Bournemouth Rowing Club
Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club, founded in 1865 is the oldest club in Bournemouth and rows in coastal rowing regattas on the South Coast of England. [1]
WHAT IS COASTAL ROWING?
Unlike river rowing Westover and Bournemoth Rowing Club rows in the sea. It can be choppy, especially at Bournemouth and that gives them an advantage when they race in coastal regattas as they are used to rough conditions. This is a very old and unique sport which takes place only on the South Coast of the UK.
TYPES OF BOATS
Coastal boats differ from river boats as they have a wider bottom, are shorter by about 8 foot and the seats are staggered. This helps improve stability in rough coastal waters.
Coastal rowing is done in different types of boats using oars (known as blades):
SCULLS (one rower using two blades)
PAIRS (two rowers using either one or two blades each)
FOURS (four rowers using one blade each & 1 coxswain)
Under 16 members must always row using two blades (known as sculling).
BOAT WORK
Some of Wstover and Bournemouth Rowing Clubs' best boats were built 40years ago. They are lighter and faster than anything that can be bought today. They have to be maintained during the winter months so everyone lends a hand, from repairing blades to sanding and varnishing the boats.