If you were looking for 1 person to represent Jeppe Rowing from its birth in 1958 up to 2022, you need look no further than Martin Maine. 

From the time he was asked by his uncle Dr JRD Tomlinson, to put a Jeppe crew together, his love and support for Jeppe Rowing has never diminished.  

The crew that Martin brought together was made up of Michael Watt, Herbert Freercks, James Davidson and Ken Brooks. In 1959, the crew coached by Doc Tomlinson, competed at their first SA School Champs held on the Buffalo River. As the only Transvaal school at the regatta, they beat many seasoned Cape school crews to come second to Selbourne.

The very first Jeppe crew with Doc Tomlinson, who was both a coach and mentor.

In 2021, Martin sponsored a 4+ and named it after Doc Tomlinson, the founder of rowing at Jeppe and school boy rowing on the reef.  In April 2021, Martin was able to christen the boat at an event hosted by the club. 

Its is fitting that on Martin’s 80^th birthday in January 2022, his son’s Brian and Colin presented him with a 4+ that was to be named after him.  The following week Martin and his son’s met with Simon Moore, the Director of Rowing at Jeppe, at the boat house where Martin was able to see the boat that will bear his name.

Just over 60 years from the first time his Jeppe 4+ took to the water, Martin Maine will again be competing under the Jeppe banner, only this time it will not be as an athlete, but as a John Waugh wing rigger quad that has the honour of bearing his name.