Explore Rowing is the official title of the accredited British Rowing Learn to Row programmes. The coaching team at Ross Rowing Club has been running these courses for many years and, as a result has inspired an amazing number of new members in recent years.

Tim Ball, the Mens’ Captain, along with the team of development coaches, is delighted to be able to offer a series of new programmes for 2016. There has already been a lot of interest so if you are keen to try a new sport please go to the Ross Rowing Club website. The Course length is 12 sessions over six weekends, on Friday evenings and Sunday mornings for up to eight persons.  Courses are £82.50 including a year’s membership to British Rowing.

This year’s course dates are: April 1st through to May 8th, May 13th to June 19th and June 24th to July 31st.

In anticipation of an uptake as a result of the Olympic Games the Club is also offering Weekend Taster Sessions on weekends in August to capture the post Olympic euphoria.

Tim Ball commented “We are simply delighted with the programme in the last few years, and as a consequence the Club has an influx of new members who are now making up crews and becoming involved in Club life. We are especially proud of the Ladies in the Development Squad who have recently competed in the Women’s Head of the River in London. The Mens group are now focusing on competing in the local regatta circuit. 

New Starter gets to grip with new sport 

I joined the Learn to Row programme in September 2015. I had spent a couple of years travelling throughout the UK, taxiing my daughter to events, and decided to get in on the action. Watching the Juniors make it look so easy made me think, there’s nothing to this rowing lark. We started the course on the indoor rowing machines, learning a basic rowing technique. The coaches were very patient and enthusiastic. We then progressed to a plastic boat on the grass, getting used to feathering the oars (blades apparently). Then they put the plastic boats on the water, which was very exciting. Within a couple of sessions we found ourselves in fine boats. Within weeks we had picked up a very basic technique which allowed us start going out in crews of 2, 4 and 8. It is six months since I began rowing and I am enjoying it enormously.

At 50, I have found a new level of fitness, lost weight and made new friends. I hope to race this year at some of the smaller regattas and would wholeheartedly recommend the sport to anyone of any age.

As to my initial assessment of it looking easy when the juniors row, I have a new found respect for those pesky kids’ skills in a boat!

If you would like to join one of the courses please either email [email protected] or you can sign up directly on the website at www.rossrowingclub.co.uk.