St Ayles Skiff World Championships – 8th to 14th July 2013

 

Photos by Chris Perkins

Scottish Coastal Rowing Association officials have chosen Ullapool for the venue for the first world championships for coastal rowing in boats built to Iain Oughtred’s St Ayles skiff design.

Ullapool Coastal Rowing Club is delighted to be at the centre of organising the event, along with partner organisations the Loch Broom Sailing Club, Coigach Community Rowing and the Ullapool Harbour Trustees.

The growth of St Ayles Skiff building and rowing by communities internationally has been astonishing. The aim of the new event is to provide an opportunity for rowers from across the globe to meet in friendly competition.

Set on the banks of a on the banks of Loch Broom, a large sheltered sea loch in the North-West of Scotland, Ullapool is an excellent location for such an event.  The local rowing club says it is also well equipped to cater for visitors and the area’s community is accustomed to running large cultural events, and that Skiffie Worlds will be well within its capacity.

A full programme of maritime and land-based activities and entertainment is planned, culminating with a prize-giving and a boisterous ceilidh on Saturday 13 July.

For information check the growing website at http://skiffieworlds.com.

Scottish Coastal Rowing St Ayles skiffs triumph in wind and waves regatta


Anstruther Regatta 2011 photos by Ron Wallace

Anstruther Regatta 2011 photos by Ron Wallace Anstruther Regatta 2011 photos by Ron Wallace

These shots of the 2011 Anstruther Regatta taken by Ron Wallace at the end of last month show various Scottish Coastal Rowing Association St Ayles skiffs racing in the harbour – it looks like they’re having quite a time, doesn’t it?

There are more of Ron’s fabulous shots here and here.

Alec Jordan, who originally conceived the idea for Scottish Coastal Rowing, has this to say about the event:

‘It was a little wild and windy, and the St Ayles performed superbly. None of the skiffs took more than a couple of pints of water during the races.’

Perhaps that’s not so surprising as the boats are derived from traditional craft and were designed by Iain Oughtred.

The Scottish Coastal Rowing phenomenon continues to be awe-inspiring, with a very lively racing calendar and new boats being built all the time – and not all in Scotland.