Putney Town Rowing Club

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Putney Town Rowing Club
Image showing the rowing club's emblem
Image showing the rowing club's blade colours
Location Townmead Road, Kew, London, England
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Home water Tideway
Founded 1922
Affiliations British Rowing
Website www.putneytownrc.co.uk

Putney Town Rowing Club (PTRC) is a rowing club on the tideway, the tidal reach of the River Thames in England. Its official ARA registered colours are navy and white.

History

The club was founded at the Half Moon Hotel, Putney in 1922 where it decided to base itself underneath the Duke's Head pub in Putney.

Since 1986 PTRC has occupied a boathouse in Kew. This allowed the club to expand, but its one-storey building was burnt down in 1992 by arson. The current boathouse was purpose-built in 1995 to create a large hall, bar, meeting room, changing areas and racking for a large number of boats, inside and outside.

On 26 October 2005, Putney Town had celebrated 10 years of the new boathouse with "Phoenix Party", where the entire fleet was taken out and rowed past the clubhouse, in front of a number of old members and local dignatories.[1]

Equipment and facilities

The club house is at Townmead Road, Kew, just upstream of Chiswick Bridge on the southern (Surrey) bank of the river. The ground floor consists of a boatshed and a weight lifting area. The first floor has a large gym, bar, kitchen and changing rooms.

All the Men's crews are equipped with Empacher 8's (5 in total, 2 wing riggered) and 4-'s (3 Empacher, 1 sims, 2 Janies). The Women's crews have access to a new Filippi and an Empacher 8.[2] Also available to all members are a number of Empacher/Sims/Eton Racing Boats/Janousek eights, fours/quads and pairs/doubles and singles.

There are four launches for coaching crews, a fully equipped weights area and a number of modern Concept 2 ergometers. The large hall also allows the running of circuit training sessions, stretching and fitness classes as desired.[3]

Members

The club is for members only, however anyone may join under the following categories: Senior, Junior, Cox, Veteran or Land (Non Rowing).

Men's Senior Squad

The Men's Senior Squad encompasses all abilities from Novice up to Senior oarsmen. The squad actively compete at a number of events, from local tideway regattas and head races, multi-lane national races and including Henley Royal Regatta (HRR).

Women's Senior Squad

The women's squad is ever more successful, regularly racing at Henley Women's Regatta and a number of other local and national regattas.

Juniors

The club has links with local schools such as Shene School and Christ's School with the ARA's 'Project Oarsome' initiative. The pupils may choose to participate in indoor and on the water rowing. The London Oratory School also use the Putney Town boathouse.

Veterans

There is a large veterans squad who regularly train at weekends and in the evening. They race competitively including at national veterans championship, local tideway regattas and the Vets Head of the River Race.

Results

Non-local regatta accolades include that in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 the club's men's eight qualified for the Thames Challenge Cup for men's eights[4][5] at Henley Royal Regatta, on each occasion knocked out of the heavily competed tournament on the first full day of racing. The qualification for the event in 2007 was the first time the club qualified into the event for 40 years. The Wyfold Challenge Cup saw the (coxless) four also qualify in 2010.[6]

Multi-lane (ie 6-8 lane) rowing has expanded. The first such win for a club crew was at Wallingford Regatta annually held at Eton-Dorney, in the Senior 3 Coxed Four, in 2008. The men's squad have competed in a number of events, including the Head of the Charles in Boston, MA and annually at all the major Tideway heads.

The women's senior squad has excelled at nationally-attended eights races, at Henley Women's Regatta in 2008, the intermediate eight reached the semi-final of the Invesco Perpetual Trophy. See below for the 2014 pennant and medals won at the women's eights head of the river race.

At other national competitions:

  • At the Head of the River Race 2012, the four eights entered finished 221st and 243rd, 379th and 399th (the last boat being novice) out of 404 timed crews.[7] The race was called off in 2013 and 2014.
  • In the Women's Eights Head of the River Race, 2014, the top eight won the IM1 pennant and medals in a composite boat with Molesey BC. The four eights entered finished 7th, 147th and 192nd and 234th out of 240 timed crews.[8]
  • At the Head of the River Race 2009, fewer eights entered, as the club was smaller, finishing 189th and 334th[9]

See also

References

  • British Rowing Almanack (All years)

External links