Since our AGM and Annual dinner at the start of the year, we’ve been busy! Unfortunately, due to river conditions, the Head of the Trent event was cancelled. Since then, some of the team have been busy behind the scenes making sure we’re ready for the remaining events of the year. This has included all of the hard work that goes into making sure the fleet is ready for all of the events we’ll be attending. This has meant taking vehicles and boats for servicing, replacing and fitting new parts, as well as a day at the boathouse for a big tidy up!
A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make sure we can do these events, so a huge thank you goes to everyone who attends meetings, briefings, writes paperwork and works on keeping all of our equipment up to scratch.
OWL Courses & Powerboat level 2
Ahead of the busy event season, we’ve been running some training courses to provide additional qualifications to members and the public and our volunteers.
On the 27th to the 29th of March, we ran a RYA Powerboat level 2 course at Attenborough sailing club. Over three days, participants learned about powerboat handling, preparing boats for towing, launch and recovert as well as all the necesarry theory. Participants had the opportunity to practice on a range of different boats. All participants of the course passed and now have their Powerboat Level 2 qualification.
On the weekend of the 11th April, our very own Sue Rider ran a RLSS Open Water Lifeguard course for multiple candidates. With time spent in the classroom, practice sessions on land and taking the plunge in the cold water. Once again, all four passed with flying colours!
We’d like to congratulate everybody who passed their Powerboat and Lifeguard courses!
If you’d like to find out about any of our upcoming courses, visit our training courses page to find out more!
Attenborugh Sailing Club Open Day
Each year, Colwick Park Lifeguards is invited to the Attenborough Sailing Club open day. This year, we attended on Saturday 9th May. We assist ASC by providing additional safety cover. The open day is great for those new to sailing to get to try it out in a supportive environment and for the club to rasie some funds. As well as this, ASC provide boat trips on their powered craft, and bring together model boat enthusiasts, the Sea Cadets and stands from those such as the RNLI.
The day was a resounding success with our team helping to assist a few rookie sailors who had capsised or got a little bit stuck. It was a fun day out and we’re proud to be able to offer our continued support to the club.
If you’d like to find out more about Attenborough Sailing Club, you can visit their website here.
City & Masters Regatta
On the same weekend as the Attenborough Sailing Club open day, we were also busy supporting the City & Masters Regatta at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham on the 9th and 10th May. The regatta consists of two days of time trials and racing, bringing together rowing clubs and athletes from across the country for a fantastic weekend of competition.
Our volunteers provided safety cover throughout the event, ensuring competitors, officials and spectators could enjoy the racing safely. With a busy course and plenty of activity on and around the water, the weekend kept our crews occupied as we patrolled the course, responded to incidents and supported event organisers wherever needed.
Thankfully, the weekend passed without any major incidents, although our teams were kept busy assisting a couple of crews and helping to keep the racing running smoothly. One rescue was made by one of our boats, who responded to a capsised rowing boat, rescuing two competitors. The boat was then later recovered by another of our safety boats. Aside from this, another less urgent rescue had to be made when a gust of wind swept a deckchair into the lake! Events like these are always a great opportunity for newer volunteers to gain experience, whilst more experienced members continue to develop their skills in a live event environment.
We also celebrated two birthdays during the weekend, giving everyone a chance to enjoy some well-earned cake between races! We’d like to thank both Chris and Sue for spending their birthday with us on the water! We also were able to finally unite Julie with the Chairman’s Shield award for all she does for the charity.
A huge thank you goes to all of the volunteers who gave up their time to support the event. Your hard work and dedication helped make the weekend another successful regatta at the National Watersports Centre.
What’s up next?
We’ve still got plenty of events, training and socials left for 2026. We’re looking forward to seeing many of our existing and new volunteers as the summer progresses. There’s still time to sign up to Henely Qualifiers, the Henley Royal Regatta, Wilderness Festival, Reading Festival and the National Dragon Boat Finals.
In addition to these events, we’re soon to be announcing another event this summer, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement. Towards the end of the summer season, we’ll be holding our annual end of season BBQ to thank our volunteers for all their hard work this year. The date is to be confirmed, so once again, keep you eyes out for any new information!
Sign up to our upcoming events for 2026 →
Finally we’d like to thank for for all your continued support. Without the time given by our volunteers, partnerships with other similar organsiations and your donations, we would not be able to do what we do.
Thank you.
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