A boat race is going down the Thames this summer to raise some cash for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The Greenwich Yacht Club (GYC) is hosting the second edition of the Tower Lifeboat Station Yacht Race, scheduled for June 1. All the money made on the day will go towards supporting the Tower Lifeboat Station at Waterloo on the River Thames. Sam Aggas from Tower RNLI mentioned, “Earlier this month, our buddies over at Gravesend RNLI went out to help a GYC member who had busted up their ribs while sailing near Dartford. They got some first aid and a lift back to Greenwich Yacht Club. It’s events like this that help pay for the training our volunteers need to do this life-saving work.”
The race is open to members from any recognized sailing club. It kicks off at GYC, then goes down to Erith and back. Skippers get to pick their own start time after a briefing, taking into account the weather and tides. Results will be figured out using a handicap system to keep things fair for all the different boat types. The winner gets a fancy crystal glass ship’s decanter at a ceremony after the race, with the Mayor-Elect of Greenwich council, RNLI and Port of London Authority reps, and big shots from other River Thames-based sailing clubs in attendance. GYC is calling on sailors from other River Thames clubs to come join the fun.
Richard Phillips, the Commodore of GYC, mentioned, “This race brings together our love for sailing with the important job of supporting RNLI’s life-saving efforts.” GYC has been around since 1908, providing fun times for river workers. It’s located three miles downriver from Tower Bridge, between the O2 Arena and the Thames Barrier. GYC is a registered Community Amateur Sports Club, offering dinghy sailing, yachting, powerboating, and rowing, with all the Royal Yachting Association courses run by volunteers. Back in 2001, the Government asked RNLI to cover lifeboats on a river for the first time, leading to the opening of Tower Lifeboat Station the next year. Today, it’s the busiest RNLI Station in the country, run by volunteers and permanent crew. In June 2023, it became the first RNLI Station to be called out over 10,000 times.
For more info or to get involved, hit up Clive Reffell, a GYC member and RNLI Event Coordinator, at RNLI-2025@greenwichyachtclub.co.uk. So, if you’re into sailing or just want a good time on the Thames, come join in on the race and help out a good cause.
