Welcome to the Alfred Rowing Club site
Note new booking procedures for
boats - see the link to
Boats
in the menu.
Click on the
picture to find out more about
our "Learn to Row" course
Club history
The Alfred Rowing Club was established in 1864 and was housed under the
pier at Table Bay. It was named after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh,
who visited the Cape in the 1860. It is the oldest organised
sporting club in South Africa.
When the Prince visited Cape Town again in 1867, a six-oared boat from the
Alfred Rowing Club put out to meet his ship and escorted his ship into the
harbour. The Prince was so touched that he offered the Royal Charter to
the club. The club declined, in order to prevent jealousy and preserve the
goodwill among the clubs rowing in Table Bay. The Table Bay Challenge, a
long distance rowing event, was traditionally held on Queen Victoria's
birthday (24th May). It was well supported by the public up until the late 1930's.
The following information about Alfred is taken for
the Wikipedia website:
| Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred
Ernest Albert) (6 August 1844 – 30 July 1900), was the third Duke of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha between 1893 and 1900. He was also a member of the
British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen
Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He was created Duke
of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent and Earl of Ulster in the peerage of the
United Kingdom on 24 May 1866. He succeeded his paternal uncle Ernst
as the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in the German Empire on
23 August 1893. |
The links with Saxony (via Saxe-Coburg) is
noteworthy in that Saxons Rowing Club has now joined with Alfred Rowing
Club. Apart from the link to the University of Cape Town (formerly
South African College or SAC), the Saxons name originates from the
Anglo-Saxons who lived in Britain at the time of the Norman invasion in
1066. The Anglo-Saxons originated from Germanic peoples, including
the Angles, Saxons, Frisians and Jutes, who
migrated to Britain after the end of
Roman rule. By the time of Alfred
of Wessex and his successors a kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons existed
in England, which lasted until the Norman conquest.
Registered trisuit colours and blades are as
follows:
The Alfred Rowing Club blade is now a white blade
with a diagonal red stripe, as follows:
Previous colours were:
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Trisuit: |
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Blades: |
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Zeekoe Vlei is located south of Cape Town. Despite the attentions of
the South-Easter it can be a wonderful place to row. A wide range of
bird-life lives and feeds in and around the vlei, which
forms part of the False Bay Ecology Park.
The quiet waters of the vlei are set against the
backdrop of the Table Mountain chain that runs down the Cape Peninsula.
Table Mountain itself is at the North End of this chain and its "back" as
well as Devil's Peak are clearly visible from the vlei.
Hits since 3rd July 2006:
Please note that this website is sponsored by SRMS (Pty) Ltd. See us
at www.srms.co.za
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