Coastal Rowing At HBYC
Coastal Rowing Skiffs are a great way to stay fit, enjoy a competitive sport and bring communities together. In February 2019, we launched our first St Ayles coastal rowing skiff, built by club members. The launch of the skiff also marked the official start of a coastal rowing section at HBYC and a new category of membership (see below).
Based on the proven model in the United Kingdom, Skiff rowing is now enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds, from 16 to 80 years of age! Hout Bay waters are ideal for these very seaworthy rowing skiffs.
The Leopard
COASTAL ROWING AT HOUT BAY YACHT CLUB
Hout Bay Yacht Club offers a well established coastal rowing club membership. Join our crews out on the bay and experience the thrill of teamwork rowing the club’s St Ayles Skiff, The Leopard. Your rowing membership includes full Hout Bay Yacht Club membership offering weekly Hunter yacht racing events, the club members raffle and prize draw every Friday and a wide range of social events from live music, big screen matches, wine tastings to bridge club.
The St Ayles Skiff is based on the traditional Scottish Fair Isle skiffs, small relatively lightweight vessels suitable for rowing and fishing in coastal waters. The Leopard is a four crew, single oar, exceptionally stable, seaworthy rowing boat with a coxswain. The club follows the successful model of skiff rowing in the United Kingdom and is part of the global St Ayles Rowing community, regularly welcoming visiting rowers from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales to row in Hout Bay. The Rowing Club has grown enormously in popularity and offers a unique opportunity to be out on the water and increase fitness. Crews range in ages from 16 with mens, womens and mixed crews. Discover the pleasure of working together as a crew, sharing training, laughter and encouragement. Commitment grows, skills are passed on and friendships are forged through teamwork on the water. Train hard together on longer cardio rows and time trials or enjoy the scenic beauty of Hout Bay with a more casual social row amongst pods
of dolphins, penguins, seals and sunfish and maybe even a whale in the far distance. Then relax in the clubhouse afterwards for a well earned coffee, drink or dinner, exchanging rowing stories.
The Leopard was funded and built by HBYC members and plans are underway to build a second skiff, allowing an increased number of crews out on the water and, for those that are more competitive, the opportunity to race. We actively encourage members to participate in the maintenance of the skiff should they wish to do so, and offer the opportunity to become more involved in our rowing community and learn new boat building skills as you help us with the next project to build our second St Ayles skiff. Join fellow members in building the boat and then experience the fun and adrenalin of competing against the Leopard on the waters of Hout Bay in a boat that you helped build and name.
HBYC Rowing members compete annually in the ‘5 Miles From Home’ virtual race against crews from around the world. Adapted during global covid lockdowns the race is along a 5 Mile course open to any club, anywhere in the world in their home waters with results submitted to the race organisers online. Last year our crew had an outstanding race and took almost 5 minutes off last year’s race time.
HBYC offers two complimentary rows allowing you the opportunity to experience skiff rowing before you join. All levels of rowers are welcome. For complete beginners, learning to row is a straightforward, hands on process and our experienced crews
share their expertise with newcomers with guidance from the cox. Rowing sessions are typically around an hour. Bookings are made through a WhatsApp group and you can put your name down for a crew and time that suits you. We offer rows throughout the week, weather dependent, with early and late afternoon rows for those working, as well as both Saturday and Sunday rows. As a rowing member you will also have the privilege of being able to book the skiff for a personal row with friends or family.
The Rowing Club offers regular Rowing social events, braais, lectures and training sessions at The Bridge Deck in the marina where the skiff is moored.
For further information and to organise your two complimentary trial rows and meet the crews please contact Hout Bay Yacht Club on 021 790 3110 https://hbyc.co.za. info@hbyc.co.za
- All non HBYC club members are offered 2 complimentary rows whilst they decide if they wish to join HBYC
- There is no joining fee to Row
- There is no monthly rowing levy either. All HBYC club members are welcome to row at any time. All they need do is ask for their name to be added to the WhatsApp crew booking group
- There is no monthly membership payment unless prior arrangement has been made with accounts department to pay the annual club membership fee monthly but this is not a rowing arrangement
- Guest or visitor rows by non members are charged at R100 per row payable in advance to HBYC in cash or by EFT or TAP your card at the Club Office
- Club and Marina access is by Face Recognition – you will need to become a Club Member and Register your face using a passport style selfie
- All HBYC member benefits apply to Rowing club members
Frequently Asked Questions
All are welcome from complete beginners to all levels of rowers and paddlers. Experienced rowing members will help with basic skills and you'll learn as you go along with help and support from all the crew. Coxing courses are run periodically followed up with on the water training.
The Rowing Club offers 2 complimentary rows to see if you enjoy the experience and being out on the water.
Very much so, rowing as a crew builds friendships. Rows are followed by coffee or drinks at the club and the Rowing club hosts regular social events off the water throughout the year.
A life jacket is compulsory, but the club can provide you with a loaned life jacket until you decide to get your own. General activewear is suggested.
A number of our existing members have volunteered, plus we will have expert help. It is hoped that as new Rowing Members come on board, they will also want to get involved … all part of the rowing community spirit we aim to build.
No problem, With a 3 months notice you will no longer need to pay the rowing fee. Thereafter, if you wish to row only occasionally, you can simply pay an ad hoc rowing fee of R150 and join an organised rowing event.
Simply sign them in (including an indemnity form).
Visitors wishing to row on an ad hoc basis pay R100 up front per row to HBYC . If a non member wishes to do several rows then R500 is paid up front for 5 rows whilst they decide if they wish to join the club. Visiting Rowers from overseas St Ayles Skiff Clubs are welcome to row at any time for no charge on a reciprocal basis. The rowing club will provide a life jacket.
Duration of each row is around 1 hour.
Booking of rows and allocation of crews are managed by HBYC Rowing Club via a WhatsApp Group. Weather conditions and any cancellations are also posted on this group.
What is coastal rowing?
Coastal rowing combines both conventional “classic” or “flat water” rowing with the adventure of the sea. Another part of Coastal Rowing is Beach Sprint Rowing which has the added exhilaration of T20 cricket, small waves and the joy of being on the beach.
Coastal beach sprint rowing:
A relatively new event, the first edition of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals took place in Shenzhen, China in 2019. The event takes place in a beach setting with head-to-head racing taking place in solos, mixed doubles and mixed coxed quads. Raced in coastal boats, it begins with a Le Mans style beach start and goes in a sprint out to a buoy and back. The race ends with one rower from each team sprinting to a finish line on the beach. This discipline is scheduled to be a demonstration sport at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
South Africa in Coastal Rowing so far:
South Africa has competed on the international stage in Coastal Beach Sprints. With our first event having been the African Beach Sprint Championships Tunisia in 2022 shortly followed by the Commonwealth Championships in Namibia the same year. In 2023 we competed at the African Beach Games in Hammamet in Tunisia where we secured a silver medal in the coastal women’s double and a bronze medal in the coastal men’s double.
We attended the World coastal beach sprint Finals 2023 and World coastal championships 2023 (offshore endurance event) in Barletta Italy, as well as Worlds in Genoa Italy where our highest ranking was 8th.
Going forward:
These are the goals we have set ourselves to achieve success, in order for us to get to our first major goal, which is to qualify for and medal in Coastal Beach Sprint Rowing at the L.A. Olympics in 2028.
These are:
- Develop and grow this discipline of rowing in South Africa.
- Start a South African coastal rowing competition series. Here HBYC have been integral as they helped host the very first, official Beach Sprint.
- Start a Southern African championship to grow the sport not only in South Africa but help it to grow in other African countries and give the athletes more experience to help them to compete internationally.
- Compete internationally -on track
- Compete at the world championships – on track
- Medal at the world championships
- Compete and medal at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics of Dakar, Senegal, where the rowing event will take the form of coastal beach sprints.
- Qualify for L.A. Olympics in Beach Sprint Rowing
- Compete and Medal at the L.A. Olympics in Beach Sprint Rowing
Developing the sport within South Africa
In order to grow the discipline and develop it and the skills that go with it we need to establish a national competition structure.
It is our intention to have three to four domestic events per season which will all include skills development workshops and training for both athletes and coaches in line with coastal rowing. Hout Bay Yact Club were proud to be part of the first of these events.
By competing in these national events, athletes will be able to be considered for selection at the International regattas.
How a Beach Sprint Rowing event works:
Unlike traditional rowing, in coastal beach sprints, the athletes are not expected to supply their own boats. Instead, the organisers of the event have a pool of boats that are all identical in manufacture and design to ensure fairness. The competitors may provide their own oars if they so desire, but the boats are all the same. We are very grateful to Kanghua South Africa for supplying superior boats to enable us to have out beach sprint series. In the words of one our Gold Medal winning Olympic rowers on trying a Kanghua Coastal solo. “These are so much better than the alternatives available in South Africa”.
