Dear Rowing ACT Community;

As another regatta season comes to a close, we look back on some of the successes of the past few months, whilst reflecting and refining our processes for seasons to come. Our regattas are the lifeblood of our community and to see so many people continuing to cherish them is truly pleasing.

Regattas are run off the back of dedicated volunteers – from umpires, to commentators, to boat drivers, to regatta support – those who give their time are not unseen and very greatly appreciated. As we commence our planning for the 2026/27 regatta season, we are looking at our volunteer roles and best practise to ensure our regattas are well managed without overloading our member clubs and schools.

Our regattas do not operate without the drive of many. Lead by our Executive Officer (and Regatta Secretary) and Chief BRO, we have a team of umpires who continue to distinguish themselves as a class above. I would like to take this time to acknowledge several umpires in particular who have over several decades done an enormous amount to work to better ACT Regattas.

• Our start and timing systems have been built from the ground up by Geoff Northam and Martin Sessions.
• Our commentary and audio infrastructure has been developed from the ground up by Edwin Bien.
• Our start platforms and boats are regularly managed and maintained by Michael McMahon and supporters.
• The back end of the winter time trials and Col Panton Memorial Marathon has been maintained by Geoff Northam and Edwin Bien.

The things that are often unseen by competitors but are so crucial to our regattas for many years have been the result of significant hard work by volunteers and we thoroughly appreciate their dedication. They have built our practises from the beginning, with very limited resources and we know that we would not be in the same position we are today without them.

While the end of a season is a time for reflection, it is also a time to look forward. Rowing ACT has been the fortunate recipient of grant funding which will enable us to commence a near complete optimisation and replacement of some of our aging regatta systems. This has already commenced, and in the lead into the start of the 2026/27 season, Rowing ACT is preparing to:

• Replace our timing system and associated systems with a product which will future proof and support the ongoing development of our regattas
• Review and update our timing systems for time trial events
• Replace the Weston Park regatta tent with a bespoke mobile office to ensure our regatta hub is well equipped to support racing
• Position fixed cameras to enable live streaming at every regatta

In future years under the Industry Partnership Program, we hope to replace our audio systems across both racing and commentary as part of the final stage of ensuring all our regatta systems are future proofed and capable of hosting every regatta in the ACT – local, championship and beyond. We know there will be teething problems as we integrate new systems into our current process, and ask for your patience as we strive to achieve our best. We are confident that we are building towards something truly great.

We are excited to bring the Rowing ACT community along with us in this development journey. This opportunity marks a time where Rowing ACT has the chance to engage leaders in their field and to incorporate new opportunities, many of which we have not previously had capacity for. We are eternally grateful for the work of our umpires who built the current systems, and we look forward to taking the next step towards something truly special.

Kind regards

Kent Peters

Rowing ACT President