Punting
has a long and distinguished history in the UK. Most obviously
associated with Oxford and Cambridge Universities, punting is
practised on a number of rivers. The Thames is however the home of
punting and apart from the colleges in Oxford and Cambridge there are
a number of punting clubs along the Thames, from Wargrave to
Teddington and who compete in regular regattas throughout the summer.
Punt racing developed in the 1880s. Thames Punting Club was formed in 1885
and though no longer a racing club itself it now functions as the
sport's ruling body, setting both the rules for punting regattas and
for setting the handicap of individual punters.
Racing
punting is undertaken in either two-foot wide punts or the narrower
Best and Best boats. There are men's, women's, under 16 and mixed
singles and doubles events. Racing is typically over a 600 metre
course (split into either two or four lengths).
Go to either the contact page to let us know of your interest or to the Clubs page for their details.