About the clubs

What can you expect when joining a skiff club

Whilst each club has its unique characteristics they all have a lot of commonality specifically:

  • They are all run by the members for the members
  • They have members of all ages and abilities with different aspirations – so they offer different activities to different groups
    • People wishing to race competitively – Regattas and long distance events are offered from April though to October
    • People just looking for more gentle exercise – most clubs support more social groups wishing to go out in the day time in groups finishing off with tea and cake
  • Many clubs like to explore other reaches and rivers and may take a few days to explore – these have included:
    • On the river Thames from Lechlade to Teddington, typically over 3 to 4 days
    • The River Wey and the Way Navigation, often as a day trip to a local pub
    • The West Country rivers
    • Norfolk Broads
    • The Mosel, France
    • Venice, Italy
  • In addition to the formal regattas some clubs hold more informal events, often referred to as “Rag Regattas”, here people race in all sorts of boats from paddleboards, dinghies to Canadian canoes

The pictures try to capture the breath of actives you might expect to find at any of the skiff clubs