Bournemouth Rowing Club
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Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club[1], founded in 1865 is the oldest club in Bournemouth and races in coastal rowing regattas on the South Coast of England. Located next to the Central Pier the club is the only sporting community that residents and tourists alike are aware of in Bournemouth.
History
The first lease, a piece of Foreshore 20 feet square was given by the Clerk to the Bournemouth Improvement Commissioners in 1865. A boathouse was erected and rented at £1 per year, mainly for the storage of pleasure boats. There were less than 4000 residents in Bournemouth so a Competitive Rowing Club within the real meaning of the word had not yet started. At the Annual Dinner of 1870 Mr. Cutler, the Captain of the Club referred to having two heavy Punts of unequal size and that racing was hardly practical even with a handicap. Sir Henry Drummond Wolff who was then the Parliamentary candidate for Christchurch and Bournemouth presented the club with a foar oared racing Galley called the Lothair, which was the title of a novel by the Earl of Beconsfield. This gift set an example, followed for many years by the Parliamentart candidate, to present a racing galley to the local club.
These boats were usually built by Picket or some other expert at Southampton, and though quite light, were designed for sea rowing and so much stouter than such fragile craft as one sees at Henley and other river Regattas.
About Coastal Rowing
Coastal rowing is a very old and unique sport which takes place only on the South Coast of England. The boats used differ from river boats that people are used to seeing 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. Rowers use oars (known as blades) and there are theree main configurations of coastal rowing:
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).