On Sunday 13 April 2025, Goring Gap Boat Club proudly hosted The Goring Lap — a scenic and spirited 3.2km race in Charles Stanley Touring Boats. Nestled between the Chiltern Hills, the club’s stretch of the River Thames offered a breathtaking backdrop for the event, with early spring sunshine sparkling on the water and nature in full bloom.

The event was made possible thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers who turned out in full force. From timekeepers and marshals to cake bakers and chefs to launch drivers, (with Captain onboard), their cheerful presence brought the day to life and ensured everything ran smoothly. The buzz around the boathouse, with boats launching and visiting crews gathering on the riverbank, created a wonderful community atmosphere.

With its perfect mix of friendly competition, beautiful surroundings, and club spirit, The Goring Lap was a great success – and a fitting showcase of everything Goring Gap Boat Club stands for.

It’s about sharing this stretch of river with people who love it as much as we do.

As the river levels fluctuated and the frost settled, our dedicated rowers kept their fitness up with winter land training at Goring Gap Boat Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we swapped the water for circuits and erging sessions, pushing through the colder months with determination and team spirit.

A huge thank you to Richard Berkley and Stuart Cowen for their time, effort, and encouragement throughout the season. Their coaching and commitment have kept us all motivated, helping us build strength and stamina ready for the return to the water, and we even managed a couple of 2k timed rows!

Here’s to warmer days ahead – and to putting all that winter training to good use on the river!

What an incredible effort from our team in this year’s Race The Thames challenge! A huge well done to Annie Cowen, Stuart Cowen, Nadya Larsen, Andy McKenzie, Nick Mills, Simon Peacock, Peter Strutt, and Nick White for their dedication, teamwork, and determination.

Over the course of the event, they rowed, cycled, and ran countless miles—whether on the water, in the gym, or at home—to raise an amazing £760 in support of Mental Health & Youth Empowerment and the Race The Thames charity. Their hard work will help make a real difference, supporting young people and promoting mental well-being through sport.

This challenge wasn’t just about fundraising—it was also a fantastic way to bring our rowing community together, strengthen team spirit, and push personal limits. Whether it was early morning training, late-night sessions, or simply cheering each other on, every effort counted towards this fantastic achievement.

A massive thank you to everyone who donated, encouraged, and supported the team throughout. Your generosity and enthusiasm helped make this event a real success.

Let’s keep the momentum going—who’s up for next year’s challenge?

The Learn 2 Row courses have now been published on the website for 2025 https://goringgapbc.org.uk/l2r/, so if you are a member of GGBC, please encourage friends and family to join these comprehensive courses with learning on the land, in a simulated environment and also in a boat on the river.

Learn 2 Row courses are now the only way to join the club if you are a beginner, but if you have experience and want to get back on the water, then we are always looking for new members.

Once you have completed the course, you will be invited to join the club for, a very reasonable, annual membership. There are regular days that you can row throughout the week and throughout the year depending on weather conditions. Rowers are very friendly at this club if you are thinking of joining to grow your social group, with regular outings during the year, social meet-ups and a big Christmas party.

Provisional 2025 dates are as follows:

Spring Course: Saturday 26 April, Saturday 3, 10, 17 May and Wednesday 7 May

Summer Course: Saturday 5, 12, 19, 26 July and Wednesday 16 July

Autumn Course: Saturday 13, 20, 27 September and 4 October and Wednesday 24 September

There are 16 places on each course. Make full payment to confirm your place. Courses usually run over four weeks. The L2R course price for 2025 is £165 per participant.

Anyone interested in joining a course should contact l2r@goringgapbc.org.uk where you will be given a warm welcome by Stuart Cowen!