Rainbow Races

Rainbow Races is our annual charity regatta, an afternoon of sprint racing in scratch crews made of Otters and rowers from other clubs. The crews wear coloured t-shirts to make Pride flags in their boats and each year we select a charity or charities to support.

Our race day in 2024 was the biggest ever, including over 100 rowers from 11 different clubs, and raised over £900 for Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline.

Rainbow Races 2025

When: Saturday 18 October 2025, 2 – 4.15 pm followed by drinks
Where: Royal Docks Watersports, 1012 Dockside Road, London E16 2QT
Who can join: Everyone! Rainbow Races is open to Otters and non-Otters who are confident rowers. It’s a brilliant chance to bring Otters old and new back to the docks.

To sign up, we ask for a minimum donation of £6 which will go to Not a Phase, a charity that exists to uplift and improve the lives of trans+ adults in the UK.

Key information

We’ll be racing 500m in a fun four-lane format, all in our famous Pride-coloured t-shirts (provided on the day).

Our friends at The Dockside Café will be serving top-notch teas, fancy coffees, and delicious cakes and pastries – plus a bar for post-race celebrations. Once again, they will be generously donating their profits from the afternoon to boost the fundraising total.