Dittons Skiff and Punting Club (DSPC or Dittons) is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1923. It is based 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 ...

with a club and boat house at

Thames Ditton Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred 12.2 miles (19.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross ...

on the reach above

Teddington Lock Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames between Ham and Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. Historically in Middlesex, it was first built in 1810. The limit of legal po ...

. As well as taking part in regular skiff and punt racing competitions, crews from the club have established several rowing world records. The club supports two traditional water sports -

skiffing Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing (or more correctly sculling) a Thames skiff. The skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways ...

and punting.

Skiff A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have deve ...

s are traditional, stable wooden boats which are sculled with a pair of blades. Skiffs are raced at regattas run under the rules of the

Skiff Racing Association The Skiff Racing Association (SRA) is the governing body in the United Kingdom for the sport of skiff racing. The SRA is affiliated to British Rowing. The objectives of the SRA are :(a) To maintain the standard of sculling in skiff and kindred r ...

, and are used for leisure outings such as Thames meanders. Punts are 2 ft and 1 ft racing punts. Punting is carried out competitively at regattas under the rules of the

Thames Punting Club The Thames Punting Club (TPC) is the governing body in England for the sport of punt racing. History and constitution Punting as a means of water travel has a long history in the United Kingdom and is now practiced recreationally on a number o ...

. The club colours are blue and gold.

History

The club was founded in 1923 following a meeting of interested persons in Long Ditton Parish Hall. The club operated initially from a site in Ferry Road Thames Ditton and leased single and double skiffs and a number of punts from Turks Boatyard. In the early 1960s the club occupied Albany Cottage in Alexandra Road with a boatshed nearby. In 1996 the area was redeveloped and the dilapidated buildings were replaced by a new purpose built clubhouse and boatshed.

Members

Several international and Olympic rowers have competed for the club including

James Cracknell James Edward Cracknell, (born 5 May 1972) is a British athlete, rowing champion and double Olympic gold medalist. Cracknell was appointed OBE for "services to sport" in the 2005 New Year Honours List. Biography Cracknell began rowing whilst ...

, Mike Hart, Sarah Winckless and Sally Andreae. The club provides support and coaching for all levels from beginner to advanced and has an active Junior section using rowing dinghies, skiffs and punts.

Competition

DSPC hosts the 120-year-old

Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta Hampton Court and Dittons Regatta is a regatta on the River Thames in England which takes place at Thames Ditton, Surrey beside Hampton Court Palace. The regatta was inaugurated in 1887, being described as an "Aquatic Sports and Venetian Fete ...

, and also organises a club regatta in September, the Tiny and Nancy Knight long-distance events and the Dittons Long Distance Singles event. Each Saturday outside the regatta season, the club organizes a handicapped Bridge-to-Bridge (

Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...

- Kingston Bridge) skiff race. Club members have undertaken several rowing challenges to enter the

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

books. In 1988 a club crew established the record for rowing the length of the River Thames. This has been contested since and in 2004 a six-person crew regained the record. In the following year a club member set the record for a single scull the length of the Thames. Other records achieved by the club include the record distance covered in rowing for 24 hours, and the record for rowing across the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

. Club members formed part of the joint skiff clubs team that set the record for rowing from London to Paris in 1996.

The club represents Elmbridge in the

Great River Race The Great River Race is an annual competition held on the River Thames for any traditional-style coxed boat propelled by oars or paddles. The date of the race for 2022 has been set for the 10th September The competition was started in 1988 ...

References

External links

Dittons Skiff and Punting Club

The Skiff Racing Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dittons Skiff And Punting Club Sports clubs established in 1923 Sports clubs in England Rowing clubs of the River Thames

History

Members

Competition

See also

References

External links