Kingston Rowing Club (KRC) is a rowing club in England, founded in 1858 and a member club of British Rowing.
The club is located on the River Thames at Kingston upon Thames, downstream and north-east of Kingston Bridge and Kingston Railway Bridge. On a long wide stretch, its rowers and scullers have the final and the second longest section of the weir-controlled river. Kingston have produced a significant list of international level oarsmen and oarswomen throughout its history and has won events at the British Rowing Championships and Henley Royal Regatta through the years.
Kingston Rowing Club is the supporting club for Kingston Regatta which is held above Kingston Bridge. Kingston organises Kingston Head of the River Race which is a warm-up for the national Head of the River Race on the Championship Course on the following weekend.
History The club started at Messenger's Boathouse, Kingston and was housed there for three years before moving upstream. From 1861 to 1935 the club was based above the bridges on Raven's Ait in Surbiton to the south.Raven's Aits shown within the Parish of Surbiton The Church of England. Accessed 3 June 2015Raven's Ait shown within the Post Town: Surbiton Google map. Accessed 3 June 2015 In 1935 the club moved downstream to premises known as the Albany Boathouse then moved to its purpose-built facilities in Canbury Gardens in 1968.
Notable members
Edward Corrie Andy Holmes Gilbert Kennedy Courtenay Knollys Dick Offer Jack Offer Rebecca Romero Pongo Scarf VC R C Sherriff Denis Spotswood A A Stuart Douglas Stuart Julian Clary Kieran West Tim Crooks Dinghy Young DFC*
Facilities
The club is the racing shell rowing club in Kingston upon Thames, but also provides training boats for less competitive rowing. It is on the Kingston Reach which runs between Molesey Lock by Hampton Court down to Teddington Lock; The reach is a long V-shaped stretch of the Thames and is the final and second longest section of the River Thames — the longest reach being Wallingford reach at in Oxfordshire.Cruising guide of the Thames Visit Thames. Accessed 3 June 2015.
It shares the long, wide stretch with three sailing clubs upstream and downstream, the Royal Canoe Club (and The Skiff Club), Walbrook Rowing Club (the rowing club of Teddington), and school clubs of Tiffin, Kingston Grammar, and Surbiton High schools.
Kingston Students Rowing Club Kingston Students Rowing Club (KSRC) was founded in 1972 as the Kingston Polytechnic Boat Club (KPBC). After 1992, Kingston Polytechnic was granted university status and the club changed its name to Kingston University Boat Club (KUBC).
In 2011, Kingston University Boat Club (KUBC) became Kingston Students Rowing Club (KSRC). KRC took over the training and coaching from Kingston University, maintain its fleet of boats and acquired its launches. University students receive automatic membership of KRC and still represent the university at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Regatta and in the University Indoor Rowing Series.
Annual events The club organises Kingston Head of the River Race which is a warm-up for the national Head of the River Race on the Championship Course on the following weekend. The organisation is associated with Kingston Regatta (formerly Kingston Amateur Regatta) since the club's founding – the regatta predates it by a year.
The club has a regular social calendar and Remenham Club rules entitle all established members to join to the social club which is at Henley on Thames, having one of its course-side venues, in the past having contributed to its funds in this case as a founder member.
Honours Henley Royal Regatta YearRaces won 1863 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1864 Grand Challenge Cup, Wyfold Challenge Cup 1865 Grand Challenge Cup, Wyfold Challenge Cup 1866 Silver Goblets, Wyfold Challenge Cup 1867 Silver Goblets, Wyfold Challenge Cup 1868 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1870 Silver Goblets 1873 Silver Goblets 1877 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1878 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1883 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1884 Stewards' Challenge Cup 1885 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1890 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1897 Thames Challenge Cup, Wyfold Challenge Cup 1898 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1903 Wyfold Challenge Cup 1909 Diamond Challenge Sculls 1936 Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup 1969 Britannia Challenge Cup 1978 Britannia Challenge Cup 1981 Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup, Prince Philip Challenge Cup 1982 Women's Invitation Double Sculls+ 1983 Prince Philip Challenge Cup, Queen Mother Challenge Cup 2008 Visitors' Challenge Cup+ +composite
Recent British champions YearWinning crew/s 2000 Women 2-c, Women 8+c 2001 Women 4-, Women L4- 2002 Women L4- 2003 Women 2- 2023 Women's Junior 16 4x2025 Open club 4+ c-composite
See also Rowing on the River Thames
References
External links
Kingston Rowing Club official website