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 in England and other countries since the 19th century. Sculling is the act of propelling the boat with a pair of oars (or blades), as opposed to rowing which requires both hands on a single oar.
Thames skiffs were developed in the 19th century primarily for leisure use by private individuals sculling themselves. The design was based on the Thames wherries and shallops that were operated by watermen as a water taxi service in London. By the late 19th century, when Jerome K. Jerome wrote of his up-river expedition in Three Men in a Boat , [1] there were thousands of skiffs at places like Richmond, Kingston and Oxford. However, there are references to skiffs (as a result of accidents) as early as 1812 [2] and 1824 at Oxford. [3] In August 1815, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was taken on a skiffing expedition from Old Windsor to Lechlade by Charles Clairmont and Thomas Love Peacock. [4] He subsequently settled at Marlow where he regularly skiffed through the locks. [5]
Skiffs have fixed rather than sliding seats, and the blades are held in thole pins at the side of the boat rather than outriggers. The blades are made of wood with leather collars and traditional spoons. Pressure is applied by the feet against an adjustable wooden plate known as a "stretcher board". Skiffs are usually "Singles" with one sculler, or "Doubles" with two scullers (one behind the other) and a cox. However skiffs with more scullers or incorporating a sail are also used. Skiffing takes place in the Netherlands and Argentina, using the design of traditional Thames skiff although Argentinian skiffs usually have outriggers instead of tholes.
The skiff is designed for optimum performance and so the technique applied is important. The two fundamental reference points in the stroke are the catch where the blade is placed in the water, and the 'finish' where the blade is removed from the water. The skiffer leans forward, and bends the legs slightly. After placing the blade vertically in the water at the catch, he or she applies pressure to stretcher, levering the blade in the water on the thole and leans back. This is called the drive phase of the stroke. Once the skiffer has pushed the blade as far forward in the water as possible, he or she extracts the oar from the water, and the recovery phase begins, setting up the skiffer's body for the next stroke. On the recovery, it is normal to tip the blade flat (known as "feathering"). [6] There are some differences from the rowing stroke. The hands must never pass one above the other – one hand must always lead, or one of the blades will "dig" in the water. The seat does not slide and the unbending of the legs follows from the leaning back of the body. Finally skiffs are more stable so that it is possible to lean back further and keep the blade in the water for longer. The last extra distance provides considerable motive power to the boat, leading to the encouragement to "squeeze the finish".
Skiffs have the advantage of being able to carry loads and are stable enough to allow occupants to stand up and move about while on the water. Skiffing is therefore an ideal introduction to rowing and river sports. Skiffing provides an opportunity for both short and extended recreational outings on the Thames and other waterways in Britain. The Thames meander is an example of a long-distance skiff journey. For more leisurely progress, a camping skiff has an easily erectable canvas cover and is used for outdoor recreational activity holidays. The Thames Traditional Boat Society is particularly active in supporting recreational use of traditional boats like skiffs. [7] Skiffs regularly take part in traditional boat events, in particular the Great River Race in London.
Skiff racing provides the challenge of competition and an incentive for physical fitness. A Thames racing skiff is a version of the Thames skiff designed for racing purposes although it is still used recreationally. Racing is in single skiffs or doubles, and unlike in rowing, there are competitions for crews of mixed doubles.
Skiff racing in the United Kingdom is governed by the Skiff Racing Association, which was formed in 1901 to ensure that a standard set of rules was applied for racing and boat construction. [8] The Association is run by a committee elected from the affiliated clubs and regattas, and is affiliated to the British Rowing (formerly ARA). The rules of racing are based on those of British Rowing closely enough that British Rowing qualified umpires may also umpire skiff races.
Competitions are held at a number of events on the River Thames between April and October. [9] Events are competed at four status levels from Novice to Senior, allowing the opportunity to compete for anyone from complete beginners and Olympic rowing champions. There are two types of skiff race, long-distance and regattas. In long-distance processional events, crews set off at time intervals over a course of two or more miles. At regattas, skiff races are non-processional sprint races held over a distance of up to 800 yards with heats and finals. Regatta races usually have one skiff against another, although three lane racing may also occur. There are a number of Trophy competitions. The Ormiston Trophy is awarded to the Club that wins the highest number of events each season overall, while the Inter-Club competition is a separate event for top scullers in each club.
Several Olympic rowers began their careers in skiffs, including James Cracknell, Elise Laverick and Sarah Winckless. Many former British rowing team members continue to compete and exercise in skiffs.
There are several English skiff clubs on the Thames and one in Cambridge.
All skiff clubs also include participation in the partner traditional river sport – punting. Clubs also encourage youngsters to take part in skiffs and rowing dinghies. Some clubs incorporate dongola racing, dragon boat racing and canoeing.
There are also rowing clubs in The Netherlands and Argentina that use Thames skiffs.
Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is divided into two disciplines: sculling and sweep rowing. In sculling, each rower holds two oars—one in each hand, while in sweep rowing each rower holds one oar with both hands. There are several boat classes in which athletes may compete, ranging from single sculls, occupied by one person, to shells with eight rowers and a coxswain, called eights. There are a wide variety of course types and formats of racing, but most elite and championship level racing is conducted on calm water courses 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long with several lanes marked using buoys.
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 developed into high performance competitive classes. Many of today's skiff classes are based in Australia and New Zealand in the form of 12 ft (3.66 m), 13 ft (3.96 m), 16 ft (4.88 m) and 18 ft (5.49 m) skiffs. The 29er, 49er, SKUD and Musto Skiff are all considered to have developed from the skiff concept, all of which are sailed internationally.
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers and shallow water. Punting is boating in a punt; the punter propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole. Punts were originally built as cargo boats and as platforms for fowling and for fishing, such as angling; whereas now punting is boating for pleasure.
Coastal and offshore rowing is a rowing sport performed at sea. In North America, this sport is often called open water rowing.
Harry Clasper was a professional rower and boat builder from Tyneside in England. He was an innovative boat designer who pioneered the development of the racing shell and the use of outriggers. He is said to have invented spoon-shaped oars.
The Sunbury Amateur Regatta is a regatta on the River Thames at Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England with a rare visitors' boats lights display and fireworks event. It is for mainly traditional wooden types of boats with a few events for small sculling boats since its instigation in 1877 taking place by convention on a Saturday in early to mid August. The Edith Topsfield Junior Regatta takes place the following day.
Dongola racing is a popular event in traditional local regattas, especially on the River Thames in southern England and was first competed at Maidenhead in 1886. Competitors use wide punts and a team of people with single-bladed paddles, facing forwards and kneeling, normally with one leg up and one leg down. The person at the rear is responsible for the steering with their paddle.
Weybridge Rowing Club, founded in 1881, is a rowing club by the Thames in England, on the Surrey bank. The club organises head races, notably the Weybridge Silver Sculls which has had Olympian winners and co-organises a May/June regatta. It consists of a wide range of members: juniors, novices, seniors, masters (veterans) – these include many past and present champions.
A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water.
A single scull, abbreviated as a 1x, is a racing shell designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand.
Sunbury Lock is a lock complex of the River Thames in England near Walton-on-Thames in north-west Surrey, the third lowest of forty four on the non-tidal reaches. The complex adjoins the right, southern bank about 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) downstream of the Weir Hotel.
The Thames is one of the main rowing rivers in Europe. Several annual competitions are held along its course, including the Henley Royal Regatta, The Boat Race and other long-distance events, called Head of the River races (Heads).
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.
Thames Valley Skiff Club is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1923. It is based on the River Thames in England, on the Surrey bank between Sunbury Lock and Walton on Thames.
Egham Regatta is a rowing regatta on the River Thames in England which takes place at the end of June on the reach above Bell Weir Lock near Egham, Surrey. The regatta is run from Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club and the Runnymede Pleasure Grounds on the outskirts of Egham.
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
Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club (WSPC) is an English skiff and punting club founded in 1931 based on the River Thames at the start of the Surrey section of the right bank – between the rest of Runnymede and Bell Weir Lock.
The Thames Punting Club (TPC) is the governing body in England for the sport of punt racing.
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 with a club and boat house at Thames Ditton on the reach above Teddington Lock. As well as taking part in regular skiff and punt racing competitions, crews from the club have established several rowing world records.
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.
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