Dell Quay Sailing Club

DQ now has a rowing boat plus 2 club SUPS, and we also have recently expanded kayak storage. Rowing, SuP, and kayaking are all available as part of Fun Fridays and WOW.

The DQ rowing section has had an excellent start to 2022 in our Celtic Longboat, Seafox, typically with two row sessions nearly every week over the winter period, when conditions permitted. We have also been building links with rowers at Chichester YC, Itchenor, Bosham, Mengeham, Langstone, Tudor Sailing club, the Navy and the Coastal Rowing Academy as part of the 3 Harbours Rowing group.

On Saturday 19 March a DQ rowing squad with John Rogerson, Nikki Buchanan, Iain Campbell, Carl Pisani, Helen Dignum, Chris White, Richard Bland along with Steve and Ally Forest, raced at Northney Rowing Regatta alongside 11 other rowing groups in Longboats and Cornish Gigs, with the DQ team achieving a commendable two 1st and two 3rd places racing against established teams including the Navy and Langstone rowing clubs.

Seafox, is available to row, by all DQ club members, and no previous rowing experience is required, and if you want to get involved then the way to get started is to email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Other useful things to know are;

Seafox is being used regularly during the week for club rowing sessions (most Fridays, and often Mondays and Wednesdays), and new and novice rowers and coxes are always being actively sought and welcomed.  There will also be some weekend sessions.  It is an extremely light boat to row, and typical outings are 2-3hrs with an appropriate pit stop (eg Itchenor or Bosham).

Most of the rowing sessions are currently organised via the rowing WhatsApp group - if you're interested, just email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and ask to be added to this group. However, any club member can row the boat provided a DQ approved cox has booked and is in the crew. There are currently 26 DQ approved coxes listed under the "Rowing" tab on the DQSC website.

Please refer to News under the Rowing tab on the DQSC website for upcoming events, for example rowing taster sessions, interclub racing, regattas. Key contacts include Richard Bland, Martin Moss, Nikki Buchanan and John Rogerson via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Draft Rowing Diary dates 2022:

• 20-24 April 5 Miles from Home (DQ to Itchenor return £10 per crew to enter)
• 29tth April-1st May Isle of Scilly; World Gig Championships;
• 14th May – Hamble River Raid; Random race– all kinds of boats and crews; Great Fun!
• 22nd May – Eastney Cruising Association - Cockleshell Challenge – 7-mile Solent race for Gigs, Skiffs, Coastal Quads and Galleys. Challenging!
• 2nd-5th June Queens Jubilee Celebrations – rowing at a number of Clubs around the 3 Harbours! Watch this space...
• 31st July – LAR/LCRC/LPGC Round Hayling Rowing Race – 13-mile race
• 13th August Tudor Sailing Club – Rowing regatta
• 10th September – Great River Race 23-mile row through London;
• 10th/11th September Mistral Paddle Event Sparkes/HISC Round the Island on the 11th
• 24th/25th September YCRC Bembridge Gig Fest

DELL QUAY Rowing news May 2021 9.5.21

Dell Quay Rowing – Survey update May 2021

Dear Dell Quay Rowers and Coxes

Coming out of lockdown.

Firstly, great to see so many have been out on the water since the end of first stage of lockdown on 29th March, stage 2 with reopening of outdoor cafes on 12 April, and rule of 6 for outdoor activity. There have been several notable outings to the Quarterdeck at Itchenor and to Chi Marina, and including some first-time rowers.

Rowing plan, crew log and sign off (please also see Annexe 2)

The booking cox should also ensure that full crew names are provided to JR at least 48 hours in advance so that billings can be done and H&S sign off for each crew member. DQ Club Rowing Boat operating policy (Aug 2020) Long Boat Operating Policy.pdf (dellquaysc.co.uk) and/or booking Terms of Use is to be updated and a formal standard row log template to sign on/sign off by each crew member used for each session (ie similar to dinghy sailing sign on/off form). This will require the cox (as per booking) to confirm acceptable weather and tide conditions, approximate route/destination, and boat check, and each crew member signing on in the Row log inside the club lobby. This will include confirming that they are fit to row on the day. On return, the cox to sign off in the log and to log if any incidents or equipment damage. Please note 4 no fenders are to be left attached in the CLB.

Coxing

In the last month we have asked the approved coxes to indicate their availability and also issued the SCM Rowing Poll/Survey (see below). Many thanks to the coxes who have stepped up and provided the opportunity for others to row. As many coxes also seek to row, and we have a limited number of coxes, we are suggesting that most row sessions will have the lead cox and someone else in the crew, coxing for approximately half the session each. This will enable novice or relatively inexperienced coxes to gain confidence, and also make sure all the crew, including the cox, get a row. However please note the lead cox, ie who books the session, is responsible for managing the crew. It is recommended that with a novice or relatively inexperienced cox at helm the approved cox should be in stroke position to aid communication.

A list of allocated volunteer Approved coxes to end June is provided in Annexe 1 (and will be reviewed in mid-May). Typically, only 1 session each day has an allocated cox leaving opportunity for other crews to row, so if you have a cox and crew please get this on the booking system and crew confirmed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We suggest the cox sets up a separate session specific whatapps group (with JR included) for each session to help liaison with crew and advise of any late changes. Contact details for all coxes and other rowers are either on the DQRG whatsapp group or in the SCM – Directory.

It is recommended that the Longboat only proceeds south of Cobnor Point /Bosham Channel with an approved coxswain at the helm and with a full rowing plan. If proceeding out of Chichester Harbour, it is recommended that the plan is reviewed by the rowing principal (Andy Morley DQ Training Principal) or another lead cox. Please note advice from the Coastal Rowing Academy (8.2.21) is that for longer rows (eg beyond East Head to IOW etc) we need to communicate with the Solent Coastguard before, during and after, and complete a specific risk assessment. This will be reviewed during the season.

If you would like to train as a cox please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and as well as building up initial experience in club row sessions (see below), we will aim to tailor courses accordingly (eg typically 5hrs spread over one or 2 days)

SCM rowing Survey/poll - Rowing Sessions.

Thank you to all those that have taken the time either to complete the Rowing survey on SCM (or have emailed) to help us to gauge your rowing preferences and best identify when coxes are required. John Rogerson has kindly taken on board all the results and the emails responses. We have tabulated, in the section below, the details of overall results, and indicated where rowers have a first and second preference. In summary, the SCM Rowing survey has indicated that as well as Wednesdays and Fridays, there is also some
demand for Thursdays and Saturdays. From early May we therefore plan to have allocated cox sessions for one session for Wednesday club and Friday club rows, plus either Thursday or Saturday AM on alternate weeks when tides permit and subject to cox availability. Where tides allow the second session will be available for any crews.

We fully recognise that the SCM poll reflect rower’s typical preferences and that your actual availability will vary from week to week. We will thus try to recheck your likely availability at least 1 week prior to the session. The survey is now closed we will take on board any further comments and monitor going forward.

Detailed SCM results

Note: some rowers are available on more than 2 days (eg Nick Atkins).

We have had approximately 16 responses via SCM plus approximately 5 others from the group of approximately 40 rowers, which is great, and provides a statistically sound sample. However, we would like to also hear from those that have not yet responded and take those on board if possible. A couple of points can be drawn from the detailed results;

1. Friday is the most popular rowing day, with Wednesday the next most popular. This confirms that trying to allocate available coxes to these days as priority is correct,
2. There is also substantial demand for Thursdays and Saturdays, and we will try to arrange sessions for alternate Thursdays and Saturdays.
3. There is benefit in establishing groups to form regular crews ie Wednesday Ladies that Launch, Friday Flyers,Saturdays Steamers, and the emerging Thursday Thalassodocrats
4. There is demand to include Rowing (alongside kayaking, SUP etc) as part of WoW and BoB.
5. There is limited demand for Sundays for general rowing, thus minimal overlap with youth sessions that are scheduled on alternate Sundays from 9th May to late September. At least 2 Sundays per month are thus free.
6. The Longboat is NOT currently scheduled to be used as part of junior week (from 24 July)

Crew Kit

The Dell Quay tailored Rowing kit is now available from Uniqueworkwear just follow the link on DQ website to DQSC
Branded Sail Wear. There is a small surcharge if you want full rowing logos on front and back as below, and for
further information contact Paul Wells on 01243 826132.

DQ Local Rowing Events (please refer to rowing news 16/3/21 for more events)

We’re aiming to get the DQ rowers, possibly including youth teams, to one or more of the local events below;

• Saturday 8th May - 5 mile timed run Leg 1 (venue DQ to Itchenor Reach return tbc) Cancelled
  Also see Castle to Crane Five Miles From Home — Clydebuilt Festival

• Saturday 5th June - 5 mile timed run Leg 2
• Saturday 26 June (DQ sailing club regatta with Rowing taster sessions) *
• Saturday 10 July - 5 mile timed run Leg 3
• Sunday 11 July Bosham Rock Up and Row (DQ Youth Rowers and DQ coxes to support)
• Saturday 21 August DQ Row up the Creek & Picnic. (TBC)

Unfortunately, this year we have had to forego the Bembridge Gigfest (reschedule to early July) and the Round Hayling rowing events (Sat/Sunday 26/27 June) mainly due to logistics and trying to cram many events into what is effectively a very short season, although we anticipate rowing activities to extend well into the Autumn this year.

Annexe 1 Allocated cox schedule as at 29.4.21

Cox Session in grey indicates cox required

Annexe 2 : DQ Rowing Session log and crew record template

Download as PDF