Regattas

Rowing is a competitive sport and there is no shortage of opportunities for our crews to compete and represent Takapuna Grammar School.

During the season, the Club will compete in approximately 12 regattas, culminating in the North Island Secondary Schools (NISS) Championships and the Maadi Cup. Competition at all levels is fierce and this provides an excellent development platform for young rowers, in both areas ability and sportsmanship. 

Rowing competitions are called 'Regattas’. Takapuna Grammar School Rowing Club provides all rowers with a chance to compete at regattas, although not all rowers attend every regatta. Some regattas are designed for Senior/Junior Competition Squads, and some for Development Squad, and others for all levels of rowers.

Parents are encouraged to attend the events to support the rowers, with helpers required for transport, catering, boat maintenance and general organising activities.  We have a lot of fun supporting our rowers.  Bring your own picnic lunch, binoculars, camera, chairs, and some reading material is always good to have as there can be lengthy down times between races.

Our Takapuna Grammar School Rowing Club tent is our home base and a meeting place to catch up with all other club members, there are some chairs provided at tent for you to sit back, relax and enjoy, but we recommend that you bring your own. Our tent is also used as a base to cater for the rowers (and parent volunteers are also needed to support the rowers). 

Crew members will also have a tent or other shelter in the boat park from where they make their final preparations for each race and go through their debrief and immediate post-race nutrition routines. The boat park is equivalent to the dressing room in other sporting codes. It is the place for the rowers to focus on their racing and it is not a place for parents to visit. Accordingly, parents are asked not to visit the boat park during regattas. 

Once the races are finished, boats and equipment must be loaded onto the trailer. All rowers are expected to stay for any awards ceremony. A roster will determine which rowers will be needed to ensure the boat loading is undertaken quickly and efficiently. 

REGATTA SITE

TGSRC TENT / BASE

Takapuna Grammar School Rowing Club will normally erect a marquee tent in the regatta site.  Crew Members, parents/supporters can use this as a base. We have lots of camping style chairs for our crew members, but for parents/supporters it is a good idea to bring your own chair, binoculars, and be prepared for all weather – sun, wind and rain.

BOAT PARK

Parents are requested not to go into the Boat Park. This space is for the coaches and the crew members only so that they can focus and prepare for their races. Parents can catch up with their rower when they return to the club’s marquee tent at the regatta site. 

SUPERVISION

All crew members will be supervised and under the responsibility of the coaching team (led by the Head Coach) and the Teacher in Charge (TIC) or assigned Regatta/Camp duty Committee member.

LOST PROPERTY

Lost property will be taken to the Blue Shed at the conclusion of each regatta and should be checked regularly should a rower be missing anything. 

ACCOMODATION

CREW MEMBERS

Crew member accommodation is in single sex dormitory/rooms with some, or all, of their age group crew.  The rooms are treated as bedrooms, where privacy is respected. Boys and girls do not spend time in each other’s dormitory/room.  

Unless otherwise specified, crew members will need to bring their own sheets (preferably fitted bottom sheet) and a duvet/sleeping bag, blanket and pillow. From a hygiene perspective it is not acceptable to lie on the mattresses without any cover on the mattress!

Rooms can get very hot in the summer and cool in winter, therefore heater/fans may be provided.  

Crew members are responsible for keeping their rooms clean during their stay and clearing and sweeping/vacuuming out their rooms on the day we vacate.

The Head Coach and Club President (or Committee Member in Charge) set lights out times. 

PARENTS/SUPPORTERS

Depending on where we are staying, powered/non-powered camp sites will normally be available to parents/supporters.  These can be booked through our Camps Manager and there will be a cost per night (set by the camp provider) that will be invoiced to you by our Accounts team. We may also have limited dormitory style accommodation available to book - this is not however guaranteed. Alternatively some parents book into Air BnB type accommodation nearby to where our crew members are staying.

MEALS 

Meals for crew members are included in fees and prepared onsite by parent volunteers in a commercial kitchen. The menu features fresh vegetables, salads, hearty meals, fruit, and home baking, mostly made from scratch. Meals fuel athletes for training. Parents/supporters can buy meals at about $15/day, invoiced after camp. At registration, you can choose to have meals provided or self-cater. Meals are eaten together at camp or regatta, always healthy and plentiful. Crew allergies and dietary needs are collected on the registration form. Supporters or siblings with special diets should inform the Camps Manager via the Google Form and bring any needed food. Update any changes with the Club Secretary at secretary@tgsrowing.org.nz.

HOME BAKING

Each crew member is asked to bring home baking for regattas—two batches for longer regattas. Baking is used for lunch, snacks, or dessert. Biscuits and slices are preferred as they keep well, but all contributions are appreciated. Please label if nut-free or gluten-free. For transport, ice-cream containers are ideal; label containers if you want them returned to you at the end of the event.

DEVICES

Crew members are allowed to use their devices during the day at break and rest times. Phones will not be permitted in rooms after lights out. We’ve found this provides for better sleep for our crew members.

FIRST AID

Crew members are to ensure that they bring their own blister prevention and treatment kit (see packing list) - our first aid trained parents/coaches can assist to apply plasters/tape etc.

The club’s first aid kits/boxes are kept in the following locations:

  • Regatta Accommodation Site - stays there the entire time

  • Regatta Site – Boat Park

  • Regatta Site - Base Tent

The club has a number of St Johns first aid trained parents.  Regattas will normally have a First Aid post or St John’s Ambulance vehicle/tent on site.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

Camps are run by Coaches and the TGSRC Committee, but rely on parent help. An email with a SignUp link will be sent before each camp to register for duties.

  • Transport: Drivers and carpools needed for boats, food, and equipment.

  • Kitchen: Daily roster for food prep, serving, dishes, and cleaning (at least one duty per parent per day). Roster posted in the kitchen.

  • Laundry: Coin-operated machines ($1/$2). One or two parents wash training clothes. Rowers may be asked to bring gold coins (info will be in camp details).

  • Catering: Help may be needed loading/unloading food and equipment at Bayswater before and after camp.

Note: If you can’t do your assigned duty, arrange a swap – don’t leave the roster short.