Reading Amateur Regatta is a

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

regatta, on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

which takes place at

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...

, Berkshire on the reach above

Caversham Lock Caversham Lock is a lock and main weir on the River Thames in England at Reading, Berkshire. Both the lock and main weir are connected to De Bohun Island (colloquially known as Lock Island). The Thames Navigation Commissioners built the ori ...

. The regatta takes place in June and attracts top crews from around the UK.British Rowing Almanac - All years Racing takes place on the 1500-metres downstream course that stretches from St Mary's Island until just short of

Reading Rowing Club Reading Rowing Club is a rowing club, on the River Thames in England, on the Berkshire bank at Reading close to the town centre just above Caversham Bridge, the westerly bridge in the town on the reach above Caversham Lock. The club was found ...

clubhouse. The regatta takes place on Saturday and Sunday in June and its importance stems from its date, being immediately before entries close for Henley Royal Regatta. Reading Amateur Regatta was established in 1842 although it had a chequered history until the 1870s, when

was founded and revived interest in it.Reading Amateur Regatta - History Section
/ref> Its re-establishment was also encouraged by the founding of the Reading Working Men's Regatta on the lower lock reach above

Sonning Lock Sonning is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, on the River Thames, east of Reading. The village was described by Jerome K. Jerome in his book '' Three Men in a Boat'' as "the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river". Ge ...

in 1877. Another hiatus occurred after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, but thenceforth the regatta grew from strength to strength requiring various adaptations to accommodate the entry level. This resulted in a review in 1999 which saw two-lane racing reintroduced on a 1500 metres course by changing from launch to bank umpiring. An ironical conclusion perhaps as in 1844 a ferryman had spent four months in

Reading Gaol HM Prison Reading, popularly known as Reading Gaol, is a former prison located in Reading, Berkshire, England. The prison was operated by His Majesty's Prison Service until its closure at the start of 2014. It is a Grade II listed building and ...

for attacking an umpire and tipping him into the river with a punt pole in retaliation for disqualification in the previous year's regatta.

References

External links

Regatta website
Recurring sporting events established in 1842 Regattas on the River Thames Amateur Regatta June events 1842 establishments in England Annual events in England Annual sporting events in the United Kingdom {{rowing-stub

See also

References

External links