From city to coast: England’s regattas are back in action
Poplar Regatta and Exmouth Regatta show that unpredictable weather and incredible volunteers are a constant across all English rowing events
Credit: Carole Milligan (Poplar Regatta) and Tom Hurley (Exmouth Regatta)
On 17 May 2026, the waters of East London’s Royal Albert Dock came alive with the phenomenal energy of the annual Poplar Regatta. Set against the striking backdrop of London City Airport, the roar of jets was matched by the cheers of spectators as crews from across the country battled it out.
The conditions tested the mettle of every athlete on the water. A persistent Westerly head-wind, with gusts occasionally exceeding 15 mph, made for challenging, dynamic racing. Yet, the calibre of rowing remained exceptional across the board.
Credit: Carole Milligan
The sheer scale of the day was a testament to the thriving state of domestic rowing. The regatta featured 52 events and 76 races spanning everything from singles to eights, and from J14s to top crews from Leander and Oxford Brookes. In total, crews travelled to the regatta from 47 different schools and clubs.
243 miles south west of London, the 25 April 2026 saw Exmouth Rowing Club maintain last season’s dominance of the Coastal Rowing League at Exmouth Coastal Regatta.
Credit: Tom Hurley
Unpredictable, gusting coastal winds had scuppered the season’s earlier regattas at Plymouth Mayflower and Chichester Harbour, but this did not deter crews from as far as Tees, Hayling Island and Carrick, as well as more local opposition, from braving Exmouth’s 4 km and 6 km courses.
Credit: Tom Hurley
In total 37 quads, 10 double sculls and 10 singles battled the Fairway tideway’s choppy challenges and a serious swell, set up by a week’s onset of Easterlies.
The largest entries for Exmouth Regatta were in the Women’s Coxed Quads, Mixed Coxed Quads and Mixed Masters (+50) Coxed Quads. A record number of novices from Exmouth, Carrick and Mayflower also mastered their first competitive strokes over a 2.5 km course under the watch of four safety boats.
Credit: Carole Milligan
At Poplar, London Rowing Club came out on top of the Open Victor Ludorum, with University of London winning the Women’s competition. Westminster School Boat Club and St Paul’s School Boat Club finished second and third in the open, whilst Oxford Brookes Boat Club and Surbiton High School Boat Club completed the Women’s top table. Full results are available here!
Exmouth Rowing Club won the day at the coast, with Teign Rowing Club in second place and Carrick Rowing Club in third.
Whether you’re at the London Docks or on the Devon coast, unpredictable weather is one of the predictable parts of rowing. Exmouth’s president was skipper of one of the safety launches and doubled up as the event’s photographer.
Credit: Tom Hurley
“Some of my best shots today show not even head and shoulders but merely brave heads rising above the swell. Some foundered for a few strokes, others missed their line between turn-buoys with the truculent tidal currents. But all managed to surf back safely down the dog-leg homeward Fairway towards heaven on Exmouth’s sandy shores.”
Another constant across British regattas are the phenomenal teams of club committee members and volunteers who put on the events.
Credit: Carole Milligan
The success of Poplar Regatta lies in its community, with a monumental logistical effort behind the scenes.
Poplar’s Club Captain, Ben Gliniecki, perfectly captured the mood of the day:
“Seeing the rowing community come together at the Royal Albert Dock is always incredibly special. I look forward to it every year. The racing was fiercely competitive, and head wind conditions are always tough. But what really makes this regatta a success is the phenomenal spirit of everyone involved. To pull off an event of this scale takes a lot of work, and we are immensely proud of the dedication shown by our volunteers, umpires, and supporters.”
In total, over 100 helpers and volunteers gave up their time to ensure the regatta ran safely and smoothly.
Credit: Tom Hurley
Club Captain Richard Robinson was equally enthusiastic about the support received at Exmouth.
“This was E.R.C. at its very best! The post-Easter crowds on the Queen’s Drive promenade were well entertained. A great team effort in marshalling boats and trailers, starting races on time and painting our sunny beach red with our glowing success, our traditional hospitality and our bright club colours.”
Do you have a story to share from your club? Let us know at [email protected]!
