2 August 2025

By Lauren Hughes

Swift Racing is turning 20.

In 2005, Gareth Gruenbaum, an enthusiastic university rower and volunteer coach with a vision and a suitcase full of big ideas, joined Tim Yang, a sales manager from a Chinese rowing boat builder, and together they founded Swift Racing. At the time, Gareth was living in Japan and they saw an opportunity: to build high-quality rowing boats at affordable prices and in doing so, make rowing a more accessible sport for everyone, everywhere.

Fast forward 20 years, and Swift has grown into one of the most recognisable names in global rowing.

“We’re proud to be the second-largest rowing boat manufacturer in the world by volume, with the widest range of boats of any manufacturer,” Gareth says.

The Vision
What really sets Swift apart is its vision to grow the sport through building a wide range of rowing boat types at various price points, and working with it wide network of distributors to make them easily available all around the world.

“It isn’t always necessary to create something new, sometimes it is enough to take an existing idea or product and introduce it to new countries,” Gareth says.

Every Swift boat – yes, even their most affordable training shells – goes through a rigorous testing process before leaving the factory. For an eight, that includes over 300 data points logged and reviewed, including hull stiffness, weight distribution, and rigger position. That’s not just about performance, it means spare parts can be matched and shipped precisely, even years later.

But behind all that data is something more human: a team of passionate people. Whether an Olympian, a passionate club rower, or not, every Swift employee is fully supporting the mission, to bring high-quality equipment to the customers. Many of the team still row or coach or are otherwise staying connected with the community.

“There’s a real sense of pride,” Gareth says. “Because we’ve all had to rig boats in the rain. We’ve all had to carry a single up a slippery dock with numb fingers. We know how important good design and reliability are, not just on race day, but every day.”

More Than Just Boats
Swift is about more than just manufacturing. The company works closely with national federations, grassroots programmes, and clubs of every size to make sure that rowers, regardless of location, background, or budget, can get the kit they need.

Their team supports World Rowing events around the world, now also as a World Rowing Merchandise Licensee, connecting face-to-face with the athletes and fans who live and breathe this sport. And as a proud World Rowing Development Partner, Swift has helped grow rowing in countries where the sport is just beginning to take root.

In recent years, they’ve worked with federations in Africa, Central Asia, and the Caribbean, delivering boats, oars, and boat course equipment to help new rowers get on the water. Sometimes, that even includes coaching support, logistics advice, or when the occasion calls for it, help fixing a trailer with a borrowed spanner and some zip ties.

“That’s the best part,” Gareth says. “Meeting rowers from every corner of the world, and knowing that we’re part of helping them take those first strokes. That’s why we do what we do.”

Looking Ahead
Swift’s mission is to have the greatest positive impact on rowers and rowing by being not just a manufacturer, but a true partner to the community. They’re aiming to lead not only in equipment, but in ideas, service, and support.

“We’ve come a long way in 20 years,” Gareth says. “But honestly, there are still some really significant ideas in the pipeline, we feel like we’re just getting started.”

To learn more about Swift or to find your local distributor, visit: www.swiftracing.com.