Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club Long Distance Paddle 2024: river restriction notice
Published 15 March 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wraysbury-skiff-and-punting-club-long-distance-paddle-2024-river-restriction-notice/wraysbury-skiff-and-punting-club-long-distance-paddle-2024-river-restriction-notice
When
Sunday 7 April 2024, 9am to 1pm.
Where
Bell Weir reach, Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club [What3Words///mole.outer.scar] to the rear of Old Windsor Lock Island [What3Words //pushy.give.civil].
Details
Multiple dragon boats and outrigger canoes will race between a marker buoy outside Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club and a marker buoy in the natural course of the river to the rear of Old Windsor Lock island. Racing will continue upstream in the Old Windsor weir stream to a marker buoy placed below the weir. Some of these craft will be moving at high speed.
There will be no racing channel set up. Competing crews are to navigate the river correctly and safely whilst being aware of other river users. Additional marker buoys will be laid around the bend at Runnymede to indicate the correct navigational course.
Masters of non-competing vessels should take up a position to the right of the centre of the navigation channel during ordinary navigation.
Regatta boards will mark the upstream and downstream extent of the course.
Masters of all boats should maintain a safe speed and lookout between Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club and Old Windsor Lock and whilst navigating in the Old Windsor weir stream.
All boats should be navigated in accordance with any instructions given from Environment Agency control points or patrol launches.
Those in charge of boats should be aware that they are responsible for avoiding collision. You should use all available means appropriate to the circumstances and conditions to decide if there is a risk of immediate danger and avoid it.
Bathing or swimming is not allowed in the river near the course during these times.
All directions as to river left and river right 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.