Australian Surf Rowers League

By all means have an opinion but when making statements of fact please be fair enough to only state what is fact and not what may or may not have happened.
On the thread about racing at this years event much has been made about the fairness of the course and the interaction of the Boat Panel with the officials. Some of you obviously have no idea just how proactive the BP was in trying to improve the race course. What you don't see is the the number of times we had experienced sweeps go to sea in IRB to try to identify the solution only for them to return to say the course and cans are square and they didn't know what to change.
You didn't obviously see the BP mambers constantly approaching many sweeps asking for an opinion. One crew that has been vocal here was approach twice for two nil results. The first time we copped a mouthfull about the starters and the second everyone was called cheats but on neither ocasion did we receive any salient advise about how to fix the course.
The LM mentioned isn't actually a LM but a HoF member and he has been included into many facits of the ASRL business over the years due to is experience. Because he or anyone else comes along mid stream and points out the blatently obvious about the fairness of the course it doesn't mean that he offered any solution.
It has been said the the Referee didn't mention the work of the BP at any briefing well for the record the person making this difinitive statement obviously didn't attend the Friday briefing where the Referee was very glowing for the work done by the BP in getting the event back on track by reaching right to the top. Don't make statements that aren't true.
The situation at the lake was handled with diplomacy but in the end it was the BP that took the final decision not to race. We did it in such a way that avoided the lynch mob mentality and most importantly we didn't back any official into a corner. Yes you can all walk out but some of us are old enough to remember that when you get the organisers completely off side you end up with races of 6 with 2 going through.
Back to Sunday, the BP and the Referees could all see what was happening but we didn't have the time available to bring everything to a complete stop. The cans had been adjusted to within an inch of their life, we had shifted them along the line, we had shifted the gate cans two lengths south to try to get everyone into the moving water but nothing helped. The decision to stop racing and take the big gamble to move the cans radically north was made by the BP. If that had of failed we were out of time to get the medals awarded.
Being on the BP is a thankless task, it completely takes up every minute of the day and you are constantly under pressure from every sweep that believes they have been wronged. I wouldn't actually recoment it to anybody but someone has to do the job and you can be sure that who ever is on the BP is doing the job to the best of their ability.
Working with the full band of our boat officials provided a perspective that many of don't understand. They are boat officials and really work hard for us. They don't always get it right but consider that they also have to work to other pressures that just your own personal concern.

Go for it but stay factual and be fair.

Hi Bert, I went to 5 of the 6 sweeps meetings held at Kurrawa. Sadly i missed Friday and the glowing praise bestowed on the BP. Such acknowledgement should be applauded

Speaking of the BP, at Coomera Lake, 3 and at one stage 4 of the 7 (including the convener) were in conversation with the referee and other punters at various stages. Where were the rest of the BP?

As for the decision not to row at Coomera lake, it was done & dusted long before the BP came up and made their statement (almost 3 hours after we got to the lake).

Finally, i am amazed that you would say Back to Sunday, the BP and the Referees could all see what was happening but we didn't have the time available to bring everything to a complete stop. The cans had been adjusted to within an inch of their life, we had shifted them along the line, we had shifted the gate cans two lengths south to try to get everyone into the moving water but nothing helped. The decision to stop racing and take the big gamble to move the cans radically north was made by the BP. If that had of failed we were out of time to get the medals awarded. What were the time constraints. Events were still going on well after 4pm. But at least it's an admission that you knew something was wrong and contemplated doing something.

And well done to the Moruya B's. They were a solid unit for what i hear were first year rowers. And that's the quirky nature of the sport. You can be doing it for years & years with no reward and then some bloody newbees turn up & grab the chocolates.

TB

You are way off the mark.

Discussions involving senior sweeps and members of the BP commenced as soon as we arrived at the Lake. The consensus, without any need for a vote, was that we would not be rowing at the lake. This view was communicated to the Referee well before the general meeting of rowers was called.

Further, at the lake, Bert King, Scott Tannahill, John Wright myself and, I am confident, Don Alexander were all involved in the process. Phillipa Lowe and Trish McDermott were also present for much of the time.

Finally, at Kirra, it was not a matter of contemplation only. It was Bert who brought to the attention of the officials the sad state of affairs of the course although, I would suggest, it was becoming apparent to them without our intervention.

In various endeavours to correct the situation, at the suggestion of the BP:
-Michael King and myself spent some 20 minutes in the IRB with one of the most experienced drivers in the Boat Area to determine the lie of the cans;
-the gate cans were moved south;
-finish flags were adjusted, in and out and to the North, on a number of occasions; and
-the whole area was moved to the North as far as the '9 can string' would allow.

The problem with the area was that there was a 'hole' in the course and all that was achievable was to make the course a little fairer. It was not the ideal situation but we accommodated the cards we were dealt as best as possible and it was a very trying time for the panel.

As to time, the Referee was under instructions to complete all racing by 4 pm. Shifting the area away from the hole would have necessitated a move of at least 400 metres to avoid the turmoil to the immediate north of the area with no guarantee of success and the likelihood of us running out of time.

I am more than a little annoyed by the armchair critics who, with a false benefit of hindsight, choose to sit in judgement of the panel and to do so with a completely mistaken view of the facts as they actually transpired during the carnival. Many sweeps consulted the panel during the event with constructive comment however, to my knowledge, none of the 'forum critics' availed themselves of such opportunities.

Bert ans Steve, thank you for the true and enlightening facts of what did go on without the emotions of crews after the fact triad.
Job well done guys and conditions as usual make life difficult.
I had crews in alley 2 Sunday and we got dropped after 3 rounds, but , the guys are as keen as ever to get that elusion Aussies medal.

Back to the grind stone.

"Surf boat rowing doesn't build character,,,, it elimantes the weak ones"

Bert Hunt wrote:

GWS, i am not too far off the mark to know that the decision not to row was made by "the rank and file" long before the BP made their presence felt and their decision known.

If, as you say, the decision not to row had been made in the early stages by the BP, why did the BP wait almost 2 hours to make an announcement and even then on the coat tails of a well facilitated and respectful rank & file meeting?

The BP were representing the rowers. In one breath you talk about concern for time yet in another you are happy to let people waste hours waiting for information. I don't know what senior sweeps you spoke to, but i spent some considerable time milling around with some senior sweeps (including current & recent Australian champ's) and they had already expressed an opinion not to row.

I was aware that on Sunday there was tinkering of the buoys and most probably after a helmet throwing sweep finally came to the realisation that the course was in fact unfair. But, credit were credit is due. Well done for having a go

I don't know who the armchair critics are. I certainly was there every day (except Friday) and in fact raced on the Sunday.

Tony

Answer for me, and the readers:

1. Were you at the meeting of the "rank and file"?

2. Was the meeting interrupted by the intrusion of Bert Hunt and BP members?

3. Did Bert Hunt make an announcement to the meeting and if so what did he announce?

4. If you agree that Bert made an announcement, what followed upon such an announcement?

PS Tony

Re armchair critics:

Did you approach the BP at any time with your concerns and/or any potential solutions?

Ghost Who Surfs wrote:
Not much. Most of us left. He may have made some comment to those who bothered to hang around, but the majority had left.

PS Tony

Re armchair critics:

Did you approach the BP at any time with your concerns and/or any potential solutions? No. I went through the proper channels and spoke to the liaison officer's and one of the referee's.

It's my understanding that the BP would make recommendations to the Referee/s based on their (the BP's) opinion on circumstances.

Time to let it go TB?

Dan wrote:


I am, over it.

Tony

I think you will find that the recollection of most of those who were in attendance will be to the effect that Bert communicated to the meeting that;

1. The senior carnival officials had been advised by the BP (via and with the support of the Boat Referee) that we would not race on the dam; and,

2. That the said officials accepted that situation and no attempt would be made to race on the Lake; and,

3. Steve Scott then publicly congratulated the ASRL committee acting in our capacity as members of the Boat Panel; and

4. Immediately thereafter the meeting broke up and crews left to pack up equipment and depart from the Lake.

For your information Boat Panel members consulted and/or were consulted by many sweeps before advising Torch of the firm attitude of the competitors.

The delay in communicating the final resolution was solely as a consequence of discussions between the Boat officials and the said senior officials.