Fine Boats are extremely narrow and long rowing boats specifically designed for racing. The boats are fitted with outriggers to hold the oarlocks away from the boat and have sliding seats to maximise the transfer of energy from the rower to the boat. As well as being fast, due to their shape they are also unstable making the skill of combining maximum effort with balance essential.

Whilst Fine Boats are predominantly used on rivers, Torquay Rowing Club has been rowing and racing on the sea for over 140 years only made possible by the somewhat sheltered waters of Torbay.

With the exception of singles, boats for more than one person can either be sculled (two oars per person) or rowed (one oar per person) and is sometimes called sweep oar rowing.

The Club competes in most, and hosts one of the ten, regattas in the West of England Championships under the rules of the West of England Amateur Rowing Association (WEARA). The Championships are contested in five categories (Junior, Novice, Senior A, B and C) in Fine Fours for rowing and in various categories, but predominantly Singles for sculling.

Torbay Royal Regatta is held every year on the fourth Saturday in August. Entries are also welcomed from any club outside of the WEARA region.

Outside of the main racing seasion, the Club often competes in Head Races (time trials) and has been known to row 'up country' in British Rowing events.

A new addition to our Fine Boat training programme has been the use of our Offshore boats, purchased with assistance from the Sport England Sports Match initiative and sponsorship from the company of our Life Vice President Joe Woods.

All are sculling boats, both pairs and quads, and were bought to maximise our rowers' time on the water even in rougher weather. These boats have also brought about new opportunities to compete in newly recognised FISA Coastal Rowing events.