Archive for August, 2010

Well Saturday was a great day for rowing in North Berwick, sadly the wind was just too much on Sunday for any racing. Well done to the following crews for winning the round Craigleith race:-

• Men’s Open Rowing race:  “Coigach Lass”, Achiltilbuie
• Women’s Open Rowing Race:  “Boatie Rows”, Port Seton and Cockenzie
• Mens over 40 Rowing Race:  “Boatie Rows”, Port Seton and Cockenzie.
• Women’s  over 40 Rowing Race:  “Chris O’Kinnard”,  Anstruther

More photos here

North Berwick became the first community to have use of two St Ayles skiffs, when their second was named, launched and raced on Saturday 28 August 2010.  The boat is named “Skiff John B.” in memory of the last Provost of North Berwick, John Macnair, whose family donated a substantial sum of money to allow the kit to be bought.  The boat was pushed from John Macnair’s former home in Forth Street to the beach,  led by the North Berwick Pipe Band.  John’s son, also John, was heavily invovled in the building of the boat, and was joined at the ceremony by his brother Billy and sister Wendy, and a crowd of around 400 people.

The small community of Catterline on the Aberdeenshire coast has received its first St Ayles skiff kit.  The builders are doing some finishing touches to their workshop before boat building starts in earnest.  More information  and contacts for the build can be found here:   http://catterline.org/coastalRowing

We understand that East Lothian Yacht Club will be hosting St Ayles skiff racing at North Berwick as part of their annual traditional boat muster.  The outline plan is to have long course races on Saturday morning in open and over40 categories for men and women.  The intention is to race around Craigleith, which should take crews between 20 and 30 minutes.  The afternoon will feature sailing events, although there is also a raft race in North Berwick bay (organised by others in aid of RNLI) starting at 4.30pm.  On Sunday it is anticipated that there will be races in mixed open and 40+, and mens and womens and mixed 18-, and 55+ over a more usual 600m course involving a starboard 180 turn.  Note 55 rather than 60, in the hope we can get a bit more participation amongst the baby boomers.  CAn we find some womens crews in this cateroty?  More details to follow when we have them.

We have a had a lot of weird & wonderful subscribers added to the user list of this blog, many with Russian email addresses.  As these are “junk” subscribers, I have deleted a large number of subscribers who I believe fit in this category.

If I have deleted any genuine names, my sincere apologies – please re-subscribe, but please put a real name against your SCRA username when doing so.

Alec Jordan

UKCC Fixed Seat Rowing Course

Further to Ian Clark’s email around the association on 14th July there has been a small but encouraging uptake of the UKCC course being run by Welsh Rowing at Aberystwyth Rowing Club on 10th-13th September. Three members of Royal West have confirmed their attendance and there is interest from Ullapool, North Berwick and Cumbrae. Applications need to be with Sarah Hayward or Welsh Rowing by Friday this week.

The course covers

• Safety on the water
• Management of risk & incidents
• Developing technique, skill and fitness
• Planning and reviewing goals
• Checking and setting equipment

At the end of the course the participants should have a very good understanding of approved coaching policy and technique as well as a nationally recognised coaching qualification. They can use this for the benefit of their clubs and the SCRA in general.

It has been suggested by Sarah Hayward of Welsh Rowing that with enough interest, and the correct logistics, this course could be run in Scotland. It would be our intention to further this discussion while in Aberystwyth.

Adam Graham

adam_graham@hotmail.com

Royal West of SABC