Thanks to Bob Cottell for this photo. Bob hates to miss his rowing at the weekends!

The race is unusual in one respect. Normally in processional races the fastest crews start first and so the crews become more spread out as the race progresses. But in the Icicle Race the slower crews start first and so there is, shall we say, a coming together of boats at the finish as you can see from the following picture taken by Pete Abbott, a Grosvenor RC master, at Sandy Lane. I'm rowing at 3 in one of the eights.

After the event Grosvenor Rowing Club held its annual Sherry Party and a boat naming ceremony. Meanwhile Royal Chester held another Icicle Race just for juniors!

Last year it really was an Icicle Race as you can see below.

I took this photo from the cox's seat on the way up to the start. The next day the river Dee froze over!

If you haven't yet seen my upside down advertisement in Rowing and Regatta magazine then here is a link to it. And, yes, it was printed upside down deliberately.

Note that the offer of 7.5% discount, with the bonus of a FREE pair of cradles to support the boat when out of the water ENDS AT CHRISTMAS so ORDER NOW for delivery early in the new year.

And then have a merry Christmas contemplating the present you have just ordered.

Dear Steve,

I have been away for 2 weeks so I have only just been out in my new TS515. I did take the precaution of wearing a life jacket on my first outing as our river is deep and cold this time of year but after a few strokes I came back in took of the life jacket and set off up the river. As I had not been in a boat for 18 years it was a shaky start but I was enjoying it so much I rowed at least a mile up river and back. Great boat and I am enjoying it.

Regards

R Palmer

We found ourselves lumped together with all of the other Masters classes from B through to E. Races like this are handicapped to take account of declining performance expectations with age. We were given a 35 sec handicap advantage over the youngest crew.

But guess what! We beat the lot of them anyway, even without taking advantage of the handicap times we were offered. There is life in the old dogs yet!

I was steering, with my right foot, at bow and was delighted to get around the first bend and through the inside arch of the first bridge without mishap. The course runs right through the city centre with sheer walls on each side so the water is very lumpy and uncomfortable to row on in a fine racing boat. But it's the same for everybody except the crew that starts first so you just have to get on with it.

We gradually caught up with Runcorn but they passed Warrington on the big straight and so we had to scull in the wash of two boats! Then we had to pass Warrington on the outside of the final bend and we nearly clashed with them but they moved over just in time. I had a nice line for the finish as we came under the final bridge, by Old Trafford, and we put in our final effort to try and get past Runcorn, who seemed to have brought their entire club to support them from the dockside at Salford Quays!

Just before the line we got tangled up with their blades and amongst a lot of shouting (but to everybody's credit - no swearing) we dragged each other over the finish line. I don't know how I drifted off course. Sometimes the wash from another crew can suck you in. It certainly wasn't deliberate. Anyway, no harm done.

In the results the crew who came second behind us was another from my own club, Grosvenor RC, a Masters C crew. Looking good for the future.

In the morning I will be racing in my single in Masters F category and in the afternoon I'll be in a newly formed Masters C quad, which is an absolute delight to scull in.

The next container load of TS515 training sculls is due at the end of August from Australia. Quite a number of these boats are already sold so if you want any for the autumn then best order now to avoid disappointment and I'll deal with your order upon my return.

If you want one of those remaining place an ORDER NOW.

"but as we set out on the 2nd ‘lap’ the clouds came over and we were hit by a F5 SW squall – the next hour was true tough fun !! Downwind we travelled at over 12kph – sliding and surfing down the waves surrounded by white horses..."

You can read his exciting & daunting report here or visit his www.360challenge.org.uk web site if you feel that this mammoth effort deserves a contribution to the charities that he and his brother were supporting.

Then I'll be going to France immediately to fetch some rowing boats and a new ASTUS 20.2S trimaran, returning on the overnight ferry from Caen on the 17th/18th.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61378257@N06

The Sea Cadets have embraced the Yole all over the country. These photos are from the Southern Area Sea Cadets site, with a couple taken from the Ahoy-Boats web site as well.

The boat that is not a Yole may be available to the public soon.

Obviously I am now trying to catch up on my emails.

Photo by Henry Law - Click image to enlarge.

This is the fastest boat I have ever owned. Designed by the great East German, Klaus Filter, who was the FISA materials commissioner for 20 years and who magnanimously never patented any of his designs but instead saw to it that they were available throughout the world in order to make racing as fair as possible. This boat was built in China by the Flying Eagle Company and marketed in the UK by Oarsport. It is the second one I have owned and I have just bought another Klaus Filter designed boat.

It is designed for a sculler of 50 - 60kg weight but my racing weight is 64kg and yet it has been excellent for me over the past 5 years. I have the rig set at its maximum height so a smaller person could set it lower.

Flying Eagle make their boats out of different materials according to how much you want to pay and how light and stiff you want the boat to be. This boat is an international specification with carbon and kevlar separated by honeycomb in the sandwich and is the FISA minimum weight of 14kg so it is a very responsive and exciting boat to scull.

It is now SOLD.