Explore Rowing floats its boats at the Royal Pageant

British Rowing is delighted that a fleet of ‘Explore Rowing’ boats will be among the thousand boats taking part in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 3 June.

Launched by Sir Steve Redgrave in 2010 as part of British Rowing’s commitment to bringing rowing to a wider audience, Explore Rowing, a Sport England-funded programme, has been going from strength to strength.  Di Ellis, British Rowing’s Chairman, said; “It’s tremendously exciting to be able to showcase the stable boats at such a wonderful occasion.  They’ve been a great success with our clubs and they continue to open up the sport to new rowers.”

The 17 stable rowing boats taking part are from Twickenham, Leicester, Royal Chester, Deben, Upton, Putney Town, Henley and Weyfarers rowing clubs and are unique in that they will be the only sliding-seat rowing boats taking part in the flotilla of ‘people-powered boats’. 

“I love to row, and to be on the water doing something I love to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee will be an experience I will never forget” said Malcolm Neal, organiser of Leicester RC’s crew.  “It’s a long time since I rowed on the Thames and to be doing it now for the Queen is definitely something to tell the grandchildren!”

Fittingly the Explore Rowing boats will follow in the wake of the royal barge, “Gloriana”, powered by Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matt Pinsent and other iconic figures from the world of rowing.  The formal part of the river procession takes place between 2pm and 6pm, starting upriver of Battersea Bridge and finishing downriver of Tower Bridge. The boats will muster between Hammersmith and Battersea and disperse from Tower Bridge to West India Docks.

For more about British Rowing’s participation programme, visit http://www.explorerowing.org/.

Inspired to have a go yourself? Go to www.britishrowing.org/taking-part 

For more information about the Pageant – http://www.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org/