Last week, Clydesdale ARC had the pleasure of hosting two visiting French rowing clubs – Boulogne 92 from Paris and Cercle Nautique d’Annecy from the French Alps – at our home on the Clyde.
These visits were a fantastic opportunity to share the water, exchange rowing culture and strengthen connections within the international rowing community.
Boulogne 92: Touring Scotland’s Best Waters
Boulogne 92, one of France’s largest rowing clubs based in Paris, is currently undertaking a rowing tour of Scotland’s most scenic waters. Their itinerary includes Loch Lomond, Inverness, the Tay and Edinburgh, with a stop in Glasgow to explore the Clyde and the historic West Boathouse.
The club is no stranger of this type of trip, regularly travelling as a group to discover rowing destinations across Europe. We were delighted to be one of their chosen stops and to welcome them onto our stretch of the river.
Cercle Nautique d’Annecy: A Weekend at the Clyde
We were also joined by Cercle Nautique d’Annecy, based in the Alps just across the border from Geneva. They chose a rowing destination and reached out to clubs willing to host, and we were glad to say yes!
Annecy rowers joined us for a day of outings and conversation, making the most of the Clyde and its surrounding scenery from a new perspective.
On and Off the Water
Both visiting clubs joined us for a full tour of the river – rowing from the boathouse up to the Polmadie straight (6km upstream) and back. Rowers from Clydesdale who joined them on the water included Jacqueline Irons, Seamus Keating, Ben Marren, Margaret Maclean and Ryan Finnigan. It was a pleasure to mix crews, share stories, and enjoy a paddle with new friends from across the Channel.
Back on land, we extended our famous Clydesdale hospitality with tea, cake and conversation in the crew room, giving everyone a chance to unwind and chat after their row.
These exchanges are what make our club special – sharing not only boats but also our love of the sport with visitors from near and far.
It was a pleasure to host both Boulogne 92 and Cercle Nautique d’Annecy, and we hope to see them again in the future, either back in Glasgow or perhaps one day in France.
Merci et à bientôt!