The Club is pleased to announce that Club member Rosemary Richardson has kindly offered to donate to the Club a new men's eight and oars in memory of her husband, the Late Ron (Thrasher) Richardson who raced so successfully for Mercantile and her father, the Late Ron March, who was a long standing and highly successful Victorian selector. The boat has been ordered through Empacher and will be delivered later this year.

Rosemary became the driving force behind the reinvigoration of the Henley of Yarra regatta in 1982 when the regatta was ailing. She first used her skills in developing the important social side of the event with the Thursday night cocktail function. This function then grew into a dinner in the ANZ Pavilion at the Arts Centre. When the dinner outgrew the ANZ Pavilion, it moved to the Great Hall and when that was too small, then to the Hilton Hotel. The regatta also grew, as did the sponsors and the raffle.

By 1990, the regatta had sufficient clout and financial strength to invite five international crews to race at it and take on a bid for the first World Cup in the southern hemisphere. This bid was successful and in 1993, the first ever World Sculling Cup was held. The regatta was a five day event with 500 people attending a luncheon on the course daily. This event captured the imagination of sports loving people of Melbourne and brought great fame to the sport. It brought back the sport of rowing to the Yarra River and the television coverage of rowing. It was a great achievement for Rosemary and her skilled and enthusiastic 1993 team that made it happen.

Rosemary and Ron with President Sir John and Lady Young at 1992 Australian Henley

Thank you Rosemary for this extremely generous donation which is greatly appreciated.