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Vet women win medals!

Rachel Knight Squads

It has been a busy and successful month for the Adult Development Advanced Women’s Group under the tutelage of Rachel Knight ... with multiple entries at Weybridge Ladies’ and Nat Vets and wins at both.

At Weybridge the group entered a WNovice 4+, an WInt 3 4+ and a WVet C 4x- who all gave their best in the oar-clashing confines of Desborough Cut. The course was made still more entertaining by the addition of an uninvited cruiser moored at the half-way mark. In the end it was the turn of the 4x- (s – Andrea Harrison-Gilligan, Sophie Kennedy, Caroline Wingrove, Ali Frost) to bring home the glory for Molesey in their close-run race against Mortlake A&A. After drawing the Surrey bank (and the aforementioned cruiser!) and executing an efficient start Molesey maintained the half-canvas advantage despite some aggressive steering by MA&A. At the half-way mark Molesey called a push and pulled ahead, still overlapped by their opposition until the last 200m when Molesey squeezed under the finish bridge. It was a hard race but all the more rewarding for being so.

At Nat Vets we represented the club and took advantage of the occasion to engage in some barefaced fraternising by entering composites with Weybridge Ladies and UK Gold. We all managed to overcome the shock of blazing sunshine at Holme Pierrepont to put in a good show. The WVet B 4x- (pictured above), ably steered and shouted at by Rachel Knight and stroked by Jude Bowen, brought home gold in a race that was won about the 650m mark against Eton Excelsior and Nottingham; Jude then jumped into a composite with our new friends from Weybridge only to be robbed of gold by “a bow ball” in the WVet D event. Rachel also won a gold in WVet C 8+ and silver in WVet B 8+ racing with UK Gold.

It has been a rewarding period for the groups who – with the much appreciated help of Rachel - look forward to proudly representing the club in both novice and veteran categories at Kingston and Molesey Regattas..

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Update: MBC and World Challenge 2010

Rachel Knight News

John and Joel Bruton are currently at around the £800 mark with their fundraising so please give generously:

Potential donors can either return the completed form to (or just contact John) at MBC on Wednesday evenings or Sunday mornings, or his email address at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 18, Orchard Gardens, Chessington, Surrey KT9 1AG.

One young man (Joel Bruton) and one old fogey (John Bruton) will row approximately 60 miles and through 21 locks down the River Thames over 2 days from Pangbourne to Molesey, commencing on Saturday 8th August 2009. The proceeds will go to Molesey Boat Club and the Pangbourne World Challenge 2010.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT - EVERY PENNY COUNTS

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NEW OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

Ted Bates News

Here are the results of the election at the Special General Meeting held on June 25th, 2009 at MBC:

Captain Andrew Triggs-Hodge

Deputy Captain Paul Thorpe

Vice Captain Jon Higgs

Hon. Secretary Ted Bates

Hon. Treasurer Michael Gardiner

Committee Andrea Gilligan, Ben Pugh, Fe Wood, Jacqui Papillon, John Hughes, John Parker,

John West, Magnus Burbanks, Nick Hallwood, Oliver Keech, Rusty Carr, Tom Solesbury

New Vice- President: Christopher Fox

The new officers and committee will take over from the present committee on September 1st, 2009.

Ted Bates, Hon. Secretary

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MOLESEY WINS AT WOMEN'S HENLEY REGATTA

Tom Courtney News

On the weekend of the 20th/21st June the Molesey/Thames crew of Mel Wilson (MBC), Michelle Vezie (MBC), Sarah Birch (MBC) and Lenny Kennedy(TRC) won the women's elite coxless four easily over Vesta. This was a fantatastic effort by our women, especially with Sarah Birch answering the SOS call the morning of racing due to the withdrawel of Ruth Walczak (MBC) through injury. The crew got off to a commanding start and were always in control easing away to the win.

Further strong performances were had by Wilson, Vezie in the Elite eight losing narrowly to Yale University in the final of the Elite Eight, with both boats breaking the old record. The Junior quad made the semi finals, however were outgunned by a composite crew from Haberdashers/American School of London/ Durham and Latymer. After getting through the time trial on Friday, our J16 coxed four, J16 eight and Intermediate four found the going quite tough in their heats losing out. The L/W four were unfortunately dq'd after a collision near the start. The l/w pair lost to a very powerful Mortlake pair whilst the senior double lost in the first round.

Overall, there have been some very good performances from the Molesey women at the 2009 regatta, and we look forward to building on these results for HRR and the National Championships.

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BBC interviews Molesey's very own "Monster"

News

Martin Gough of the BBC Rowing team recently interviewed our very own Mo Sbihi for his article "Monsters Wanted" on his blog. There is a great video interview towards the bottom of the page.

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Molesey wins Victor Ludorum at MET

Tom Courtney

Molesey athletes performed strongly across the board at the MET regatta on the weekend which resulted in the club winning the Victor Ludorum trophy for most successful club. The MET is the leading regatta in the lead up to HRR and WHR.

On Saturday wins were recorded in the Men's Elite Eight, Women's Elite coxless four and Women's Elite Eight. On Sunday further wins were recorded in the Men's Elite Coxless Four, Men's Senior Coxed Four and Women's Senior Single Scull.

Men's Elite Eight: s Dave Lambourn, 7 Graham Smith, 6 Mike Blomquist, 5 Jonny Searle, 4 Joe Van Maltzhan, 3 Richard Ockendon, 2 Dave Gillard, B Ben Pugh, c Adrian Ellison

Women's Elite Coxless Four - s Mel Wilson

Women's Elite Eight 4 - Mel Wilson, 2 Ruth Walczak

Elite Coxless Four - 4 Mike Blomquist, 3 Ben Smith, 2 Paul Dienstbach, B Simon Fieldhouse

Senior Coxed Four - 4 Dan Cadoux-Hudson, 3 Henry Ellender, 2 Al Cordey, B Pete Robinson, c Charlotte Jackson

Women's Senior Single - Mel Wilson.

Further pleasing rresults were had across all the categories the club entered - men's, junior men, l/w women, senior women. The regatta sets the club up for a strong last month leading into Women's Henley and Henley Royal.

Pacific Trekking

Andrew Triggs Hodge News

This is an exerpt from Chris Martin's Blog of his crossing of the Pacific (Read more on his site):

Over the last 2 days we’ve been clawing our way north east and both Mick and I have started to notice a change. This is that the shifts have become noticably more difficult to pull ourselves out of bed to get stuck into. We crawl out of the cabin as fully prepared as possible which normally means that most of the clothing we want to wear is on but generally that we’re missing one thing - Concious thought.

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Next Generation of Molesey Athletes Shine!

Tom Courtney News

Championship Quad Scull On the weekend, Molesey Boat Club hit the National Schools Regatta with a bang!!

Gold Medals were won by the Championship Girls Quad Scull, the Boys School Coxed Four and the Girls J16 Eight.

Silver medals were won in Championship Boys Single Scull, J17 Girls Single Scull

Bronze Medal was won in the Championship Boys Pair

This is a sensational set of results by the club's junior section and puts the club firmly up the ranks as one of the top junior/school programs in the country.

Read here for a more detailed review of the WJ16 8+ build up and race to gold.