Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club is the oldest sporting club in Dorset established in 1865.
We are a member of the Hants and Dorset Coastal Rowing Association and compete at the weekends in a number of races along the south coast between May and September each year. During the winter months we also attend a number of river head races to keep our rowing skills sharp and our fitness levels up! Our National Governing Body is British Rowing
Until August 2011 we were located at our clubhouse adjacent to Bournemouth Pier. However, following our eviction to make way for wider Bournemouth seafront redevelopment proposals, we are now located at the Bournemouth Bowls Club at Meyrick Park and the Hengistbury Head Outdoor Activity Centre on Christchurch Harbour. For further information regarding our accomodation and training times please visit our facilities page.
History
The history below is still under construction. If you have any key dates in the club’s history or old photos then feel free to contact us.
1865 - Bournemouth Rowing Club founded (Dark Blue colours). A lease for a piece of foreshore twenty foot wide was given to the Bournemouth Rowing Club by the Bournemouth improvement commissioners for a rent of £1 per year. Three wooden buildings, two boathouses and a water closet were soon erected designed by the architect Christopher Crabbe Creeke an honorary founding member.
1870 – Club given a one hundred year lease for £100. The first Club Captain – Joseph Cutler was elected and first Annual Dinner held where a four oared Coastal Galley named the ‘Lothair’ (named after a novel by the Earl of Beaconsfield) was presented to the Club by Sir Henry Drummond Wolf, Parliamentary candidate for Christchurch and Bournemouth.
It followed that for many years that the parliamentary candidate made a gift by to the club of a new racing galley. These Racing boats were usually built by the firm of Picket or some other expert at Southampton. And though quite light were designed for sea rowing so they were much stouter than the fine boats used at river Regattas such as Henley Royal Regatta.
1871 – The first recorded season of races took place, between the “Lothair” crewed by four single men And a new racing galley raised by public subscription called the “Adelaide” crewed by married men; the Singles won.
Club Captain Joseph Cutler boasted that he had six men in the club that he would not be ashamed to put in to a six–oared galley against any club in England.
1871 - Bournemouth’s new rivals The Premier Rowing Club was formed (Blue and Magenta colours) and were the proud owners of the galley Alice. Bournemouth had just purchased the Test so the challenge was out – a £20 stake placed for a four mile race to be rowed before the end of June. Bournemouth placed their faith on their own muscles and their new galley the Alice againstthe impudent youngsters in the test. The great day was on June 22 and it was raining hard with a chop – so the race was postponed by the umpire until the 29th. The race was a walkover for Bournemouth who won in 6 minutes and thus extinguished for the moment the vauntinng ambition of their rivals.
1872 – Bournemouth Regatta established as one of the South Coasts major Regattas – crews coming from Dover to Weymouth to compete.
1877 – New Boathouse on ?the Pier Approch site? was built.
1877/8 - Westover Club formed. A gentlemens club of 140 members.
(In future years ?Date unknown? the Westover Club would hold the first floor of the two story boat house with the Rowing Club housed on the ground floor. Later Bournemouth Amateur Rowing Club would become known as the Westover and Bournemouth Rowing Club adopting the current colors of White with Red and Black hoops.)
1878 - Premier R. C. win South Coast Championships with a crew selected from both Premier R. C. and Bournemouth R. C.
1881 – Premier R.C. and Bournemouth R.C combine, taking over the Premier R. C. Boathouse and adopting their colours.
1887 – Further Club amalgamations led to formation of Bournemouth Amateur Rowing Club.
1892 – Two members drowned when two crews were caught in a squall during a row to Studland.
1896 – The Coastal Amateur Rowing Association (C.A.R.A) founded, administered all rowing along the South Coast from Herne Bay to Weymouth
1896 – The neighbouring West of England Amateur Rowing Association (W.E.A.R.A) founded, adminstering all rowing in Devon and Cornwall.
1900 and 1901 – Bournemouth crew win South Coast Championships.
1903 - The Hants & Dorset ARA was founded and originally consisted of seven Clubs – Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Southsea, Southampton, Shanklin and Bournemouth YMCA. The Association was formed with an agreed split from CARA.
1911 - Rowing section lapsed due to the Great War
1921 - 50th anniversary of rowing club
1922 - Bronze memorials to members of the Westover Club lost in World War 1 erected at Richmond Hill and West Beach branches.
1924 - Club reopened after Great War. Rowing Section of the Westover and Bournemouth Club reformed.
1926 - New sliding seat racing galley christened “Westover” by the Mayor Councillor Thwaits.
1927 - Clubhouse re-built.
1929 - Two new fixed seats four oared galley’s”Westover III and IV” christened by Alderman H. Robson
1935 – Club win H&D Novice Championship.
Novice Winners: Williams. L. A, Chaffey. N. A, Carr. R. S. O, Fraser. A. T, Fraser. K. G (cox)
1937 – Club win H&D Junior and Novice Championships.
Junior Winners: Williams. L. A, Chaffey. N. A, Carr. R. S. O, Fraser. A. T, Jenkins. J. G (cox)
Novice Winners: Fraser. R. A, North. F, Herman. G, Spicer. A. J, Fraser. K. G (cox)
1938 – Club win H&D Junior Championship.
Junior Winners : Bristowe. G, Norris. R, Fathers. J, Saunders. N, Jenkins. J. G (cox)
1939 – Club win H&D Senior and Novice Championships.
Senior Winners: Fraser. R. A, Smith. E. B, Carr. R. S. O, Fraser. A. T, Jenkins. J. G (cox)
Novice Winners: Rolls. K. C, Stone. P. W, Carr. D. H, Fraser. K. G, Clarke. K (cox)
1946 - Club reopened after 2nd World War.
1947 – Club win H&D Senior, Junior and Novice Championships.
Senior Winners: Carr. R. S. O, Norris. R, Fraser. R. A, Fraser. A. T, Evans. J (cox)
Junior Winners: Barrow. G, Stone. P. W, Rolls. K. C, Fraser. K. G, Smith. M (cox)
Novice Winners: Pepperdine. M, Clarke. K, Richard. C. Jenkins. J. G, James. J (cox)
1948 – Club win H&D Senior & Novice Championships and the National Amateur Rowing Association Championship Eights for the Desborough Cup. Were the first Coastal crew to row in the London Head of the River and competed in the Olympic trials at Henley, completing possibly the most sucessful period in Westover History.
Senior Winners: Carr. R. S. O, Norris. R, Fraser. R. A, Fraser. A. T, James. J (cox)
Novice Winners: Appleton. D, Thompson. R. F, Hayward. I, Hitchins. J. G, Aston. B (cox)
1949 – Club win H&D Novice Championship.
Novice Winners: Not recorded
1952 – Club win H&D Senior and Junior Championships. In winning the Senior Championship for the fourth time Archie Fraser would secure his place as the most successful rower in Westover History, winning a total of six championships. This record is only rivaled by fellow crewmates Carr. R. S. O and brothers Ken and R? Fraser.
Senior Winners: Thorne. A. J, Fraser. K. G, Fraser. R. A, Fraser. A. T, Poole. K (cox)
Junior Winners: Best. F. B. R, Saunders. A. P, Hayward. I, Hitchins. J. G, Blackie. J. F (cox)
1953 – Club win H&D Junior Senior Championship.
Junior Senior Winners: Best. F. B. R, Saunders. A. P, Hayward. I, Hitchens G. J, Poole. K (cox)
1957 – Westover & Bournemouth Rowing Club legend Archie Fraser formulates the idea of holding an event involving the three South Coast Rowing Associations – the Hants & Dorset ARA, the Coast ARA (CARA) and the West of England ARA (WEARA) – who would provide a champion in each class to compete in champion of champions race at the end of the rowing season. The South Coast Championships was reborn and was first hosted by the Hants & Dorset ARA at Poole. Besides winning in the open events, Westover are yet to win a South Coast Championship event under the new creation.
1960 - Club win H&D Junior Championship.
Junior Winnners: Mathews. D. L, Gilmour. D. R, Dix. G. C, Arnaudy. P. J, Allum. N (cox)
1961 – Club win H&D Junior Senior Championship.
Junior Winners: Whitfield. I, Gilmore. R, Dix. G, Arnaudy. P. J, Stevens. R (Cox)
1963 – Club win H&D Novice Championship.
Novice Winners: Not recorded
1964 - Club win H&D Senior Championship.
Senior Winners: Aston. B. O, Fraser. K. G, Dix. G. C, Stainer. M. J, Ferris. R. A (cox)
1965 - Rowing Club celebrates Centenary.
1966 – Club host South Coast Championship Regatta at Bournemouth.
1975 – Club win H&D Novice Championship
Novice Winners: Not recorded
1976 - Westover and Bournemouth Club (formally the Westover Club) celebrate Centenary year.
1988 – Club win H&D Mens Junior Pairs Championship.
1989 – Clubhouse one hundred year lease expires – reverts to annual lease.
1991 – Club win H&D Mens Junior Pairs Championship.
Junior Winners: Not recorded
1983 - 21 year lease granted to the Westover rowing club for its seafront premises.
2000 – Club threatened with eviction and Clubhouse to be demolished. Members renovate the site to a minium standard to avoid eviction.
2001 - Club win H&D Novice & Ladies Novice Championships.
Novice Winners: Not recorded
2002 – Club win H&D Ladies Junior Championship.
Junior Winners: Not recorded
2004 - Club win H&D Junior & Junior Pairs Championships.
Junior Winners: Vidler. M, Cure. G, Stephens. G, Green. M, Viner. L (cox)
Junior Pair Winners: Not recorded
2005 - Club win H&D Junior Sculls Championships.
Junior Sculls Winner: Powell. W
2009 – The club purchase a new coastal Quad/Four named for Ciss Odel.
2009 – Club win H&D Junior Championship.
Junior Winners: Pulford. K, Baker. J, Smith. D, Lamb. P (Club Captain), Lester. B, Hill. V (cox)
2010 - The club purchase a new coastal Pair/Double named for Pete Arnaudy. Club Captain: 1968-1969, Club President: 1999-2008.
Pete Arnaudy christens his namesake
2011 - The club is evicted from its home on pier approach as part of the Bournemouth Council’s plan to redvelop the sea front, taking up temporary residence at Bournemouth Bowls Club and Hengistbury Head Outdoor Centre.
The old club house – Bournemouth Regatta 2002
