Inaugural RoWindermere tour sets high standard for sustainability

Wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of participants in this new event set in stunning Cumbrian scenery

The approximately 20km tour on Windermere saw 11 crews in stable coxed quads enjoy rowing from Fell Foot to Bowness and back on Sunday, 15 September. Mother Nature provided a few challenges, with high winds on the previous evening preventing crews from going afloat for a practice paddle, and steady rain during the tour itself. However, the participants fully embraced the ideas that rowing is an outdoor sport, and that the beauty of the Lake District depends on a regular resupply of water!

The tour was organised by volunteers from British Rowing’s North West Regional Rowing Council in partnership with Windermere RC, and was supported by external partners Love Windemere and Delphis Eco. The Love Windermere partnership is working to bring about a healthier future for the lake and the surrounding area, balancing the needs of nature, the community and the local economy. Delphis Eco is the UK’s leading eco-friendly cleaning products company, and has a wider partnership with British Rowing, which includes a 10% discount for all members of the rowing community.

Windermere RC and the Active Base at Fell Foot were exceptionally generous hosts. They shared their wonderful facilities with the visiting crews, helped with boating from the pontoon, and provided a boat cleaning station, warm showers and changing facilities. They also organised a fun ‘Chilli and Quiz’ evening before the tour and tea, coffee and delicious homemade cakes afterwards. Tour volunteers – who were known as ‘Herdwicks’ (after the native breed of sheep that features on a popular range of Lakeland souvenirs) – manned the safety boats and guided the crews to the lunch stop at National Trust Harrowslack and back. Participants particularly appreciate the shelter, Portaloos and hot drinks at the half way point!

Chair of RoWindermere Roger Heise is keen to see the tour established as an annual event and said, “RoWindermere sets out to foster a spirit of exploration, teamwork and community while enjoying the beauty of nature from the unique perspective of rowing.”

Every athlete and volunteer received a dry-bag and a wooden ‘eco-medal’ bearing the tour and Love Windermere logos, while each participating club was given two bottles of Delphis Eco’s multi-purpose eco-friendly cleaner to use back at their boathouses. As well as Lakeland RC, other clubs involved, either as crews, organisers or Herdwicks, were Agecroft RC, City of Sheffield RC, Grosvenor RC, Lakeland RC, Northwich RC, Lancaster John O’Gaunt RC, HexhamRC, Tyne United RC and Warrington RC.

All crews followed the ‘Clean – Check – Dry’ mantra, cleaning their boats before and after the tour with the Delphis Eco cleaner to reduce the risk of transference of invasive species. Warrington RC remarked that the boat they had kindly lent to the City of Sheffield crew had never been so clean when they got it back!