Castle to Crane 5 miles from Home

 

Cherub and crew took part in the Castle to Crane 5 miles from Home event on Friday 18th September and stopped in the Commisioners' Cut for a restorative having sculled the 5 miles (Whitlingham to Barmerton Common and back) in 65 mins and 19 secs. 

Rowed boats of all sorts had been taking part from Tasmania to Orkney and I was pleased that there were some other Thames skiffs included.

Although Cherub was the slowest of the Thames skiffs, we were only a minute behind the slowest racing skiff and I put that down as a success. 

Carrow Cup 2019

It can't be Christmas without the Carrow Cup, which will be held on Saturday 7th December on the river Wensum in Norwich. This year's entries in the "Traditional" boat category are:

Carrow Cup 2019 PROVISIONAL Starting Order andTimes
Number	Name	Club	boat	boat name	rowers	Wm
1	Holliday	CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Hoi Larntan	4	4	11:30:00
2	Windham	Norfolk Skiff Club	Thames skiff 22'	Seraph	2	0	11:30:20
3	Borgnis	CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Bluejacket	4	0	11:31:20
4	Cutting	Lower Thames RC	Celtic Longboat	Ceilidh	4	2	11:31:40
5	Cutting	Lower Thames RC	Celtic Longboat	Victory	4	2	11:32:00
6	Cutting	Lower Thames RC	Lara Skiff triple sculled	Renown	3	0	11:32:40
7	Williams	N. Norfolk gig club	Pilot gig	Sowenna	6	0	11:34:20
8	White	Benfleet YC	Seax gig	Rozinante	4	2	11:34:40
9	Elliott	Broadland BC	Tub pair	Stu,Phil	2	0	11:36:20

Festival de Loire d'Orléans 2019

The river festival at Orléans on the Loire is held every two years. This year boats from the Thames and elsewhere in England were invited and Cherub, a double skiff built in Richmond upon Thames in the 1890s, was included.

Carrow Cup 2018

Benfleet Rowers. Worthy winners

 Once again crews from far and near met in Norwich for the Carrow Cup Race on 8th December. Blades Rowing of Dartmouth made the long journey from Devon to defend their winning position in 2018. Crews from Benfleet, Lower Thames, Blakeney, North Norfolk Gig Club and Norfolk Skiff Club were ready to row over the traditional course from Bishop Bridge in the heart of Norwich to Broadland Boat Club in Thorpe St Andrew.

North Norfolk Gig Club in Sowenna

Waiting for the start; it could be July.

 

Jo and Jake join Norfolk Skiff Club veteran Fran in Seraph

 On the second Saturday in December every year, Norwich Rowing Club invites rowers in fine and traditional boats to race on the river Wensum, continuing a tradition, which started in the early years of the 19th century.


The (second) Carrow Cup Trophy, originally presented in 1813, is awarded to the fastest four oared boat. In 2013 The Norwich Society gave a new trophy for the fastest "traditional" boat on handicap and it was this fine silver bowl, The Bi-Centenary Trophy, which would be the prize.


The weather was blustery, but dry. Under supervision of the starters and marshals from Norwich Rowing Club, the crews were set off at intervals, because the course passes through bridges and narrow sections of river in the first few hundred metres.


Once past Carrow Bridge the faster crews were able to overtake the slower. Blades, who had started first reached the finish line without being overtaken. Benfleet in Rozinante
charged impressively through the fleet to finish first on corrected time.

The Warns family in Seraph put in a good time, gaining a place for Norfolk Skiff Club. This year Blades had to settle for second place.

Lower Thames approached the event in the right spirit, reserving enough energy to continue rowing past the finish line. They were booked in for a Christmas Dinner at The Ferry House in Surlingham.

Lower Thames in colourful kit.

Anta gives the Blakeney crew some last minute instruction.

 If you are interested, the results can be seen on the South East Coastal Rowing Forum Facebook page.

You're heading the wrong way Lower Thames.

Carrow Cup 2017 results

Winners, Blades of Dartmouth

It was cold, cold, cold on the River Wensum for the 2017 Carrow Cup Race on Saturday 9th December. Hardy crews from the local rowing clubs were joined by visitors from Dartmouth, North Berwick, Southend, Leigh on Sea, King's Lynn and Blakeney. 

King's Lynn winners for couture

Numbers in the traditional race, for fixed seat boats without outriggers, were slightly reduced this year, however ten assorted skiffs and gigs mustered by Bishop Bridge, built in 1340 and witness to Carrow Cup races going back to the early 1800s.

As before the "traditional" rowers compete on handicap for the Bi-centenary Bowl, which was given by The Norwich Society in 2013 to encourage use of the River Wensum in Norwich and to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the existing (and second) silver Carrow Cup.

North Berwick in Eton skiff Seraph

In the event, Blades of Dartmouth, who had made the long journey from Devon were too strong for last year's winners, Lower Thames Rowing Club, and for the North Berwick pair, who were beaten into second place. The 30 second winning margin appearing to contradict the neck and neck struggle witnessed by spectators on the bank.
Southend junior girls put in a good time amongst senior (and in some cases very senior) opposition.

Southend in Rozenante

The local Derby between Blakeney and King's Lynn in their St Ayles Skiffs was won by Blakeney, but King's Lynn had a deserved place on the podium for their Christmas Fairy costumes. Perhaps rowing in wings was not an advantage.


Vanessa Trevelyan, chair of The Norwich Society, presented the Bi-centenary bowl to the Felton Flyer crew and David Bolton, chairman of Norwich Rowing Club, invited everyone to return to Norwich for The Carrow Cup 2018.

Lower Thames prepare by Bishop Bridge

The name of Blades of Dartmouth will now join those of Lower Thames Rowing Club and Langstone Cutters Rowing Club on the silver bowl.

Carrow Cup 2017 Traditional boat Result				Elapsed	Corrected
	Club	Boat type		Time	Time
Peters	Blades Rowing River Dart	St Ayles skiff special	Felton Flyer	00:21:51	00:19:00
Wightman	North Berwick RC/NSC	Thames skiff 22'	Seraph	00:22:47	00:19:30
Packer	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield Hy gig	Spirit of Trafalgar	00:22:36	00:20:28
Gardiner	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield Hy gig	Proud Mary	00:22:13	00:20:39
Hodge	Norfolk Skiff Club	Thames skiff 26'	Cherub	00:23:29	00:20:58
White	Southend CRC	Seax gig	Rozinante	00:24:12	00:21:29
Forrest	CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Hoi Larntan	00:26:23	00:22:23
Howes	CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Bluejacket	00:25:45	00:22:25
	Kings Lynn CRC	St Ayles skiff	Ouse Rewet	00:27:20	00:23:11
Jackson-Smith	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield Hy gig	Spirit of Dunkirk	00:24:31	00:23:22

Carrow Cup 2017

Nights are drawing in and, as temperatures fall, the autumn calendar proceeds from Halloween to Guy Fawkes Night, Advent and Christmas.
But, for rowers there's another important event to be remembered, The Carrow Cup, when crews in a variety of ancient and modern boats take to the River Wensum in the shadow of Norwich Cathedral to race for The Carrow Cup and Bi-centenary Bowl.
Once again Norwich Rowing Club has invited traditional boats to compete for the trophy given by The Norwich Society for the bi-centenary of the Carrow Cup in 2013.
This year the event will be held on Saturday 9th December. Further details will be available later.

Carrow Cup 2016 Results

Here is the result of the 2016 Carrow Cup Traditional Boat Race for the Bicentenary Trophy.

Traditional boats muster for the 2016 Carrow Cup

No.		Club	Boat type	Boat name	rowers	Elapsed time	Corrected time
233	Peck	Lower Thames RC	Lara skiff	Hornet	3	00:22:19	00:18:22
235	Dunmow	Lower Thames RC	Celtic Longboat	Victory	4	00:21:47	00:18:22
232	Large	Lower Thames RC	Lara skiff	Leigh Ho	3	00:22:29	00:18:30
240		Southend CRC	Loddon Skiff	Silverback	2	00:21:51	00:19:41
238	Riddle	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield Gig (Spirit)	Dunkirk	4	00:23:03	00:20:05
231	Combe	CRABlakeney	St Ayles skiff	Hoi Larntan	4	00:24:39	00:20:14
239	Nawrat	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield Gig (Spirit)	Proud Mary	4	00:23:21	00:20:20
241		Southend CRC	Seax gig	Rozinante	4	00:24:02	00:20:24
236	Hodge	Norfolk Skiff Club	Eton 2X+	Seraph	2	00:24:08	00:20:39
237	Forrest	CRABlakeney	St Ayles skiff	Bluejacket	4	00:24:35	00:21:14
234		King's Lynn CRC	St Ayles skiff	Ouse Rewet	4	00:26:00	00:21:54
230	Harris	Norfolk Skiff Club	Faering	Raineach	2	00:29:56	00:22:29
243	Meakin	Norwich RC	2X+		2	00:19:38	00:18:33
244	Livesey	Broadland BC	2X+		2	00:30:52	00:32:25
242	Frost	Mersea CRC	Hanningfield skiff		2	DNS

Once again Lower Thames Rowing Club swept the board taking the first three places in the sixth year  in modern times that "traditional"boats have taken part in this historic event. The traditional course follows the rivers Wensum and Yare through the centre of Norwich, finishing at Thorpe St Andrew. Jonathan Hooton, chairman of The Norwich Society, presented the impressive silver bowl, which had first been given by the society in 2013 to mark the bicentenary of the Carrow Cup Race.

Carrow Cup

Christmas - Bah Humbug!

The Carrow Cup Race, now in its 203rd year, will be held on the River Wensum in Norwich on 10th December 2016. For the 6th year Norwich Rowing Club has invited traditional rowers to bring their skiffs, galleys and gigs to the event. The traditional boats will muster at Pull's Ferry, in the shadow of Norwich Cathedral, at 11.30 a.m.

 Entries to:- Harry Scott, C/O Carrow Cup Entries, Ravensmere House, Ravensmere, Beccles NR34 9DZ or by phone 01502 713589 email: cjhs1050@gmail.com 

Entries Close 6pm Saturday 3rd December 2016 

Cost £11 a seat if paid before race day and £12 on the day 

Cheques payable to Norwich Rowing Club 

Lower Thames Rowing Club will be bringing 5 boats to defend their successes in 2014 and 2015, and  the Norfolk clubs will be there to give them a run for their money. Both King's Lynn and Blakeney will be sending St Ayles Skiffs and The Norfolk Skiff Club will field a skiff and a Norwegian Faering.

There's still time to register and I hope that the other clubs from this region and elsewhere will make the journey to Norwich for this traditional start (if you are a rower!) to the Christmas season. 

Norfolk Skiff Club Summer Picnic

 At long last summer arrived and Norfolk rowers and scullers gathered at Barton Turf for a relaxing day on the water.

The Rewet crew from King's Lynn made the cross county journey for an opportunity to sample the pleasures of The Broads and they were joined by scullers from Norfolk Skiff Club and CRA Blakeney.

After a picnic at tranquil Gay's Staith, the flotilla landed at the Norfolk Punt Club raft for tea and cake.

In truth little was achieved, but everyone appeared to have enjoyed themselves and finished the day with promises to return next year.

Our thanks are due to Simon and Sheila of Barton Turf Adventure Centre without whose hospitality the day would not have taken place.

Carrow Cup 2015 Results

Cold, wet and horrible were the conditions for the Carrow Cup event in Norwich on Saturday 12th December. Despite the weather 11 traditional boats mustered on the start line in the centre of Norwich  ready to compete in a 3200 metre race over a course which has been the scene of rowing competitions for more than 200 years.

Crews from Lower Thames RC, Southend RC, Blakeney CRA, King's Lynn CRC and Norfolk Skiff Club had answered the invitation of Norwich Rowing Club and brought a variety of boats to the River Wensum. Because of the diversity of boats and crews, the race for the Bicentenary Bowl is a handicapped event. Smaller boats getting a time advantage, but all must have fixed seats and no outriggers.

Once again Lower Thames swept the board, with the ladies in their new Celtic Longboat setting a blistering time, which could only be matched by the Lower Thames men in their Spirit Gig Dauntless. However, in this race, the ladies get a 10% time advantage, which was quite sufficient to give them a lead of more than a minute on corrected time.

In the St Ayles Skiff race, the Blakeney men overturned last year's victory by Blakeney ladies, who were beaten by just one second on corrected time by King's Lynn in Lynn Rewet. This was the first time that King's Lynn had attended this event, but their visit will be remembered for their traditional yellow oilskin rig and accompanying flock of seagulls.

After the race the crews enjoyed the hospitality of Norwich Rowing Club at their new Whitlingham headquarters. Jonathan Hooton, chairman of the Norwich Society, presented the Bicentenary Bowl to the Lower Thames ladies and an engraved plaque to the 2014 winning crew, also from Lower Thames. Jonathan explained that The Society's support for this event was part of a plan to breath new life into riverside Norwich. The city had turned its back on the river, which had been the reason for its existence and the centre of activity in earlier centuries.

Nigel Kippin, captain of Norwich Rowing Club, thanked all who had made the event such a success and invited everyone to return next year.

RESULTS

	Start	Cox	Club	Boat type	Boat Name		Elapsed	Corrected
	No.						Time	Time
1	28	Jackson-Smith	Lower Thames RC	Celtic longboat	Victory	F	00:21:34	00:18:14
2	26	Gaze	Lower Thames RC	Randan Skiff	Hornet	M	00:23:22	00:19:22
3	25	Alder	Lower Thames RC	Skiff	Leigh Ho	M	00:23:28	00:19:27
4	26	Chinnery	Lower Thames RC	Spirit gig	Dauntless	M	00:20:58	00:19:27
5	27		Southend CRC	Seax Gig	Rozinante	M	00:21:50	00:20:52
6	27	Budds	Lower Thames RC	Spirit gig	Spirit of Dunkirk	F	00:25:51	00:21:35
7	29	Combe	CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Bluejacket	M	00:25:02	00:21:51
8	30	Therrien	Lower Thames RC	Spirit gig	Spirit of Trafalgar	M	00:23:55	00:22:12
9	31	Hodge	Norfolk Skiff Club	Thames skiff 26'	Cherub	M	00:24:47	00:22:36
10	32		Kings Lynn CRC	St Ayles skiff	Lynn Rewet	M	00:27:07	00:23:40
11	24	Duffill	CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Hoi Larntan	F	00:30:08	00:23:41

Carrow Cup 2015

Unseasonably warm weather, but The Carrow Cup is here again. This year on 12th December. For the fifth year Norwich Rowing Club has invited traditional boats to the event and the traditional rowers now have their own division. The first boat will start from Pull's Ferry at 11.30, with the next boat 20 seconds later. The slower boats start first, so if the handicapper has done his sums right, all boats should converge as they approach the finishing line at Whitlingham.

Lower Thames Rowing Club will be attending in force in the hope of retaining the Carrow Cup Bi-centenary trophy, but there will be competition from an expanding fleet of St Ayles Skiffs from Blakeney and King's Lynn, together with local skiffs from Norfolk Skiff Club.

Follow the link for the provisional starting order: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g8axuryo9bjeoi5/Carrow%20Cup%202015%20Starting%20Order%20%28Provisional%29.xlsx?dl=0

Skiffs visit the Broads

Skiffs from the Thames and Holland visit the Broads. 

Carrow Cup Traditional Boats REVISED results

Dear Carrow Cup competitors. I, your handicapper humbly beg your pardons for making an error in the handicaps. The revised result is below.

Carrow Cup 2014 Finishing order and corrected times					Elapsed time	Corrected
						FINAL
					actual	time
	Name	Club	boat	boat name
137	Alder	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield hybrid gig	Dauntless	00:19:42	00:17:37
129	Edwards	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield hybrid gig	Spirit of Dunkirk	00:22:28	00:18:05
134	White	Southend CRC	Seax gig	Rozinante	00:22:07	00:18:19
126	Burley	Lower Thames RC	Skiff	Renown	00:24:49	00:18:26
136	Sverdloff	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield hybrid gig	Spirit of Trafalgar	00:20:40	00:18:29
127	Marczewski	CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Hoi Larntan	00:25:09	00:19:02
133	Combe	CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Bluejacket	00:23:34	00:19:49
135	Hodge	Norfolk Skiff Club	Thames skiff 26'	Cherub	00:22:23	00:19:53
130	Jackson-Smith	Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield Hybrid gig	Proud Mary	00:24:56	00:20:04
161	Williams	Norfolk gig	Pilot gig	Sowenna	00:21:59	00:20:14
132	Paice	Lower Thames RC	Skiff	Leigh Ho	00:24:50	00:20:34
128	Cranness	Norfolk Skiff Club	skiff 20'	Widgeon	00:29:37	00:24:05
125	Irons	Carrow YC	skiff 16' 1X+		00:37:09	00:24:51
131	Sassoon	Norfolk Skiff Club	Thames skiff 20'10"	Seraph	00:33:52	00:27:56

Carrow Cup 2014 Results (Traditional Boats)

Carrow Cup 2014 (Traditional boats) results Club Boat type Boat name Crew Elapsed  Corrected M/F time time 137 Lower Thames RC Hanningfield hybrid gig Dauntless M 00:19:42 00:17:50 129 Lower Thames RC Hanningfield hybrid gig Spirit of Dunkirk F 00:22:28 00:18:18 126 Lower Thames RC Skiff Renown F 00:24:49 00:18:30 134 Southend CRC Seax gig Rozinante F 00:22:07 00:18:41 136 Lower Thames RC Hanningfield hybrid gig Spirit of Trafalgar M 00:20:40 00:18:42 127 CRA Blakeney St Ayles skiff Hoi Larntan F 00:25:09 00:19:06 133 CRA Blakeney St Ayles skiff Bluejacket M 00:23:34 00:19:53 135 Norfolk Skiff Club Thames skiff 26' Cherub M 00:22:23 00:19:58 130 Lower Thames RC Hanningfield Hybrid gig Proud Mary F 00:24:56 00:20:18 132 Lower Thames RC Skiff Leigh Ho M 00:24:50 00:20:34 161 Norfolk gig Pilot gig Sowenna Mx 00:21:59 00:20:46 128 Norfolk Skiff Club skiff 20' Widgeon M 00:29:37 00:24:05 125 Carrow YC skiff 16' 1X+ M 00:37:09 00:24:51 131 Norfolk Skiff Club Thames skiff 20'10" Seraph M 00:33:52 00:27:56

14 traditional boats mustered at Pull's Ferry in the centre of Norwich to compete for the Carrow Bi-centenary Bowl. In glorious sunshine and little wind the crews started in handicap order, with the slowest boats starting first.

Once again Lower Thames Rowing Club took the trophy.

Carrow Cup latest

Thirteen crews will come under starter's orders in the "traditional" division of the Carrow Cup rowing race in Norwich at 11.30 on Saturday 6th December. The race, now in its 201st year, starts at Pull's Ferry in the centre of Norwich and is raced over the traditional course to Whitlingham.

Both large and small boats will race against each other on handicap, with the slowest starting first. The winner will be the crew completing the course in the fastest corrected time. (Corrected Time = Elapsed Time x Handicap)

Club	boat	boat name	H'cap	Start time
Carrow YC	skiff 16' 1X+		0.669	11:30:00
Lower Thames RC	Skiff	Renown	0.745	11:33:00
CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Hoi Larntan	0.760	11:33:20
Norfolk Skiff Club	skiff 20'	Widgeon	0.813	11:34:40
Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield hybrid gig	Spirit of Dunkirk	0.815	11:35:00
Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield Hybrid gig	Proud Mary	0.815	11:35:20
Norfolk Skiff Club	Thames skiff 20'10"	Seraph	0.825	11:35:40
Lower Thames RC	Skiff	Leigh Ho	0.828	11:36:00
CRA Blakeney	St Ayles skiff	Bluejacket	0.844	11:36:40
Southend CRC	Seax gig	Rozinante	0.845	11:37:00
Norfolk Skiff Club	Thames skiff 26'	Cherub	0.892	11:38:00
Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield hybrid gig	Spirit of Trafalgar	0.905	11:38:40
Lower Thames RC	Hanningfield hybrid gig	Dauntless	0.905	11:39:00