News
The Catch: January 2026
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Welcome to 2026 - Hopefully we have all made New Year resolutions to row more? This month:
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HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome all members to 2026 - lots of exciting rowing events coming up this year! We hope that you all continue the energy, commitment, and team spirit that all members bring to our club, whether your objective is to chase personal bests, master your first strokes, or increasing your fitness levels, you are what makes ANA RC such a special rowing community. 2026 brings new opportunities: fresh goals, stronger crews, early mornings on the water, and plenty of moments that remind us why we love this sport. Together, we’ll continue to build fitness, resilience, and camaraderie, pushing ourselves while supporting one another every step (and stroke) of the way. We’re excited for the season ahead and look forward to sharing many rewarding sessions, races, and celebrations with you. Let’s make 2026 a year of progress, teamwork, and pride in wearing ANA RC colours. |
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UPDATES FROM THE COMMITTEE The Committee is preparing for the upcoming AGM, to be held on Sunday 15 February from 9am. As part of this meeting, the positions of all office bearers will be declared vacant, and elections held. The ANA RC Committee consists of the following positions
Committee meetings are held once a month, generally on the third Monday. The Committee is also looking for volunteers to be part of a formal Events Working Group. This committee is separate from the ANA RC committee and will only focus on arranging events, with no ongoing responsibilities - for example the Annual Dinner, the End of Year Event etc. |
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SUN SAFETY As summer heats up, it’s a timely reminder for all members to protect themselves whenever they are on the water. Even early morning sessions have higher UV levels at this time of year. Please remember the Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide guidelines:
And always take a water bottle to Slurp from (plastic bottles only, to prevent damage to boats). Summer also brings changes in weather patterns. You may notice rougher water than in winter, particularly between the Club and the Tonkin Road bridge. While conditions often improve beyond the bridge, please don’t go out in conditions that are unsafe for your experience level. If the water is unrowable, the gym or ergos are always a good alternative. We will also see an increase in water traffic, with school crews from Perth College and Hale School preparing for their racing seasons. This may cause delays in getting on and off the water, please be patient while this happens. |
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JUNIOR LTR Liam and Cassandra, with assistance from the junior racing squad, have just finished their school holidays Learn To Row course, with six keen participants enjoying fantastic weather and water conditions. The course was held from 5 to 9 January with participants encouraged to continue with Ingrid's Junior Development Squad. |
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LEARN TO ROW REGATTA Our Learn to Row Regatta will be held on Sunday 8 March 2026 and we need more crews to make it a success. You can help by recruiting friends and family who are interested in learning to row! We also need volunteers to coach a crew from the cox seat.
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AMRC 2026 The 2026 Australian Masters Rowing Championships (AMRC) will return to Champion Lakes from 27 May. This year’s training program will be designed with a specific focus on AMRC, alongside the normal Masters season. AMRC attracts a wide range of competitors of all ages and abilities, from former Olympic rowers to those racing at a club level. All ANA RC Masters are encouraged to enter at least one event to gain the full championship experience. Events at AMRC are held by individual age grade, rather than the combined grade format used at RWA events. For example, there is a separate race for D-grade rowers, whereas RWA events combine categories A–D. As well as gold, silver and bronze, medals are also awarded to the fastest crew made up entirely of rowers from the same club, although composite crews are permitted. A meeting for interested rowers will be held at the club at 8.30am on Saturday 17 January, where Rene and Garth will outline plans and requirements. |
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ALBANY MASTERS REGATTA Albany Rowing Club hold their Masters Regatta every 2 years over the March long weekend (28 Feb to 2 March). This event is open to Racing and Recreational members and consists of three parts:
If you would like to go, please register and pay directly via the Registration Form and join the WhatsApp so we can organise crews and allocate boats. It is a great social weekend with plenty of food, drinks and laughs. |
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DECEMBER LONG ROW ('The Day ANA RC took over the Woodbridge Cafe') On 13 December ANA RC held the debut event for the Gig Touring boats, which were obtained in part using RWA's G'Rowing grant. 58 ANA RC rowers took part in this event, using singles to eights, and three of the Gigs for a truly epic long row. After stretching their legs (and refuelling) at a shady breakfast stop at Riverside at Woodbridge Cafè & Restaurant, the fleet turned back towards the ANA RC shed. Along the way, the support crews got some bonus towing practice, with one boat that was only rowed one way.
Huge thanks to Glyn for pulling together such a fantastic morning, to our brilliant tinny drivers and support crew Tony, Martin, Liam and Lauren, and to all the junior, recreational, and racing rowers who made it such a great outing. And a big thank you to Rowing WA for the funding support that helped us purchase the gigs - making social rowing adventures like this possible.
Watch this space for similar events in 2026 - plenty more waterways in WA to explore!
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END OF YEAR HEALTHWAY ACT-BELONG-COMMIT BREAKFAST Finally, to cap off a successful 2025, ANA RC celebrated with End of Year Breakfast, sponsored by Healthways Act-Belong- Commit. The event was held at the conveniently placed BBQ's near the paddle club, with members from all squads attending. It was great to have so many new members from the Development Squad attending and mingling with the more established members. |
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MERCHANDISE ANA RC merchandise is now available to order using the Shop on REVS. Orders close at 11pm on 31 January, with delivery to happen approximately 3 weeks after that. Size guides and product specifications will be shown on this link. The popular ANA RC jackets will be added to the Shop in February as will the long sleeve shirt. |
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BLAST FROM THE PAST - GEOFF MITCHELL COXLESS QUAD This boat is named in honour of Geoff Mitchell. Geoff started rowing at Bunbury Rowing Club before joining ANA RC in 1972, where he was awarded the Most Successful Oarsman in 1973. He was selected in the WA Lightweight 4 from 1974 to 1977 and won the Australian Open Lightweight Pair in 1977 and 1978 (with Wayne Simmons). He was the ANA RC Club President in 1986, later coached Pip Mitchell to an Australian Championships (Single Scull) in 1992, and was awarded ANA RC Life Membership. UPCOMING EVENTS
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