Rowing at Vesta

The rowing at Vesta is organised into four main squads, the arrangements are still being made for the coming season 2008/9.

• The Senior Women, led by Matt Gilliver along with supporting coaches, has aspirations for 2008/9 to compete successfully at the highest level of club rowing.
   
  If you have already rowed at senior club level or would like to move up from an intermediate level, please get in touch. All are welcome to the first squad meeting on 3rd September in the Vesta bar at 7:30pm. (You don't need to bring kit.)
• The Intermediate Women's Squad will be coached by Paul Lorenzato and Jason Gray. The aim of this group is to move up from novice level rowing and become competitive at senior 3 and 4.

  NB. This group has been very popular and, for now (Sept. 23rd) is closed to new enquiries.

• The Novice Women will be coached by Nicola Millard and Jane Osborne. This squad is for complete beginners.

  Note: This group has had a lot of interest and the coaches think that they have as many people as they think they'll be able to cope with.

• The Men’s Senior/Intermediate Squad will be coached by Karl Henderson and Martin Hindshaw.
   
  There will be a pre-season meeting on Thursday 4th September in the Vesta bar. There is no need to bring any kit with you for this meeting.
   
  We don’t set any specific ability or fitness requirements, but, to give you an idea, we’d expect you to have been rowing for a couple of years at least, competing at senior 3 or above at the big multi-lane regattas. Competence in smaller boats is a bonus but not a requirement. These aren’t hard or fast rules – we’re more concerned that you are willing to offer the high level of commitment required for this level of rowing. We aim to surpass the achievements over the last two or three years of our top boat finishing 28th and 50th in the Head of the River Race (in 2006 and 2008 respectively), and whilst we have qualified over 80% of our squad for Henley for the last two years, our headline aim is to get our top boat to be a selected crew.
• The Men’s Development/Novice Squad will be coached by Nick Ireland and Graham Harvey. The “Development” group is aimed at athletes below the level of our Senior/Intermediate Squad, and our aims are to improve your rowing and fitness, with an aim to compete in the Head of the River and the local and regional regattas, such as Putney Town Regatta in May. The “Novice” group is aimed at complete beginners, so if you would like to learn to row at Vesta we’d like to hear from you.