I have been asked to compile next year’s Regatta Calender in advance of the Annual General Meeting in October. Can you please forward to me, at the email address below, any dates that you have been considering.

I am primarily drawing up a calender of events where all member clubs of the Association are invited. If there are internal club events, invitation only events, cruises or skiff related social gatherings send these to me also and I will show these in a separate column for publicity purposes.

Ideally could do with the following information by 18th October:

• Date
• Start time if possible (State of the tide may be defining this)
• Location
• Club hosting the event
• Type of racing planned (Straight sprint event, short buoy turning event(500-1000m), long buoy turning event(1000-2000m), long distance race (2000m+))

The last piece of information above is useful for crews to be able to prepare themselves for the appropriate form of racing.

I would emphasis that no club’s events will be included within the finished version of the calender, or publicised on the Association’s website, unless they have paid their subscription to the Association.

Royal West has been asked to look at hosting the SCRA AGM on the weekend of 28th / 29th October. To make the trip all the way to the wilds of Greenock more worthwhile we thought a weekend of other rowing based activities might be of interest. Please read through the draft proposal below and come back to me if you or your club is interested.

Friday night
Meet and greet. We have a music night in the clubhouse on the last Friday of the month where members offer up a song or some form of entertainment

Saturday during the day
Coaching workshops with Royal West coaches and possibly some visiting experts in coxing and coaching. May have Scottish Rowing’s adaptive co-ordinator willing to speak as well as Scottish Rowing Umpires who are RW members.

Saturday evening
Guest speakers to tell some expedition stories from Royal West trips up the West Coast in the ’60, ’70 & ’80 (have a guy lined up that did Greenock to Skye and back, his crew also made an attempt to get to St. Kilda.) Some social interaction

Sunday am
Regatta symposium and/or Protecting Vulnerable Groups course

Sunday pm
Scottish Coastal Rowing Association AGM

We will have more than enough boats if we can get afloat on the Saturday. If we cannot then we have covered demo space downstairs and comfortable lecture space upstairs.

People can do Frid-Sunday, Sunday pm only or anything in between, however much they want. It would make the long trek from Ullapool or Dunbar more worthwhile.

We can look at accommodation, catering, etc.

Please come back to me with feedback, if enough people are interested I will start to arrange speakers, coaches, catering etc.

Adam

Millport, on the beautiful Isle of Cumbrae in the Clyde Estuary, saw the launch of the latest addition to the Scottish St. Ayles Skiff fleet last Friday evening. Cumbrae was launched in front of an excited crowd of boat builders and well wishers. As you can see from the photos below she is resplendent with her White hull and Saltire Blue sheer strake.

The Blue theme continues internally, which makes for a striking appearance.

She was raced in anger for the first time on Saturday afternoon during an impromptu regatta. Chippy McNish from Royal West and Gobhancroit from Galgeal were in attendance. The racing included two long races from Newton Beach out between The Eileans and back to Newton Beach, the first won by Chippy McNish and the second by Cumbrae. After a short break for refreshment there were then a couple of sprint races just off Newton Beach to please the spectators. These were both won by Chippy McNish, with a spirited crew in Cumbrae coming in second.

Chippy McNish was presented with a shield for having won the most races on the day.

Shield presented to Chippy McNish

There are a very small number of people on Cumbrae involved in using the skiff but hopefully with some encouragement from local clubs on the Clyde, and the possibility that a club will be formed at Tignabruaich this week, their numbers will grow. It is a fantastic venue for a regatta with a sandy beach, direct access camping facilities, the town and all the professional safety cover provided by Cumbrae Watersports Centre.

For photos of the launch have a look at the following website http://www.millport.net/ and click on The launch of Cumbrae – our skiff

We are all looking forward to next year’s event already.

Last weekend two crews from Royal West, along with a crew from Galgael, travelled to Glenarm on the Antrim coast to take part in the inaugeral Dalriada Challenge 7km race. Chippy McNish was crewed by Robert Dowall, Paul Brooks, Alex Paterson, Ronald Graham(LARC) and Adam Graham. Birdie Bowers was crewed by Ian Clark, Alistair Blincow (JCRC), John Glover, Campbell McCall & Yvonne Christie.

Glenarm Bay from Glenarm Harbour

Royal West & Galgael arrived on masse in Glenarm at about 4pm on Friday, having sailed over on the P&O ferry from Cairnryan in the early afternoon. Our ferry & accommodation was arranged and paid for by the Antrim Coast Rowing Association and the Dalriada Festival organisers. All participants would like to thank the organisers and especialy Elaine Nelson of Glenarm RC for thier efforts in this regard.

On arrival were were met by members of Glenarm RC and shown thier boats before being helped to offload our trailers and shown our accomnodation. We were directed to The Bridge End Tavern where the local rowing community would be meeting on Friday night to make final arrangements for the racing the following day. We watched the Festival’s opening parade from the pavement outside the Tavern, suitably refreshed from our journey, then spent a very pleasant evening meeting the locals and enjoying thier hospitality.

The weather on Saturday morning started fine but deteriorated. When the crews took to the water it was a light drissle and the wind was getting up. As Chippy McNish crossed the start line there was a radio message for the rescue boats to keep a close eye on the fleet as the first boat away was starting to take water over thier bows. Worsening weather and sea conditions did not concern the crew in Chippy, Anstruther had hardened the crew and given them a clear understanding of the boats fantastic capabilities in rough conditions.

Chippy McNish was the third boat to start the 7km race in a fleet of 15, followed 1 minute behind by Galgael’s St Ayles Skiff Gobhacroit. Birdie Bowers started at no. 10. The other boats in the race were Antrim Gigs (like a Jollyboat but of plywood construction) and the Irish Coastal Rowing Federation Universal Boat (fibreglass light weight sea going boat with carbon fibre oars). The winning crew from Cairndhu finished the course in just over 40mins, Chippy McNish finished in just under 54mins, Birdie Bowers in just over 56mins. This was only the second outing for the crew from Galgael and the finished in approx 1hr 10mins.

The race was from the harbour mouth to the fish farm, then north towards the Black Rock, there was then a right turn towards Cairnlough where the course did a U-turn in front of the chapel back towards the shore side of the Black Rock before crossing Glenarm Bay to the finish line. On the return leg past the Black Rock two local crews hugged the coast a little too tight and fouled on the bottom, one loosing its rudder and having to retire. Re-grouping in the harbour after the race there was a great sense of fellowship with other crews, especially Cairndhu RC. Adam unfortunately missed this as he was suffering from mild hypothermia and spent 20mins warming himself in front of the hot air blowers in the crew support bus, drinking tea.

The late afternoon races were 400m sprints to a buoy and 400m back, very similar to Royal West Jollyboat events, but with 12 lanes. There were a couple of Junior events to start the race series before the Open events. Chippy McNish’s crew had been keen to have a go in one of the Universal Boats so were overjoyed to be offered Glenarm RC’s second boat to use in the sprint event. Lining up in Lane 4 the tension was high as banter was exchanged with a Cairnlough Open Ladies Crew in Lane 5. The start was sudden but the Royal West crew were not phased and quickly established a solid second place. Before getting to the buoy there was a commotion in the boat as one of the self inflating life jackets did “exactly what it says on the tin”. The amount of water splashing around had triggered the inflation. A slight confusion over which direction we were to turn led to us coming out of the buoy in third place. The crew held this position all the way back to the finish line. The fourth placed crew were Glenarm RC’s in thier first boat.

Birdie Bowers crew were entered in the Mixed event and raced in Birdie against the Universal Boats. Although they were using a much slower boat they did not finish that far behind the last of the Universal Boats and they were the only one with a carved dragon’s bowsprit.

Birdie Bowers heads out to the sprint races

Again, on the return of boats into the harbour all clubs gathered to lift each other’s boats back onto trailers and discuss the days racing. This continued at the prize giving where Chippy’s crew collected third place medals.

Cold, wet but happy with thier medals and looking forward to a warm cocoa in The Bridge End Tavern

Royal West presented Glenarm RC with a plaque manufactured by The Trust in Port Glasgow, we also presented Elaine Nelson with an engraved glass for her assistance to Royal West all weekend.

During the regatta dance in the upstairs lounge of The Bridge End Tavern we were approached about Antrim Coast Rowing Association sending crews to our regatta. They are making arrangements this week and should confirm how many crews by the weekend. We have definitely made a solid link with rowing clubs on the Antrim Coast and expect to be back next year.

Royal West

I have been asked a few times now about the possibility of arranging coaching courses. Can I ask for some feedback from the clubs as to the type of course, for example:

1. UK Coaching Council Level 2 Fixed Seat Rowing, as Ian, Topher and I completed in April. This requires a 4 day face-to-face course element (or similar) then practical assessment of your coaching abilities at your own club. Rough idea of cost would be £ 400 per participant, excluding accomodation.
2. Less formal gathering of club coaches with the coaches who have undergone the UKCC Level 2 course to discuss good practice. Have had an offer from a Welsh Sea Rowing Association coach to speak, also had an offer from a highly experienced Scottish Rowing cox, and thier Adaptive Rowing advisor, to speak on coxing. Not sure of the cost but participants would need to cover the travelling expenses and accomodation for the visiting speakers.

If we run either of the courses at Royal West:

• there would be no cost for the use of the lounge for the lectures/discussions
• we have direct access to the estuary
• we have changing facilities
• we have two skiffs and a variety of other fixed seat boats to make use of
• we have RYA qualified rescue boat crews

There are some school builds that will require the coaches to have a formal qualification before they can take to the water. I would like to hear from you as Option 1 above is the most likely route for yourselves.

Get back to me via the comments section below, at Cockenzie & Port Seton Regatta on Saturday or on adam_graham@hotmail.com

NOTIFICATION of 1^st ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

SCOTTISH COASTAL ROWING ASSOCIATION

The First AGM of the SCRA will take place in Portsoy on 2 July 2011 following the St Ayles Skiff races. The exact time and place will be announced on this website on 28 June, and will be posted on the noticeboard at the St Ayle’s Skiff registration Tent in Portsoy.

Members are reminded that it was agreed to move the date of SCRA AGMs to October after the First AGM following the founding of the SCRA in May 2010. This is in order to allow discussion of topical issues at the end of the Regatta season. That way we can avoid changes to rules or practice mid season, unless absolutely crucial.  There will therefore be a second AGM this year in October, and for that reason it is hoped that the July AGM can be fairly informal in nature.   Where possible topics can be delegated to the committee or deferred to the end of season AGM.

The current Officers and Committee members offer themselves for re-election until the AGM scheduled for Autumn. Other nominations or offers of assistance should be intimated to the Secretary as soon as possible.  In terms of the constitution this should be four weeks before the meeting, but given the short notice, (and subject to formal approval of the meeting) nominations will be accepted until 18 June 2011.

Member Organisations who have any urgent topics, a decision on which cannot be deferred until the end of the season, are requested to send them to the Secretary, Ian Clark, at ianandsusie.greenock@btinternet.com by 10 June 2011.

The major item of business for the July AGM will be ratification of the date change for AGM to October.

A Draft agenda can be found below.

Ian Clark

Secretary SCRA

5 June 2011.

DRAFT AGENDA

First AGM Scottish Coastal Rowing Association

Portsoy  2 July 2011

Time and Venue to be announced

1. Opening        Robbie Wightman     Convenor

2. Minutes of Inaugural Meeting Anstruther May 2010 (Already posted on SCRA website)

3. Minutes of Extraordinary General Meeting October 2010 (Already posted on SCRA website)

4. Ratification of change of date of AGM agreed at EGM

5. Reports from Officers of the Association (to be posted on website)

6. Any elections. 

7. Any other competent business (topics should copied to the Secretary not later than Friday 10th June)

8. Date and place of next General Meeting

Following a brief discussion on Anstruther beach at the weekend it may be an idea for clubs interested in attending to get together and submit a single set of dimensions for the fleet, so that we are all handicapped the same and can compete on an even keel (excuse the pun).

Can anyone interested please have a look at the website below and get in touch with me. Bear in  mind that the closing date for entries is 30th August 2011.

www.greatriverrace.co.uk

Adam Graham

One of an occassional series:

Photo by Derek Braid