Kingston Rowing Club (KRC) is a rowing club in England founded in 1858 and a member club of British Rowing.

Kingston Rowing Club
Image showing the rowing club's emblem
Image showing the rowing club's blade colours
LocationKingston upon Thames
Coordinates51°25′8″N 0°18′20″W / 51.41889°N 0.30556°W / 51.41889; -0.30556 (Kingston Rowing Club)
Home waterTeddington Lock
Founded1858 (1858)
AffiliationsBritish Rowing
boat code - KRC
Websitewww.kingstonrc.co.uk
Events
Kingston Regatta, Kingston Head, Kingston Small Boats Head

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

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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.[1][2] 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

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Facilities

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Kingston Rowing Club Boathouse

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 4.82 miles (7.76 km) 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 6.5 miles (10.5 km) in Oxfordshire.[3]

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

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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

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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

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Henley Royal Regatta

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Year Races 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+

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Recent British champions

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Year Winning crew/s
2000 Women 2-c, Women 8+c[4]
2001 Women 4-, Women L4-[5]
2002 Women L4-[6]
2003 Women 2-[7]
2023 Women's Junior 16 4x[8]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Raven's Aits shown within the Parish of Surbiton The Church of England. Accessed 3 June 2015
  2. ^ Raven's Ait shown within the Post Town: Surbiton Google map. Accessed 3 June 2015
  3. ^ Cruising guide of the Thames Visit Thames. Accessed 3 June 2015.
  4. ^ "National Championships". Times Digital Archives.
  5. ^ ""The Daily results service." Times, 23 July 2001, p. 10". Times Digital Archives.
  6. ^ ""The results service." Times, 22 July 2002, p. 26". Times Digital Archives.
  7. ^ ""Today's fixtures." Times, 21 July 2003, p. 32". Times Digital Archives.
  8. ^ ""BRJC Results." RowTime". 16 July 2023.
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