Archive for May, 2012

An astonishing amount of skiff activity this weekend:

• Unity and Ulla are on the Thames to take part in the Jubilee Pagaent
• Helmsdale Launch their Skiff
• Byker Launch their Skiff
• Royal West Regatta has skiffs racing by Greenock Esplanade on Saturday
• Social row at Greenock on Sunday
• Boatie Blest Skiffs at the Three Harbours at Festival, Port Seton.

Good luck everyone and enjoy the weekend.

Bunillidh Rowing Club – Helmsdale – are pleased to announce that their skiff will be launched on the 2nd of June at 3pm.  Anyone in the area please go along and cheer them on.  The club is planning their attendance at Portsoy, so other clubs can look forward to welcoming them there.

The Helmsdale builders have the advantage of a fantastic location for their shed, right on the harbourside at Helmsdale.  However they have probably had the smallest space of any builders, with the shed only being 21 feet long.  As you see the boat has been built and stored on the diagonal. The clear advice is get a bigger shed if you can.  30 feet by 10 feet is good.

We look forward to welcoming the new boat, club and rowers to Scottish Coastal Rowing.

Under a cloudless sky, and with Pittenweem’s Fisher Lass and Anster’s St Ayles in attendance, the appropriately coloured Partan took to the water on Saturday afternoon.  A big turnout of rowers and vistors to Crail watched as she was piped onto the water, and then rowed by many.

With five skiffs now on the water in Fife, and another to join the fleet shortly in Newburgh, it will not be long before we are able to rival the fleet on the south side of the Forth.

Alec J

The fifth US skiff “Valkyrie” was launched on Friday 25 May at Vinalhaven in Maine, with the whole school attending the ceremony.

Gardner Pickering, the US agent for Jordan Boats tells me that “These guys are going to smoke everyone else” – they already have plenty of practice rowing in other craft.

Good luck to the rowers of Vinalhaven.

Alec J

While many skiffies were up in Coigach,  Pittenweem rowers were delighted to have a dry, sunny  day for the launch of their first St Ayles skiff.  Rowers from North Queensferry, Crail, Anstruther  and Queensferry were able to join the locals to help them celebrate.

Jim Morrison and Pete Wilcox, leaders of Pittenweem Boat Building

Pittenweem’s own Fisher Lad and Fisher Lass, supported by two talented pipers, christened the  new community built skiff ”Fisher Lass”.  The boat was allowed some whisky from a quaich as part of the ceremony, and the event was also clebrated with a  fabulous skiff cake featuring a couple of builders as well as the hens who had shared the barn with the skiff in build. The cake was  a wonderful surprise organised by Bev Whittome.

The Lad and Lass and then  joined the local rowers for their inaugural row around the harbour.  Everybody who wanted got a birl.  The club would like to thank everybody for coming and making the day a great success.

The two nautical-looking chaps beside the skiff in one of the photos are Jim Morrison and Pete Wilcox, the main builders.

Photos by Jeff Wilcox and Anna Kucharska (cake).

Press report:  http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/local-headlines/villagers-get-ready-to-race-fisher-lass-1-2309303

As a reminder of a fantastic weekend, some photos taken by Chris Perkins….

Portobello and Newhaven admire the snowy hills.

Boatie Blest 35+

Coigach win the Men's Open from NB and Anster

Rowers from Anstruther, Cockenzie/ Port Seaton, Loch Broom SC, Portobello, Newhaven, North Berwick and Ullapool joined hosts Coigach Community Rowing Club for a stunning weekend of coastal rowing in the remote Coigach peninsular in the North West of Scotland. Saturday saw a sprint course of 1000m without a turn. Up to nine boats were on the start line for each race, with the stunning backdrop of Islands and snow covered mountains. There was a tail wind for the race, which reduced to a pleasant breeze after about noon.

Anstruther won the first race, women’s open, before the Coigach lass started her winning habit, bringing home line honours in the Men’s open. North Berwick took the next race, women’s 45+. The visitors from Anstruther brought home a victory in the over 50 mixed and were joined by North Berwick youngster Patrick Waite to win the in the under 30 mixed. However the home club swept the boards in the remaining five races.

After the Saturday Night Ceilidh and scrummy scran, slightly bleary eyed rowers were woken up on the Sunday for a stunning row out to the Isle of Tanera. Four boats raced, the rest simply cruised the 2km out to the largest of the Summer Isles, where the winning team, Coigach, were treated to silver service in the cafe, whilst the rest of the crews and their supporters, who travelled mostly by ferry, enjoyed a light lunch on much more practical wooden trays. The scenery was fantastic, the weather was kind, the welcome was first class, and the rowing community were all very happy.

Full results available at http://www.achiltibuie.net/regatta/Coigach%20Regatta%20Results.html