The CDRA pointscore season has traditionally finished with the CDRA Championship regatta at Taree. For 2021, Manning River Rowing Club decided not to host the championships due to the incomplete construction of their clubhouse and fear of COVID (as it eventuated NSW has been virus free for a month and a half). To ensure that the championships would go ahead, the CDRA committee transferred the regatta to Berry Park with Endeavour covering most of the tasks normally carried out by the Manning River club.

​What a great weekend of racing! The weather was kind to us on Saturday although the wind made the course a little rough on Saturday afternoon. Sunday was perfect. 

Over the two days, 55 Endeavour crews started for 10 firsts, 12 seconds and 11 thirds. Lindy Nisbett was again Endeavour’s most successful competitor with 3 wins including 2 championships. Five of our squad had 2 wins; Kerry Blatchley, Ilona Hudson, Jules Bosco, Teressa Chadwick and Chris Brennan (whose double included a championship). Eleven other Endeavour members won races with 17 of the club’s 28 competitors taking home medals.


Winning crews:

​Champion Womens Masters F-H Double Sculls: Chris Brennan, Lindy Nisbett.
Champion Womens Masters F-H Single Sculls: Lindy Nisbett.
Womens Seeded Quad Sculls: Kerry Blatchley, Ilona Husdon, Jules Bosco, Teressa Chadwick.
Mens C Grade Quad Sculls: Mitchell Scales, Rowan Bray, Robert Weatherall, Prentice Bond.
Womens D Grade Quad Sculls: Kerry Blatchley, Ilona Husdon, Jules Bosco, Teressa Chadwick.
Mixed Masters Quad Sculls: Owen Redhead, Dave Percival, Diana Trescott + composite.
Mens C Grade Double Sculls: Sean Donza + composite.
Mens D Grade Double Sculls: Peter Bowman, Tim Blomfield.
Womens D Grade Double Sculls: Chris Brennan, Lindy Nisbett.
Womens D Grade Single Sculls: Di McShane.

Sean Donza has done it again! 
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Sean was a member of the first placed crew in the NSW Mens Masters Quad State Team Trial, winning by 2.47 seconds ahead of Glebe and a Glebe/St George composite crew. 

This is Sean’s fourth selection as a NSW representative to the National Masters Championships. 

NSW Representative Quad: Roy Halliday (Manning River), Sean Donza (Endeavour), Rhett Pattison (Manning River), Jason Waddell (Nepean).  

In previous times, the new year of racing has started with the Taree Summer Regatta in January but a combination of COVID-19 and the limitations of a construction site resulted in the cancellation of that regatta for 2021.  Furthermore, the Endeavour regatta had been conducted on the first weekend of February before the NSW Championships but, to avoid the hot weather experienced over the past few years, it was decided that the 2021 regatta would be pushed back to the end of the month. As a consequence, racing in 2021 began 6 weeks later than in previous years.


Another consequence of COVID-19 was the limitation of regatta entries to CDRA crews only. At least one of the local schools had indicated that if crews from Sydney entered, the school would not allow their rowers to compete. The local association decided in favour of local crews over Sydney crews. As a result, racing in 2021 went from 8.00am to 2.30pm compared to the first draw in 2020 that went until after 6.00pm although the subsequent redraws were shorted after all schools pulled out due to the predicted heat wave.


The weather forecast for the weekend was for rain to be followed by more rain but Saturday was relatively dry and Sunday had scattered showers, which weren’t a problem. The water was calm for most of the weekend although it did get rough when the wind came up after lunch on Sunday. However, after the continuous rain of the past weeks, the flow of the river was rapid with some fast times recorded.


Over the two days, 50 Endeavour crews started for 10 firsts, 14 seconds and 16 thirds. Our new recruit Lindy Nisbett led the way with 4 wins followed by Gillian Weatherall, Rosalie Furness, Chris Brennan and Sean Donza with 3 wins each. Sean raced with the composite crew preparing for the selection race in a fortnight to decide the mens masters quad scull to represent NSW at the Australian Masters Championships in May.


Winning crews:


Mixed Masters Quad Sculls: Roger Young, Rosalie Furness, Gillian Weatherall, Al Atkins (both days).
Womens Masters Quad Sculls: Chris Brennan, Rosalie Furness, Gillian Weatherall, Di McShane.
Mens Masters Quad Sculls: Sean Donza + composite.
Mens C Grade Quad Sculls: Sean Donza + composite.
Mens Seeded Quad Sculls: Sean Donza + composite.
Womens Masters Double Sculls: Chris Brennan, Lindy Nisbett (both days).
Womens Masters Single Sculls: Lindy Nisbett (both days).
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Reindeer Regatta 5/12/2020

A single Endeavour competitor attended with excellent results. Sean Donza raced twice for a win in the mens masters quad sculls (composite) and a second by 0.6 sec in mens masters double sculls.




NSW Sprint Championships 6/12/2020

Eleven Endeavour masters participated in Sunday’s 500 metre sprint regatta for 12 starts and 2 second places. Guess who were the cover boys for the printed program (see below)!

Sean Donza was our stand-out competitor, featuring in both Endeavour placings. 

Sean, a D category master, earned a silver medal in mens masters single sculls behind an A category sculler with a time that would have earnt him gold if he had been drawn in the other division containing D competitors. 
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The Endeavour performance in the mens masters four was worthy of a silver but unfortunately, with only 2 entries, a second medal was not awarded. Competing in the coxless four, our crew were also rudderless but kept a (reasonably) straight course to make time on the more experienced Mosman crew although they could not quite bridge the gap.

Kerry Blatchley travelled all the way to Penrith for only 2 seconds of racing. On the second stroke of her racing start, the plastic bracket securing the rigger broke and Kerry had to crawl along the back deck to retrieve the rigger before it was lost. The rigger was saved but not the race.


Placed crews:
Champion Mens Masters A-D Single sculls: silver medal - Sean Donza
Champion Mens Masters Four: 2nd - Ged Coran, Sean Donza, Owen Redhead, Tim Blomfield

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CDRA Sprint Championships – 22nd November 2020

With corona virus restrictions casting a gloom over all sporting activities, the conduct of the Newcastle regatta was uncertain. The Manning River CDRA regatta set down for the end of November had been postponed (probably cancelled) and the Taree Summer Regatta was also listed as “postponed”. To keep the sprint championship regatta within limitations set by NSW Health, Newcastle Rowing Club decided to reduce the number of entries by removing all non-championship events from the program which restricted the number of races for all Endeavour competitors.

Despite the limits placed on participation, the regatta was a great success and our rowers performed magnificently. The weather was perfect with sunny skies, moderate temperature and little wind giving ideal racing conditions. Endeavour had 22 starts for 6 wins, 8 seconds and 6 thirds. Nine Endeavour rowers won championships with Sean Donza (3 gold medals) and Rosie Furness (2) being multiple winners.

Our new boat ‘Ian and Margaret King’ saw its first regatta and its first win with Reg Vaughan, Sean Donza and Owen Redhead in the mens masters coxless four.


Winning crews:
Champion Mens Masters D Single Sculls: Sean Donza.
Champion Mens Masters C Double Sculls: Sean Donza + composite.
Champion Womens Masters C Double Sculls: Kerry Blatchley, Rosalie Furness.
Champion Mens Masters F Quad Sculls: Digby Rayward + composite.
Champion Womens Masters D,E Quad Sculls: Katrina Whiteley, Rosalie Furness, Gillian Weatherall, June Lacey.
Champion Mens Masters Four: Reg Vaughan, Sean Donza, Owen Redhead + composite.

Corona Virus Restrictions


In the week following the CDRA Championships in March 2020, reaction to the world-wide corona virus hit all sporting activities. In mid-March, Rowing Australia cancelled the Australian Championships and a week later cancelled the Australian Masters regatta. At the same time, Rowing NSW cancelled the rest of the state’s regatta season. All rowing clubs went into lock-down with no activity for two months. 

On 21st March the Endeavour boatshed was closed.  All squad rowing, general rowing and Learn-to-Row was cancelled although club members with a key were allowed access to the shed to row or use rowing machines.

On 24th March, following “strong advice” from Rowing Australia, the Endeavour boatshed was closed for all rowing activities including the use of ergometers. Members wishing to continue rowing in their own boat were advised to remove it from the shed and operate from home.

In response to the easing of covid restrictions by the NSW Government which took effect on 15th May, Rowing NSW put forward recommendations that were adopted by Endeavour Rowing Club.

On 20th May, rowing re-commenced out of the Endeavour boatshed using club boats restricted to single sculls or doubles sculls for members of the same household. A maximum limit of 10 people was set with no access to upstairs, showers or changerooms.  Rowing machines remained out of use.
Coaching for the racing squad recommenced on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Full rowing commenced from the Endeavour boatshed on 15th July using club boats in line with Rowing NSW’s Stage 3 guidelines. The use of all classes of boat was authorised along with rowing machines. The maximum limit was increased to 20 people although restrictions on access to upstairs and changerooms remained.  Club rowing recommenced on Sundays from 19th July although Learn-to-Row was not available for another month .


2020/21 Regatta Season


The 2020 CDRA annual general meeting in May set a regatta program that included 8 CDRA pointscore regattas, 2 non-pointscore regattas, 1 marathon and 2 RNSW regattas. Of the 9 events scheduled before Christmas, 5 were cancelled due to corona virus concerns, 2 were postponed and 2 were conducted with reduced programs under corona virus restrictions. In December 2020, the Taree Summer Regatta of January 2021 is listed as “postponed”. The second half of the 2020/21 regatta season remains uncertain.

The regatta season was to open with the double regatta weekend: Endeavour’s Henley-on-Hunter and NUBC’s Pre-IV regatta scheduled for 26th and 27th September.  As these regattas fell within a period of restricted competition in which the mixing of participants from different regions was banned, Endeavour and NUBC cancelled the events.

This ban was lifted at the end of September before the next scheduled regatta, the Lake Macquarie Derby on 11th October. Lake Macquarie decided to cancel. Similarly, HVGS and NUBC decided not to host their regattas on 24th and 25th October. 

CDRA Spring Regatta 7th  November - After Newcastle Grammar School declined to host or compete, the CDRA committee took on the running of the regatta with a reduced program of events. 17 Endeavour crews started for 3 firsts, 3 seconds and 6 thirds.

CDRA Sprint Championship 22nd November – to comply with limitations set by NSW Health, Newcastle Rowing Club removed all non-championship events to reduce the number of entries. Endeavour had 22 starts for 6 wins, 8 seconds and 6 thirds. 

The plan, which was a very good plan, was to purchase a brand new coxless quad, a boat that was designed to cater for the larger of the racing crews. The order was placed, monies were exchanged but before delivery this best laid plan went awry - Covid had caused the cessation of all activities - the heavyweights went home, the coccooned vessel was stored away and the shed was locked. 

Once restrictions had eased and rowing had tentatively resumed, attention was drawn to the long package residing on the top shelf. It had been determined that the boat be named prior to launching and former President Les Geczy proposed that Ian King was most deserving of this honour. The committee considered the proposal and agreed that it be named "Ian and Margaret King", a suitable launching date was determined and the appropriate signage was ordered and fitted. 

With warm and sunny conditions prevailing the 15th of November turned out to be a glorious day. After the Sunday mornings regular row attendees assembled in the shade of the trees for refreshments and to listen to Les Geczy speaking of the enormous contribution made by both Ian and Margaret to the formation of the club. Following Les’s warm words champagne was produced and without further ado,  the Ian and Margaret King was launched. 

Under the restrictions due to the corona virus, the 2020 CDRA annual general meeting in May was held virtually via ‘Zoom’. The meeting proposed a full season of local regattas consistent with the regatta program of recent years. In light of Covid-19 restrictions, each host club was given the option of deciding whether to proceed with their regatta, postpone or cancel. 

The regatta season was to open with the double regatta weekend: Endeavour’s Henley-on-Hunter and NUBC’s Pre-IV regatta scheduled for 26th and 27th September.  As these regattas fell within a period of restricted competition in which the mixing of participants from different regions was banned, Endeavour and NUBC decided to cancel the events.

This ban was lifted at the end of September before the next scheduled regatta, the Lake Macquarie Derby on 11th October. Lake Macquarie decided to cancel. Similarly, HVGS and NUBC decided not to host their regattas on 24th and 25th October. 

The sixth local event was to be the Newcastle Grammar School regatta on 7th November, however the school indicated that they would neither host nor participate in the regatta. At this point, the CDRA committee stepped in, deciding that the association would take on the running of the regatta to give local rowers the chance to compete. As all 3 local schools had indicated that their students would not participate, a reduced program of events was set including masters, seeded and mixed events with no junior races. The regatta was renamed the CDRA Spring Regatta.

We had dodged several bullets with the first five cancellations. The wind in September had been gale force and neither regatta could have run, while it rained continually on both days at the end of October and racing would have been cold and miserable. In comparison, the day for the season’s first regatta was absolutely perfect – the weather was mild with sunny skies and the water was smooth.

17 Endeavour crews started for 3 firsts, 3 seconds and 6 thirds. The club had three debutants in their first starts and it was pleasing to hear their positive reports on how much they enjoyed the day. 


Winning crews:

Mens Masters Single Sculls: Sean Donza.
Mens Seeded Double Sculls: Mitchell Scales, Robert Weatherall.
Mixed Double Sculls: Diana Trescott, Dave Percival.

While COVID has had a deleterious impact on the regatta season recreational rowing has continued to prosper. Here two new members, Teresa and Jules, are being guided by our experienced Master rowers, Al and Jill. 

On 15 July the club captain advised that the committee had decided that "club rowing will recommence this Sunday at 7.00am but not Learn-to-Row. We will re-assess Learn-to Row when Sunday activities have returned to normal."

Following a discussion with members and after consideration of the options the Endeavour Rowing Club committee has made the following decision with respect to the corona virus: The shed will be opened at the usual times with any rower allowed to go out in a single. The coach will not allocate crews although crews who organize to row as a crew by mutual consent will be allowed to row in crew boats.
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This decision  may change in response to anticipated announcements from Rowing Australia and Rowing NSW this week.

After the extreme weather of last year’s championship regatta, this year was a complete contrast with calm water and little wind (although the water at the end of the island always provides some challenge). 174 races were completed in 16 hours of racing with the regatta running to time on both days.


33 Endeavour crews started for 5 wins, 6 seconds and 11 thirds. Ged Coran and Matt Patton opened our account with a win in the MD2x. The four other wins went to Sean Donza, rowing composite with the NSW representative masters crew.


Winning crews:
Champion Mens Masters A-E Double Sculls: Sean Donza + composite.
Champion Mens Masters A-D Quad Sculls: Sean Donza + composite.
Mens D Grade Double Sculls: Ged Coran, Matt Patton.
Mens Seeded 1000m Quad Sculls Saturday: Sean Donza + composite.
Mens Seeded 1000m Quad Sculls Sunday: Sean Donza + composite.

The weather was hot and windy on Friday, cold and windy on Saturday and relatively pleasant on Sunday. A rapid incoming tide combined with a strong head wind on Friday afternoon created a 300 metre stretch of rolling waves just after the start that caused many crews grief. However, that same stretch of water was well behaved on Saturday and Sunday although many crews were caught out by the strong side breeze at the end of the island – but after the mini-cyclone last March, no-one was complaining.


39 Endeavour crews started for 4 wins, 3 seconds and 4 thirds. Peter Bowman and Tim Blomfield mastered their opposition and the rough water on Friday to win the D Grade Double Sculls. Sean Donza made a great start to his campaign for selection in the state masters crew with 3 wins in composite masters crews. Although the rest of our rowers did not get a medal, all of them said how much they enjoyed their races. The Endeavour racing squad is rowing well, we just need more race fitness.


On the Wednesday before the regatta, Katrina Whiteley had damaged a finger on a sliding boat rack that required surgery and excluded her from racing. Lucy Coren stepped into the breach and did a great job, gaining a second place at her first regatta for Endeavour.



Winning crews:

First places:
Mens D Grade Double Sculls:  Peter Bowman, Tim Blomfield.
Mens Masters Double Sculls:  Sean Donza + composite.
Mens Masters Four:  Sean Donza + composite.
Mens Masters Quad Sculls:  Sean Donza + composite.


Second places:
Womens C Grade Double Sculls:  Lucy Coren, Diana Trescott.
Mens Masters Eight:  Al Atkins + composite.
Womens Masters Eight:  Di McShane + composite.

Endeavour did not attend Saturday’s Reindeer Regatta, which was just as well because it was cancelled after 39 of the scheduled 92 races had been conducted. The smoke from the bushfires became so thick that the first half of the course could not be seen from the finish. Although the air quality was constantly monitored at Sunday’s State Sprint regatta, the pollution did not reach the high levels of the previous day and all races were completed.


Five masters men attended the regatta, four who had done some training and one who wanted to give his home made timber single its maiden run on the Olympic course.


Sean Donza got the show underway with a dominant 2.08 second win in the Mens A-E Masters Single Sculls. Next up was the crew of Matt Patton, Sean Donza, Dave Percival and Tim Blomfield in the Mens Masters Coxless Four. Having never rowed together in a four and with none of them having any sweep training for at least the last month, the crew looked good coming second in a borrowed boat. Our crews did not fire in the doubles but they certainly did in the Mens Masters Quad Sculls. If the borrowed boat had gone straight, they might have made up the margin of the handicap but at least they halved it to take the silver medal and gain the satisfaction of pulling away from St George who had overcome them in the four. 


A gold and 2 silvers from 6 starts - not a bad day’s effort!
 
Medal winners:
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Gold     MMA-E 1x    Sean Donza.
Silver   MM 4-          Matt Patton, Sean Donza, Dave Percival, Tim Blomfield.
Silver   MM Qx         Matt Patton, Tim Blomfield, Dave Percival, Sean Donza.        

As a consequence of the hot, windy, dry conditions, the north coast region of NSW was on fire with 150 homes lost over the weekend. The highway south of Taree was closed and Manning River Rowing Club had to pull out of the regatta as they could not get their boat trailer through. The strong wind threatened to blow out the regatta but, as the wind was perpendicular to the course rather than straight down it like a fortnight ago, the water stayed relatively calm and all races were completed.

The three schools; HVGS, Newcastle Grammar and SCEGS Redlands used this regatta to blood all of their new rowers and the number of entries was so large that the gap between races had to be reduced from 5 minutes to 4 minutes. The 110 races went from 8.00am to 5.00pm and even though it fell to half an hour behind time at one stage, the regatta finished just 10 minutes late. It was a hectic day!

Many Endeavour rowers had other commitments on the weekend and only 9 crews started for 2 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds. The wins both went to our more experienced mens crews with Reg Vaughan and Dave Percival featuring in both successful combinations.


Winning crews:

Mens D Grade Quad Sculls: Reg Vaughan, Roger Farquhar, Dave Percival, Sean Donza.
Mens C Grade Quad Sculls: Reg Vaughan, Robert Weatherall, Dave Percival, Prentice Bond.

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Lake Macquarie Derby - 13 October 2019

Last season, this event was for mixed squads of eight rowers competing in doubles and quads. This year’s event was limited to mixed teams of four rowers competing in quads only, each crew having four starts against varying opponents in three boat races. None of the Endeavour crews managed to record a win but they had a lot of fun. The smorgasbord put on for lunch after the completion of racing was luxurious. 


Manning River Regatta - 19 October 2019

The Manning River club decided to hold this regatta after the association regatta program had been agreed to at the CDRA annual general meeting. Consequently, several clubs and schools had decided on their program of regattas to attend before the Manning date was known. As a result, the entries for this regatta were minimal with only 22 races conducted. Although this was just one third the size of a normal CDRA regatta program, Manning were keen to proceed in order to test their ability to conduct a regatta under the limitations of their storm damaged club house.

​After the cyclonic conditions at the last Manning River regatta that took the roof off their boatshed, the weather gods tried to balance the books by providing perfect conditions. The Endeavour crews enjoyed their races although no wins were recorded. From 8 starts, our seven competitors recorded 4 seconds and 3 thirds. 

After a leisurely 9am start, it was all over by 1 o’clock and we had a relaxed drive home in time for afternoon tea and a snooze before dinner.


​Newcastle Grammar School and Newcastle University Regattas - 26 & 27 October 2019

The weather forecast for Saturday’s regatta was ominous with high temperatures and gale force winds predicted – and that is what we got! The first two races were rowed on a mill pond and then the weather kicked in. Within 20 minutes white caps were rolling down the river and the regatta had to be cancelled after only 8 of the 62 races had been conducted. Sunday’s conditions were more benign with pleasant temperature and a mild breeze that made for enjoyable racing.

The Endeavour entries were fewer that normal with many regular contestants either away or injured. 13 rowers contested 14 starts for 2 wins, 4 seconds and 4 thirds with 12 Endeavour crews being deprived of races due to Saturday’s cancellation.

​Our men’s masters crew of Peter, Ged, Sean and Matt had one win on Sunday but could well have had two for the weekend but for Saturday’s cancellation. Their event was the next to be conducted when racing was stopped. Rowing back from the start, the Endeavour crew handled the rough water better than the other crews and looked as if they could have won under race conditions. The second win went to Prentice racing with the Newcastle University rowers he had competed with at the University Games in September.


Winning crews:
Mens Seeded 1000m Quad Sculls: Peter Bowman, Ged Coren, Sean Donza, Matt Patton.
Mens Open Quad Sculls: Prentice Bond (composite with NUBC).

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