Dorney Travel Guide

 easyoar Says:  This was the swansong for the British 4 that won at Sydney in the 2000 Olympics. The stroke man (nearest my camera) is Matt Pinsent (won gold medals in 4 consecutive olympics), then it's Tim Foster who retired with back trouble after Sydney. Then it's one of Britain's... 

 easyoar Says:  I spent my time wandering up and down the course, but if you just felt like sitting down all day, there was a great big screen to watch all the action on. The camera followed the boat and you got a commentary too, so this is the best option for the armchair... 

 easyoar Says:  Starting a race is a tense and nervous time, especially when it is very windy or the current is strong. The boat has to be manoeuvered backwards into its starting position (and made to point forwards). If you are late in, tough, you miss the race. This is the traditional way... 

 easyoar Says:  With the decision for who will host the Olympic games in 2012 imminent, the organisers were selling Britains bid quite hard. Here you can see a archway you were supposed to walk under to count your vote of approval for Britain to get them (I went through several... 

 easyoar Says:  This picture of the Chinese men's pair shows how you should 'lean into your work'. You can see that they are both a mirror image of eachother and both are leaning towards the part of their oar that is in the water. A classic mistake of less experienced rowers is to lean... 

 easyoar Says:  I took this picture as the British Womens Double were turning, rather kindly they stopped and smiled at me when I waved my camera at them! I Thought I had to put their picture up here after that...If you see me around, don't forget to smile too (especially if you are the... 

 easyoar Says:  This is the Chinese Ladies 8. The person sat nearest my camera is the cox, who steers the boat and calls stroke rate (i.e. how many strokes a mniute the crew should take), and motivates the crew. The rest of the crew is numbered 1 to 8, but one starts at the other end of the... 

 easyoar Says:  If you aren't in the winning boat, don't do what James Cracknell can be seen doing here and try and climb into the winning boat when it draws alongside! In actual fact this picture is slightly deceptive. Boats can't get that close together because of the oars and the riggers... 

 easyoar Says:  These pictures were taken at the Rowing World Cup held at Dorney lake in May 2005. In this case, World did mean World. Teams from China, Hong Kong, Romania, Hungary (and all over Europe), Egypt, Cuba, Canada and the USA. Contrast this to the "World" Series for baseball that... 

 easyoar Says:  The oars in rowing terminology are frequently referred to as "blades". These are made up of the handles, the shafts and the blades themselves (the bit that goes into the water). There is also the attachment that helps fit the oar to the boat, but I'll ignore that here...When... 

 easyoar Says:  If you have ever wondered how your average rowing boat moves about when it is out of the water, this is how it works. You have to remove all of the rigging (the metal work that holds the oars in place - this is a pain in the butt to do). On a larger boat such as an 8, you... 

 easyoar Says:  Lakes are not the safest place for young children, and this lake has been built for easy spectating. It is very easy for a kid just to wander on in.If you have children, make sure you keep a good eye on them. Even if they can swim well, boats are heavy and oars can split a... 

 easyoar Says:  It's not really worth spending the extra money of an grandstand seat. The grandstand is inside the enclosure and costs a fair bit more (£10 if I remember). You can see the grandstand and the enclosure here. Most people who had purchased tickets for the grandstand seemed to... 

 easyoar Says:  This is Matt Pinsent. In September 2004 (Athens), he was an athlete at the peak of his powers winning gold again in a fourth consecutive Olympic Games. Fast Forward to May 2005, and it looks like he's been eating a few too many pies. It is not a good idea to go from a hard... 

 easyoar Says:  If you are a rower, the distinct lack of features such as trees has a nastier side effect. Dorney seems to attract wind, and with nothing to block it, (it typically blows hard from the side), it makes it difficult to balance the boat well, and makes it harder to row.This... 

 easyoar Says:  Dorney Lake whilst being an impressive new facility is a very souless place to row. It is totally featureless as you row down the course, the only thing of any note being the boards up every 250 metres telling you how far you have rowed. Personally I far prefer rowing on a...