London Otters hold the largest ever ‘Rainbow Laces’ Event

The UK’s only LGBTQ+ inclusive rowing club will hold its largest ever ‘Rainbow Races’ charity event on Saturday 19 October, at which over 100 rowers from more than 11 different clubs will race to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in rowing and raise money for Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline.
● The event will involve several heats of 500m sprint side-by-side racing in eights and fours. All crews are put together just for the day with rowers from the London Otters and other clubs, and wear coloured t-shirts to make the design of the Pride and Trans Pride flags in the boats.
● The participants are rowers from London Otters RC as well as other clubs, including Globe RC, Lea RC, RUMSBC (the UCL medical school boat club), Curlew RC and at least one former Team GB rower.
● It takes place at the Royal Albert Dock (London E16 2QT) on Saturday 19 October, running 25 pm.

London Otters Rowing Club was founded in 2014 with just a handful of people as a way to help LGBTQ+ people get into the sport and enjoy it in a welcoming and inclusive environment

Since 2017 the club has held an annual ‘Rainbow Races’ event, inspired by Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in rowing and to raise money for charitable causes. This year the chosen charity is Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline, which has been supporting the queer community in the UK since 1974. The format of the event is several heats and finals of 500 m sprint side-by-side racing with all ‘scratch crews’ (meaning they are put together on the day). This will make for exciting races and frequent action. The racing is in a fun but competitive spirit!

The London Watersports Centre (Royal Docks Adventure), the club’s base since its founding, have supported us by hosting the event at the Royal Docks in East London. During the afternoon the club will also be holding a brief naming ceremony for one of its boats. The Dockside cafe will be open and has agreed to donate a portion of its profits on the day to Switchboard.

Alex Jones, the club chair and one of its trustees, said: ‘At London Otters, we’re incredibly proud to host our largest ever Rainbow Races this year, bringing together over 100 rowers from across the country to celebrate LGBTQ+ inclusion in rowing. This event showcases the spirit of our club community, diversity, and pride while raising vital funds for Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline, a charity that has been a lifeline for the queer community for decades.’