Regency Pastimes: Sailing and Rowing Competitions

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Wells for pantomimes and feats of vaulting and ropedancing To these which are the principal amusements of London may be added rowing and sailing matches on the Thames in summer which exhibit scenes of manly contest equally delightful and laudable The Picture of London, for 1803 (1802)

The annual Picture of London would tell tales of sailing and rowing competitions on the Thames in the summer. The Sporting Magazine (1815) tells us of two such events for that July:

SAILING MATCH A silver cup and cover was sailed for on Mon day the 24th on the river Thames and won by the Ludlow Captain Anthony Lyon of Wandsworth the prize was given by a subscrip tion made among a few amateurs of that science Four boats start ed named the Ludlow Spitfire Caroline and Camilla The con test excited much interest as the Caroline Spitfire and Ludlow
were equally matched and they were alternately a head of each other The Caroline passed first round the flag boat moored off Wandsworth meadows the Spitfire second and the Ludlow within a minute after her At this time the Camilla was two miles a stern however in coming down the Spitfire and Ludlow passed the Caroline off Wandsworth after which the contest was entirely be tween the Spitfire and Ludlow and much nautical skill was displayed by the captains of those boats the Caroline and Camilla profited by these manoeuvres and in Chelsea Reach they were nearly up with the two headmost boats the Lud low at last succeeded in getting to windward of the Spitfire and passed the flag boat of Cumberland Gardens where the match termi nated a boat's length only a head of the Spitfire the Caroline and Camilla came in immediately after wards close together the Caroline a head it was allowed by every person that a more severe and well contested match never took place The captains partook of an ele gant dinner at the Cumberland tavern where the cup was pre sented to Capt Lyon ROWING MATCH On Thurs day the 27th inst a prize wherry given by the gentlemen of the Funny Club was rowed for on the Thames by seven pair of oars The contest was to be decided in two heats They started at half past four o clock from Westminster bridge and proceeded round a boat moored the windmill beyond Vauxhall the Surrey shore to the below Westminster bridge through the centre arch This which constituted the first was won in fine style by three AA 2 boats
boats distinguished by colours viz yellow pink and green The con ditions of the wager only allowed the three first boats of the first heat to start for the second They accordingly started again from Westminster bridge to row round a boat at Battersea bridge and re turn to the prize wherry off Cum berland Gardens This heat af forded a strong trial of skill and the prize boat was won by Edward Farlow of Whitehall and John Scott of Bankside The river was burdened by boats and gay com pany A party of Westminster scholars in a fine subscription cutter pulled against the best boats on the river

Vauxhall would host similar events:

VAUXHALL SAILING MATCH AT half past five in the evening ΑΤ of Monday July 21 seven Gentlemen's sailing pleasure boats of various dimensions started for the Proprietor of Vauxhall's annual gift of a Silver Cup and Cover Three of the boats were as small as 4 tons burden each three were of the dimensions of 7 tons each and the other belonging to Mr Fare brother the sail maker was built to carry as much as 17 tons Mr Farebrother's skill as a sail maker was demonstrated in the snug fit and judicious proportion of his sails he also stood well by for the signal had all ready and started directly as it was given This gave him the lead at the outset The St George Capt Gunston however was an excellent sailer she was clean built and carried spanking sails she also was steered with judgment aud pressed very close upon Capt Fare brother's quarter The Amelia car ried her bowsprit away below Westminster Bridge and three others gave in before they reached so far The contest was then con fined to so few competitors that many would have thought the at traction considerably lessened The Duke of Manchester's cutter how ever and several other Gentlemen's pleasure boats were out and from the first of the race to the last the weather was so inviting that the Thames could be walked across by stepping from boat to boat at some places There were some experi ments also made of men walking in the water by means of Daniel's Life Preserver in case of shipwreck Capt F continued his superiority to the end and came in at half after eight the St George was about ten minutes behind and the other two did not come in until it was bear nine o clock All the most fa
shionable part of the company which was really very numerous then finished their day's pleasure by going to Vauxhall Sporting Magazine (1806)

This article (https://www.lassco.co.uk/lassco-news/2019/05/13/the-vauxhall-grand-regatta/) recaps the Georgian tradition of the Vauxhall Sailing Regatta  and subsequently the match that would march into the early years of the 19th Century.

The professional watermen that provided ferry and taxi services on the Thames in London were part of some of the first modern rowing races in the summer, which would attract large crowds to watch the skilled matches sponsored by the guilds, livery companies or wealthy riverside home owners.  Doggett’s Coat and Badge was the oldest known rowing race between up to six apprentice watermen.  The race has been held annually since 1715 (Doggett’s Coat and Badge – Wikipedia).

In the Regency romance world, we tend to think of London as thin of company in the summer, but it was as bustling with activity as a warm summer’s day in London today (well, maybe not as many people, but you get the idea).

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