Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s Fun Regatta took place on Saturday amidst good humoured rivalry. While crowds from Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire and further afield came in great numbers, the weather was hot and thus the demand for the barbecue was diminished and many move to the tea tent and bar for sustenance! Cheers from crew supporters and visitors spurred on some seventeen crews to their fleeting place in history – winning, surviving, completing the course or being the best well dressed crew on the river!

Said Wallace Brown, Stratford Boat Club’s Fun Regatta Secretary, “This year’s Fun Regatta, our sixteenth, was another great one in terms of number of local crews from companies and organisations. This year we also had several crews from parents of our young rowers: fierce competition – Mums against Dads!”

Wallace added, “The ingenuity and effort put into the fancy dress was

amazing – Boat Full of Sunshine, Row Britannia and Lightning Vikings – 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 Deeley Group sponsor the Fun Regatta: this was only the third time we have had the Fun Regatta sponsored 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 Deeley Group’s support will help us to pay for our increase in facilities and has increased our ability to provide sport for all especially those looking for weekday recreation and exercise.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page 15 and Stratford Observer online https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/another-colourful-fun-regatta. For more great photographs, see https://www.dpphotos.co.uk