Nestled in Dover Harbour, Dover Coastal Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the country and the oldest coastal rowing club. The history of Dover Rowing Club dates back to the nineteenth century, it was set up in 1846, primarily with the idea of being a leisure club but it soon took on a very different trajectory. In the early years of the club it was incredibly successful, winning the most prestigious coastal rowing event three times consecutively. They set up and run the very popular Dover Regatta that each year hosts many coastal rowing clubs and invites them to race each other in Dover Harbour. This is a club with an extremely rich and successful history, one that is fascinating and well maintained.
The club now rows out of a state-of-the-art sports centre in Dover Harbour and uses the harbour as their primary training ground. They benefit from rowing on the harbour, which provides them with some of the best waters in the south- these calm waters aid them in being able to train more consistently throughout the year despite the somewhat unpredictable weather the coast can throw at them. They have a plethora of coastal rowing boats, the largest being coxed quads and fours and have healthy sized junior and senior sections.
Recent results have been good, with there being notable wins in the senior section- a double managed to qualify for the World Rowing Coastal Championships in Hong Kong and they placed 23rd, an excellent result for them. In terms of the juniors, they have had success in their own regatta over recent years and others and in 2019 the club won 4 trophies in novice categories over the whole Coast Amateur Rowing Association (CARA) season. This club has managed to encourage both their senior, novice and junior rowers to compete successfully and continue on the legacy of this club
Over the tumultuous year of 2020 there has not been much racing for any of us and Dover has felt the effect of this greatly, with the CARA season not being able to happen to the same extent. However, they have not let lockdown stop them from competing. Recently, in September, the club completed its fourth virtual race from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea, finishing an excellent 4th against their other CARA opponents. The members from all age groups attacked this challenge with a multi-disciplined approach and this clearly paid dividends. Dover is an excellent example of the depth and history of the rowing clubs in this country, and hopefully we will see Dover regatta return in its glory next year.
Want to find out more about Dover? Check out their website
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Images via Dover Rowing Club
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