Dell Quay Rowing Regatta
Published 23:06 on 6 Aug 2025
A still, but just-humid-enough-to-make-you-sweat day greeted the four ESC crews at Dell Quay SC on Saturday 2 August. It was the Club's centenary regatta, so we set off bright and early towing Escapade, with the hope that we wouldn't be caught in a parking nightmare.
The regatta was a colourful mix of Celtic longboats and Bursledon gigs from seven different clubs around the harbour.
The day kicked off with the timeless tradition of bacon butties and catching up with rowers from every corner of the harbour. Dell Quay decided to throw in some fun games, mixed teams, and, of course, bar tokens as prizes! There was supposed to be a section where we would "bust a gut" on the Erg machine, but, in true fashion, it was cancelled because nobody could get it to work.
Racing didn't kick off until the late afternoon, with the ladies' race taking the spotlight first. The starts were two boats side by side, with a two-minute interval before the next pair. The course? About 2.7km, going against the tide for the first half and then being rewarded (or cursed, depending on your view) with a run with the tide on the way back. As the mixed crew and mixed randoms took to the water, the tide was on the turn and the wind decided to show up fashionably late, making the course even more 'exciting'.
A massive shout-out to Paul and the crew for towing Escapade there and back, and to Sue for somehow pulling it all together without spontaneously combusting.
All ESC crews rowed like champions (no one actually won any gold medals, but we definitely looked the part in our 'shorts' and smart ESC rowing tops). It was a cracking day, and Dell Quay were the perfect hosts. The results for the top five in each race are below, but honestly, does it even matter when we had this much fun?
P.S. Regatta racing? It's a blast. There's camaraderie, laughter, and just enough competitive spirit to keep it interesting. If you've ever thought about joining in, don't hesitate! Talk to any of the rowers and come and see what all the fuss is about - you won't regret it.
Ladies race
1 Bosham15.38
2 DQSC15.57
3 ESC16.15
4 LCRC16.37
5 Tudor 216.44
5 Tudor 316.44
Men's race
1 BSC13.31
2 DQSC13.32
3 LCRC14.05
4 ESC15.13
5 Tudor 315.33
Mixed Crew
1 BSC15.32
2 LCRC15.48
3 CYC16.10
4 ESC16.21
5 ISC16.26
Mixed Random
1 BSC15.33
2 ISC16.27
3 LCRC16.36
4 DQSC18.29
5 ESC19.01