. Crews in each division need and like to be able to get in and race with quick turn around times and not have to sit around for hours. Addressing the program is something we have firmly in our sights to discuss and in due course to receive feed back from our members on.
Finally the Wollongong City Surf Club did a fantastic job under very tough and trying conditions. The efficiency with which they were able to completely move the arena was better than I have ever witnesses in the past. I know and understand the disappointment they feel at not having the event run on location but hopefully they can take the positives out of the way their club conducted itself. It was a great Wollongong City Open even if it was run off location.
If you are at all interested in the 
The 2010 ASRL AGM was well supported with a good rollup of Victorian members plus strong representation from every State.
The committee is now into the development part of the season as we relook at everything we do and want to achieve on behalf of the membership. As has been mentioned previously we did have a bit of a swap around of roles on the committee at a meeting in Kurrawa and Tony Benfield has now undertaken the role of Secretary with Alan Gibbons backfilling Tony’s Vice President position.
I would rather look for the positives then the negatives in any assessment of the recent Open. We are all in agreement that not everything went off without a hitch or that in hindsight we couldn’t have done something or other better.
Boy what a weekend, nothing but tough decisions that affected the Wollongong City club, officials & competitors with beach location change. I believe we made the correct calls, not everyone will agree but every decision was made with the thought of all involved considered. What a weekend like this does is open the door to a full discussion about setting in place standard for running events like this much better into the future.
For future discussion I do believe that we need to turn the whole process of how we conduct major events with time constraints around. It is apparent that travelling and staying at the Aussies are treated differently by crews in that we mostly are happy to stay on location for more bed days and this is perfectly understandable. Events like the various State Titles and the ASRL Open are seen as a weekend event where we arrive, race and leave. Crews in each division need and like to be able to get in and race with quick turn around times and not have to sit around for hours. Addressing the program is something we have firmly in our sights to discuss and in due course to receive feed back from our members on.
