My club carries the name of TSV Herrsching, Wassersportabteilung, Sparte Rudern. While “TS” of the umbrella organisation stands for gymnastics and sport, rowers and sailors form the division of water sport, with our boat house – the center of our activities – being situated not far from the town of Herrsching in the quarter Wartaweil.
Wartaweil lies south of Herrsching and is composed of numerous grand properties, strung between the Ammersee and the the road leading from Herrsching to Fischen and on to Dießen or Weilheim. These properties are partially used by institutions like the Naturschutz- und Jugendzentrum (Center of nature conservation und youth), whereas most of them represent private houses of different style and taste, encircled by hedges of different height and density. In this environment we have our boat house.
Approaching from the lakeside the club area is easily identified because of the extended jetty and the numerous sailing boats ankering nearby in summer – easy to identify, one may say. However, to be honest, in my early rowing days my rowing partner Sven and myself missed the spot, generously passing by, being fully concentrated on rowing and seeing jetties and sailing boats everywhere …
We are 113 rowers, the number of members showing an upward trend. The average age lies at the late 40ies. Our equipment comprises 24 boats, all the way from little fun singles over regular singles, doubles, quads – with or without coxswain – to the eight, and including several racing boats (two, three, five seaters) and skiffs. The rowing season covers the whole year, although on different routes, which I will describe in this blog later. If rowing is not possible due to weather conditions, we can switch to rudder engines in the boat house. So far, so normal.
The atmosphere in our water sport section is rather relaxed. We are not an exclusive club, neither are we striving for maximum performance. Having fun is our primary aim. but we do not lack ambitions. In the latter respect, past years have shown quite a development, the claims getting higher indeed. Good rowers qualify to trainers, the basic education has been standardized, ambitious rowers take part in regattas, and the boat stock has been expanded continuously. Many jobs are done in the do-it-yourself manner. 60 to 70 people putting their hands on at a given time time, e. g. in our regular autumn work session, when we winterize our equipment and the location. These joint efforts represent an important and effective part of the club life, and whoever fails to do a certain amount of working hours per year has to pay instead.
We go on rowing tours together, organize our own regatta (Herrschinger Triangel), take part in regattas and organise parties together with the sailors. And we love our lake. When sitting together on our jetty in summer, letting the day sink away while mosquitos are dancing around our heads and the evening sun is reflected on the water, when the music of the last pleasure boat reaches us and then gently fades away – all this may sound kitchy but is simply beautiful. All that glitters is not gold, also in our club. But it seems to be quite good, after all. Let’s hope that it stays like this. Anyway, I’ll continue reporting.
Foto: Ivan Adamis