Tips for parents

Attending the regatta

There is no parking available on the regatta site, unfortunately. There are public car parks in the centre of Thames Ditton and at Hampton Court train station, both of which are about 15 minutes’ walk from the regatta. More on parking and getting to the regatta is available here.

The Regatta site is fairly compact – please be aware of crews carrying boats to and from the river before and after their races. Crews have priority and spectators should take care to stay out of their way to avoid injury.

One of the clearest views of the action at the Regatta is from the grass around the upstream boating area (the one further away from Kingston Grammar School boathouse). However, spectators in this area can impede crews boating, which can cause
the regatta to fall behind its tight schedule. Please be aware of the needs of crews and
respect the instructions of marshals who will be ensuring that the way is kept clear for
crews.

If you bring a gazebo to the Regatta please consult a parking marshal before erecting it – we need to get a considerable number of boat trailers on to the site, and injudiciously-sited gazebos can take up parking space which is needed for boat trailers and rigging. If your gazebo is in the way of boat trailers you may be asked to move it.

Should you wish to help your child’s crew get on and off the water, it’s always worth checking first with their coach before doing this. The coach will be able to advise how to help carry boats/blades without risk of damage to equipment or injury to yourself.

Equipping your child for the regatta

Please take note of the weather conditions (which can be very variable) and send your child with appropriate clothing (enough clothing for colder weather, waterproofs for wet
weather) and be aware that sitting for long periods on a river bank can be a cold business, especially in adverse weather conditions. There is very little shelter on the Regatta site, so adequate clothing (multiple sets) is a must. The rules of racing only require that all rowers in a crew wear the same kit on their top layer above the waist (i.e. if they are wearing an ‘all in one’ it doesn’t matter what colour/sleeve length top they have underneath it. Coxes can wear anything and must be kept warm and dry.

Please provide suitable footwear for paddling (as boats are launched from beaches) e.g.
wellingtons, crocs, or flpflops/sliders.

Sunscreen and a cap or other sunhat are advised in good weather.

We look forward to seeing you!