Coaching

FOR EVERYONE

At WLARC we are incredibly proud of our team of coaches and the support they give our members, all of which is included in the full membership fee. Our coaches are volunteers and all are qualified to UKCC Level 2. They’re there to support your rowing goals, regardless of your level of experience, as long as you’re prepared to put in the time practising and putting in place what you’ve learned!

Recreational

ROWING

At WLARC we are an inclusive club and have members of all ages engaged in recreational rowing. There is no pressure to join a race crew if you can't commit the time. We have many members who row with us to stay fit and flexible, who experience the mental and physical benefits of being outdoors and on the water enjoying the company of friendly, like-minded women.

Recreational rowers at WLARC benefit from rowing in the same fine boats that are used by all club members. This is not common, and other clubs use more stable ‘touring’ boats which are suitable for long distance and leisure rowing. We are able to row long distances in the fine boats, and if overnight stays are involved a land based support crew would accompany the trip.

We do take occasional rows through the local locks to venture further afield. Molesey and Kingston, Staines and Wraysbury can be reached in a day out with a stop for a leisurely lunch.

We have also taken part in annual long-distance events such as the Great River Race on the Tidal Thames (we borrow fixed seat boats), the Head of the Dart race in Devon, the Vogalonga in Venice and the ‘Coupe des Dames’ in France. It is great fun to take a crew to different venues and take part in these long-distance events, and the fitness and stamina that is required is built during the regular weekly sessions. Our recreational rowers still challenge themselves and see some great places.

Amazing

WINTER TRAINING

When dark evenings and winter weather conditions hit, we head inside our boathouse for land training, which is typically of 60-90 minutes duration with a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercises. These sessions are organised and run by one of our coaches and they involve a mixture of ergo (rowing machines), core, weights and circuit training

The training aims to build up fitness levels gradually over winter to condition us for the demanding winter head races and set a strong foundation for rowing in general, so they are also important for recreational rowers; in fact, all sessions are structured in a way that accommodates any level of fitness.

Girl Power Facilities

TOP LOCATION

Our club is in an easily accessible location close to Weybridge town centre with ample free parking. We benefit from a beautiful outlook over the weir at Shepperton Lock and a dedicated landing stage providing easy access to the water.

Established on the site of a working boatyard, the club has provided facilities for its members in the original boathouse since the 1920s.

All the boats in our fleet are tailored for women’s rowing. They cover a range of weights and levels of competence; from beginners to racing crews.

A  comprehensive range of appropriate equipment is avaliable for land-training: a stretching and core exercise area, rowing machines and free weights.

We have a social area and kitchen facilities for the all-important post training cuppa,  showers, changing rooms and a cloakroom area.

Our club is run by volunteers and all our facilities are maintained and developed through the skills and commitment of our club members.

The best stretch of river

ALWAYS DIFFERENT

Our club is situated on the River Thames at Weybridge and our home stretch runs downstream from Shepperton Lock to Sunbury Lock (approximately 3km).

"An outing with WLARC may be anything from a full-on row at race pace to a gentle sunset paddle when the world is put to rights and the cygnets are tucking up for the night. No two outings are the same. We are very fortunate to have the privilege of rowing on one of the most beautiful stretches of river." Gilly Dean

Interesting features:

• D’Oyle Carte Island
• Desborough Island: an area of grass and woodland popular with dog walkers
• The Old River: the original path of the river through Shepperton, prior to construction of the Desborough Cut as a flood control measure
• Desborough Cut: a 1km straight stretch ideal for training when being coached from the bank
• Cowey Sale: more open water leading down to the new Walton Bridge
• The Anglers and The Swan pubs
• Tumbling Bay Weir

Wildlife:

This stretch of river is home to a wide variety of birds: swans, geese, ducks, coots, herons, kingfishers, grebes and many more. Parakeets and black-headed gulls scream overhead.  Feral terrapins can be seen near D’Oyle Carte Island and mink also swim past.

Is rowing for you?

LEARN TO ROW COURSES

Interested in taking up rowing, but not sure if it’s for you? Contact us via email to arrange a chat with one of our coaches to find out more about what’s involved and them sign up for one of our ‘Learn to Row” courses and give rowing a go!

Our course runs over 8 sessions including land-based and on-the-water sessions, during which you will learn all aspects of sculling technique (two oars), safety, boat handling and the rudiments of risk assessment and navigation.

To enjoy learning to row, you need to have at least a basic level of fitness and flexibility, so that you can, for example, lift and carry your share of the boat weight, lift the boat in and out of the water and get yourself in and out of a boat safely without help.

What if I have rowed before?

Return to rowing

We offer intense refresher training for people who have sculled before, to get them up to speed quickly again with sculling technique, safety and steering on our stretch of the Thames. If you rowed at school, college, or another club and are thinking about getting back into the joys of the river once again, then contact us via email and we can arrange a chat with a coach about the possibility.

If Racing

ROCKS YOUR BOAT

Racing is open to all members with a good level of fitness, appropriate technical capability and steering competency.

WLARC racing crews have the opportunity to enter a wide range of races - from local regattas in the summer, to local and national long distance head races in the winter. We also host our own regatta every year.

Racing at WLARC can be a fun part of training and an end goal for your crew. The ultimate aim is to bring home that nice shiny pot! We are always in it to win it! Joining a racing crew at WLARC is a great opportunity to reach your rowing goals by joining a competitive rowing environment with like-minded competitive women.

Friendliness, Fitness &

FUN

WLARC is, for many of our members, not just about being part of a rowing club offering great rowing experiences in a lovely location. It’s also about meeting with like-minded women. Many of our members have found new friends via the club, support each other in other aspects of life and meet socially outside of the rowing club.

At WLARC we recognise that having a social element to our club is important for effective teamwork in the boat, and in the successful running of the club. WLARC organises a number of fun social events throughout the year. Our events are both on and off the water ranging from Christmas fancy dress rows to summer garden parties.

Our club is 100% run by volunteers. We care greatly about our club and are very proud to have so many of our members involved with the running of WLARC.

Cutting the grass or carrying out boat maintenance is much more fun when you do it together and when you can have a bit of a laugh doing it. Our land training sessions can also be 'belly achingly' fun.

Having a laugh just makes everything a little easier!