Rowing

Introduction

Rowing at Seafarers Sailing Club began in January 2024 when, at a specially convened General Meeting, the membership overwhelmingly approved a proposal to purchase a Bursledon Gig.

It was anticipated that rowing would become as popular at Seafarers as it had at other local clubs. Working alongside the Club's sailing programme, rowing should encourage new people to join the Club. It would also provide an extra social and on-water activity for existing members including those who did not sail, and those considering retiring from sailing.

The Club's new Bursledon Gig was delivered from the manufacturer in April 2024.

Benefits

Benefits of rowing include:

• It is very sociable.
• It is good for health and wellbeing.
• It requires less boats per participant than dinghy sailing.
• It requires less training and special clothing/equipment than sailing.
• It is not dependent on the wind.
• It can take place all year round.
• It does not require a planned timetable or duty crews.

Competition and Inter-Club Activities

Whilst it can be fun to row up and down the shoreline, it can also be fun to row to the café at Stokes Bay or to Solent Breezes or Warsash. There could be relaxed rows, timed rows around markers, or local races against Hillhead Sailing Club .

As a newly formed rowing group, Seafarers would be invited to take part in the many events organised by other rowing clubs in the area. These include Tudor Sailing Club in Langstone Harbour and Hamble River Rowers.

There are other rowing events that Seafarers could take part in including the Tudor Challenge, the Cockleshell Challenge from Eastney to Horse Sand Fort, the Great River Race on the River Thames, the Round Hayling Race, and the Head of the Ouse Race from Newhaven to Lewes.

Administration

The rowing section will be part of the Seafarers family. People who join the club specifically to row will pay the same membership fees and carry out the same duties.

Administration of rowing activities will be the responsibility of the Rowing Captain.

Whenever rowing takes place, it will be under the supervision of at least one of the Club's Gig Monitors. Monitors will have completed a basic course in rowing to make them competent to supervise the activity at Seafarers.

All rowing at Seafarers will be carried out in accordance with the SSC Rowers Handbook (click here or use the menu to the right (if a smartphone user, select )

Communication

Every outing of the Gig will be accompanied by at least one Monitor. Due to the nature and location of Seafarers Sailing Club, it will not usually be practical to programme rowing in advance. Therefore, like Hamble RRC, a WhatsApp group has been formed which any Club member interested in rowing may join. This will enable Monitors and rowers to coordinate ad hoc sessions.

Rowing during Practice Sailing Sessions

During each Practice Sailing session, the Club's Bursledon Gig will be available for rowing practice. Rowing will only take place if an appropriately authorised member has volunteered to act as Gig Monitor. If you are authorised and wish to volunteer to act as Gig Monitor for a session, open the page for that session in the Programme, scroll down to the Duty Roster at the foot of the page and click on the Gig Monitor Volunteer button. If you are interested in rowing at a particular session, you are advised to make this known via WhatsApp.

Rowsea Challenge

This Challenge will provide a focus for casual rowing. The course represents an appropriate exercise for developing rowing skills and teamwork and, by timing each attempt, rowers and teams will be able to measure their progress.

The Challenge involves rowing the Club's Bursledon Gig around a fixed triangular course of approximately 3.25 miles. The time taken is measured and recorded. The team with the fastest time will be the current "title holder". The team with the fastest time over the season will be awarded a trophy at the Club's annual Prize Giving.

For a full set of instructions, go to the Rowsea Challenge (click here or use the menu to the right (if a smartphone user, select )

Interested in Rowing

Those interested in rowing at Seafarers or joining the WhatsApp Rowing Group, should contact Kay Wadham, the Seafarers Rowing Captain.

Last updated 16:45 on 26 September 2025