Emsworth's Escapade conquers the Capital!

Published 12:19 on 17 Sep 2026

Having entered the Great River Race 2026 many months ago, the day had finally arrived.

Swapping the relatively sheltered waters of Chichester Harbour for the unpredictable currents of the Thames was an unknown to 5 out of the 6 crew. Millwall was the start where there was a fair amount of hanging around waiting for the tide to come in.

Expertly guided into the start box whilst surrounded by hundreds of boats we soon set off not realising what was ahead. Battling through the punishing first mile in Escapade was the ultimate testament to our crew's grit! Crew at the front of the boat got totally soaked and we all had visions of not being able to swap positions and having to row for the full 21.6 miles as the conditions were so rough.

Rowing under Tower Bridge, the water began to smooth out and we had the reward of seeing London's most iconic views, the Houses of Parliament, The London Eye, the grand architecture of Westminster.

After a quick succession of bridges, we got to the more tree lined stretches of West London.

Our coxes, David, Janet and Nicola were totally amazing. Taking on the stroke position on some parts of the river was really tough so hats off to all three of them. Balancing the boat at the front were Lou, Steph and Mel taking turns in the passenger seat to take photos and have a drink.

Richmond Bridge was a welcome site as was the finish. We pushed until the end and were met by our very supportive ground crew.

It was an unforgettable experience, one which we won't forget in a hurry.

Huge thanks to Jonny H for towing the boat, getting it craned in, trailering it out whilst getting a dunking and towing it home.

Many thanks to my wonderful crew, it was a pleasure to row with you all. Bring on The Great River Race 2027