Coffee Cruisers to Harbour Champions

Around 4 years ago my wife, Kim and I relocated to West Sussex to be near our daughter and her children. In a bid to become established in the area where we now live Kim thought she would give DQSC a try.

Kim liked the idea of Harbour rowing. She made some enquiries and after an enthusiastic welcome from Nikki Buchanan, she signed up for a free try out in Seafox. She was hooked from the off! The warm welcome she received from all within the rowing section, coupled with the fresh air and tranquility of social rowing and visits afloat to other local clubs saw her signing up as a new club member and keen to get back in the boat as soon as possible!

A few short weeks later, Kim asked me to fill a vacant seat in Seafox as her guest. I agreed and at the age of 60 that became the start of my obsession with rowing.

Over the next 18 months or so I learnt about rowing under the guidance of the likes of Martin Moss, Richard Bland and Nikki Buchanan. During that period I also competed in some of the informal regattas which took place around the harbour at that time. Having played competitive sport for most of my adult life I immediately knew this was the direction I wanted my rowing to take!

Wind the clock forward to around February 2024 and I was pleased to accept an invitation to become DQ rowers race skipper. A great deal of discussion amongst our lead rowers was undertaken around this time to lay down the groundwork upon which a successful racing section could be built. This included the provision of dedicated training days and compiling a diary of local events to compete in.

In the months that followed, around 20 of our active rowers signed up for competitive rowing and early results during the summer of 2024 were very pleasing. DQ racers took silverware at the Hamble River Raid, Round Hayling Island Race, the Cockleshell Challenge and The Tudor Challenge.

As the summer 2024 drew to a close, an exciting, new competition was launched amongst clubs within the 3 harbours of Chichester, Langstone and Portsmouth, the "Celtic Longboat Winter Series" (CLWS). This involved 6 clubs from DQ, Itchenor, Bosham, Emsworth Slipper, Emsworth SC and Langstone hosting a series of single class regattas.

In tandem with the advent of the CLWS , the lead rowers at DQ agreed that we should give the London Great River Race a try (GRR). The GRR is a 21 mile handicap race for fixed seat rowing boats with 4 oars or more, along the Thames in London from Millwall to Ham. The race is conducted in a manner designed to uphold the traditions of the Thames Lightermen and every boat must carry a passenger. Given the enormity of the event it was agreed I would select a crew by invitation with a view to undertaking a year of training and preparation to ensure the best chance of completing the course and in the hope of "giving a good account of ourselves" in that first endeavour. Within a week or so my crew was selected and "signed up".

The new schedule of CLWS races between October 2024 and April 2025 "upped the ante" at DQ. Our rowers embraced and revelled at the prospect of ongoing winter competition. They trained and competed hard and emerged victorious as the 1st 3 Harbours CLWS Champions.

Over the same period our Skippers Invitation Crew became a familiar sight on the water in Seafox, both early mornings and late evenings - rain or shine, frost or snow as they acquired and refined new racing skills, lost weight and gained a level of fitness most of us have not enjoyed for some considerable years!

Summer 2025 has repeated the local successes of 2024 with wins at the Round Hayling Island Race, the Tudor Challenge and the Cockleshell Challenge where our mixed crew (men and ladies) secured a very satisfying overall winners trophy. That win was taken whilst sporting the new and very smart DQ race strip, designed and procured by Nikki Buchanan!

The 2025/26 Celtic Longboat Winter Series commences on 4th October 2025 and all our crews are currently training in preparation for the defence of our "3 Harbours Champions" title.

The London Great River Race now sits immediately ahead of us. On 20th September cox Nikki Buchanan and oarsmen Nigel Foster, Andrew Graham, Andrew Buchanan and Iain Campbell will compete under the auspicious crew title of the "Quay Players" against 280 other crews from across the UK, Europe and the United States. We are very pleased to be joined by DQ Vice Commodore Sarah Haig who will fulfill the role of passenger. The crew would be delighted and grateful to anyone who is able to come and support on the day. See details below.

Reflecting on my time at DQ thus far, I'm very pleased to be part of such a great club. I'm grateful to all those who "make things happen" in whatever role they perform but it's also great to be around those who simply come down to do the things they love doing and be part of an active and positive community. I believe the club has a great future ahead but we will need a bigger trophy cabinet!!

Nigel Foster.
DQSC Rowing
Race Captain