South Coast Championships Regatta. H&D ARA hosted. Dorney Lake, Saturday, 2nd September. Help needed.

Most of you will be aware that this years South Coast Rowing Championships Regatta is being hosted by our Association - the Hants & Dorset ARA - on Saturday, 2nd September, at Dorney Lake - and is being organised by a committee drawn from most of the Associations affiliated Clubs - on which I am representing Ryde.

As with the last two H&D ARA hosted South Coast Championship Regatta's at Dorney in 2007 and 2011 - as part of Ryde's contribution to the organisation - I have offered to organise the coordinate a team of volunteer shore and start/recovery pontoon marshals - and to seek volunteers from my club to support this. So I am looking for around 8 individuals who will be at Dorney who would be prepared to volunteer to peform this role - basically its monitoring, prioritising and helping crews as they go afloat of the pontoons, check that the boats have had their safety checks, keep a record of who has gone afloat and assist their recovery on to the pontoons after their race and a bit of chasing up of crews on shore to make sure they get afloat on time and that no one misses their race. This is both for the Junior Regatta in the morning – and the Championship and open events in the afternoon - and I would hope to get enough volunteers to have a rota and hopefully there will be enough of us so that you can be freed up to watch any particular races you want to see.

It would help if you have some knowledge of the sport but that's not critical.

If there is anyone hear who can volunteer for part or all of the day in these sort of roles we would really like to hear from you as soon as possible. Its not really an option if you are racing although maybe if you are only involved in the afternoon events you could help in the morning at the Junior Regatta.

Also the Association is hoping that Juniors (by age) not who are competing in the Junior Regatta in the morning but not in the afternoon will be prepared to help man the start pontoons - and they are looking for three Juniors from each club to do this (the start pontoons are not in use for the junior regatta in the morning as its only over 1000m). So we will be looking for three - or more - of our Juniors to volunteer for this role.

Please let me know if you are able to volunteer - or would like any more information. Contact Steve Bull on 07786 034941 or stephencbull@gmail.com

Thanks. Steve Bull. RRC.