Shiplake Vikings Rowing Club - Shiplake | UK Rowing Clubs | Row HQ

Shiplake Vikings Rowing Club is a community club on the River Thames between Shiplake and Sonning. It shares Shiplake College's boathouse and waterfront, just upstream from Henley-on-Thames, and is affiliated to British Rowing.

The current club was established in 1985 to support recreational and competitive rowing in the local community. An earlier Shiplake Vikings organisation was active during the 1960s and recorded significant results at Henley Town Regatta in 1963, before the present club was re-formed in the 1980s.

Membership is divided into junior and senior sections with separate session times. Juniors can join from school Year 9 and are coached by year group, with an emphasis on learning skills, building fitness and developing lasting participation in rowing.

Senior membership is open to adults who have rowed before and meet the club's minimum competence standard; the club does not currently offer adult learn-to-row courses. Juniors always train under qualified supervision, and members can use rowing machines and the gym when river conditions prevent outings.

Members can choose between racing and recreational rowing. The club enters local regattas and head races, particularly with its juniors, while other members use the programme for non-competitive exercise.

Shiplake Vikings has produced British junior champions, including an open J15 double in 2014 and women's J18 coxless fours in 2015 and 2016. Its coaches are registered with British Rowing and hold safeguarding, first-aid and DBS credentials.