Reflecting on 2023 and welcoming you all to the 2024 season.

Written By Kirsten Melin

Rowing Adventures Ltd is now open and the scheduler shows all the availability between now; Easter 2024 until October 2024.

Through 2023, RA continued to offer sessions to Try Indoor Rowing, Try Outdoor Rowing, Try Adventure Rowing, Try Competitive Rowing and Demo Boat trials- ‘Try before you Buy’.

The aim is to always offer a balanced programme for YOU to decide what rowing looks like for YOU, with a progressive session by session approach.

Anyone who shows interest in joining a rowing club is encouraged to attend a Try Crew Row session ; in a Quad, to apply their sculling skills in a synchronised crew situation and see if they enjoy it…most do!

Since 2020, 589 rowers have passed through RA.

We are now ready to welcome the next wave…

…let’s see how much fun we can have this year.

NEW for 2024

REVIEW and GROW… the following additions have been included for this year’s programme.

LEARN

  • Regular GROUP Lagoon sessions for anyone wanting to consolidate skills (or refresh after a long pause), can do so in the safety of the lagoon. I will be afloat to assist if/when needed. Minimum 2 or I will offer to convert to a 1:1 session instead.

  • New Adult Learn to Crew Row Course for those who don’t need emphasis on single sculling, but want to row in crews only.

EXPLORE

  • Adventuring in Quads in various locations in the UK and abroad.

  • Adventuring in Gigs in various locations in the UK

COMPETE

It’s been a fun and very busy winter, testing out new adventuring partnerships with Lymington Amateur Rowing Club’s NEW Quad Adventuring, Jurassic Coastal Rowing in Exmouth, The Coastal Rowing Academy in Northney/ Chichester and Ebb and Flow Ocean Rowing, Christchurch.

Adding these to the existing programme with The Coastal Rowing Centre at Knoll Beach. Studland, we now have a very diverse offering.

Professional Development

I have been coaching all winter, both with some existing RA rowers, in singles and doubles and the Lymington Amateur Rowing Club (LARC) Junior Development Squad and Recreational Rowers in quads and fours. I support all new members; rowers, coxes and beginner coaches.

The club have successfully fundraised for a NEW Swift Coastal Offshore Quad to support developing new Juniors and Recreational Rowers and offer a Quad Adventuring programme (launch April 2024) and the option to race in the ever growing Offshore Coastal Rowing events.

I have qualified as a British Rowing Go Row Indoor Instructor (a new refresher course) and enjoyed running a 5 week Beginner Indoor Rowing Course @ LARC.

I have been busy getting my last few certificates to be fully qualified to co-skipper adventuring trips for Rannoch Adventures; the world leader in Ocean Rowing. It’s a vibrant and ever growing community that I am proud to be part of.

Dawn at Aurora Sea School (highly recommended by Rannoch) has rowed the Atlantic 3 times (her first being 51 days in a single) , the Pacific and many miles of the UK coastline. She rows the talk!

RYA First Aid refresher (relevant for Ocean Rowing and Marlin strikes), Sea Survival, VHF and RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship.

After successfully rehabilitating my back injury last year, I will race in the Coastal Rowing Offshore League in Swanage and Plymouth, I will co-skipper Rannoch’s 5 day adventure through The Caledonian Canal on Roxy in June, I hope to be selected to race for LARC at Henley Masters Regatta in July and I will adventure race ‘Monster the Loch’ (21 miles) in September.

Kirsty. Sunrise. Solent. Happy

…. and within minutes of this photo, we were joined by a harbour seal.

A perfect day.

Kirsten Melin
Next

LARC: Learn to Crew Row