18/06/2026
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our dearest friend and fellow oarsman, Jeremy Laming. He was one of Southsea Rowing Club’s most accomplished athletes and he sadly passed away on Sunday 31st May 2026 after a road traffic accident on 19th April left him with a traumatic brain injury.
His funeral will take place on 27th June, our 2026 Southsea regatta date, his birthday and exactly the 27th anniversary of his Portsmouth Grand Challenge Cup triumph.
He began rowing at Southsea Rowing Club in 1992, winning his novice race at Itchen Regatta in 1993 and finishing runnerup in that season’s Hants & Dorset Junior Championship. In 1995 Jeremy won the London Pairs Head in a double scull with Simon Tout, while rowing for Marlow Rowing Club.
Jeremy returned to Southsea in 1999 and went on to winning the Portsmouth Grand Challenge cup together with Rob Stearne, Andy Stearne and Simon Tout, coxed by Sophie Gore. He went on to secure second place in the Men’s Senior Four invitation race at the South Coast Championships at Swanage.
After that experience Jeremy famously declared, “We might as well win it,” and, true to his word, he set about developing a training programme for the following year and clinched the prestigious Bideford Bowl at Appledore in 2000.
He was also the cofounder of the Henley Swim, an openwater event he ran for 20 years, where over 1000 competitors would swim the Henley Royal Regatta course.
In a tribute to his legacy, the 2026 race for the Portsmouth Grand Challenge Cup at Southsea Regatta is being sponsored by his crew in his honour.
Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones 🙏🕊️
