Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club
Encyclopedia
Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club (WSPC) is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1931. It is based on the River Thames
in England, on the Surrey bank between Bell Weir Lock
and Runnymede
.
The club supports two traditional water sports - Skiffing
and Punting
. Skiff
s are traditional, stable wooden boats which are sculled with a pair of blades. Punts are 2 ft and 1 ft racing punts. The club has also incorporated Dragon boat racing into its activities. The club colours are green and white.
The club was founded by a group of keen river sports enthusiasts from Wraysbury
, but as they were unable to find suitable accommodation on the Wraysbury side of the river, the first clubhouse was at Haines Boatyard in Old Windsor
. The club later moved to accommodation next to Runnymede Pleasure Grounds, and has recently built a new club house there which was opened in October 2006.
Skiffs are raced at regatta
s run under the rules of the Skiff Racing Association
, and are used for leisure outings such as Thames meander
s. Punting is carried out competitively at regattas under the rules of the Thames Punting Club
. The club provides support and coaching for all levels from beginner to advanced. WSPC organises a club regatta in September, Wraysbury and Old Windsor Regatta and the Wraysbury Long Distance event in May.
WSPC also hosts Egham Regatta
, the last rowing regatta on the River Thames before Henley Royal Regatta
.
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,...
in England, on the Surrey bank between Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England situated on the Surrey bank near Egham. It is just upstream of the M25 Runnymede Bridge which carries the M25 and A30 road across the river...
and Runnymede
Runnymede
Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire, and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta, and as a consequence is the site of a collection of memorials...
.
The club supports two traditional water sports - 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 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...
. Skiff
Thames skiff
A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for the activity of Skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water.-Construction of a skiff:...
s are traditional, stable wooden boats which are sculled with a pair of blades. Punts are 2 ft and 1 ft racing punts. The club has also incorporated Dragon boat racing into its activities. The club colours are green and white.
The club was founded by a group of keen river sports enthusiasts from Wraysbury
Wraysbury
Wraysbury, traditionally spelt Wyrardisbury, is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It is located in the very east of the county, in the part that was in Buckinghamshire until 1974...
, but as they were unable to find suitable accommodation on the Wraysbury side of the river, the first clubhouse was at Haines Boatyard in Old Windsor
Old Windsor
Old Windsor is a large village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-Location:...
. The club later moved to accommodation next to Runnymede Pleasure Grounds, and has recently built a new club house there which was opened in October 2006.
Skiffs are raced at regatta
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...
s run under the rules of the Skiff Racing Association
Skiff Racing Association
The Skiff Racing Association is the governing body in the United Kingdom for the sport of skiff racing. The SRA is affiliated to British Rowing...
, and are used for leisure outings such as Thames meander
Thames meander
Thames meander refers to a long-distance journey over all or part of the River Thames in England. Walking the Thames Path is itself a meander, but the term usually applies to journeys using other methods such as rowing, running, or swimming....
s. Punting is carried out competitively at regattas under the rules of the Thames Punting Club
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...
. The club provides support and coaching for all levels from beginner to advanced. WSPC organises a club regatta in September, Wraysbury and Old Windsor Regatta and the Wraysbury Long Distance event in May.
WSPC also hosts Egham Regatta
Egham Regatta
Egham Regatta is a rowing regatta on the River Thames in England which takes place at the end of June on the reach above Bell Weir Lock near Egham, Surrey. The regatta is run from Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club and the Runnymede Pleasure Grounds on the outskirts of Egham.The regatta was...
, the last rowing regatta on the River Thames before Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
.