Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s Fun Regatta took place on Sunday amidst good humoured rivalry. Although the crowds hoped for from Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire and further afield didn’t appear in great numbers, the weather helped by being not too hot. Cheers from crew supporters and visitors spurred on some twenty two crews to their fleeting place in history – winning, surviving, completing the course or being the best well dressed crew on the river!
Said Dawson Curnock, Stratford Boat Club’s Fun Regatta Organiser and
Chairman elect: “This year’s Fun Regatta, our fifteenth, was another great one in terms of number of local crews from companies and organisations such as Robert Welch from Chipping Camden and Paxford Cricket Club to name just a few. This year we also had several crews from parents of our young rowers: fierce competition – Mums against Dads!”
Dawson said. “The ingenuity and effort put into the fancy dress was amazing – Flower Power, Jim’s Privates, The Mummies, Riversvoir Dogs, Pie & Lattes and Marooned Pirates – brought a smile to everybody’s face! Already we’ve seen several competitors sign up for Stratford Boat Club’s autumn Learn to Row courses for those wanting to try rowing even more seriously or just for recreational exercise.”
“We enjoyed hosting so many visitors and local residents at the Fun
Regatta,” said Paul Stanton, the Club’s President. “This year we were so pleased to have NFU Mutual’s Stratford agent sponsor the Fun Regatta: this was only the second time for us and it proved a great success to have local companies support us in this very exciting year when we have done so well in local and national regattas and Henley Royal Regatta. The Fun Regatta helps us to show that rowing isn’t just about serious competition and that there is also the fun and recreational aspect to our sport. We are a community club and NFU Mutual’s Stratford agent’s 
support will help us to pay for our increase in facilities and increased our ability to provide sport for all especially those looking for weekday recreation and exercise.”
For media coverage, see Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/fun-and-frolics-on-the-water and also Stratford Herald p16
For more great pictures of the Fun Regatta, see David Phillips’ selection https://www.flickr.com/photos/135872444@N08/albums/72157683645288871 and Trevor Tiller’s stream https://1drv.ms/a/s!Ajo1zADNwhQAhlZXIFqbtZbLGbmJ