Simon Jones (ex Ryde Rowing Club), selected for the GB Lightweight Coxless Four for World Rowing Championships, 2005, Gifu, Japan
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Current address: |
Nottinghamshire, Cropwell Butler |
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Clubs: |
RYDE/Nottingham & Union Rowing Club |
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Boat: |
Lightweight Men's Sweep Squad |
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Role: |
Athlete |
Began rowing as a coastal rower on the Isle of Wight in 1994 at Ryde Rowing Club. Played club rugby and rowed at Ryde until the end of the sixth form. Then applied to study at both Bristol University and Imperial College, London. Was accepted at Imperial and began to row as a novice. Had the decision gone the other way he might have played rugby instead at Bristol.
In his second year at Imperial he moved into the senior squad and won the Temple Cup at Henley. Was coached by Bill Mason at Imperial and, in his final year, Simon was part of the GB U23 lightweight men's four which placed 7th at the World Championships. That four went on in the same year to win the World Student Title in Poznan (2000).
In 2002 was part of the GB lightweight men's eight which was fifth in Seville at the World Championships.
Currently works part–time for Opus (a civil engineering consultancy) who are hugely supportive of his rowing, allowing him flexible working hours and having funded a boat for him.
Simon has a younger sister, who does now row, and enjoys sailing in his free time.
Finished 4th in Lightweight Men'a Pair at Eton World Cup, May 2005 and 5th in Lightweight Men's Pair at Munich World Cup, June 2005.
Selected for the GB Lightweight Coxless Four for World Rowing Championships, 2005, Gifu, Japan.
Crew:
Nick English (Notts & Union/Whitley Bay, Newcastle)/David Currie
(Leander/Henley)/Mike Hennessy (Tideway Scullers/Deptford, London)/Simon
Jones (RYDE R. C./Notts & Union/Nottingham)
Coach: Robin Williams
Tuesday, 30 August, 2005
Despite "not exactly the best first ten strokes we've done
in a race", according to Nick English, the lightweight men's four acquitted
themselves well to finish second in their heat and book passage to the
semi–finals in a race won by the French with the USA in third.
"It felt like a long time since we raced in Lucerne and there was some
apprehension in the boat. We've made lots of changes and it felt like starting
afresh. But we've moved on since Lucerne and it felt really light", said Dave
Currie.
Heat 3
1. France 6:01.54
2. Nick English/Dave Currie/Mike Hennessy/Simon Jones
(GREAT BRITAIN) 6:05.04
3. USA 6:06.35
4. Netherlands 6:08.04
5. India 6:24.41
Friday, 02 September, 2005
The
lightweight men's four were also competitive in the first half of their race,
holdling third position at 500m as very much part of the racing pack. Even at
1000m they were only 2.19 seconds off the lead. By the close, though, they had
dropped back to fifth and were clearly heavily disappointed.
"We needed to row our best race today to qualify and it was almost there but
there were still just bits here and there that weren't quite good enough. You
can't have those moments against crews as those here", explained Mike Hennessy
afterwards.
1. Ireland 6:05.84
2. Germany 6:07.42
3. Australia 6:08.35
4. Russia 6:11.84
5. Nick English/Dave Currie/Mike Hennessy/Simon Jones
(GREAT BRITAIN) 6:13.01
6. Japan 6:18.44
Sunday, 04 September, 2005
All six crews were virtually abreast for the first half of
the lightweight men's four B Final today. At 1500m the Russians had emerged as
leaders with the USA second and Britain in third. But it was still anyone's
race. Then South Africa appeared from the pack to take a late lead which they
held to the line.
The British quartet of Mike Hennessy, Nick English, Simon Jones and Dave Currie
surged through the final 100m to seize second here today and eighth place
overall. The USA were third.
1. South Africa 5:57.15
2. Nick English/Dave Currie/Mike Hennessy/Simon Jones
(GREAT BRITAIN) 5:57.54
3. USA 5:58.38
4. Spain 5:58.38
5. Japan 5:59.47
6. Russia 6:01.83
Junior Inter Regions Regatta Sunday 17th April
Ryde Rowing Club, sponsored by Wightlink IW Ferries, had nine members of their Junior Squad representing the Wessex Regional Rowing Council at the National Junior Inter Regionals Regatta, at the National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham, on Sunday, 17th April. This was the largest ever representation by any Island Rowing Club in a Regional team and confirms the strength in depth of the Clubs Junior squad.
The Regatta brings together the twelve English Regions in a team competition raced over 1500m in Coxed and Coxless Fours, Coxed and Coxless Quads, Double Sculls, Coxless Pairs and Single Sculls - for boys and Girls from J14 through to J16. Racing took place from 9.00am in the morning through to 6.00pm in the evening with a race every eight minutes. Regions were drawn into two heats of six the top three going into the final and the last three into a small final to determine the positions from 1st through to 12th with points awarded to the team based on the position finished - so every competitor gets to race at least twice.
For the Wessex Region, made up from Juniors from Clubs in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight this was the first time they had been able to put out a full team - and it is still very much a development squad - trying to compete against regions who can draw their team members from the ranks of the Junior Internationals and the top rowing schools. Although the Wessex Region finished last in the team competition their points total improved from just 12 in 2004 to 76 and they should certainly be able to challenge the stronger regions in the future.
Ryde Juniors Tom Clark and Jamie Lawson competed in the Boys J15 Coxed Quad, James Eklund in the Boys J14 Coxed Quad, Kim Salter, Sophie Draper, Sarah Lamb, Rachael Brimstone and Jasmine Burr-Hersey in the Girls J15 Coxed Quad and Ben Churchill in the Boys J16 Single Sculls. Kim Salter and Rachael Brimstone doubled-up to compete as a Girls J15 double- and Ben Churchill doubled-up competing in the Boys J16 Coxed Four. Although none of the crews involving the Ryde Juniors reached their finals they all performed to or above expectations.
Ryde's Volunteer Coaches - Steve Bull, Nick Salter and Allan Evans assisted with the Coaching of the Wessex Team and Wightlink supported the team by providing cross-solent travel for the Ryde Juniors, Coaches and equipment.
Ryde Rowing Club has
joined with three other Rowing Clubs based in Southampton - Itchen Imperial,
Coalporters and Southampton - to appoint a Rowing Community Sports Coach.
These four Clubs have successful Junior sections and are all Amateur Rowing Association "Go-Row" accredited Clubs approved to run the National Junior Rowing programme. The Community Sports Coach Scheme (CSCS) is a scheme being delivered and is partly funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Sport England and the County Sports Partnerships and is aimed at establishing paid, qualified Community Sports Coaches who will be working at a local level over a number of sports.
The coach will not only contribute to enhancing the quality of the Clubs existing activity, but will also provide the opportunity to generate substantial new activity over time, working to maximise the number of young people who will benefit. Employed on a full time basis for a period of three years, the Coach Rachel Redhead - who some of you have already met started work on the 13th May. Her position is being managed and administered by the ARA.
Rachel is a twenty-one year old graduate from Sheffield Hallam University where she gained a BSc (Honours) in Recreation Management - and is a qualified ARA Rowing Coach who has worked part time for the ARA on a number of occasions. For the Ryde Club she will primarily focus on Club School links and the Club has received an enthusiastic response from the targeted Middle schools - Bishop Lovett and Mayfield and from Ryde High School. The hope is to be able to deliver dry rowing sessions within schools (on indoor rowing machines) which will encourage children to try the wet sessions, on the water, at the club. Rachel will also benefit the Ryde Club and community by enabling the club to take their development work a step further by providing a resource to support the existing club volunteer coaches; to mentor the club and school volunteer coaches to enable them to build a lasting coach structure; deliver sessions alongside club or school coaches in order to share knowledge and create a sustainable legacy and links will also be formed or strengthened with other groups in the community such as youth groups, crime diversion schemes, health schemes and people with disabilities, single mums etc. Rachel will be operating at all levels from complete beginner to the Clubs competitive Junior Squad.
Ryde Rowing Club Gain Sport England Clubmark Status
Ryde
Rowing Club has become the first Rowing Club in the Wessex Region, and one
of the first in the Country to gain Sport England Clubmark status.
The Sport England Clubmark scheme - a National cross sport quality mark- - has been developed to enable children and young people, their parents and carers and others with interest in sport to recognise - across a range of different sports - clubs that are committed to providing a quality experience. The award of Clubmark status recognises and accredits Clubs that are committed to providing a safe, effective and child friendly environment for children and young people and is an integral part of the Amateur Rowing Association, the sports governing body, own development work with sports clubs. It sets standards to which Clubs should aspire and sets criteria which must be met and are inspected for in the following categories - duty of care and child protection, coaching and competition, sports equity and ethics and Club management.
Clubmark status will benefit the Club by promoting the Club, gaining support from sport professionals, increasing membership, and developing their coaches and volunteers.
Clubmark supersedes and expands on the Clubs NJRP (National Junior Rowing Programme) accreditation gained in 1999 and reaffirms the Clubs commitment to the development of Junior rowing.