January 17, 2025

Happy New Year! And welcome to our first e-Newsletter for 2025.

• Safety: Observe exclusion zones near berthing ships
• Keep personal items safe
• Regatta information
  * Important reminders
  * Upcoming events
  * Boat holders needed for Regatta #5
  * Lake Barrington camping etiquette
• Importance of servicing lifejackets
• Product recall - Life Jacket Solutions and Marlin lifejackets
• Nominations closing: Pathways & Masters State teams
• Bonney Energy business accounts
• Zero Tolerance for aggressive behaviour
• Integrity in Sport opportunity - register now
• Sign up to join the #ARC25 Volunteer Team

Steer clear - give ships a wide berth!

Marine and Safety Tasmania has requested we remind southern clubs and schools to respect the exclusion zone after a number of incidents were recently reported to them of rowing shells transiting close to the outside of ships berthing at Macquarie Point.

A MAST spokesman said the hazard has been increased given that the ships have been using bow and stern thrusters as part of their berthing.

He reports that on one occasion the skipper of a ship notified a rowing crew and coach boat of the impending hazard as the shell approached the stern thruster by yelling at them from bridge wing after unsuccessfully trying to radio the coach boat via VHF Channel 16.

Rowers and coaches, please refresh your familiarity with the below graphic and observe the rules so we can put a stop to this dangerous risk-taking.

Further information on exclusion zones can be found in the Making Rowing Safer in Tasmania document.

Reminder - Keep personal items safe at regattas

Unfortunately, two of our rowing families have had personal items go missing from a caravan and vehicle parked in the Lake Barrington camping area at Pennant #4 last month.

Missing are two Apple watches, an Apple charger, and a gold bracelet.

If you have found any of these items, they can be handed into the Office at the next regatta for return to the owners.

Please remember to keep your personal items secure and your caravans and vehicles locked when unattended.

State Club Regatta reminders

• U19, U21, U23 and Senior EVENTS all require coxswains to be weighed in.
• We remind all athletes that bow numbers are specific to each race. The collection of bow numbers tells the Start that you are intending to race, so they will be looking for you for that event.
• Bow numbers may only be collected one hour before a race as races may be altered or consolidated up to that time.
• Scratchings, crew changes, bow numbers and coxswain weights information is available to Officials at all times.

Coming up over the next few weeks -

January 18 - 19: State Club Regatta #5 @ LBIRC. More information, including the draw, here.

January 25: Sandy Bay Regatta @ Long Beach, Lower Sandy Bay. More information and the program here.

February 1 - 2: State Club Regatta #6 @ LBIRC.

February 8: Royal Hobart Regatta on the Derwent River. 

February 8 - 9: Launceston & Henley Regatta on the Tamar River.

February 15: Regional Rowers Showdown North/North West @ LBIRC.

February 15: Regional Rowers Showdown South @ Franklin.

View the full 2024-2025 Regatta Calendar for more information, including events and entries, by clicking on the Regatta Information banner, or visit the Rowing Tasmania website here.

Calling all volunteers - we need your help with boat holding this weekend at State Club Regatta #5.

Boat holders play a big role in ensuring a smooth and successful regatta for all competitors. No previous experience is needed - just enthusiasm and a willingness to help.

If you're available to lend a hand on Saturday or Sunday, please scan the QR code or click on the picture above and sign up for the sessions at which you can help.

It's a great opportunity to get involved, support our rowing community, and enjoy the excitement of race days up close.

Thank you to all those who complied with our request to remove caravans and campervans from the Lake Barrington site at the end of Club Regatta 4. Your assistance with this was appreciated.

Caravans can now be returned to the site leading into Club Regatta 5. However, ALL caravans and campervans will need to be removed by 11am on Sunday, March 16, at the latest, to make way as we set up for the Australian Rowing Championships.

While caravans and tents are a big part of the "ritual" of a regatta weekend at Lake Barrington there are a few things you need to be aware of for safety reasons and for the comfort of all camping area users.

• When setting up your van/tents please be mindful of not taking up more space than is reasonably required for your site. Camping space is limited, so keep your camping footprint to a minimum.
• Safety of campers is paramount. Vehicles should be parked AWAY from the campsite for the safety of tent and swag occupants in particular.
• Campers should arrive at the site well before 10pm to ensure they do not break the curfew (10pm) and therefore disturb other camping guests.
• THERE IS TO BE NO GREY WATER DISCHARGED ON TO THE GROUND as the site is a Parks and Wildlife Nature Reserve. Unfortunately, we still have too many campers ignoring this rule.
• Shower and toilet facilities at Barrington Lodge and Davies Bay Lodge (facilities under deck area) are not available for use by campers.
• Generators are not permitted.
• Wood fires are banned. This includes contained fire pots.
• Please ensure dogs are kept on a leash and do not bark after curfew.

Has your lifejacket been serviced?

Proper lifejacket maintenance and regular servicing are essential for ensuring your safety on the water.

Over time, lifejackets can degrade because of exposure to the elements, and wear and tear, which compromises their effectiveness and your safety. 

Lifejacket Servicing Tasmania owner Tim Morris says regular inspection helps identify any damage and maintenance issues that can weaken a jacket's buoyancy. 

Lifejacket Servicing Tasmania services inflatable jackets and is a registered servicing agent with Marine and Safety Tasmania. The business is also a sponsor of Rowing Tasmania, carrying out all scheduled servicing of our many inflatable lifejackets and, more recently, supplying us with some new inflatable harnesses.

"Our focus is on providing a convenient, cost-effective and dependable lifejacket servicing centre to the boating community, as well as spreading the word about proper lifejacket maintenance to the wider public," Tim says.

"Lifejackets save lives, and regular servicing will ensure all parts are in good working order in the event of an emergency."

Tim also reminds owners of inflatable lifejackets that they are required to follow the manufacturer's instructions for maintenance of the jacket. This includes having the jacket inspected by an approved inspection station such as Lifejacket Servicing Tasmania on a regular basis according to the current legislation applying to the type of lifejacket you have. Further information is available on the MAST website.

Lifejacket Servicing Tasmania has drop-off depots across the State. Visit their website for more information about the business, a list of their services, answers to frequently asked questions, and contact details.

Click HERE to subscribe to the MAST electronic newsletters & notices

Product recall - Life Jacket Solutions & Marlin lifejackets

Please follow the link here to the MAST website for information on a Product Safety Recall affecting Life Jacket Solutions and Marlin lifejackets.

The recall relates to the 3FSingle Point Manual Inflator (Model No: V96000) on specific lifejacket models.

Dates the affected lifejackets were sold: 14 June 2021 - 20 December 2024.

See productsafety.gov.au for Australian product recall information

Don't miss out - nominate now!

Nominations for our 2025 Pathways and Masters State Teams are both closing soon - Pathways on Monday, January 20, and Masters State Team on Monday February 3.

Don't miss out on these great opportunities to compete at the next level and represent our State! Scan the QR code to nominate for your selected Team or click on a link:

Schoolboys Pathway Team Nomination 2025 - Rowing Tasmania
Schoolgirls Pathway Team Nomination 2025 - Rowing Tasmania
2025 Masters State Team Nomination Form - Rowing Tasmania

State Team Selection Policy, Event Requirements and other information can be found here.

Bonney Energy - naming rights sponsor for the 2025 Tasmanian Club Championships - is the local distributor of Ampol fuels and Mobil lubricants and has an extensive network of service stations across Tasmania.

If you have a business and would like to open an account with Bonney Energy, call Michael on 0409 194 331 for more details.

With its main headquarters at Quoiba, near Devonport, and a branch office in Launceston, the company has more than 50 outlets in Tasmania and 15 outlets across Victoria offering the convenience of 24-hour unmanned sites and fully serviced retail sites.

Visit Bonney Energy's website to find your nearest distributor and for more information on their products.

Rowing Tasmania thanks Bonney Energy for its ongoing support of our organisation and our fantastic sport.

Zero Tolerance 

On display around Lake Barrington we have Zero Tolerance signs advising that Rowing Tasmania will ask individuals displaying aggressive or abusive behaviour to leave the rowing precinct.

If the Board finds that the demonstrated behaviour warrants following up with a sanction, this will be made under the Rowing Tasmania Constitution 2019.

If a sanction is issued, the individual will be advised in writing to respond to a show cause notice. 

Integrity in sport opportunity

Active Tasmania is partnering with Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) to host a Safeguarding in sport continuous improvement program (SISCIP) consultation session.

The purpose of the consultation is to introduce the program and hear what support SIA can offer Tasmanian organisations to assist with meeting the safeguarding requirements in the National Integrity Framework (NIF), National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the Tasmanian Child Safe Standards.

Leaders at all levels are welcome, including volunteers.

When: Tuesday, February 11 from 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Where: Online

Please register your interest for the consultation session by January 31, 2025.

What the program involves
You will gain access to ongoing support from a Community of Practice, as well as a wide range of safeguarding resources.

You will receive support from the SIA team to improve child safeguarding and member protection practices in your organisation, including:

• receiving detailed feedback on a survey of the organisation's policies and practices
• learning how to implement the ​​​​​​National Integrity Framework, National Principles and the Tasmanian Child Safe Standards
• developing a Safeguarding Risk Action Plan
• developing co-branded safeguarding resources

Join the #ARC25 Volunteer Team.  Sign up now: ARC | Volunteers

When: March 24 - 30, 2025

Where: Lake Barrington International Rowing Course

Our e-Newsletter editor is Roxanne Casey