Sunbury Amateur Regatta
Encyclopedia
The Sunbury Amateur Regatta is a regatta
on the River Thames
at Sunbury-on-Thames
, Surrey
, England
. It takes place at Rivermead Island
, downstream of Sunbury Lock
.
Races include official events for punting
and skiffing
, and local events such as canoeing
, dongola racing
and "Row for your Local" sculling
. The sculling course is upstream from Sunbury Court Island
.
In addition to the river events there is a lively atmosphere on the island with local stalls and products. At the end of the day there is a firework finale and a procession of illuminated boats.
The regatta was inaugurated in 1877 with events for pairs, sculls, punts, canoes and swimming. For the first fifty years there was a parallel Tradesmen's or Town regatta for professional watermen. The original course was downstream from the weir stream at Sunbury Lock Ait
. For some years at the end of the 19th century the regatta hosted the TPC
punting championships.
The event is followed on the Sunday by the Edith Topsfield Junior Regatta for young people between the ages of seven and sixteen. This was founded in 1932 and former winners of this regatta have gone on to become Olympic medalists.
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames
Sunbury-on-Thames, also known as Sunbury, is a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne, England, and part of the London commuter belt. It is located 16 miles southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.-History:The earliest evidence of...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It takes place at Rivermead Island
Rivermead Island
Rivermead Island is an island in the River Thames on the reach above Molesey Lock at Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England. It is unpopulated, being a large area of open space. It is connected to the bank by a footbridge, and vehicle access is possible via a ford of the narrow stream separating it...
, downstream of Sunbury Lock
Sunbury Lock
Sunbury Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England near Walton-on-Thames in north-west Surrey. The lock adjoins the southern bank about half a mile downstream of the Weir Hotel....
.
Races include official events for punting
Punt (boat)
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole...
and skiffing
Skiffing
Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing a Thames skiff. A Thames skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways in England and other countries for nearly 200 years...
, and local events such as canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, dongola racing
Dongola racing
Dongola racing is a popular event in traditional local regattas, especially on the River Thames in southern England and was first competed at Maidenhead in 1886. Competitors use wide punts and a team of people with single-bladed paddles, facing forwards and kneeling, normally with one leg up and...
and "Row for your Local" sculling
Sculling
Sculling generally refers to a method of using oars to propel watercraft in which the oar or oars touch the water on both the port and starboard sides of the craft, or over the stern...
. The sculling course is upstream from Sunbury Court Island
Sunbury Court Island
Sunbury Court Island is an island in the River Thames in England on the reach above Molesey Lock. It is near Sunbury-on-Thames in Surrey on the Middlesex bank of the river. The island is entirely residential with about 30 houses on it and is connected to the bank by an iron footbridge...
.
In addition to the river events there is a lively atmosphere on the island with local stalls and products. At the end of the day there is a firework finale and a procession of illuminated boats.
The regatta was inaugurated in 1877 with events for pairs, sculls, punts, canoes and swimming. For the first fifty years there was a parallel Tradesmen's or Town regatta for professional watermen. The original course was downstream from the weir stream at Sunbury Lock Ait
Sunbury Lock Ait
Sunbury Lock Ait is an ait in the River Thames in England adjacent to Sunbury Lock, near Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. It is unpopulated, but accessible by a footbridge over the lock cut from the southern bank as well as by a connection to the lock. There is a footbridge across the weir to Wheatley's...
. For some years at the end of the 19th century the regatta hosted the TPC
Thames Punting Club
The Thames Punting Club is the governing body in England for the sport of punt racing.-History and constitution:Punting as a means of water travel has a long history in the United Kingdom and is now practiced recreationally on a number of rivers, being most obviously associated with Oxford and...
punting championships.
The event is followed on the Sunday by the Edith Topsfield Junior Regatta for young people between the ages of seven and sixteen. This was founded in 1932 and former winners of this regatta have gone on to become Olympic medalists.