2024
There have been changes for 2024 please go to the Summer Series page for further information about membership and insurance for the 3 Surfboat Summer Series events.
2023
The UKSRL is pleased to cpnfirm that we will be racing on Saturday September 9th 2023 at Saunton Sands.
There will be a Day Ticket fee for entry at £20 per person go to Membership Join Now link and buy the Day Ticket using your credit or debit card. You can row in multiple crews for the single day ticket fee.. NO cash will be accepted on the day..!
For more info go to Summer Series link.
Start Time 12:30pm
HT 12:45hrs
LT 19:00hrs
The UKSRL is pleased to confirm that we will be Racing on Saturday July 8th 2023 at Portreath.
We will be conducting all categories and will accept mixed crew entries if you are struggling for number. Time and tide oermitting we may even have some relays.
If you need to borrow a boat or a loan a Sweep - please get in touch.
There will be a Day Ticket fee for entry at £20 per person go to Membership Join Now link and buy the Day Ticket using your credit or debit card. You can row in multiple crews for the single day ticket fee.. NO cash will be accepted on the day....!!
Better dig those bikini bottoms and budgy smugglers out and get training.
HT 09:47hrs
LT 16:13hrs
Start time 3pm Saturday 8th July
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2022 Covid
2021 Covid
2020 Covid
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2019 UKSRL AGM Sunday 10th February 10:30am
Portreath SLSC
Please come along and give your input or suggestions for the surf rowing league.
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2018 UKSRL Event dates
9 & 10th June Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire
14 & 15 July Perranporth, Cornwall
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German Surfboat Championships 2018
Click on image for event details
UKSRL Newsletter March 2018
click on image for pdf file
Notice of UKSRL AGM
Results of the Truro River Race 2017
Membership Fees 2017
Due to the increasing costs of professionl safety cover services there has been a need for a marked increase in the costs of annual membership for 2017.
Please read UKSRLTreasurer letter for an insight and explanation
The UKSRL committee are addressing the issue and will circulate an alternative proposal for UKSRL membership to be implemented for 2018.
Further details on decisions made at the UKSRL AGM and UKSRL General Meeting 2016 are availabe to read by clicking this link.
PROVISIONAL RACE DATES FOR 2017
Truro River race 8th April .....Men race up the river, Women race down the river
Men crews start 3pm Mylor - Women crews start 5pm Boscawen Park, Truro
Round 1 & 2 Wales 10/11th June low 1.30 ish: to be held on the same beach over 2 days.
Round 3 Westward Ho ! 8th July
low 12 ish
Round 4 Watergate 22nd July low 11 ish
Round 5 Saunton 16th Sept
low 9,20 ish race thru high
UKSRL Open Perranporth 7 th & 8th October low 13.08 day racing
Start times where possible 1pm
SLS Nationals Holywell Bay 12/13TH AUGUST ( MASTERS DAYS ? )
All dates are provisional as waiting on beach permissions etc so they may well change slightly.
Racing format will change next season, however we will wait for the AGM minutes to come out before we explain how.....
SunZapper are the UKSRL Summer Series sponsors 2016
We are very proud and excited to be sponsoring the 2016 Summer Series and looking forward to coming down and watch each event and feel that with the new boats from last year’s Gallipoli 100 Surf Boat Event and our sunscreens now available in the UK we are both in a great position of growth over 2016 and beyond.”
Neil Chambers - SunZapper UK
"Sunzapper UK have kindly stepped up with a sponsorship that will cover the majority of this years Summer Series water safety cover. With the new crews & boats coming in this year its fantastic to have the professional cover of First Response GB back after a season away. They are a very experienced set up and provide a comprehensive level of safety cover for both beginners and the more experienced crews."
Chris Lane - President UKSRL
2016 Event Dates for your diary
23 April Truro river Surfboat Race - Women crews row up, Men crews row down
28 - 29 May Wales Weekend
18 - 19 June Devon Weekend
16 - 17 July Cornwall Weekend
30th July UKSRL Open Surfboat Championships
!!!!! Postponed now on Sunday 28th August, St Agnes Bawden Rocks row
8 - 9 September Rescue 2016 Holland
16 - 17 -18 September Infinite Ocean Biarritz
Venues to be confirmed check for details on the UK Surf Rowers Facebook page
Notice UKSRL Annual General Meeting 2015
UKSRL AGM 2015 scheduled for Sunday 6th December at 2pm venue Portreath SLSC. (the bar will be open after the AGM has concluded)
Annual General Meeting Agenda 2015
UKSRL Committee Nomination Form
Upon conclusion of the AGM a General Meeting will take place to discuss the Gallipoli 100 surfboats distribution and for members to give feedback from the 2105 events and the UKSRL proposals for 2016.
Perranporth Scilly Girls row from St Marys to Sennen
On Thursday 2nd July 2015 the Perranporth womens surboat crew Alice Bane, Tina Pascoe, Paula Bright and Ruth Creamer, Swept by Peter Gaisford, set out from St Mary's quay on the Isles of Scilly to row the 28miles (50Km) across open sea to Sennen Cove Harbour, Cornwall. The crossing includes navigating and rowing across two busy shipping lanes.
The crew were supported by Scott Bentley and Dan Berriman providing a support boat with navigation and assistance should the surfboat crew require it.
The women completed the row in a time of 6hr 32mins and in doing so completed three firsts:-
1) First ALL female crew to row the crossing from Scilly to Cornwall.
2) First ever slide seat rowing technique to complete the crossing.
3) First Australian surfboat to complete the crossing.
The womens crew have raised nearly £5000 for two charities - Cancer Research UK and Perranporth Surf Life Saving Club.
Virgin Money Scilly Surfboat row
The crew would like to thank all those who made donations to the virgin money Scilly Girls Row website, to The Isles of Scilly Steamship Co for transporting the surfboat to the islands, to the people of the Scilly Isles who provided accomodation at very short notice and to all those that gave advice and support to ensure a successful outcome.
Scilly Girls Surfboat rew rowing past The Longships Lighthouse, Lands End
Gallipoli 100 update:-
As you know, the UKSRL has been working with the agencies involved with the Gallipoli 100 Surf Boat Event, organised by Paul Murphy of Military History Tours, to arrange the transportation of 21 surf boats to the UK following the ANZAC commemorative events in Turkey.
This is following the promised gift of the boats from the surf boat clubs in Australia and New Zealand with the understanding that the boats would be going to the UK and the rest of Europe. This presents an amazing opportunity to grow the sport across Europe, with much interest from clubs new to the sport.
The UKSRL has received communication that the boats have not been made available to us for shipping as originally expected. The reasons for this are as yet unclear, however, various interested parties including Australian representatives from G100 event are making enquiries including with the local officials. This situation is ongoing. This is disappointing news but we remain optimistic that the situation can be resolved.
At present the UKSRL has not committed any clubs' money to this venture, therefore all deposits are held securely. Please be assured that we will not be committing any funds until we have a 100% guarantee that we will be receiving the surf boats as anticipated and which are of a quality that we are happy with. We don't have a date for the resolution of this situation but we are hopeful.
We know that many clubs expecting a boat are keen to participate in the races this season, potentially in their new boats. So, the UKSRL is looking at what we can do to make sure rowers and clubs have the opportunity to take part in events by maximising the availability of loan boats and give an introduction to surf boats. It is clear that there's no possibility of the boats being here for the Welsh Weekender in June or the Cornish Carnage in July.
We are doing everything we can to resolve this and will of course keep you posted as to any developments.
As you know the UKSRL is run by rowers for rowers who are keen to see the sport grow and we will continue to work towards this goal.
Louise Gapp
Chairman
UK Surf Rowers League
Gallipoli 100 Surfboat event - Surfboats in Turkey
http://www.gallipoli100.com.au/site/Surfboats_in_Turkey.asp
After the Gallipoli 100 event the UKSRL is making arrangements with the organisers to freight some of the surfboats from Turkey to the UK. If you would like more information on how to acquire a surfboat, contact UKSRL Secretary Becky Knowles for further information admin@uksrl.co.uk.
Truro Surfboat River Race 18th April 2015
High tide at Truro 17:00 hrs
Mens crews start at Mylor 16:00hrs
Womens crew start at The Tide Gate, Boscawen Park, Truro 17:30hrs
click on this link for more details
UKSRL Annual General Meeting
The UKSRL AGM is scheduled for Sunday 9th November at 13:30hrs at Perranporth SLSC
with general meeting to follow straight after to look at dates, events etc. If you are interested in joining the committee please drop me a note at admin@uksrl.co.uk Keep an eye on your inboxes as I'm going to email you about this season's weekend racing format and get ideas as to how we can sustain and grow surf boats in the UK. We can then discuss this at the general meeting. Please make every effort to attend. This is your sport and you shape its future!
Thanks lots. Becky
Porthtowan Blue Bali World Surfboat Champions 2014
The Porthtowan Blue Bali Mens crew - Nick Healey, Ed Hartgill, Mladen Maranovil, Tom Hanna and Sweep Gary Walters won the gold medal at The World Surfboat Championships 2014 in Montpellier, France. In a closely fought final in flat no surf conditions they held off a strong challenge by the french crews from Hossegor Sauvetage Cotier in silver and Biarritz SC taking the bronze, 4th Porthtowan ION Boys, 5th Llantwit Major SLSC, 6th Piha SLSC (NZ)
.
Porthtowan Blue Bali
L - R Mladen Maranovil, Tom Hanna, Ed Hartgill, Nick Healey, Sweep Gary Walters
photo courtesy - Greg Dennis
In the Mens Masters World Surfboat Championships Llantwit Major Crocodiles (UK) took the gold medal in the male 140+ age category with Portreath SLSC (UK) in silver, Begle SC (FRA) bronze and Sciez SC (FRA) 4th.
Llantwit Major Crocodiles
L - R Ben Thomas, Gethin Edwards, Sweep Mike Lord, Josh Edwards, John Parsons
photo courtesy - John Parsons
Portreath
L - R Sweep - John Richards, Jarek Zeluk, Stuart Cooper, Adam Tullett, Johnathon Lister
photo courtesy - Stuart Cooper
In the Womens events the Perranporth Poissons won bronze in the 120+ Female World Masters. In the Womens Open World Surfboat Championships, the gold medal went to Scarboro (Aus), silver St Kilda (Aus) and bronze Red Beach (NZ), 4th Perranporth SLSC (UK), 5th Porthtowan SLSC (UK), 6th Begle (FRA)
Perranporth Poissons
L - R Paula Bright, Tina Pascoe, Ruth Creamer, Alice Bane - Sweep Peter Gaisford
photo courtesy - Tina Pascoe
Upon conclusion of the World Surboat Championships, crews then travelled to Biarritz, SW France to compete in the Infinite Ocean Biarritz three day surfboat event. International day, Masters day and Open Championship day.at the venue of Cote de Basque beach.
The mens crew Porthtowan Blue Bali and womens crew Porthtowan Blue Belles had been selected by the UKSRL to represent UK surf rowing at Infinite Ocean on the International day.
Day One Infinite Ocean International mens event the United Kingdom took 1st place with New Zealand 2nd and France 3rd. In the womens International event Australia 1st, United Kingdom 2nd, New Zealand 3rd, France 4th
Porthtowan Blue Belles Lizzie Bird, Philippa Plester, Emmie Carter, Sarah Goddard - Sweep Gary Walters
photo Greg Dennis
Day Two Infinite Ocean Masters (120yrs+) the Mens event 1st= Porthtowan Blue Bali (Uk) and Biarritz Sauvetage Cotier (FRA) with Bronte SLSC (AUS) 3rd. The Masters Womens results 1st St Kilda SLSC (AUS), 2nd Porthtowan Blue Belles (UK), 3rd Piha SLSC (NZ). The event organisers also conducted an under 120+yrs age category or "Young Guns" event 1st Best of the West (UK), 2nd Piha SLSC (NZ), 3rd Biarritz SC (FRA)
Best of the West Crew Greg Dennis, Greg Costello-McFeat, Sam Day, James Basher, Sweep Dan Berriman
photo Greg Dennis
Porthtowan Blue Bali in full flight
photo Greg Dennis
Day Three Infinite Ocean Open crews event. Porthtowan Blue Bali continued their dominating performance by winning the Mens Open crew category and completing a clean sweep of the mens World Championships, Infinite Ocean Masters and Infinite Ocean Open Mens titles.
1st Porthtowan Blue Bali (UK), 2nd Piha (NZ), 3rd Best of the West (UK), 4th Llantwit Major (WALES), 5th Biarritz SC (FRA), 6th Bronte SLSC (AUS).
The Open Womens results:
1st Piha 2 (NZ), 2nd Porthtowan Blue Belles (UK), 3rd Avalon (AUS), 4th Begles (FRA), 5th St Kilda SLSC (AUS), 6th Perranporth Poissons (UK).
More information with photos and videos of the Infinite Ocean Biarritz event can be found on the Infinite Ocean Biarritz Facebook page
BBCs Mike Bushell has a go at Surfboat rowing
BBC Breakfast time - sports reporter Mike Bushell has a go at Surfboat Rowing with the Kangaroos and Cougars from Croyde SLSC at Putsborough beach, N.Devon
Link to BBC film - High Trunks on High Seas
Cheque Presentation
UK Open Surfboat Championships 2013
This event is scheduled to take place at Fistral Beach, Newquay on the 20th July. The UK Open Surfboat Championships is supported by the Aussie Corner Deli. For more information go to the UK Championships link. Following the event Trophy and medal presentations.
The Surfboat Championships event is followed by Barefoot Promotions who bring the Asahi sponsored Sea Level Tour to the beach with Ash Grunwald and cornish born Ruarri Joseph.
Some of the best UK surfboat crews competing during the day and a bit of a party after !!
click on image for larger version
Australia House, London
UKSRL Chair - Louise Gapp is to attend a meeting with His Excellency Mike Rann, Australian High Commissioner on Friday 22nd March. The High Commissioner will be presenting a cheque of £2500 on behalf of The Australian High Commission Social Club.
The funds were raised at the 2012 Australian High Commission Staff Ball in response to the successful working relationship between Australia House and the UKSRL for the provision of nine surfboats as Australia's representation in The Queens Diamond Jubille Pageant on the Thames in June 2012.
The £2500 is to be allocated to the transportation of surfboats back to the UK from The Gallipolii 100 following the centennial rememberance on ANZAC day April 25th 2015.
Aussie Corner Deli sponsors UK Surfboats
The UKSRL is delighted to announce the news of a new supporter for UK Surfboat rowing.
Aussie Corner Deli have agreed to sponsor two rounds of the UKSRL Summer Series and The UK Open Surfboat Championships 2013.
"Aussie Corner Deli is an online store opened in 2007 in Australia to cater for Aussie Expats and in 2009 we partnered with Australian Company Sun Zapper to become their online retailer who produce a whole range of Zinc based sun screen products which have excellent sun protection and water resistant qualities; we also continue to stock iconic Australian Foods that we remembered from our youth in Australia, that we missed whilst living abroad.
In July 2012 we moved our operations over to the UK and whilst we still have an outpost in Perth looking after our Australian based customers we now call the UK home. When looking for a UK sport to partner with we didn’t have to look too far beyond two of our favourite past times rowing and the beach, added to this surf boats being an icon of Australia, UK Surf Boat Rowing felt like such a natural choice.
We are very proud and excited to be sponsoring some events in the UKSRL 2013 calendar as we were brought up and now run Aussie Corner Deli on values like mateship and giving it a go and think these align nicely with the community spirit in the surf clubs and crews that keep coming back for more thrill and spills."
Neil Chambers - Aussie Corner Deli
Team GB Olympians row surfboats
Porthtowan Surf Boat Rowing crews (part of Porthtowan SLSC) had some very special guests at their training session on Thursday 13th September, when they were joined by seven of the Team GB Olympic Women Rowers. Annabel Vernon, Helen Glover, Jessica Eddie, Heather Stanning, Louisa Reeve, Frances Houghton and Beth Rodford came down to Porthtowan to watch the teams training ....................read more
Eton Dorney. With a chance of Surf. from Greg Dennis on Vimeo.
Porthtowan Ladies at Arena Rescue 2012, Montpellier, France
A ladies crew from Porthtowan (Becky Lloyd King, Yvette Stephens, Jo Lloyd King and Kim-Marie Clothier) participated in the surfboat event at La Grande Motte, Montpellier, as part of the Arena Rescue 2012 Surf Lifesaving event held from 25-28th May 2012
to read more on Kim Marie's report click on this link
Watchout !............Australian rowers are coming to the UK
The UKSRL has been working with Australia House, London to assist with the representation of Australia in The Queens Diamond Jubilee Pageant. A flotilla of 1000 boats will parade down the Thames on Sunday 3rd June. Some 250 rowing boats will be part of the Pageant and Australia will have nine surfboats on parade. The UKSRL has arranged for the loan of nine UK surfboats to Australia to be rebranded "Australia Unlimited" for the event. Thirty six Australian rowers are to descend upon London for the event. The Twickenham Rowing Club will be the venue for the rowers and the nine UK Sweeps (steersmen) to meet up and tryout the surfboats on Friday 1st June. For more details and to read the official press release click on this link.
Media footage from the Pageant
Introduction to Surfboat Rowing
The United Kingdom Surf Rowers League will be hosting an introduction to surf boat rowing. This is for complete rowing novices as well as those who row already but not in surf boats.
Participants must be 16 or over and able to swim 200m unaided, without stopping. Crews can be all male, female, or mixed, at your preference.
All boats and equipment will be provided and each crew will be provided with an experienced “sweep” to take them through the necessary skills and techniques. The plan is to spend the morning on basic instruction and safety drills with a proper race event in the afternoon.
Further d etails of the Surfboat Taster Day on this link
Sir Matthew Pinsent rows a Surfboat
Yes, rub your eyes and read that title again !
The UKSRL has been working with Explore Rowing to introduce school rowing using surfboats as the stable rowing craft.
In November 2010 Truro High School for Girls and Truro School took part in a Learn to Row course with the funding support of the Cornwall Sports Partnership. Redruth School has also shown interest for 2011. In order to draw attention to this inititiative Ed Hartgill a teacher at Redruth School and a surfboat rower made a telephone call to Sir Matthew Pinsent and asked him to help promote school rowing in Cornwall.
Ed and his fellow crew members at Porthtowan found Sir Matthew a pair of Speedos and the rest as they say is history.
He must have enjoyed himself as he later tweeted:-
"bouncy afternoon with nutters from Porthtowan Surf club. Cold water, small trunks and big cahones. Nuff said"
The Vogalonga 2011
What is that you may ask.?
The Vogalonga is an annual one day event held in Venice to celebrate rowing boats and craft moved by manpower alone. It was first concieved 37 years ago to draw attention to the damage being done to the structure of the city by the wash of powercraft. In 2009 Twickenham RC used their surfboat to row the 30km course.
The event starts in front of St Marks Square row out to the islands of Burano and Murano and back through the city down the Grand Canal. In 2011 with the assistance of the rowers at the Canottieri Milano rowing club, Perranporth SLSC repeated the exercise with their blue "Rattler" surfboat, the only surfboat in the event.
Day of Giants 2011 - Piha NZ
The boys from Porthtowan Blue Bali and GB now head for Piha on the west coast of north island New Zealand for the annual Day of Giants surfboat event on Saturday 12th February.
This venue is famous for big surf and if you are a person with a nervous disposition you best not click the link........read more
See Andy's UKSRL blog and the report from the crew with photos. Love to have been in the boat to hear the sympathetic words Gary is using to urge the crew on, to get over the oncoming beast !
On the other hand if you like Muse ( from Teignbridge, Devon ) you could risk it..... Ooops copyright infringement and the audio track has been silenced.
Have replaced film with another which gives a mellow feel to the size of the Piha surf.
International Surfboat Challenge - New Zealand 2011
3rd Test Results and report - Mark Bourneville AKA "Horse" from Piha
The day was again pretty dammed flat with a bit of wind blowing, a real shame that over the whole week the crews never saw any surf at all ( apart from a small bump approaching the beach ) This beach can produce some good surf and would have made the racing a lot more interesting for spectators and no doubt the crews with a bit of surf running ? but its was what it was...
Boat Race 1
1. New Zealand
2. New Zealand Development
3. Australia
4. Australia Development
5. Great Britain
Boat Race 2
1. New Zealand
2. New Zealand Development
3. Australia Development
4. Great Britain
DQ : Australia
Boat Race 3
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. Australia Development
4. New Zealand Development
5. Great Britain
The low down from the last day, NZ Titahi Bay only needed one win on the day to secure the Test series, they managed to grab that in the first race to seal the series win, they also grabbed the second win on the day as the Whale Beach boys got a DQ by not rounding their buoy on the turn,
Whale beach came home in the last race of the day, Well done to Titahi Bay, 6-3 is a good result, they are a top crew but talking to them after, the Aussies didn't make it easy and they worked bloody hard to get the result.
The Development was a lot closer with the day starting at 3-2 to NZ, Piha grabbed the first and then after Dee Why rowed their guts out on the second ( they turned first at the cans even in front of the Senior crews) they again unfortunately got rowed down right on the line when the Piha Boys jumped on a small bump from behind to snatch the series win.
Dee Why grabbed the last race by a fair stretch. Not wanting to take anything away from the Piha victory because they rowed bloody well! The Dee Why boys rowed their guts out and did have a couple of races snatched from them from behind right on the line, but as they say “ That’s Surf boats “
The Great Britain Boys had a good crack every time but just found themselves off the pace slightly, they weren’t far way but great to see them front up and compete and give it their all each and every time.
