Moment boater steered into regatta yelling ‘you don’t own the f****** water’

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. This is the shocking moment a foul-mouthed boater caused mayhem on the River Thames and narrowly avoided collision with a group of rowers. Scott Keen steered his boat into a closed-off section of the Thames where a summer regatta was being held while yelling ‘You don’t own the f****** water’.

Despite clear warnings, Keen sailed his unregistered boat, Barney McGrew, across the racing line, forcing one boat into a frantic manoeuvre to avoid a potentially catastrophic collision. Keen, from Morden, Surrey, was hit with fines and costs of £4,335 over the episode of river rage at Kingston-upon-Thames last July. Staines Magistrates’ Court heard that Keen steered his boat into a section of the Thames closed off for the Kingston Amateur Regatta, an event established in 1852, swamping rowers and narrowly avoiding a collision.

After ignoring requests to turn back, his cruiser caught the anchor rope of a race stake boat, before he stopped and launched a foul-mouthed tirade at rowers, yelling that ‘they did not own the f***ing water.’. Maria Herlihy, operations manager at the Environment Agency and harbour master of the Thames, said: ‘This incident was a disgrace. Keen showed no regard for the safety of other river users and could easily have caused a tragedy.

‘Quite frankly, it was no surprise to discover that his boat was unregistered, and we are happy with the court result. We hope that this serves as a clear warning to all – anti-social and dangerous behaviour on our rivers will not be tolerated.’. Keen was found guilty of obstructing a boat race and interfering with the safety of persons gathered, failing to comply with a harbour master’s notice, and failing to register his boat for use on the Thames.

He was also found to have navigated his boat dangerously and used abusive language at other river users. He also failed to attend court on January 28 but was fined the maximum penalty of £1,000. An Environmental Agency crackdown on unregistered vessels in the Thames last year resulted in 40 boaters having to pay a combined total of over £55,000 for their offences. Last summer, two boats were involved in a horrific crash as one sailor was thrown overboard during the Round the Island Race on the Isle of Wight.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) rushed to his aid to pull him from the water despite the extreme conditions. Wind speeds soared to 64mph before the shocking incident happened off Yarmouth. The event, which sees boaters sail 50 miles around the Isle of Wight, normally attracts one of the largest fleets of any yacht race. But the severe weather had a major impact last year with 418 yachts retiring and just 153 finishing the race.

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