Gloucester Regatta
Gloucester Regatta is a two-day regatta held on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal over the August bank holiday weekend. It is run by Gloucester Rowing Club, founded in 1846 and among the oldest rowing clubs in the country.
The course
Racing takes place at Hempsted, about a mile south of Gloucester Docks, on the stretch between Hempsted Bridge and Netheridge Bridge. The course is straight, and crews race from a free start.
A canal has no stream, so neither lane is favoured. Wind is the main variable. The canal stays open to other boats during the regatta, and marshals pass them through between races.
Format
In recent years the Saturday has been given to junior and masters events and the Sunday to open events. Crews new to the sport have their own beginner categories.
A bank holiday pair
Gloucester falls on the Saturday and Sunday. Ross Regatta, about 16 miles away on the River Wye, races on the Sunday and Monday. Many clubs enter both and make a weekend of it. A third regatta at Bristol used to complete the set.
It is the last side-by-side racing of the summer for most crews before the head season begins in the autumn.
Watching
The club’s boathouse stands on the towpath side of the canal, and spectators can follow racing from the bank. The same water is used for Gloucester’s autumn head race, which runs over a much longer course.