RMIHE Synchronised Swimming Club and Gumi Race

Initial pre launch - L-R Geoff, Graham, Jerry, Gudge, ? Pete and Michelle
Trail St pre launch partial team photo - Back - Geoff and Greg
Middle row - Moose, Pete, Jenni, Dania, ?
Front - Col



Big men can't lean -L-R - Me, Col, Geoff, Moose and Pete

{note peg on nose}


Dixon and Col - no more needs to be said

Col, Michelle, Geoff and Peter

Pre launch on site - L-R Jenni, Michelle, Moose, Peter, Col (hidden), Geoff, Greg and John

same lot finally trying to attach pallet to tube (we needed all Pete's farming experience there)

Geoff, Greg, John and Caron

Caron and Geoff (before/after?) inside Trail St


Year - 1989

Initial Formation of club
first formed to put on display for impressionable first year students at the welcoming address by RMIHE head man, Mr Blake (who would foolishly make his speech outside in front of what was known as Blake's Lakes, a somewhat over named body of water little larger than a dam). The students may or may not have been distracted by the sight of three beanbags containing Gudge, Geoff and myself floating just behind the Dean. We were surprisingly not hauled off for explanation and we made it into the local paper.

The Main Event - Gumi Race (rules as follows)

Rules of the Gumi Race (taken from History of Wagga)

1. All craft must be constructed and all entries entered in the spirit of the event
2. The means of floatation must be at least 80% by inflated inner tubes and that the craft must be manually propelled
3. Tubes can be held together by any means whatsoever, provided that river water flows directly and freely through, around and/or over them
4. The Committee reserves the right to reject any entry which they may determine as being offensive because of any sign which may be painted on or carried by any craft
5. Any hull design may be used so long as, in the opinion of the Committee, the craft is considered reasonably safe
6. A tow rope shall be attached to all craft at the bow and shall be at least 3.5m long
7. All crew members must wear a suitable flotation jacket*
8. All crafts must be manually propelled – no motors allowed
9. No entrant is to assist any other Gumi except if Gumi is in difficulties
10. In all matters, the decision of the Committee shall be final
11. Crafts are to be no wider than three metres when transported by road
12. * shower caps do not count as flotation devices
    

Preparation time - 1 morning possibly after big night out the night before

Flotation device - large rubber inner tube with wooden pallet lashed expertly on top with satellite bean bags and blow up baby swimming pools for extra flexibility. The swimming pools were later discovered to be a mistake as they very neatly stored the sheep poo that the charming catholic school girls threw, very hard to clean out.

Launching - not recommended near willow tree as our race was nearly over before we began

Time - 4hours give or take, slightly too long as we were all practically suffering from hypothermia by the time we finished, maybe paddles would have helped, the alcohol at the after race festivities certainly did.