BTC ROWING CLUB

The B.T.C. (Southampton) Rowing Club was formed in 1927 to provide a recreational, water-based activity, for the male members of the then, Southern Railways and Southampton Docks Board, Sports & Social Club.

 

The railway http://www.btcrowingclub.co.uk/?page_id=9">employed most of the members then, to repair and maintain the cross Channel ships, which at that time were owned and operated by Southern Railways. There had been a number of ‘coastal rowing’ clubs in the South of England since the mid. eighteen hundreds, and their boats were originally transported to regattas, by the railways, along the coast, ‘free of charge’ to the nearest station, and then by lorry to the beach. A fact, which had a direct bearing on the design of the boats, by limiting their length to just 30 feet (the length of a railway ‘goods’ wagon). From its inception, initially known as “Docks & Marine Rowing Club” the rowing section enjoyed a high level of success, competing in ‘coastal rowing’ regattas along the southern coastline of Britain, from Eastbourne to Weymouth. In 1940, with the advent of WWII, the sport of coastal rowing ceased until hostilities ended in 1945, with the first post war-rowing season starting in 1947. In 1951, the club’s Senior Mens Coxed Four crew won the prestigious Daily Herald Cup, a river race, equivalent at that time, to winning an ‘all England’ event. In the mid. 1950’s the club changed its name to the British Transport Commission R.C. inline with the separation of the Southern Railways and Southampton Docks Boards’ business activities.

 

The early sixties saw the first ladies crews being formed, and throughout the 70’s & 80’s the club continued to enjoy a high level of success in http://www.btcrowingclub.co.uk/?page_id=9">competition at all status levels, operating from it clubhouse within the Eastern Docks. In 1987 the proposed development of Ocean Village, saw the club needing to find alternative premises, and the decision was taken to relocate to its present site, in Crosshouse Road, Southampton.

Throughout the nineties, and up to the present day, BTC. R.C. has consistently out performed most of the other rowing clubs affiliated to the Hants & Dorset Amateur Rowing Association, having had a Senior Fours Mens crew representing the association for the last 20 out of 22 years, at the South Coast Championship Regatta.

 

The club has some 80 http://www.btcrowingclub.co.uk/?page_id=9">active rowing members, fifty percent of which are female oars-persons. Members range in age from 16-year-old juniors, thro’ to 60-year-old veterans, most of these compete in a fifteen-regatta season from April to September each year. In 2001, the clubs’ Veteran ‘A’ Mens crew, rowing at the International Masters Regatta in Montreal, Canada, won a gold medal in the Veteran D coxed fours class. In 2004 we started a Junior section 10 -16 year olds. When we started we had five juniors at the start of 2006 we will have over 20.