Sunbury Amateur Regatta

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. [G. Dear "One Hundred Years of Skiff Racing" British Rowing Almanack 2001]

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.

ee also

*Rowing on the River Thames

References

External links

* [http://www.sunburyregatta.com/ Sunbury Amateur Regatta website]
* [http://www.sunburyregatta.com/history.asp Event history]