Wisemans Bridge Rowing Club

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Welcome to Wiseman's Bridge Rowing Club's website we hope it offers interesting information.

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At around half past five on Sunday 6th of May 12 rowers from Wisemans Bridge Rowing Club and their 2 support crew arrived in Aberystwyth Harbour. Our team had just rowed across the Irish Sea completing The Celtic Challenge - it had taken 25 hours, 18 minutes and 23 Seconds; an adventure of epic proportions.

The journey to the finish line began in November 2011 when a group of masochistic Wisemans Bridge rowers began planning for the event. Countless hours were spent raising funds, organising support vessels, repairing boats and ensuring the team had a full complement of rowers.

On Friday morning 4th May the rowers and support crew with support boats Atlantic Blue and a rib congregated in Arklow. The teams began to prepare the boats in knowledge that weather conditions might be good enough for a crossing the following afternoon. Safety checks were carried out, food and water loaded and everyone prepared their bodies in their own way for the arduous task to come.

Saturday afternoon - the call had been made - the race was ON. However there were still very strong North Easterlies, the sea was a lumpy mess of white caps and large waves. The support boats for each team began to leave the harbour. Atlantic Blue crashed through the waves at the harbour mouth suggesting that just rowing into the open sea was going to a hard enough task. However Oarsome, shadowed by the rib team, safely made her way out to the start line. Shortly after the hooter sounded -the race had finally begun!

The boats were rolling horribly in the rough sea and the rowing was very tough. The crews were getting soaked with waves crashing over Oarsome, threatening to swamp her. An hour in and it was time for the first change over. Despite the rough conditions the crew change was completed without hitch. The 1st crew change also marked the beginning of the dreaded sea sickness and it wasn't long before there was some Olympic standard pukeing being displayed by a number of the team. Two particular standouts were Cleo and Simon who started delivering impressive technicolour yawns within minutes of setting foot on Atlantic Blue.

The next hours were a blur of hard rowing , brutal seasickness and prone bodies recouping on the deck of AB. The support team worked tirelessly ferrying tired and broken rowers between the boats with Captain Mark keeping a watchful eye over the proceedings.

The wind remained strong and conditions difficult but very slowly the white caps began to disappear and around midnight, under a beacon like full moon the sea state become noticeably easier. There was a sense that the team had made it over the worst of the conditions. When the first light of day broke over the tired team the shadow of Bardsey island became visible. Spirits lifted - Wales was in view - but there were still 30 miles left to row!

As the sun rose and the team slowly made headway into Cardigan Bay the early morning clouds disappeared and the sea calmed to an oily glass. A grey strip on the horizon slowly morphed into green hills and valleys. Dolphins played and leapt next to Oarsome. Wales was welcoming us home. After a final crew change the team made the final push to Aberystwyth Harbour. They were shouted on firstly by the rest of the team from the rib and then by a huge crowd on the harbour wall! It was a brilliant ending. Hearing the shouting support and seeing our friends and family suddenly seemed to bring home what we had just achieved.

Massive thanks has to be given to everyone who organised and helped Wisemans for the CC - it was a gargantuan task. Neil and Ellen - the instigators and organsisers. Everyone who helped get all the equipment and boats ready and seaworthy. The support team of Lee and Johnny were incredible; they kept going and going and going. Mark, our skipper, was tireless, protecting us from the sea (and passing tankers). All our support, sponsors, and fundraisers.

The Team - Mark, Neil, Elen, Simon, Annie, Sparker, Rich, SirAlex, Brent, Johnny D, Cleo, Tom and support team Lee and Johnny Rees.

Milford Haven Marathon Row 2012 Race Report.

With the “Milford Marathon” now into its 3rd year and with Wiseman`s being the current Mixed team trophy holders there was plenty of interest in trying to retain this piece of silver wear ... The Logistic of transporting boats and crew to these events prove as stressful as actually rowing the race, and this proved no different, to trying to get everyone up to London for the GRR. Unfortunately last minute we lost “Young Wilson” who did herself a mischief a week earlier lifting the boats onto the evil double trailer, so a quick reshuffle of bodies was then needed as for the first time the Wisemans fielded 2 mixed teams “Wilsons Warriors” sporting a figure head of a toy Puffin & “Crosses Crusaders” with trusty old STIG ... As the vans were unpacked we were amazed by the amount of clothes, food, drink and other random items of curiosity that laid around us. It was evident that we were not going for a 3 hour row more like a 3 day row!!!! So with items trimmed down to the bare minimum in each boat it was time to take our place on the shore line in readiness for a “Beach Start” ... A fine spectacle of all 22 longboats lined up along the water’s edge in Dale, but here is where we made our first mistake, the sounding of the first horn for the 5 minute warning we were still missing 2 of the crew (Alex and Sian) who decided to go and try to “squeeze a bit more out” so upon hearing the horn came galloping down the beach and leaped into the boats, but we had placed “Ready Oar Knot “ and “Oarsome” side by side in the shallow water with our oars touching so when the starter horn sounded due to our close proximity to each other “Oarsome “ decided the quickest route off the beach was through “Ready Oar Knot” which resulted in clashing oars and plenty of choice words!!!

It was at this point it becomes the story of two boats –

Oarsome – With “ Gog “ coxing a strong mixed crew of Sparker stroking, Brent Tom Sian & Johnny, the team got off to a storming start with A rally call of 10 hard to clear the lines which unfortunately resulted in a clashing of oars with “Ready Oar Knot”! This good start saw “Oarsome” in the front pack of 5 boats and with using the wind and swell maintained this position around “Stack Fort” where the sea conditions became worse with waves crashing over the starboard side of the boat and Llangwm, Solva and Aber men along with Porthmadog mixed then started to pull ahead, But “Oarsome” was still in the race with Llanion`s men`s boats. Once round the LNG jetties and setting a course up river the conditions improved and the team got into a more relaxed rhythm, and doing what the “Bridge” do best kept it long and strong and soon Solvas men were passed with Llanion men hot on their tails. With the Cleddau Bridge now in sight Llanion men were in home water and pushed to overtake with a battle of 10 hards from each boat Llanion pulled ahead, but “Oarsome” undeterred made a quick tactical change at stroke and Bow and the crews were soon alongside each other again ! This tussle continued through the choppy windy waters past Llangwm and Hook but Llanion men slowly pulled away (but during this both boats pasted the leading mixed team Porthmadog) with a final change of crew “Oarsome” set off for the finish line tight on the sterns of the leading men`s boats. For the final 3 miles the crew battled cramp and shouted words of encouragement to each
other to come in a fantastic 6th overall BUT 1st mixed team in a time of 3hr 6min 15sec!!!! Well done guys and girls!!

Ready Oar Knot – Having to contend with a poor start, took a defensive line from the beach trying to allow the team to settle into some sort of rhythm. Trace`s first appearance in a club race for many season`s took the stroke seat and set a metronomic long stroke even through the difficult sea conditions. With Simon at cox the crew of Trace Mark Alex Annie Neil made steady progress from the back of the pack. The swell and wind made for interesting rowing leading upto “Stack Fort” with a few “Air” shoots from every position in the boat, and for Sir Alex this proved to be a baptism of fire as the rookie of team, only having a handful of rows under his belt, the conditions were providing him with valuable experience prior to the Celtic Challenge in a few weeks time! On the approach to Stack Fort, lead by Traces desire to “get a move on! “ Ready Oar Knot pushed past Llanion Ladies and Llangrannog Ladies , and Solva Round Table men`s team. An hour into the race and the first change was due,as Annie`s first race back from injury she took up the passenger seat position and Mark took charge of the cox duties. With fresh legs in the boat the team set about making some ground on the leading boats and just before the Cleddau bridge ROK took PYC Mixed team who were ingeniously using a coat as a sail from the bow! Trace now into her 2nd hour at stroke lifted the pace wanting to pass more boats , but for 30minutes ROK was alone, all the way past Llangwm before we could see another group of boats ahead! So ROK made its last crew change, and with Trace now at the helm encouraging everyone the gap ahead was closing, and at Hook ROK slid past Brentas Neyland Ladies (winning ladies team). 3 miles to go and a Llangwm men`s team was a boats length ahead , so with one last effort ROK nudged past, to shouts from Llangwm men that we were cheating as we did not have a passenger?!?! (Unknown to us Alex had buried himself in the Bow under a pile of coats) To which we ignored and carried on the laborious slog to the finish!

15th place in 3hr 20min 39sec Well Done everyone good effort !!!

The after race party resulted in beers, food, live music, new shoes (Marky), Trophies and to top it all off getting the van stuck in the field with the boats stuck behind us!!!
So thanks to Llangwm Rowing club for organising the race, but most of all for pushing us out of the mud at 1 am in the morning!!!! Never a dull moment with the Wisemans!!!

New club sweat bands - They will be all the fashion this season !! All the yellows have been scooped up already and limited amount of pink left but loads of the other colours available!! (embroidery seen in photo are samples so ££ unsure) But if left blank £1 per head band towards the Save Our Quad (S.O.Q) fund!!