Most Sea Cadet units have a rowing boat. The standard rowing boat is now the Trinity 500, which has taken over from the ASC, many of which remain in use. Lately we have seen units purchasing the French Yole to offer a progressive development in faster and lighter boats, introducing the technique of sculling.
The Sea Cadets provide our own training syllabus for rowing proficiency and Coaching awards. The scheme has been a development by the Sea Cadets from the traditions of the Royal Navy. The scheme has been designed to be delivered at all Sea Cadet units by their own trained Rowing Instructors.
Rowing is a strong feature in our National Combined Regatta, there are three specific groups at this event, racing between Trinity 500s, Yole racing and Rowing Boat Handling. The latter is a competition based around seamanship skills using a Trinity 500, in which tests of boat handling skill are performed and judged.
Existing Sea Cadet Pulling qualifications will be renamed, and will remain valid. The qualifications recorded in Westminster will in due course be renamed; until this is done, the term Pulling will continue to be used to describe Sea Cadet qualifications in Westminster. TI and TARS will be amended in due course.
The MSSC has entered into an agreement with British Rowing (BR), the National Governing Body of rowing. The features of this agreement are:
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BR will list MSSC as an affiliated organisation of BR.
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Training Centres and Units which wish to offer BR’s Explore Rowing (ER) Learn to Row scheme may be listed as accredited Centres, permitted to deliver the scheme, subject to registering, free of charge, with BR.
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The Sea Cadets Rowing scheme has been mapped against the ER Stages 1 and 2 awards. ER will be expanded to incorporate the elements of the Sea Cadets scheme not already in it.
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BR will explore how UKCC rowing coaching qualifications may be adapted to suit the Sea Cadets, and may become available to Sea Cadets Rowing Instructors.
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The Trinity 500 has been included in the list of approved boats for ER.
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BR will work with the Sea Cadets to develop sliding seat rowing skills.
Accreditation with BR will cost Units nothing. Individuals who want to gain ER awards will have to register with BR, at a cost of £5 a year, and will have to purchase either the ER logbook (£4) or passport (£1). Instructors will not have to requalify or attend conversion courses to instruct ER courses.
These arrangements cover Units in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
More details of how Units may be accredited with BR for delivery of ER, and how individuals may gain ER qualifications, and more information from BR on the ER scheme will be published in due course.
Further details