The Captain’s Log, Autumn, 2009:  Brian O’Dea Reflects

From where I’m sitting this has been an exciting year for two reasons:  lots of new members plus the prospect of a fleet of new boats.  So what kind of thinking underpins this kind of expansion?

We’ve always set out to be a community-based club, a big tent if you like,  for anyone who wants to come and try rowing, and given our geographical situation we’d be mad not to have a strong presence on the open water.  But beyond that lies the challenge of rowing fine boats, skinny boats, and that’s also a development pathway open to anyone who fancies putting in the time and the effort.  So membership of ERC, as far as I’m concerned, carries the guarantee of access to both offshore and fine boat competitive rowing….if that’s what you want.

We had a very successful recruitment fair at the Community College earlier in the year, plus an Ergo Challenge on the prom for anyone who fancied rowing themselves silly for a minute, and both events produced a very promising crop of new members. Not just younger rowers but some older guys as well. It’s our job from here on in to try and take these people to a higher level.

As far as the new boats are concerned, we definitely have the money and it looks more and more likely that we’ll be in the market for two or three of the brand new quads underwritten by the ARA for the FISA Worlds in October.  We’ve trialled these boats in Plymouth Sound in a mix of conditions and believe me, they’re absolutely the business. There’s still a potential problem around beach launches and recoveries, and the boat itself is extremely wet, but hopefully we’ll be able to resolve both these issues. These new boats will be an addition to – rather than a replacement for – the current fleet.

On top of all this, we’re hosting Sally Malt from the Amateur Rowing Association’s Rowing Development scheme. I’ve been selling the community concept for ten years now and the fact that she’s coming down to mentor me is, I think, a recognition that we’ve been pathfinders for the kind of set-up that seems suddenly to have become popular. It’s interesting the way that Torquay are now following our example: a strong interest in offshore rowing plus a vigorous push on the fine boat regatta circuit.

Clubs like ours are constantly in the process of change.  Young people in particular have other calls on their time – think university, for a start – and so this year I’ve had no championship crews. Having said that, we had a fine showing at the last regatta of the year at Bideford. Two thirds of the rowing membership signed up and we took more than twenty to the north coast.

Jack Pearce and Charlie Angel scored a first in the open double sculls, with Chris Long and Sam Malloy breathing down their necks for second place.  The men’s novice crew lost by a canvas on the line while the ladies novice crew came second to Exeter in a biggish field. But what really pleased me was the J16 girls crew.  They’d only been out together twice yet they still managed to row through Torquay.  It’s that kind of promise and commitment we can work on through the winter.  And it’s those kinds of results that make the rest of the west sit up and take notice.

So over the coming months, we’ll be building core stamina and strength on the open water, with midweek evening Ergo sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are a winter series of Head races at Exeter, Bristol and Cardiff if we fancy a bit of competition to tune us up – and it’s outings like these that put committment to the test. It’s one thing to attract lots of new members but is that initial enthusiasm really going to survive sitting in a minivan for half a day on a precious weekend or standing round in the freezing cold waiting for the next race?  We’ll see…

Just now, we have three competitive quads:  the J16 girls’ crew (Abby Swain ,  Olivia Barnard,  Serena McGuinness,  and Alice Vanstone),  the novice mens’ four ( Loris Hayward,  brother Harry,  Ed Pearce,  Tim Shrivener) plus the lady’s novice four (Jane Edwards,  Kim Tapper,  Allie Giles and Olivia Barnard).

These crews, in my view,  have a lot of potential and really give me something to work with.

There’s also the men’s novice four (core squad:  Rob Williams,  Mike Mulholland,  James Ashby,  Brian Hitchcock,  Keith Macintyre).  They’re showing huge potential in their sea quad,  and if they fancy it I’m very happy to coach them to a top three Novice place in skinny boats. That’s their call.

Beyond novice, of course, lies Senior “C”, and “B”, and “A” but then you find yourself in a different league, calling for a different mind-set. The sheer commitment is a really big shout.  You’re talking six-days-a-week training, dietary supplements,  the whole nine yards.  Rowing at that level eats up your whole life and to be honest I don’t have the time or the resources to do it justice. That’s why our truly outstanding prospects – like Tom Youd – tend to disappear up the river.  Are we sometimes a nursery for the Exeter Rowing Club?  The answer has to be yes.  We produce exceptional junior scullers but there are limits beyond which we simply can’t go.

In this respect, I’m making arrangements for Chris Long and Charlie Angel to go through the ARA Instructors course.  Both Chris and Charlie have a long-term commitment to both the area and the club and having them on board in the instructor-role will certainly ease the pressure.  But the kind of facilities we’d need to compete in fine boat competition at the top level we simply don’t have.  Yet.

And so we come back to what I think we do best.  We’re exceptionally good at putting people on the open water in the quickest possible time and with the least possible fuss.  Half an hour for a talk-through on the Ergo and – bang – you’re afloat.  At that stage, you’re giving it plenty and the water’s flying around but the boat looks like a stick insect. All that wasted energy. So hopefully we take you onto the next step – adding technique to raw power, turning enthusiasm into commitment – and once you’re really working as a crew there are limitless opportunities for competitive rowing.

By that stage the chances are that you’ve caught the bug.  You want to belong.  You want to get better and better. You want to get out there.  You want to compete.  But be sure of one thing.  Rowing, as far as I’m concerned, is winning.  I don’t invest all this time and effort in coaching to come second.  So there’s another challenge….if anyone’s listening.