- Curlew Rowing Club
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Curlew Rowing Club Location Greenwich, United Kingdom Coordinates 51°28′11.3″N 0°13′14.7″W / 51.469806°N 0.22075°WCoordinates: 51°28′11.3″N 0°13′14.7″W / 51.469806°N 0.22075°W Founded 1866 Home Water Tidal Thames Website curlewrowingclub.co.uk Affiliations ARA, Events Henley Royal Regatta Curlew Rowing Club is rowing club based on the Tideway of the River Thames at Greenwich, London, England. It was founded in 1866.
Curlew Rowing Club has been in Greenwich, without interruption for over 130 years, through 2 world wars, based in various boathouses and not always called Curlew.
We[who?] have evidence in the club[citation needed] that the first regatta, at which a “Curley” crew rowed was held at Greenwich in 1787. We also know that in the first half of the 19th century,“Curley” was one of several crews, along with a crew called “The Argonauts”, who had their own boats in the Greenwich and Deptford reaches. The Argonauts grew substantially in numbers until some of its members transferred their activities to Putney, to form the London Rowing Club with the object of rowing at Henley. The “Curley” crew remained in Greenwich and became very popular. Indeed support had been growing so much for the crew, that in 1866 a club was formed in order to rent the former “Crown and Scepter Inn” for its headquarters. “Curley”, by this stage had become “Curlew” and had incorporated the residue of the “Argonauts” and another crew “Lurline”, who had been unable to carry on independently.
The club occupied the “Crown and Scepter” until the building was demolished in 1934. So after 68 years the club moved to its home in part of the “Trafalgar Tavern”, where we had a Club room / bar and a small basement gym. These premises where leased at that time from the Greenwich Hospital Estates. (Apparently both of our former homes we identified with the very fashionable Victorian society, who were very keen on River trips and Whitebait suppers.) The club is now based in the Trafalgar Rowing Centre only a few doors down from our old home. We moved here in 2003, and with the Trafalgar Trust (Curlew Rowing Club and Globe Rowing Club) now own a new boathouse and Gym in Greenwich. The Club trains mainly at the calmer non-tidal waters at the Docks and has done so since at least 1966. However, recently we have relocated some of our boats to Greenwich, and are training on the River Thames again, enjoying the long stretches of water from the Thames Barrier past the Millennium Dome to Tower Bridge.
Contents
History
The club was first based in the now demolished Crown Sceptre Pub in Greenwich[1]. The club occupied the "Crown and Sceptre" until the building was demolished in 1934. So after 68 years the club moved to the "Trafalgar Tavern" [1] where they had a Club room / bar and a small basement gym. These premises where leased at that time from the Greenwich Hospital Estates.
The club is now based in the Trafalgar Rowing Centre [2] only a few doors down from their old home. Curlew moved to the Trafalgar Rowing Centre in late 2003, and with the Trafalgar Trust (Curlew Rowing Club and Globe Rowing Club) now own a new boathouse and gym in Greenwich. Furthermore, on the water training takes place at the London Regatta Centre based at the Victoria and Albert Docks - Where Curlew has access to a complete multi-laned bouyed 2km racing lake.
The club on the water has seen much recent success qualifying and competing at Henley Royal Regatta every year since 2000. 2010/2011 season saw Curlew Rowing Club qualify two VIIIs to The Thames Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, the first time in the club's history and the first time a club East of Putney has done so. Further to the success of the Men's squad, the Women also put in good performances, coming in the quarter final of Women's Henley, and the Women's Senior Double achieving Bronze at the National Championship of Great Britain.
Results
2010/2011
IVs Head of the River Curlew I - 385 Curlew II - 153 Curlew III - 335 Curlew (W) IV - 417 Curlew (W) V - 450
Women's Head of the River Curlew A - 116
Head of the River 2011 Curlew I - 166 Curlew II - 271
Poplar Regatta - Curlew IM3 VIII Winner
Reading Amateur Regatta - Curlew IM3 VIII Winner
Metropolitan Regatta - WIM1 2x Winner
Women's Henley Regatta - IM3 VIII, Quarter-Finals, WSenior 2x, Round 1
Henley Royal Regatta - Thames Challenge Cup, Curlew A and Curlew B Qualified. (A lost Lea RC Verdict 1 length, B lost Green Lake USA Verdict 2 lengths)
National Championships of Great Britain - W2x - Bronze Medallist
Past Club Captains
- 2011 - Martyn Hall
- 2010 - Matthew Richardson
- 2009 - Paul Williams
- 2008 - Julian Johns
- 2007 - Julian Johns
- 2006
- 2005 - David Hiller
- 2004 - David Hiller
- 2003 - David Hiller
- 2002 - Roger Courtier
- 2001 - Roger Courtier
- 2000 - Laura Roberts
- 1999 - Steve Bennett
Alumni
Curlew is actively trying to reconnect to all past rowers, especially as the club is gearing up to celebrate it's 150th year in 2016.
Coaches
Curlew has a team of coaches under the guidance of Head Coach, Ray Cassidy. Ray is the South East regional coaching commissioner and also a coach educator. He has had considerable experience as a club coach having been the director of rowing at Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club 2010, and for 10 years before that was the head coach at Curlew. Whilst at Curlew, nine qualification campaigns to Henley Royal Regatta in a row were achieved. Ray has also coached at London Rowing Club, Thames Rowing Club and Queen Mary University of London Boat Club.
See also
- Rowing on the River Thames
- British Rowing
- London Regatta Centre
- london 2012
References
External links
Categories:- Tideway Rowing clubs
- Sport in Greenwich
- Sports clubs established in 1866
- Thames Path
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