Above: Olympic aspirant Red Matthews in the two seat in 2017 at Lucerne

JANUARY 2020 NEWS News covered this month

• Wendouree Ballarat Regatta entries • Rowers in the Australia Day honours • Rowing NSW small boat regatta • Barwon results • Barwon entries • Ballarat results and images • Ballarat entries • More information on air quality • Access to Boathouse Drive this week • Rutherglen Regatta • Club rowers to commence Thursday 16th January • Mercs camp finishes • Mercs camp continues well • Mercantile camp in full swing • Calling all club rowers • Superb wines in Club’s wine offer • Wine notes from your correspondent • 2020 Olympic series part 1 • From the archives – Cecil McVilly ___________________________________________________________________

Wendouree Ballarat Regatta Published 30th January 2019

Another important regatta for the Club this weekend at Ballarat. Our entries are:

Event Athletes MU212- Lukas Matic, William Achermann MU212- Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Tom Murray MU212- Alexander Selemba, James Forwood MU212- Stearns Weil, Marcus Cain MLW1X Eric Low MLW1X Jordan Roberts FO2- Kate Duggan, Thea Adamson FO1X Gemma Sibillin FLW1X Meghan Hester MU214+ Eric Low, Alexander Selemba, Marcus Cain, William Kalikman, Phillip Tran(c) MU214+ Stearns Weil, Connor Shugg, Jordan Roberts, James Forwood, Thisara Silva(c) FO2X Meghan Hester, Gemma Sibillin

MU218+ Eric Low, Alexander Selemba, James Forwood, William Kalikman, Tom Murray, William Achermann, Lukas Matic, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Phillip Tran(c)

MO4- Tom Murray, William Achermann, Lukas Matic, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos FO4X- Meghan Hester, Kate Duggan, Thea Adamson, Gemma Sibillin ______________________________________________________________________________

Rowers in the Australia Day honours Published 27th January 2020 Rowing Australia has reported as follows:

Five-time para-rowing World Champion Erik Horrie and his coach Jason Baker have been honoured in today’s 2020 Australia Day Honours.

Two-time Paralympic silver medallist and five time World Rowing Champion, Horrie, received a Medal of Order of Australia in the General Division (OAM) for services to rowing. Horrie, who is a member of Sydney Rowing Club and New South Wales Institute of Sport, has won multiple National and International titles while competing the PR1 Men’s Single Scull category. Horrie is also a Lifeline Community Custodian as part of the inaugural AIS/Lifeline campaign that launched in 2010 and is a member of the Rowing Australia Athletes’ Commission.

Horrie’s coach, Jason Baker, who has coached the Penrith-local since the end of 2012 has overseen Horrie’s rise and rise in the PR1 Men’s Single Scull. A former coach of Sydney Rowing Club, Baker is now Head Coach at The Scots College, Sydney and has been Horrie’s coach on the Australian Rowing Team since 2013. Baker also received a Medal of Order of Australia in the General Division (OAM) for services to rowing.

In addition to Baker and Horrie being honoured today, Mosman local Phillip Titterton was also recognised in the Australia Day Honours. Mr Titterton, who receives an OAM for services to rowing, is a stalwart of New South Wales and Australian rowing – a regular volunteer at Australian and New South Wales Championships, Mr Titterton is a passionate Masters rower, sitting on RA’s Masters Commission, and has also been a member of Mosman’s SES Unit.

Congratulations to these worthy recipients from Mercantile Rowing Club.

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Rowing NSW Small Boat Regatta Published 27th January 2020 Some of our senior rowers tested themselves out at the Rowing NSW small boats regatta on the Olympic course with some good results. Thanks to Nick Mitchell who led this group.

In race order the results were as follows:

Men’s elite scull – Both Red Matthews and Kane Grant missed the A final with Red being the second best lightweight sculler in the event behind is doubles partner Sean Murphy.

Matthews and Murphy teamed up in the elite double scull event to finish second behind Olympic hopefuls Batholot (NSW) and Letcher (ACT).

Sadly Katrina Bateman did not finish the final of the women’s elite single and there was no doubles race.

Alexander Wolf and Benjamin Canham, coached Nicholas Mitchell finished second in the men’s elite pair.

However in the women’s elite pair with all NTC athletes competing, Jess Morrison paired with her usual pair partner Annabelle McIntyre to win the event. This again confirms their claim to be the Olympic pair.

Lukas Matic and William Achermann, coached by Dylan Curnow and Nicholas Lloyd won the Under 21 pair in a good field.

Joel Cain finished fourth in under 23 scull in a tight race. And Sky Froebel also finished fourth in her under 23 scull race. Sky later combined with Mila Marston of MUBC to finish third in the under 23 double sculls.

Mimi Tuddenham and Georgie Gleeson, coached by Brigette Carlile and Nicholas Mitchell finished third in their under 21 pairs race .

Eric Low won the under 21 lightweight single and finished second in the elite lightweight double sculls combining with Sam Oostendorp of Banks.

In summary, a good result for our crews the training base undertaken over the past months showing through. Well done to our coaches and crews.

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Barwon regatta results Published 27th January 2020 Sadly MUBC withdrew from this regatta and so Mercs had to race the schools in the under 21 events. This was done and done successfully.

However every race is a test and with every race there is a lesson to learn, even if the key opposition fail to arrive.

In the men’s under four, Marcus Cain, William Kalikman, Tom Murray, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Cox: Phillip Tran, Coaches: Nicholas Lloyd, Dylan Curnow won the event. Earlier in the day Brighton defeated our other four of Jordan Roberts, Alexander Selemba, Stearns Weil, Connor Shugg, Cox: Watudura Silva, Coaches: Nicholas Lloyd, Dylan Curnow

In the women’s under 21 four, Teagan Blythe, Paige Barr, Emily Sutherland, Sophie Reinehr, Cox: Lily Arnoul, Coaches: Brigette Carlile, David Colvin easily accounted for the opposition.

In the men’s under 21 eights, our crew of Stearns Weil, Alexander Selemba, Jordan Roberts, Connor Shugg, Marcus Cain, William Kalikman, Tom Murray, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Cox: Phillip Tran, Coaches: Nicholas Lloyd, Dylan Curnow, easily accounted for the schools.

The same result occurred in the women’s under 21 eights with the Mercs crew of Louisa Bongrain, Alice Levin, Steph Ferrali, Eleanor Millear, Teagan Blythe, Paige Barr, Emily Sutherland, Sophie Reinehr, Cox: Lily Arnoul Coaches: Brigette Carlile, David Colvin defeating the schools. In other racing, Meghan Hester won the A scull with Gemma Sibillin in second place. However these two were unable to win the A double, finishing second.

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Barwon Entries Published 22nd January 2020

MU214+ Marcus Cain, Marcus Cameron, Tom Murray, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Phillip Tran(c)

MU214+ Stearns Weil, Connor Shugg, James Forwood, William Kalikman, Christophe Wellink(c)

FU214+ Teagan Blythe, Paige Barr, Emily Sutherland, Sophie Reinehr, Lily Arnoul(c)

FU214+ Olivia Sargeant, Katherine (Lulu) Murrell, Alice Levin, Faith Zehfuss, Eyrin McCarthy(c)

MU218+ Marcus Cain, Connor Shugg, Stearns Weil, William Kalikman, James Forwood, Marcus Cameron, Tom Murray, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Phillip Tran(c)

FU218+ Louisa Bongrain, Alice Levin, Stephanie Ferrali, Eleanor Millear, Teagan Blythe, Paige Barr, Emily Sutherland, Sophie Reinehr, Lily Arnoul(c)

FA2X Meghan Hester, Gemma Sibillin FA1X Meghan Hester FA1X Gemma Sibillin ______________________________________________________________________________

Ballarat Results and Images Published 21st January 2020 The following results from the first regatta of the season.

Men’s under 21 pair, first to Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Tom Murray, Coaches: Dylan Curnow, Nicholas Lloyd and second to Lukas Matic, William Achermann, Coaches: Dylan Curnow, Nicholas Lloyd. A great start to the season.

Nick and Tom in the heat

Lukas and Will also in the heat

Stearns Weil and Marcus Cain, also in the heat

Jamie Forward and Connor Shugg raced well also

Eric Low won the under 21 scull. Coaches: Dylan Curnow, Nicholas Lloyd

Jordan Roberts also performed well. Coaches: Dylan Curnow, Nicholas Lloyd

Joel Cain finished third in the open single. Coach: Nicholas Mitchell

Sadly your correspondent did not get an image of Kane Grant who finished fourth.

In the under 21 four, Olivia Sargeant, Lulu Murrell, Alice Levin, Faith Zehfuss, Cox: Eyrin McCarthy, Coaches: Brigette Carlile, David Colvin finished fifth

Our other under 21 four of Teagan Blythe, Paige Barr, Emily Sutherland, Sophie Reinehr, Cox: Lily Arnoul, Coach: Brigette Carlile finished second.

Steph Ferrali, Eleanor Millear, Coaches: Brigette Carlile, David Colvin finished second in the under 21 pair.

Mimi Tuddenham, Georgie Gleeson, Coach: Brigette Carlile won the open pair with Kate Duggan and Thea Adamson [Banks] in third place

Sky Froebel, Coach: Brigette Carlile won the open scull

Meghan Hester finished 2nd in the B final

Phoebe Wolf, Coach: Brigette Carlile finished 3rd in the B final

Louisa Bongrain, Coaches: Brigette Carlile, David Colvin won the under 21 single

Jordan Roberts, Eric Low, Coaches: Dylan Curnow, Nicholas Lloyd finished second in the open double scull

Gemma Sibillin, Meghan Hester, Coach: David Colvin finished 3rd in the open double scull

The men’s youth eight showing disappointment after finishing second. Marcus Cain, Connor Shugg, Tom Murray, William Kalikman, Timothy Benton, William Achermann, Lukas Matic, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Cox: Phillip Tran, Coaches: Dylan Curnow, Nicholas Lloyd

However the girl’s youth eight win a tight tussle with Uni. Louisa Bongrain, Alice Levin, Steph Ferrali, Eleanor Millear, Teagan Blythe, Paige Barr, Emily Sutherland, Sophie Reinehr, Cox: Lily Arnoul, Coach: Brigette Carlile

In the men’s open four, Benjamin Canham, Kane Grant, Joel Cain, Alexander Wolf, Coach: Nicholas Mitchell finished second (foreground), Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Marcus Cameron, Lukas Matic, William Achermann, Coaches: Dylan Curnow, Nicholas Lloyd finished third (far side) and Marcus Cain, Stearns Weil, Tom Murray, William Kalikman, Coaches: Dylan Curnow, Nicholas Lloyd finished sixth (middle).

Phoebe Wolf, Sky Froebel, Mimi Tuddenham, Georgie Gleeson, Coach: Brigette Carlile won the open four

Rhiannon Morgan, Lulu Murrell, Alice Levin, Faith Zehfuss, Cox: Eyrin McCarthy, Coaches: Brigette Carlile, David Colvin won the C four

Alex Wolf and Ben Canham won the open pair and were coached by Nick Mitchell Go Mercs!

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Ballarat Entries Published 15th January 2020 The season really gets underway with the Ballarat Regatta this weekend.

Event Athletes MU212- Lukas Matic, William Achermann MU212- Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Timothy Benton MU212- Tom Murray, William Kalikman MU212- Stearns Weil, Marcus Cain MU212- James Forwood, Connor Shugg MU211X Eric Low MU211X Jordan Roberts FU214+ Teagan Blythe, Paige Barr, Emily Sutherland, Sophie Reinehr, Lily Arnoul(c)

FU214+ Olivia Sargeant, Katherine (Lulu) Murrell, Alice Levin, Faith Zehfuss, Eyrin McCarthy(c)

FU212- Stephanie Ferrali, Eleanor Millear FU211X Louisa Bongrain MO2- Benjamin Canham, Alexander Wolf MO1X Joel Cain MO1X Kane Grant FO2- Mimi Tuddenham, Georgie Gleeson FO2- Kate Duggan, Thea Adamson FO1X Skyla Froebel FO1X Meghan Hester FO1X Phoebe Wolf FO1X Gemma Sibillin

FC4+ Rhiannon Morgan, Katherine (Lulu) Murrell, Alice Levin, Faith Zehfuss, Eyrin McCarthy(c)

MO2X Jordan Roberts, Eric Low FO2X Gemma Sibillin, Meghan Hester

MU218+ Marcus Cain, Connor Shugg, Tom Murray, William Kalikman, Timothy Benton, William Achermann, Lukas Matic, Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Phillip Tran(c)

FU218+ Louisa Bongrain, Alice Levin, Stephanie Ferrali, Eleanor Millear, Teagan Blythe, Paige Barr, Emily Sutherland, Sophie Reinehr, Lily Arnoul(c)

MO4- Nicholas Vlachodimitropoulos, Timothy Benton, Lukas Matic, William Achermann MO4- Marcus Cain, Stearns Weil, Tom Murray, William Kalikman MO4- Benjamin Canham, Kane Grant, Joel Cain, Alexander Wolf FO4- Phoebe Wolf, Skyla Froebel, Mimi Tuddenham, Georgie Gleeson MO4X- Jordan Roberts, Connor Shugg, James Forwood, Eric Low ______________________________________________________________________________

More information on air quality Published 15th January 2020 Air pollution can pose a health risk to members of rowing, whether they be rowers, coaches, officials, spectators and volunteers. The health impact of bushfire smoke can differ based on an individual’s current health status and previous medical conditions. Current public health advice is aimed at high-risk groups, including people over 65, children 14 years and younger, pregnant women and those with existing heart or lung conditions. However, rowers involved in sport can also be at higher risk while performing high intensity prolonged exercise outdoors and additional caution should be taken. When pollution exposure is at low levels, the respiratory tract usual defence mechanisms trap, transports and clear pollutants effectively. With elevated exposure, short-term accumulation can occur resulting in inflammation and this can exacerbate a number of health conditions with asthma being the most common.

During exercise, respiratory rate and volume increases, this in turn increases the total airway exposure to pollutants. During performance, moderate exercise can increase the total amount of air passing through the airway by more than 10 times and vigorous exercise by more the 20 times, compared to resting values. Even at moderately reduced air quality, this can represent a significant increase in pollutant exposure during a one-hour, high intensity training session. Air Quality Index (AQI) The AQI is an accepted means of quantifying air quality by public health authorities encompassing: · Air pollution levels at your nearest monitoring site or region · The common contributing pollutants · The overall health risk associated with a given rating Each club, school, or association can access live online updates on current, local AQI levels. The AQI evaluates the current level of air quality with general advice on implications for individuals. When performing extended higher intensity exercise, the risk of airway irritation is higher at lower levels of pollution. The table below is a suggested modification of the current VIC public health guidelines for those training outdoors at higher exercise intensities and longer durations.

The following graphic shows the recommended activity levels. The first two columns are for general public and the last two columns relating to strenuous exercise.

Additional Information

· Air quality information is generally updated hourly; therefore, there can be a lag between official measurements and what is occurring in real time. This can cause limitations when it comes to determining the air quality in your local environment. If smoke is affecting usual visibility within your area, it is likely that the air quality will fall into a higher risk category.

· Consecutive days of exposure to polluted air can have a cumulative effect, lowering individual’s threshold for symptoms. This should be considered if your region has been exposed to increased smoke for several days in succession

· Increases in exercise intensity and duration result in increased airway exposure to polluted air. The Australian Institute of Sport recommends modifying training, or training locations based on table 1.

· All participants who suffer from asthma should have an updated asthma management plan and consult their doctor prior to exercising in pollution-affected environments.

· Recent respiratory infection increases the risk for development of smoke-related symptoms, even in non-asthmatics.

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Access to Boathouse Drive this week Published 12th January 2020 Midsumma festival is on again with disruptions this week and full closure on Sunday. A PDF with details is attached. ______________________________________________________________________________

Rutherglen Regatta Published 12th January 2020 Your correspondent again enjoyed another great Rutherglen Regatta this weekend and also the company of Club member and Murray Rowing Association President Paul Sommerville and his family. Paul also hosted Club Captain Bill Webster, Rowing Victoria President Joe Joyce and the great rowing commentator Roger Wilson. A great dinner party.

Mercantile had few entries but a couple of Mercantile uniforms were spotted. Your correspondent assured our host of a big Mercantile contingent in 2021.

Greg Hansen doing good things with his Melbourne colleagues.

Rod Edwards making his annual appearance

After a perfect day on Saturday, a small amount of smoke haze on Sunday morning ______________________________________________________________________________

Club rowers to commence Thursday 16th January Published 10th January 2020 Mercs club rowing season commences on Thursday 16th January 2020. The first objective is to boat at least a women’s and men’s fours at the National Championships. We hope to increase the men’s boat to an eight given the response to date.

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Mercs camp finishes Published 10th January 2020 The annual Mercs summer camp finished yesterday with your correspondent unable to figure out who was more exhausted, the athletes of the coaches.

A final picture from the afternoon of the last day.

Seniors belt it out on the ergos. ______________________________________________________________________________

Mercs camp continues well Published 8th January 2020 The Mercs camp continues today with the Mercs youth girls doing another three sessions.

Here are some shots from the club before the first session.

Brig and Chipper discuss the morning work

Youth girls prepare their boat

As do the scullers

And away ______________________________________________________________________________

Mercantile camp in full swing Published 5th January 2020 After the cancellation of the Gippsland camp due to the fires, all activity is now at the clubhouse.

It is great to see the clubhouse a hive of activity of Mercantile members only. It is often a busy clubhouse, but full of many other rowers of our tenants.

Youth men return

..and their coaches

Then the women return from the docks

.. and their coaches return

Paul McGann has organised matters well and the rowing is improving with each session.

Go Mercs

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Calling all club rowers Published 1st January 2020 The Club is about to commence promoting club rowing as distinct from those in the high performance stream. Of course, club rowers come in many varieties. Those wanting to row masters, those beginning their rowing, those wanting just to keep fit, those wanting to race grade rowing, those wanting to aim for higher events such as National Championship club events and beyond such as coastal rowing.

You are all welcome.

The Club will have some volunteer coaches at the ready commencing on Thursday 9th January 2020 at 6pm at the Club to organise the rowers. Regular time slots will be advertised thereafter where coaches will be available to support.

The Club is also organising club rowers for the National Championship club events and for other events later in the year such as international iconic events and the coastal championships. Given these lofty aims, this particular group will commence very soon.

Coastal rowing in action Any rowers who are interested should contact Andrew Guerin, secretary@mercantile.org.au.

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Superb wines in the Club’s wine offer Published 1st January 2020 The Club has partnered with Wild Fire Wines to bring high quality wines to members, and, for each case sold, $30 comes to the Club. This Club offer also provides significant discounts on the retail price of these wines to members.

Wild Fire Wines was founded by Peter Newman and John Harry. They’ve now been joined as partners by Geoff Shenfield and Donna Harry. Their website states that they want to help their friends to find the best possible wines for their money in an industry that’s big, noisy and often hard to follow.

John Harry on the left

Your correspondent has tried several of the wines and thoroughly recommends them. He has put in his first order already.

To make sure that both you and the Club receives it’s benefit, please follow the instructions on the order form. ______________________________________________________________________________

Wine tasting notes from your correspondent Published 1st January 2020 It is not often that a rowing site has wine tasting notes but your correspondent could not resist after sampling a bottle or two, possibly more, of the 2016 Wirefire Wines Gippsland chardonnay.

The winemaker describes the wine in the following terms. The fruit for this wine has been sourced from a first-class vineyard in the Tarwin River Valley near Leongatha in South Gippsland, not far from the famous Bass Phillip property. It was fermented naturally then stored in French oak barrels for twelve months. It is exceptional: densely flavoured without being broad or obvious, beautiful sustaining acidity, and great length and balance, with peach and melon notes. This wine will continue to mature well for the next 4-5 years. Your correspondent is less eloquent in such matters. He found the wine mouth wateringly delicious, full flavoured, soundly wooded (clearly from French oak barrels), not created yesterday and flavoursome on every part of the pallet. It was not a ‘wishy-washy’ thin acidic Chardonnay, this is the real deal. It is big and beautifully crafted wine and I await the delivery of my next case with great anticipation.

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2020 Olympic series part 1 Published 1st January 2020 In this important Olympic year, we will spend some time looking at the lives of our Olympic aspirants. Olympic medals do not come cheaply and so you will get an insight into how much they ‘cost’ by finding out what goes into their making. You will be assured of some great stories. This month we will start with Red Matthews. AD/DC sang it‘s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll, but it is a far tougher and more arduous road to the top of lightweight rowing. Let me explain.

The pinnacle of lightweight rowing is a gold medal at the Olympic Games. There is only one lightweight event at the Olympic Games for each gender, the double scull. It is generally the most hotly contested event in rowing at the Games with hair splitting times separating the medallists.

Medallists need to have mature and hardened bodies and minds to make that level. There are no overnight success stories in rowing, particularly lightweight rowing. Most medallists are in their late twenties. This means that they usually spend many years more than their peers gaining their qualifications and they start work in the real world in their late twenties. Whilst open weight rowers need to manage nutrition to adequately refuel, lightweights need to also manage their diet for constant and often unrealistic weights. What if you did not have a National Training Centre (NTC) scholarship, and therefore no income support, and had to work to pay for your dream? How would you match the training loads of your competitors? How would you organise your commitments to work, family, health, diet, training, camps, trials and near impossible hurdles to overcome in gaining selection whilst maintaining confidence about being an Olympic Champion?

Welcome to the life of Red Matthews, a 27 year old lightweight Olympic gold medal aspirant from Mercantile.

Red has been a fixture in lightweight rowing in Australia for many years, always competitive at the top level and a regular member in State and National teams.

2019 Penrith Cup winners – Red second from the left

Last season he improved dramatically. Under the guidance of Head Coach Nick Mitchell and VIS physiologist Rod Siegel, he almost exclusively trained doubles with fellow Mercantile lightweights Jayden Grey, Michael McNamara and Will Legge, and completed a strenuous high intensity ergo program to address an overarching weakness. However, he was not quite fast enough when it counted.

2019 National Championship medal presentation

He admits that his preparation leading into the trials last year was not good enough, losing some much needed form after the NSW State Championships. In the trials, Red finished fourth in the single and third in the double rotation. Following these results the Australian selectors de-selected Red and the three other lightweights went on to represent Australia as the lightweight double and single.

During last winter he trained alone in the single competing at Henley Royal Regatta in the Diamond Sculls. It was during this period that he had to get a job to pay for his dream and figure out how to fit training around work. He resorted to commuting on his bike to keep up with the required training load.

At the World Championships, the main qualification event for the Olympic Games, the Australian men’s lightweight double missed out on Olympic qualification by one place. All the lightweight scholarships to the men’s NTC were cancelled. The dream of gold now introduced two more hurdles, convincing Rowing Australia to allow a crew to attempt qualification, and then qualifying the crew against other countries.

The Rowing Australia hurdle to be able to attempt qualification is to be within 1% prognostic time of the top Australian boat at speed order trials at selection. If they achieve that level, they would probably be on the podium at the Olympic Games.

Back in Melbourne after Henley, after advice from Nick Mitchell, Red saw a sports doctor about a persistent hip injury. The improvements after treatment were significant and he obviously did not know how much the injury had been inhibiting his training and performances. Drastic improvements followed, shown by his performances at the NTC trials and National Time Trials over the past few months.

Sadly, Leon Chambers from the 2019 lightweight men’s double has withdrawn from selection just as Red was excelling. Fortunately the three remaining scullers still in contention are sculling well and are on weight. Red is currently working closely with his coach Nick Mitchell, VIS head coach Noel Donaldson and physiologist Ana Holt, and makes regular trips to Sydney to undertake training camps with the other two lightweights.

Red has a strong belief about his and his fellow crew members ability to succeed and despite the challenges ahead, maintains an amazing positive attitude.

There is an old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. In rowing it takes the whole sport to make a gold medallist. We all have our part to play in supporting Red.

Go Red and Go Mercs.

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From the archives – Cecil McVilly Published 1st January 2020 Why is your correspondent highlighting a non member this month? There are a few reasons. It is an Olympic year and Cecil competed at the 1912 Olympic Games, the first Olympic Games at which Australia competed. Further, those members who have received McVilly-Pearce pins for Australian representation will want to know more about him. And finally, he the grandfather Mercs member David Palfreyman.

Cecil hailed from Hobart and was a member of the Derwent Rowing Club. His racing record at the top level follows:

1910 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – First

1911 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – First

1912 – Olympic Games – Men’s Single Scull – disqualified in heat

1912 – Henley Royal Regatta – Diamond Sculls – eliminated first round

1913 – Henley Royal Regatta – Diamond Sculls – First (def Pinks of London RC)

1914 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – First

1914 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship coach – First

1926 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship coach & manager – First

1928 – Olympic Games – sole Australian selector

1929 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship sole selector

Cecil at Henley in 1912

Cecil Leventhorpe McVilly served in WWI. He enlisted in 1915 at the age of 26 leaving at home his wife Kathleen. Due to his local service in Tasmania, he was made an officer before departure. He was promoted in the field to Captain. He was wounded in October 1917 with a severe gun shot wound to the abdomen. He was back in the field two months later and was promoted to Captain.

He served with distinction being awarded the Military Cross and being mentioned in dispatches for distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty. His citation for the Military Cross states:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He handled his company with great skill, leading them to their assembly position through an intense enemy bombardment, during which he maintained splendid control of his men, and also set a very fine example by his personal courage. He has on previous occasions commanded raiding parties, and displayed ability of a very high order.

McVilly was the first Australian to win the Diamond Sculls at Henley. He also is the only person to win the President’s Cup and also coach the winning King’s Cup crew, at the same regatta – 1914.

A celebrated oarsman who was awarded the prized number 1 McVilly Pearce pin which was accepted by David.

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