Reading Small Boats Head 2025: river restriction notice
Published 18 September 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
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When
Saturday 11 October 2025, 8am to 5pm.
Where
Caversham reach, Caversham Bridge to Purley Marina.
Details
This stretch of the river will be busy during the event, as up to 150 competitors will be racing at a time. Racing boats will travel downstream and share the navigation channel with non-racing traffic.
Regatta marshals may request non-racing traffic travelling downstream to wait at Mapledurham Lock for a short period of time at the start of each division. Divisions will start at 9:30am, 12:30pm and 3:30pm.
Regatta boards will mark the upstream and downstream ends of the course.
Racing will be held between 8am and 5pm.
You should keep to a safe speed and be aware of other boats near the event.
You should follow any instructions given from Environment Agency control points or patrol launches.
You are responsible for avoiding collisions. You should use all available means appropriate to the situation to avoid risk.
Swimming is not allowed on or near the course during the stated times.
All directions as to the left and right side of the river are given looking upstream.
Byelaws
Nothing contained in these directions shall supersede those parts of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 and the UK Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations 1996 as may be relevant. Particular attention should be paid to byelaws 24-42 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993, Steering Sailing and Speed.
And Notice is hereby given, that it is provided by Byelaw 52 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 that:
The master of any vessel shall except in an emergency not pass any boat-race regatta public procession or gathering for the launch of a vessel or any other event or function which may cause a crowd to assemble on or by the river nor station his vessel thereon in such a manner as would risk obstructing impeding or interfering with such boat-race regatta procession launching event or function or endangering the safety of persons assembling on the river or preventing or interfering with the maintenance of order thereon.
The maximum penalty for breach of the Byelaws is £1,000.
Read our Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993.