Madras Boat Club (MBC) is the second oldest rowing club in India. Founded in 1867, in the early days the Club moved between the Ennore Creek and the Long Tank till it settled on the banks of the Adyar river. Today the Club has a mix of age groups on the water – 12 to 80 years old. Many members row for the pleasure of it, others as a regular workout/fitness regime while some train to compete for the Club and for the state. On its rolls are many champions like Sumana Narayanan the versatile Captain of Boats, Asian Games medallist James Joseph, and Siddharth Sunil.

Top and bottom: on the ergometer – rowing machine. Top photo, extreme right – Sumana Narayanan keeping an eye on the competitions

Talking to Madras Musings, Sumana Narayanan provides an overview about the various activities of MBC. Two marquee events are part of MBC’s annual calendar. One is the ARAE-FEARA Regatta (Amateur Rowing Association of the East-Far Eastern Amateur Rowing Association) which brings clubs across Asia together. Some of the founding clubs include Madras, Calcutta, and Rangoon! The second marquee event is the Madras-Colombo Regatta between MBC and Colombo Rowing Club, Sri Lanka. More than a century old tradition, Mad-Col is a fiercely fought contest alternately hosted by the two clubs.”

State Championship, double scull.

This year, Bengal Rowing Club in Kolkata hosted the 82nd ARAE-FEARA Regatta 2026. Madras Boat Club sent a strong contingent of student and masters (above 30 years) and returned with medals in all events that MBC participated in, except two. It was an outstanding performance by the rowers who delivered exceptional results across Open, Masters, Super Masters, and Grand Super Masters categories, bringing home an impressive haul of gold, silver and bronze medals. “This achievement is a testament to the club’s depth, dedication, teamwork, and enduring rowing culture – Onwards and upwards!” says Sumana with pride.

Gold and Silver medallists of Masters events at ARAE.

Boys single scull medallists at State Championsip.

Talking about Kolkata and Chennai waters, Gayathree Krishna, one of the members of the rowing team which struck gold, says “The Bengal Rowing Club is known for its highly competitive crews, and their familiarity with home waters at Rabindra Sarobar gave them a clear edge. Wind conditions there often make the water choppy, demanding strong balance and quick blade control. In contrast, rowing on the Adyar River involves brackish water conditions, which behave differently – typically with less abrupt chop but more current variation and density differences. Adapting between these environments requires technical adjustments in rhythm, blade entry, and stability.” The MBC team evidently struck the right balance!

Children from the CSR programme who medalled at the State Championship.

Sumana Narayanan explains the gamut of categories that one can participate in the sport. “Rowing and sailing competitions are called “Regatta”. This has two components – one, the races on the water in different categories of boats, ages, and of course for men and women. And two, on the rowing machine or ergometer (gender and age categories are specified).”

“Rowing is done in narrow fiberglass racing shells that require not just physical strength but also finesse to be in sync with the boat and cut through the water efficiently. Then there are two types of rowing – sculling and sweep. Sculling is when each person in the boat has two oars. Single sculls are boats with just one person, and there are double and quadruple sculls as well.”

“Sweep rowing is when each person has only one oar, so there have to be at least two people in the boat to balance it out. Sweep boats include pairs, fours, and eights. These may be coxed or coxless, referring to the presence of the coxswain (or cox) who controls the rudder, steers the boat and commands the crew. Rowing requires synchrony among the crew. It is a full body workout, with a particular emphasis on the legs, followed by the core and back and then the arms. Mental strength is also a key.”

At MBC, in addition to the inter-club events, the dedicated rowers get to row for the state of Tamil Nadu at the national events organized by the Rowing Federation of India (RFI). There are also state level events held through the state body called TARA (Tamilnadu Amateur Rowing Association). In January 2026, in collaboration with TARA, MBC hosted the Asmita Rowing League, which is part of a Khelo India programme for women. About 40 girls participated in the event; of these 10-12 are part of a CSR programme launched in June last year by MBC with the Greater Chennai Corporation schools, and funded by a company that wishes to remain anonymous. It was a first time competitive rowing experience for these girls.

A month later, in February, TARA and MBC collaborated again to hold the 5th State Rowing Championships at MBC. This had events for boys, girls, masters and super masters. And the 15 children (including about four boys) from the CSR programme participated, and some of them had podium finishes as well. Many of them train for the Sub Junior (under 13 and under 15) Nationals in the hope of representing and winning laurels for Tamil Nadu.

Sailing towards its 160th year, the Madras Boat Club now boasts of an excellent rooftop swimming pool, guest rooms, gym, billiards room and a pickle ball court. From cherished annual traditions to informal gatherings, MBC creates an environment that fosters lasting friendships among its members even as it maintains a successful record of team spirit and excellence in competitions.