Skiff Racing Association

Last updated

Skiff Racing Association
Sport Skiff racing
AbbreviationSRA
Founded1901
Affiliation British Rowing
PresidentTim Tomlinson
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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

United Kingdom Country in Europe

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the north-western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state, the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. The United Kingdom's 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi) were home to an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

Skiffing

Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing a Thames skiff. A Thames skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways in England and other countries for nearly 200 years. Sculling means propelling the boat with a pair of oars (blades) as opposed to rowing which requires both hands on a single oar.

British Rowing British rowing association

British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA), is the governing body for the sport of rowing. It is responsible for the training and selection of individual rowers and crews representing Great Britain and for participation in and the development of rowing and indoor rowing in England. Scottish Rowing and Welsh Rowing oversee governance in their respective countries, organise their own teams for the Home International Regatta and input to the GB team organisation.

Contents

(a) To maintain the standard of sculling in skiff and kindred races
(b) To promote the interests of skiff racing and kindred sports

History

The SRA was founded on 6 February 1901 by delegates from a number of clubs and regattas under the leadership of F. S. Lowe. The SRA affiliated to the ARA (the predecessor of British Rowing) almost immediately. In the founding year there were eleven affiliations. [1]

Maidenhead Rowing Club British rowing club

Maidenhead Rowing Club is a rowing club, on the River Thames in England at Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Reading Rowing Club British 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 Skiff Club is the oldest skiff and punting club in existence, having been founded in 1895. It is based on the River Thames in London, on the Middlesex bank between Teddington Lock and Kingston upon Thames.

The club and regatta affiliations have changed over the years with new clubs and regattas joining and old ones leaving.

Constitution

The SRA publishes a handbook to ensure that a standard set of rules is applied for racing and boat construction. [2]

The Association is run by a committee elected from the affiliated clubs and regattas at an annual meeting. A sub-committee deals specifically with the rules of racing and of the Association, and with the recruitment, training, testing and appointment of umpires for skiff racing. The rules of racing are based on those of British Rowing closely enough that BR qualified umpires may also umpire skiff races.

Status system

The SRA operates a status system to allow scullers to compete with those of a similar standard. The status levels are (high to low) Senior, Higher, Intermediate, Novice and Entrant. When first starting skiff racing, competitors are Entrant status unless they have previously won a non-junior event under British Rowing rules. When competitors gain sufficient points, they are promoted to the next highest level. Competitors gain a full point by winning a qualifying race (a regatta race with more than 2 entries). There is also a classification for Veteran events (competitors aged over 40). [3]

SRA events

The SRA runs three events - the Inter-Club competition, and the Singles and Doubles Marathons. All other events are organised by affiliated clubs or regattas.

The Inter-Club competition has team awards for Gentleman's Singles (Lowe Cup), Gentlemen's Doubles (Davis Cup), Ladies Singles (Penny Chuter Cup) and Ladies Doubles (Churchill Cup). The Singles Marathon is competed for the Jack Rosewell Trophy, and the Doubles Marathon for the Heldmann Trophy.

In addition the SRA supervises the Ormiston Trophy which is awarded to the Club that wins the highest number of points in events each season, and the "Most Improved Skiffer" award.

Current affiliated organisations

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References

  1. ↑ G Dear One Hundred Years of Skiff Racing British Rowing Almanack 2001
  2. ↑ Skiff Racing Association Handbook
  3. ↑ "Rules of Racing" (PDF). Skiff Racing Association.
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