What’s in store in 2024?
2023 was a great season of coastal rowing, with 8 regattas held and lots of close racing.
In club terms the victors were Herne Bay – winning the CARA League and Shoreham taking the Grand Aggregate. However, those two clubs did not have it all their own way, as 5 clubs took more than 10 wins during the season and every single club gained at least one.
In senior event terms, Deal were the crew to beat – taking Men’s Singles, Pairs and Fours and Women’s Fours (though Worthing took the Women’s Pairs title in dominant fashion). Shoreham and Southsea seemed the forces in the Junior categories, with Shoreham taking the Men’s Fours and Pairs Championships and a number of victories in Women’s Fours and Pairs, and Southsea grabbing the Women’s Junior Fours and Pairs as well as wins in the Men’s Pairs event too.
We saw great progression from the smaller clubs, with Hastings fielding crews and multiple regattas and taking a victory and Eastbourne building out new squads and fielding more crews than we’ve seen for a long while.
So where do we look for the excitement in 2024? Here’s my tips:
Women’s Juniors – both Shoreham and Herne Bay took victories here in 2023 without going up to senior, I suspect they might each be strong again in 2024 now that Southsea have gained promotion to Senior.
Masters 40 and 50 – with the advent of average age in Masters 50s expect more crews here and more close racing between last years winners Herne Bay and Runners up Shoreham and competition from Eastbourne and Hastings too.
Herne Bay took Junior Sculls championship and were undefeated in 2023, can their promising youngsters make the step up and win in Senior to challenge serial winners Deal? Will the promotion of Herne Bay’s finest from this event let some of the Novices from last year show their talent and progress?
Women’s Sculls – with the final establishment of a women’s sculling hierarchy expect more competitors and more close racing here, as 3 different women took victories in novices last year.
2024 Season calendar is out!
It comes around quickly, doesn’t it! The 2024 Coastal Rowing Season on the South Coast in Sussex and Kent is now planned and ready to share. The new season calendar has been agreed by the CARA committee and the clubs so here it is for you:
Here’s how the 2024 season is shaping up:
March
Saturday 23rd Adur Head @ Shoreham Rowing club
April
Saturday 27th Viking Shield @ Herne Bay
May
Saturday 11th Shoreham Regatta
Saturday 25th Worthing Regatta
June
Saturday 8th Eastbourne Regatta – 10am Start
Saturday 22nd Hastings Regatta
Saturday 23rd Bexhill Regatta – 10am Start
Sunday 30th Folkestone Regatta – 10.00 start
July
Sunday 7th Dover Regatta
Saturday 20th Southsea Regatta
Saturday 27th Deal Regatta
August
Saturday 3rd Herne Bay Regatta
Saturday 17th Southsea Regatta (spare date)
September
Saturday 14th South Coast Championships @ Netley
Updates to the Events calendar to follow.
Deal Regatta
After a high ratio of cancelled regattas this year, Deal Regatta went off without a hitch on the 31st July. Despite high winds and threatening skies, Deal managed to hold a great event with all races completed.
Full results will be available on this website as soon as they are released.
http://www.coastara.org/events/deal-regatta-2/
The return of rowing!
The COVID-19 pandemic which has blighted so many lives, finally appears to be lessening its grip on the UK, and for us that means a return of rowing regattas on the South Coast. No regattas were held during 2020 and the first half of the 2021 season was also cancelled. However, as of the 11th of July 2021, we are back up and running!
Folkestone had the honour of being the first post-COVID race, after Worthing lost out owing to the lockdown extension.
We’re so pleased to be back and are looking forward to many more races to come this year and beyond.
Phil Challen
We’re very sad to announce the passing of Phil Challen, former secretary of CARA. We cannot express enough thanks for everything Phil contributed to rowing on the South Coast, he touched the lives of so many of us and for that we will be forever grateful. Our thoughts are with Bexhill and Phil’s family and friends at this time.
Deal win the Pompey
Southsea regatta was held in its entirety this weekend, with CARA crews battling against their Hants and Dorset Amateur Rowing association counterparts. Updated regatta standings will be put up later this week.
2019 Season underway
2019 season is now underway, with lots of exciting racing and close finishes! We have so far had Hastings Regatta, Bexhill Regatta and Eastbourne Regatta – all of which were held in full. You can find the full standings on the 2019 Standings page.
We have 4 events in a 4 way tussle, these are the Veteran 50+ Fours, Mens Junior Fours, Ladies Novice Fours and Mens Junior Sculls! Very excited to see which crews will get to 2 wins first!
Many thanks to Joel Dinning for the pictures, this is of the Ladies Senior Pair at Hastings Regatta
Crews will clash again this weekend at Dover Regatta (weather permitting) this Saturday (8th June)
Tom and Vicky (Deal) – World Record Holders!
Thomas Barwell and Victoria Ward of Deal Rowing Club have broken the world record for the longest tandem ergometer row (Heavyweight Mixed 19 and Under). They together kept a single rowing machine running for 37 Hours straight, which is incredible!
2019 Calendar Updated
The 2019 calendar is now on the website, go to ‘Competition’ -> 2019 Race calendar to see or click here 2019 Calendar
Worthing Regattas Cancelled!
Both Worthing and Worthing town regattas were cancelled over the weekend due to strong winds. The regatta calendar will be updated as and when we know the new regatta dates if the regattas are rescheduled.
Picture: Mia Giles