1977 sculling success!

Life member Mr. Bob Angow took on the role of president this year with Rob McGuire, secretary and Alf Quick, treasurer. Rob McGuire resigned as secretary in October 1976 and Ralph Murphy took on the role. The Captain was Danny Elliott and the Begonia City Ladies’ captain was Tracey Kriz with Kate Wise continuing as secretary. At the club Open Day in November the three regulation fours were christened along with the new coaching Launch. The fours were named OUR LADIES, DANNY ELLIOTT and KEVIN O’BRIEN. The launch was named after the main fundraiser the BILL DAVIES. The club purchased a new racing pair, which was christened the THELMA ANGOW in honour of the president’s wife and another quiet and tireless behind-the-scenes worker for the club.

We had considerable regatta success with the Captain Danny Elliott leading the charge. He won the Lightweight and Junior sculls double at Metropolitan and Banks regattas. Added to his two Junior sculls at the start of the season at Horsham and Ballarat he went on to win another five Lightweight Senior sculls, making a total of nine sculling races. This was the most successful performance of any Ballarat City sculler ever and the last time one rower won this many races in a season was Bob Coutts in 1959-1960 season when he won eight races as stroke of Maiden eights and fours and Junior fours. Given that he was basically coaching himself this was an outstanding performance. He also continued coaching and coached the winning women’s Senior B four of Kate Wise, Andrea Kriz, Marg Elliott and Kathy Hayes at Ballarat Regatta. Greg Leask and Jim Burzacott also won two Novice pairs. Our total wins for the season 12 .

The National regatta was held in Perth, Western Australia this year and Danny Elliott competed in his first National Championships with a creditable performance. Again this was an amazing feat of endurance. He packed up his boat on top of the car, bought a spare engine for his EJ holden and drove across the Nullabor to the regatta on his own. Nobody else from the club was there to support him, he had to do it all on his own. I went on my first ever plane flight across to watch the finals in which Danny finished a creditable 4^th at his first ever National Championships. With the regatta over, he drove all the way home back across the Nullabor. Ralph Murphy towed the club’s new trailer across the Nullarbor and carried boats of those clubs needing transport and willing to pay. He also sat for and passed his Australian boatrace official’s licence this season .

The club purchased a new racing pair, which was christened the THELMA ANGOW in honour of the president’s wife and another quiet and tireless behind-the-scenes worker for the club. Winners of the trophies presented at the annual meeting were Most Improved Novice-Andrew O’Brien, Most Successful oarsman-Danny Elliott and Clubman of the Year, Ralph Murphy.