Olympic Rowing Boat Finds a New Home on the River Medway

 We are absolutely thrilled to welcome an Olympic rowing boat to its new home on the River Medway, thanks to the incredible support of the Rochester Bridge Trust.

The coxless racing four, which was purchased with a £21,140 grant from the Trust, comes to us straight from use in the Paris Olympics – a truly inspiring addition to our fleet.

This new boat represents an exciting step forward for Medway Towns Rowing Club, giving us the additional capacity we need to support our expanding membership and competitive ambitions. It reflects our continued commitment to providing opportunities for everyone in the local community to experience the sport of rowing — from our popular Learn to Row courses for beginners of all ages, to our junior programme, and our masters rowers who proudly compete at an international level.

We were honoured to officially launch the boat, named Rochester Bridge, on Sunday 11 May. The ceremony was attended by Mayor of Medway Cllr Marian Nestorov, Mayoress Cllr Liubov Nestorova, and local MP Lauren Edwards. The boat was formally named by Russell Cooper, Junior Warden of the Rochester Bridge Trust, who wished her well for many successful journeys — both up and under the bridge she is named after.

On behalf of all our members, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Rochester Bridge Trust for their generosity and belief in our mission. Their support enables us to continue making rowing accessible, inclusive, and inspiring for our whole community.

Ruta Aisthorpe,

MTRC Captain