A fantastic effort by all involved in Castle to Crane this year. We all missed being on the Clyde, with great hosts in Dumbarton and Glasgow. However opening the race up to anyone to post a time from their home waters meant that we could have a far bigger entry (we estimate 680 athletes took part in our race this year) and we were able to be joined from clubs much further away. We welcomed entries from distant waters like Tasmania and Cornwall. We also had a more diverse fleet with smaller boats able to take part where they might not normally be able to deal with the conditions on the lower Clyde, as well as bigger boats with crews of up to 13, which are a bit tricky to transport from mainland Europe to the Clyde. We hope that everyone enjoyed the event and will keep in touch and hopefully join us on the Clyde in the future.

The Castle to Crane Course usually goes from Dumbarton Castle at the mouth of the River Leven, up to the Finnieston Crane in Glasgow. In normal years it is part of the Clydebuilt Festival, held under the auspices of The Tall Ship at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow.

Everyone was a winner obviously, by being able to take part. However, you probably want to pore over the results, and join us in congratulating the winners of castle to Crane’s Median Trophy 2020……… Burghead Coastal Rowing Club, in their St Ayles Skiff “Tarbh Uisge” – Gaelic for water bull.

Congratulations to them. They represent the whole fleet in taking that award.

We have applied a “corrected time” style handicap to boat classes (“the Greenock Yardstick”) to allow us to compare effort between classes. If ever there was a race where it is about taking part, rather than winning, it is this one! Many clubs are deliberately not expending maximum effort, as a precaution against Covid; rowers are racing in very different conditions (although thankfully everyone had fairly reasonable conditions at some time over the race window). However, we are all happy for those who attained fastest in class and category, and are sure they will be appreciative and respectful of all those that they placed above.

The corrected times can be viewed by clicking here:

Castle to Crane 2020 Results
(with times adjusted for boat class handicap)

Remember that those times are not corrected for gender and age, so where a men’s crew has gone faster than a women’s crew it should not be assumed that they have given a better performance. For those who want to view the data before handicaps are applied … they can peruse this spreadsheet here.

Castle to Crane 2020 was organised by Scottish Coastal Rowing Association, the Scottish Governing Body of Sport for Fixed Seat Rowing.

Not everyone was able to get on the water on a rowing boat, due to lack of boats, or local covid restrictions etc. We therefore welcomed those people to take part in the challenge by alternative means. Therefore here is a final spreadsheet showing times for those who took part by walking, SUP, canoe and kayak. Thank you to all who took part. Certificates are being prepared and will be with you in due course.

Welcome back to competition.

Some further guidance and restrictions have been put in place by the Scottish Government on 14 September which affect outdoor exercise. The exemptions for organised sports, such as Coastal Rowing organised by SCRA clubs, remain so most SCRA club activities can continue not withstanding the changes.

The change is that informal outdoor (and indoor) exercise should be restricted to a maximum of six persons, from a maximum of 2 households (not counting children).

Coastal Rowing in fixed seat boats, as Governed by Scottish Coastal Rowing Association, falls under the guidance for Organised Outdoor Sports and requires all clubs to fully comply with the specific agreed requirements and operate in their assigned “field of play” bubbles. For more information on the safe return to rowing on the sea, check out the SCRA Covid Hub.

To confirm, all clubs engaged in our outdoor sport will have a named Covid Officer (who will have completed the helpful SportScotland on line Covid Officer Training) , will have appropriate risk assessments and procedures in place, including hand hygiene; cleansing and sanitising of equipment; social distancing as appropriate and use of face coverings. There must also be procedures in place to support the ability to track and trace participants and contacts.

Please note that additional geographical restrictions in place which may impact on circumstances. https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-measures/

SCRA are delighted to have received over 100 entries for Castle to Crane this year. When entries close tonight participating crews will be sent the results form, which they will complete with a screenshot of a timing app to show the course they completed and the time they took. We believe the 120 or so crews already signed up make Castle to Crane the largest rowing event to have taken place in the UK since at least March. The full list of entries will be published on Tuesday.

There is a very diverse field including Spanish, Irish and Dutch classes, as well as Thames skiffs and Venitian style boats whose home waters are a bit flatter than what we can expect normally at the start of Castle to Crane. As everyone would expect there are a fair number of entries from Scottish Clubs rowing St Ayles Skiffs. We appreciate that quite a few clubs are preferring to take a slow and cautious approach to returning to the water, but it is great to see that Annan, St Andrews, Prestwick, Nairn, Royal West, Newhaven, Wormit, Ullapool, RowFlo (from Lewis), Troon, Avoch, Isle of Seil, Loch Broom Sailing Club, Chanonry Sailing Club, Kinghorn, RowPorty and Burghead have entered…. many of these clubs have never missed a Castle to Crane race. There is a more international St Ayles fleet than we might be used to with entries from Northern Ireland (Sketrick), England (Blakeney), Netherlands (Woudrichem, Z&MV De Zuidwal ) and Australia (Mordy Skiff of Melbourne, and Living Boat Trust from Tasmania).

If, for whatever reason, crews are unable to get on the water in their boats, they are encouraged to undertake the “alternative challenge” instead, which is to run, wheel, walk or kayak 5 miles. The results will be recorded in the same way, with just one time submitted for each crew. As with all parts of the event, crews must abide by any local Covid restrictions that apply to them.

Give the Castle to Crane Facebook Page a like, to be kept up to date with information as the event progresses. Put your entry in by 1800 BST on 14 September by clicking here.

At this week’s Scottish Government briefing (10th Sep), some slight changes to the guidance for were made, namely, the restriction of “social gatherings” to 6 individuals from 2 households. However, the guidance for meeting outdoors for the purposes of exercise or activity continues to permit meeting 5 individuals from up to 4 other households. Organised, contact- sport outdoors also remains unchanged. ‘Field of play bubbles’ (ie a rowing crew) are permitted for the purpose and duration of that sporting activity.

All other safety and hygiene measures should still be adhered to, as per your individual club’s risk assessment and in compliance with any measures set out by your club’s Covid 19 Officer.“Where contact sport is permitted, Sports can use a ‘field bubble’ where physical contact is allowed on the field of play when the activity is taking place. Outwith the ‘field bubble’, people should abide by the guidance on physical distancing as outlined above”. (Scottish Government 10th Sep 2020). The only new consideration would be to encourage crews to disperse on completion of the activity, rather than hanging around in a way which could transcend into a social gathering.

Stay safe and please share your own “return to rowing” stories so that we can all learn from them. Refer to the SCRA Covid Hub for more help and information.

A: No not really. The crews that win in your category in Castle to Crane 5 miles from home will probably be pulling very hard. They will probably also have the advantage of smoother water and perhaps more time on the water before the event. Many crews will feel, from a Covid point of view, that they do not wish to over exert themselves. We would like Castle to Crane to be the Biggest “on the water” rowing event in the UK since the start of spring 2020. It is not the winning crews that will achieve that, it is the rest of us! If ever there was an event where taking part is more important than performance it is this one. Get your clubs name on the results, and remember that Castle to Cranes premier cup is the Median Trophy, awarded to the crew with the most average performance.

Crews have until 1800 BST (1700 GMT) on 14 September to get their entries in for Castle to Crane 2020. The race is a five mile time trial to be completed on your own waters in a time window between 1200 GMT (1300 BST) on Friday 18 September 2020 and 1200 GMT (1300 BST) on Sunday 20 September.  Crews are responsible for ensuring that they start and finish the five mile time trial within this window.  Their results should be submitted to the organisers as soon as practical after completion of the challenge and must be submitted by 1300 GMT (1400 BST) on Sunday 20 September. Entry is free and is open to any fixed seat rowing boat. We already have a wide range of craft represented, from a variety of countries: Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Eire, Netherlands, Spain, Australia. The more the merrier. Times are given in GMT, to make it easier for international athletes to make the conversion to their local time zone. There is no upper limit on the number of entries, but there is a time limit on getting them in, as set out above!

Enter by Clicking on this Link to the Castle to Crane Website, where you will also find the rules of racing, FAQs, pictures of some of the boats that make up the fleet, and results from previous castle to crane races.

You set the course, which should be out and back and five miles long, and on completion submit your time to the organisers, on the results form. The results form will be e mailed out to all entrants, after entries have closed.

Don’t wait to the last minute to get your entry in. You will be able to change the age and gender categories of the crew on the results sheet, should you have last minute changes of personnel. If you are not able to get on the water for any reason, don’t worry your crew can still take part. Simply enter as a crew you would hope to row with, and then complete one of the “alternative challenges” set out in the rules. Theses are to walk, run, wheel or kayak for a five mile course, with all members of the crew completing the challenge, but only one time being submitted. You will still be able to feel part of a fantastic world wide community of coastal rowers!

Since Scottish Government guidance changed to allow a return to community based coastal rowing in Scotland on 24 August, clubs have been finalising their new protocols, undertaking the Covid Officer Course, and getting themselves back on the water.

Check out our Covid hub for club guidance on returning to rowing. Scottish Coastal Rowing Association is the Scottish Governing Body for Fixed Seat Rowing. All these photos shared on the Scottish Coastal Rowing Facebook Group. Join us there, and share your own stories.

Just as the St Ayles Skiffs of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association are able to get back on to the water for real, the chronicle of our cyber circumnavigation “Rowaround Scotland” is now complete. Virtual RowAround Scotland has connected clubs and communities across the country, and introduced coastal rowers to new stretches of coast, albeit as a remote reconnaissance. VRAS has shared clubs’ stories, achievements and aspirations. A fantastic resource, showcasing the coast of Scotland, coastal communities, and thriving community clubs has been built up. Please do read all about it at rowaround.scot. A very big thank you to everyone who contributed.

This resource is also, of course, preparation for the REAL row next year in 2021! The log is something which can help us look forward to rowing in the future, as well as reflecting on ten great years of St Ayles Skiffs and the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association. The closing section reflects on rowing in scenic glory, spectacular coastlines, hidden islands, lochs, and rivers and turns to the words of Robert Burns to reflect on the beauty of Scotland:

“To see her is to love her,
And love but her for ever;
For Nature made her what she is,
And never made anither!”

SCRA guidance on returning to rowing on the sea does call for cleaning of equipment between crews. RYA Scotland have commented on cleaning and the need to take care of the environment in their “Return to Boating ” documentation post Covid. They write:

“We recommend you carry and use hand sanitiser which should be at least 60% alcohol based. Detergent wipes need to be appropriate for the surface they are being used on. Cleaning products should conform to EN14476 standard or any detergent will need to be followed by chlorine releasing agent. However, be wary of cleaning requirements for specialist boating equipment such as life jackets and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.”

“Be mindful of our fragile marine environment, do not release bleach products into the water and dispose of used wipes, gloves and masks responsibly. In addition, it may be worthwhile looking at best practice for general cleaning of equipment via – The Green Blue.”

The Green Blue comments include: “For more stubborn marks on deck, for sanitation or personal hygiene always choose more environmentally sensitive products. Avoid chlorine and bleach which are toxic to flora and fauna, and phosphates which encourage algal growth. Explore the Green Blue Business Directory for eco-friendly cleaning products. Watch out for products that have ‘polyethelene’ in the ingredients list, this means it contains microplastics. These smaller bits of plastic can be more readily ingested by wildlife and enter food chains.”

Let’s always try to leave our environment better than we find it. Scottish Coastal Rowing Association is the Scottish Governing Body for Fixed Seat Rowing.