CFROG - Central Florida Rowing Officials Group

Central Florida Rowing Officials Group is an organization dedicated to serving the rowing community of central Florida by providing referees and support for local organizing committees (LOCs) at regatta sites in the region. We also serve the referee corps itself, providing training and resources, scheduling assistance and general support. For more information, please read the FAQ.

News

The Fall season is shaping up to be a busy one, with at least six head races and one sprint race scheduled in the state. Head races in Sarasota, Jacksonville, Miami Beach, Deland, Tampa and Gainesville should provide lots of action for CFROG referees. Please be sure to get our referee candidates involved whenever possible! The month of December will bring a sprint race in Orlando (Sunrise Sprints), so we should all be busy even into the holiday season.

The summer season on the water has not been very busy for most CFROG members. The economy and other factors may have contributed to fewer summer rowing programs and fewer regattas being held this summer. The Florida Masters regatta was held at the beginning of summer in Orlando. Now, member referees are re-charging their batteries and preparing for the Fall head race season. Enjoy your down time!

The weather that had treated us so well this season caught up to us at the FSRA Championship regatta in Sarasota. The Cooper Creek course is oriented south to north, with the racing lanes on the western side. We had the pleasure of 15mph - 20mph winds from the east for the duration of racing. This proved to be quite challenging for crews and officials alike. The heroic efforts of Martyn Dennis in getting boats on stake and pointed may have been all that made the difference between running races and calling or shortening the regatta. Instead, all the races were run (and fairly), no one was injured on the water and we had no protests by the end of the day. Many other referees also worked the regatta and served with distinction. Congratulations to Chief Mike Chambers and staff for the job they did for the rowers! As this racing season ends in Florida many crews and referees will be heading out of state to championship regattas around the country. Good luck to all!

We are most of the way through the Spring racing season. So far the weather gods have smiled upon us, with big regattas (OARS Invitational, FIRA) and many smaller ones going off without a hitch. Several referee candidates have been compiling some good observations at the regattas so far. Please give any support you can to our candidates and keep them pointed in the proper direction.

As mentioned earlier, the ByPass Canal site will not be suitable for the championship regattas this season due to low water levels. The venue for the FIRA and FSRA championship regattas has been shifted to the new Cooper Creek course in Sarasota. You can check out the site in our Venues section. FIRA was the first event held at the site, and the facility has come a long way, but is still in a rough state compared to where existing plans will take it. Martyn Dennis, Brice Crossley and Tom Lineberry have all made visits to the site as have the referees who worked the FIRA regatta and reports are that we will be able to run regattas there, though operating space is quite limited this early in the life of the venue. Let's hope this is the beginning of a great new venue for rowing in the state!

WINTER 08 / 09

The Spring racing season is almost here! The Novice Regatta was held on February 14th at Turkey Lake, with Joe Roviaro chiefing. Conditions were good for the morning races but 15mph winds made the afternoon a bit tough for the novices. A bit of improvisation and teamwork resulted in all races being run and an on-time finish. Congratulations to Joe!

The Spring 09 schedule is posted! The big news is that the ByPass Canal site is not likely to be available this season due to low water levels. The likely alternate site is a new venue in Sarasota. Stay tuned for more as information is available.

New Licenses: Joe Roviaro and Ken Scott both passed their tests and are now holders of Full Referee licenses. Congratulations, guys!

US Rowing Referee Clinic: A Referee Clinic will be held on Monday, February 23 at 6:00 P.M. The location is the Bonnier Corporation office which is at 460 N. Orlando Avenue (Suite 200) Winter Park, FL 32789 in the Winter Park Village complex (across from Seito Sushi). The clinic is a prerequisite for those desiring to become licensed by US Rowing. It is approximately 2 ½ hours long and will explain the licensing procedure and well as the Rules of Rowing which are necessary to know for becoming a Referee. There is no fee required. The USRowing Clinician team that will be presenting the material is comprised of John Ross, Michael Chambers and Marty Wiener.

FALL / 08

The fall racing season is here! In addition to the handful of head races we are accustomed to, at least one sprint race, the 1000 meter Row for the Cure, is also on the schedule. With First Coast Head Race, Head of Indian Creek, and Hatter Classic all seeking officials, CFROG member should have no trouble finding work this fall.

US Rowing Data Call: Referees should have completed the annual data call by the end of September in order to find out who has an interest in working athe national-level regattas in the coming year. If you missed this deadline it is still important to complete the data call in order to document your work requirements.

SUMMER / 08

The typically slow summer months are upon us and thoughts of a CFROG webmaster turn to website updates. It is hoped that by the fall months the site will be more functional and useful. Suggestions are always welcome.
MARTY UPDATE: Marty is far enough along in his rehab that he has been undertaking periodic workouts (carefully we hope) on his erg. He feels that he may be ready for an exploratory sculling outing soon. Details when available.

SPRING 2008 / 08

The Spring racing season is complete. Several crews from Central Florida had successful trips to the national-level regattas. While referees can never take a share of credit for any crew's success, it is certain that the standards and procedures which we have used in our duties have given these crews sound preparation for success when they leave our area. We congratulate all of the hard-working athletes and coaches in Central Florida!
CFROG leader Marty Wiener has been held off the water this spring in order to rehab after back surgery. You never fully realize how the tasks of refereeing are a team effort until you have to hit the water at less than full strength. The refs of CFROG wish Marty a speedy recovery and plan to put him to work at the earliest opportunity.

News

WINTER 2007 / 08

A clinic is scheduled for Monday, January 7th at 6:00pm at the Bonnier Corporation offices in the Winter Park Village (the usual location). Topics will be launch positioning, LOC liason as well as some of the organizational changes at USRowing which impact the referee corps. We will discuss the spring racing schedule as well. The usual dinner will be served (suggestions welcome).

SUMMER / FALL 2007

This summer was a quiet one for many CFROG members. A few local summer regattas kept our skills sharp. Mike Chambers served at the USRowing Youth Championships in Cincinnati in June. Marty Wiener had some surgery this summer and is recovering well.

This fall saw CFROG members serving at regattas from Jacksonville to Miami and points between. There were few incidents and the weather was generally co-operative.

SPRING 2007

The spring season is under way! CFROG members have served at several small races in the area and a few full-fledged regattas. The larger regattas of the season provide unique challenges for rowers, parents, organizers and referees alike. Weather is a constant concern, but we have been fortunate so far in that no races have had to be suspended due to wind, rain or storms. As the season progresses, many regattas will be seeking referees for the various championship regattas held in the area. Please contact referees well in advance of your need, as many of the area officials are booked and have made arrangements in advance to attend specific events. To see a race schedule click HERE.

New CFROG Members This Spring

Congratulations to Bob Tainsh and Jeffrey Cornett! After months of training and observation, two referee candidates recently sat for the examination for Assistant Referee license. Both were successful and are now the newest referees in the central Florida region. CFROG welcomes these new members and thank them for their service to rowing!

We have also welcomed several new referee candidates in the area this year. They are spending this racing season completing observations of each referee role, have attended an introductory clinic and are gaining valuable experience while enjoying the best seat in the house at local regattas. CFROG always stands ready to assist those interested in learning about becoming a rowing referee. Contact us!

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