SCRA News

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SCRA NOTICE OF EVENT 

Notice of Training Events & AGM on Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th October 2026 Loch Tummel Sailing Club 

OVERVIEW 

Training Sessions will be offered on Friday afternoon/ evening and Saturday morning. A series of  races is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, giving new coxes and umpires a supportive opportunity  to put their training into practice on the water. 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: NOTE – All courses will take place at Loch Tummel Sailing Club  [what3words///quilting.meanders.heave] with the exception of Saturday morning Rowing  Technique which will be held at Kynachan Hall [what3words///connector.hexes.keyboard] 

Friday 23rd October Training Courses. 

14:00-16:00 Course laying A practical course with a classroom element.  

There will be an opportunity for some to assist laying marks on the water – please bring suitable  warm clothing, gloves, lifejackets.  

16:30-18:30 Rowing Technique Classroom session 

Saturday 24th October Training Courses 

10:00-12:00 Rowing Technique Classroom session 

10:00-11:00 Race Coxing pt 1 and Umpiring pt 1 – Rules of Racing – both training groups  together 

11:00-12:00 Race Coxing pt 2 / Umpiring pt 2 – trainee race coxes and umpires in separate  groups for a more in depth on shore session 

Participants in the race coxing course should already be experienced, competent coxes 

12:00-16:00 Skiff Racing – crews will be sorted by the well-tried Pick and Mix method. Those  wishing to race should be on site for 12:00. Please contact your Regional Representative or  Secretary SCRA if your club can provide a skiff for Saturday afternoon racing. 

In the afternoon, the Atlantic rowers from Team Scotland the Wave, will host two sessions talking  about their experience. Times to be confirmed. Please submit any questions in advance. 

Numbers for all training courses may be limited and in the first instance restricted to two per club. 

To reserve a space a club representative should contact secretary@scottishcoastalrowing.org by  the 16th October 2026.

Annual General Meeting 

The Annual General Meeting will be held from approximately 16:30 on Saturday 24th October.  (This will be subject to the racing schedule being completed and weather permitting.) 

We request that clubs send details of those attending to secretary@scottishcoastalrowing.org (or  Secretary Andy Rendle at edithrendle@gmail.com) stating Club Name in the Title and giving the  name and email contact for their representative(s) who will be attending. 

This information should be sent in as early as possible and preferably before 16th October  

If a representative from your club is unable to attend in person and you wish another club to act as  your proxy, please advise the Secretary SCRA of Name of Club and the Club which will acting as  proxy.  

Clubs are invited to submit entries for the Cruising Log Competition as well as for Green and Blue  Flag Awards.  

For the Cruising Log, a report shall be submitted. The Green Flag is awarded to clubs who submit  a report on their participation in environmental endeavours. The Blue Flag is awarded to clubs  which have engaged in activities for the benefit of the community. Reports should be sent to  secretary@scottishcoastalrowing.org. 

Clubs are requested to send any nominations for prospective Board Members. These nominations  to be sent to the Secretary by the 9th October. Current Board Members are required by the  Constitution to retire at each AGM, however all current members are willing to stand for re-election  as members of the Board, and nominations have been received for all.  

Any suggestions for agenda items must be submitted by clubs by the 14th of October and items  under Any Other Business must be in the form of a motion. 

Clubs will receive the Agenda Prior to the AGM. This will include the list of nominated persons for  the SCRA Board and and motions received.  

In order to take part in any vote, clubs must have paid or made arrangements to pay their  subscriptions for the current year (2025/2026) in advance of the AGM.  

Subscriptions for 2026/2027 fall due AFTER the AGM. 

Clubs will not receive an invoice from the SCRA. The SCRA Subs Letter sent with the Draft  Minutes of the AGM should be adequate proof of payment for most auditors, but clubs may  request a receipt by email once payment has been made to Wendy Clements, Treasurer (eastervilla@gmail.com). 

It is the SCRA Board’s recommendation that the Subscriptions Rate for 2026/2027 remains at the  present level which is £80 (or £50 for clubs of less than 20 members). 

Details are on the SCRA Website – https://scottishcoastalrowing.org/joining-scra/

Draft AGENDA SCRA AGM 24th October 2026 

1. Apologies; Matters Arising and Approval of 2025 Minutes 
2. Treasurer’s Report  
3. Convenor’s Report  

      4, SASI Build, Measurement and Racing Rules 2026 

5. Proposed Resolutions  
6. Green and Blue Flag Awards and other Awards  
7. Election of Office Bearers  
8. Any Other Business  

Anyone speaking at the AGM is speaking on behalf and as instructed by their clubs. It is therefore  helpful if clubs have discussed any of the issues in advance of the AGM.  

More details will be announced shortly. 

Board Members 2025-2026 

All current Board Members have been nominated for re-election to the 2026-2027 Board. Andy Rendle secretary@scottishcoastalrowing.org

Cromarty held its annual and ever popular annual regatta on 22nd and 23rd August. Once again we were blessed with some fine summer weather and excellent racing conditions.

With twenty races over a day and a half, it was a pretty packed agenda! Rolling starts and single buoy turns made for some eventful races and provided plenty of opportunity for coxes and teams to practice their boat handling skills.

In all we had 16 clubs from across the Highlands and Lowlands.  We welcomed back many clubs who like to make this two-day event a fixture in their regatta season, and it is always a pleasure to welcome them back.

Big thanks to all the teams that entered youth crews, we made sure to include categories on both days so that these up-and-coming rowers can race together. Pleased to say that our Cromarty girls put in a great effort in the U15s to win medals on both days! Well done them.

In attendance this year were: Porthmahomack, Avoch, Colliston, Eastern, Gairloch, Golspie, Lossiemouth, North Berwick, Row Porty, Skye & Loch Alsh, St Andrews, St Ayles, Strathpeffer, Ullapool and Wormit.
Overall winners for the first time since we started the regatta in 2018 were Golspie. Not many points separate second place Avoch from the two clubs with joint third, Lossiemouth and St Ayles.
Next year Cromarty Community Rowing Club will celebrate its tenth birthday so our regatta 2027 will be a very special one!

Many of you will remember taking part in the microplastics survey a few years ago. The data has all finally been collated and put into a full report which was a lot of work.

Below is a slightly cut down version along with a link to the Appendix  but a full copy can been sent to anyone who may wish it by contacting publicity@scottishcoastalrowing.org

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Appendix 1 - Results Table

Last Saturday, 25th July, nine Scottish community rowing clubs gathered at the Golspie Seafront Centre for the annual Golspie Regatta. While the atmosphere onshore was warm and welcoming, the conditions out on the water proved to be testing at times. With wind gusts reaching up to 46 mph across the nine-lane course, race organisers made the call to shorten the standard 2 km distance to a 1 km sprint around the 500m turning buoys. The challenging weather set the stage for a day of dramatic, hard-fought racing, highlighting the skill and determination of every crew present.

Participating Clubs

A sincere thank you to all the clubs who made the journey and brought such strong
competition to the beach:
 Avoch
 Cromarty
 Eastern
 Findhorn
 Golspie
 Lossiemouth
 Nairn
 Skye & Lochalsh
 Ullapool

Race Results
Across 14 well-contested events, rowers adapted admirably to the heavy conditions.
Congratulations to the winning crews in each category:
 Open Mixed: Golspie
 280 Mixed: Golspie
 50+ Women: Avoch
 50+ Men: Golspie
 240+ Women: Avoch
 40+ Mixed: Golspie
 Novice Mixed: Nairn
 240 Mixed: Eastern
 Female Decades: Lossiemouth
 50+ Mixed: Golspie
 240+ Men: Lossiemouth
 Male Decades: Golspie
 Open Women: Lossiemouth
 Open Men: Golspie

After a full day of competitive racing, host team Golspie Rowing Club emerged as overall regatta winners, lifting the Campbell Port Trophy. Regatta organisers praised the impressive effort shown by all rowers and thanked every participating club for their spirit and camaraderie.

With Thanks to Our Supporters. An event of this scale relies heavily on community goodwill and support. Golspie Rowing Club extends its sincere gratitude to:
Event Sponsors: The Trawler Fish and Chips, with Christie Gray presenting medals and the trophy at the prize-giving ceremony; and Ness Marine Boat Builders, with Gary Howard providing essential safety cover on the water throughout the day.

Donors: Generous contributions were received from Dunrobin Gin, Dunrobin Castle, and the Dunrobin Castle Shop.
Catering & Community: Exceptional refreshments were provided by the Golspie
Youth Action Project, alongside a baking stall hosted by Tykes Charity Shop.

The vibrant display of traditional skiffs drew an appreciative crowd of local spectators along the seafront throughout the day, adding to a fantastic showcase for coastal rowing.
About Golspie Rowing Club Golspie Rowing Club is a community-focused club open to all ages and abilities, dedicated to promoting health, fitness, and time together on the water. To learn more or get in touch, visit the Golspie Rowing Club Facebook Page.

Note: Lindsay Watt and Andy Rendle attended on the day, and the intention had been for other SCRA committee members to join them to view the 4 x 500m course, however due to
change of plans this was not possible.

On the 10th, 11th and 12th of July, Ullapool Coastal Rowing Club welcomed 16 other clubs to our 17th annual Regatta. Our U17 and U19 youth crews had 6 races against Eastern, Lossiemouth and Gourdon, with Ullapool and Gourdon coming out joint winners.

On Saturday we had Airport, Appin, Catterline, Collieston, Dunbar, Eastern, Eskmuthe, Findhorn, Firth of Clyde, Golspie, Lossiemouth, Nairn, Newhaven, Rowporty and Wormit, competing on our 17 lane 2km course.

The weather was dry and bright, and a blustery NE wind scooted skiffs across the loch but made it a hard struggle to turn the buoys and get back to the finish line. As far as I know only one club gazebo took to the air, and was rapidly tied down to buckets of shingle. At an epic ceilidh dance in the Ferry terminal, the only building big enough to hold hundreds of rowers, the dancers stepped out as if they had not rowed their socks off a few hours previously.

On Sunday the sun shone and Ullapool was at its best. Over the weekend we ran 22 adult races, with the best 6 results making the score line. Eskmuthe came third, Eastern came second, and Wormit came first. Appin were awarded the most improved newcomer prize.

We thank our visiting clubs for making the journey, and the many people who donated baking and sandwiches which fuelled the 249 double crossings of the loch, approximately 500km of rowing or 100,000 oar strokes.

Sheila Slaughter’s famous venison burgers were once again a star feature. We thank village businesses for their generous raffle prizes, for offering rowers discounts, and extended hours.

The Regatta can only take place with the unstinting support of Ullapool Harbour Trust, who arranged our insurance cover, let us use the ferry terminal, supplied the marquee, and the umpire stand. Not all harbour authorities are so community minded.

We also thank Wester Ross Salmon for laying and lifting the start/finish line anchors, a job which used to be done with great skill by the late Roy Macgregor. WRS also supplied a safety boat and crew for all three days. Paul Hamilton ran the MV Patricia as an umpire boat for all three days, and our visiting safety boat driver Ptolemy Goad was enormously helpful in all aspects of the on-water effort. Mark Renwick laid and lifted the start line on each day with his boat Taurus.

We thank the visiting umpires who gave their time generously both in the umpire boats and also in the umpire tent, timekeeping and recording results under the experienced eye of Andy Rendle of the SCRA.

Finally, respect to the members of Ullapool Coastal Rowing Club who pulled together a really memorable event in our beautiful village.

Topher Dawson, UCRC.

Scottish Coastal Rowing Association in Scotland, Ocean to City in Ireland and Welsh Sea Rowing in Wales have joined up again to bring you the international time trial event this Summer: the 5 Miles From Home Challenge 2026. This year the event is being hosted and run by Scottish Coastal Rowing Association in Scotland assisted by our friends in Ireland and Wales.

Rather than asking you to travel, we invite you -wherever in the world you may be- to take part in this international challenge by joining us from your home waters. Taking part is simple! Just form a crew, plot a course, cover the 5 miles (8047meters / 4.345nm) as fast or as stylishly as you can during the designated time windows, submit your times to us and join the online hooley.

Just like last time, most types of human powered coastal craft are eligible to enter and we’ll use the same handicap system to give everyone an equal chance of winning. Land based options remain available for those who cannot go afloat.

The challenge can be joined from anywhere in the world, with participants completing the 5 mile course from their home waters. Registration will be open between 15th July and 26th August.

Entry is £15 per boat and £8 per kayak/SUP. (A minimal payment fee is payable at checkout when registering)

The organisers of 5 Miles From Home would like to thank everyone for their support last year – we hope that this event will be just as popular. And of course don’t forget to take a photo tagging #5milesfromhome

Thanks,
Scottish Coastal Rowing Association, Ocean to City and Welsh Sea Rowing

Our email address: 5milesfromhomechallenge@gmail.com

Follow 5 Miles From Home on:

• • facebook.com/5milesfromhomechallenge
  • instagram.com/5milesfromhomechallenge

 

Entries open on the 15 JULY 2026.

Participation costs £15  per boat.

For kayaks, SUPs, canoes or land challenge it is £8.

(A minimal payment fee is payable at checkout when registering)

The 5 Miles From Home event has a ‘Main’ and an ‘Alternative’ Challenge. The Main Challenge is open to any fixed-seat rowing boat and we hope that all major classes will be represented. The Alternative Challenge is open to kayaks, SUPs, canoes, dragon boats, offshore sliding-seats boats and outriggers. Incorporating a dedicated Under-19s youth category, we are also keen to involve and celebrate young people on the water.

This year, the event has a has a 96-hour window during which the challenge has to be completed. We are happy for the same boat to be used by more than one crew, and participants can compete in more than one crew, allowing clubs to organise their own 5 Miles From Home micro-events.

Entering the Five Miles From Home event means you will be part of a big international challenge connecting boating communities from across the world. Welcoming a variety of people-powered, sea-going craft, we are aiming for the event to be as inclusive, adaptable and enjoyable as possible!

Entries will open on the 15th JULY 2026 through the Active event registration system and participation costs 15 Pounds per boat. For kayaks and SUPs it is 8 Pounds. (A minimal payment fee is payable at checkout when registering)

We encourage you to enter 5 Miles From Home with optimism and confidence. If, for whatever reason, you find your crew unable to complete the course on the water together, you can transfer your entry to our ‘Land Challenge’ and walk, wheel or run the 5 miles.

Dates:

• 2 SEPTEMBER – 6 SEPTEMBER 2026

Times:

• 1500 BST (GMT +1) on the Wednesday to 1500 BST (GMT+1) on the Sunday
• Results need to be submitted by 1600 BST (GMT+1) on the Sunday

Distance:

• 5 Miles / 8047 meters / 4.345nm

Course:

• Up to you, so long as the start and finish of your course are in the same place (no just rowing down wind/ down tide), and your course recorded is at least 5 miles.

Race categories:

• Main Challenge: for fixed-seat rowing boats
• Alternative Challenge: for kayaks, SUPs, canoes, dragon boats, offshore sliding-seats and outrigger boats
• Land Challenge: for those unable to get afloat due to restrictions, we invite you to walk, wheel or run.

Entry fees:

• Price per Boat: 15 Pounds
• Price per Kayak, SUP, canoe or land challenge: 8 Pounds
  (A minimal payment fee is payable at checkout when registering.)

Prizes:

• In the Main Challenge, the premier award for each leg will be a ‘Median Trophy’ which is awarded at the discretion of the organisers to the crew finishing in the middle of the fleet.  That crew accepts the trophy as representatives of the whole fleet. Our event really is one where being part of the whole experience is much more important than where you finish.
• In both the Main and Alternative Challenge, other prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the race organisers.

Merchandise:

• Unfortunately we are not producing merchandise this year.

Organisers:

• The 5 Miles From Home Challenge is hosted this year by Ocean to City (Ireland) with assistance from Scottish Coastal Rowing Association (Scotland) and Welsh Sea Rowing.

Registration – IMPORTANT:

• • Entries open on the 15 JULY 2026
  • Every boat has to be entered by a member of its own crew.
  • One entry per email address only. If a second entry is registered on the same email address the system will override the first entry.
  • As the registration system will be set up from Scotland, entry will be charged in UK Pounds.
  • A small Administration Fee is applied by the Active registration system
  • Due to the large number of participants involved, late entries will not be facilitated.
  • Registration deadline: 11pm Wednesday 26th August 2026. 

FAQs

Rules of Racing

On Saturday, 27 June Scapa saw an influx of St Ayles Skiff Coastal Rowers descend upon its beach for the biannual Orkney Rowing Club regatta.

9 clubs made their way north to compete against Orkney, they were Avoch, Burghead, Catterline, Colliston, Cromarty, Findhorn, Golspie, Lossiemouth, Port Seton and Cockenzie. The conditions were just right for making the racing exciting and the sun shone on racers and spectators alike.

Just before the racing started the crews gave a huge round of applause in memory of the late Kathryn Sclater who was a stalwart of Orkney Rowing Club.

The racing was over a 1K course with a buoy turn at 500m, racing was close in each category, and everyone enjoyed the tight competition. Orkney did very well with the club gaining 2 gold, 4 silver and a bronze medal. However, it was Golspie Rowing Club who were the overall winners with 113 points taking the most northerly skiff regatta trophy home.

Avoch Community Rowing Club came in second place with 106 points closely followed by the hosts, Orkney Rowing Club in 3rd place with 100 points.

A huge thank you to all the visiting clubs for coming and supporting our event.

The annual Port Seton and Cockenzie Coastal Rowing Club regatta took place on June 13th, at Port Seton Harbour.

In spite of the very windy conditions there was a fine display of rowing skill from the home club along with 9 visiting clubs. Superb coxing and umpiring ensured a safe, competitive and fun day.

A huge thank you is extended to the Clubs travelling far and wide to row and who made our regatta a success. Thanks also go to Hireline who generously donated and supplied the portoloos for the day.

There were 7 race categories, with 5 heats a piece and everything to row for, as time determined the gold and silver winners.

Golds were secured by North Berwick, Eastern, Eskmuthe and Boatie with medals also going to Eastern Youth, St Ayles, Troon, and Alnmouth.

As Boatie closes their regatta for 2026 we look forward to participating in the Orkney Regatta later this month and North Berwick Regatta in August.

This is a bit of technical information for those looking to build oars. Topher has put together some indepth explanation on how to make oars and references that will be useful .

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St Andrews rowing clubs report on a trip up to Glencoe and their adventures

 

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Saturday 21st March saw the turn of the West coast clubs to have a SCRA training day, held in the UHI campus at Fort William.  Clubs attended from Isle of Luing, Seil, Appin, Moidart, Morvern, Craignish, South Skye and Lochalsh, Skylark IX project, Glencoe, Lorn, Lochaber and Plockton.  Members of the SCRA board (and helpers) offered training on Passage Planning, Oars and Oar Making, Forming and Growing a Club, Regatta Organising and Towing.  The venue was ideal for this event and thanks to Shannon from UHI campus for helping us on the day.  After registration the attendees then split into the different sessions throughout the day, depending on their interests.  Thanks go to Lochaber for bringing along their skiff which was used in the towing session and to the local home bakers and soup makers for providing the excellent lunch in the break.  A donation of sandwiches from M&S was also very much appreciated.   For any training requests through your SCRA membership, please contact training@scottishcoastalrowing.org

Photo credit Melanie Grey

Loch Insh – 28th–29th March 2026

The first-ever Small Boat Scottish Championships, held at Loch Insh over the weekend of 28th–29th March 2026, proved to be a memorable and hard-fought event, defined by resilience, adaptability, and true Scottish spirit. Originally planned as a two-day celebration of small boat rowing, the weekend was set to feature social rowing on the Saturday followed by a full programme of racing on the Sunday. Crews from across Scotland arrived in high spirits, eager to be part of this landmark occasion.

However, the weather quickly became a defining factor. Cold temperatures, strong winds, and wintry conditions swept across the loch, creating a challenging and at times unpredictable environment for rowing. Sunday in particular brought difficult conditions that ultimately limited the ability to run racing as planned. With deteriorating weather and safety considerations at the forefront, it became clear that the full race schedule could not go ahead on the second day.

In response, organisers made the decision to maximise racing opportunities on the Saturday. Despite similarly challenging conditions, crews and officials pushed ahead, determined to make the most of the available window. Racing took place throughout the day in testing circumstances, with intermittent snow blizzards sweeping across the course between races. While the conditions were far from ideal, they added a unique and memorable dimension to the competition. Crews showed great determination and adaptability, embracing the elements and delivering competitive racing across the events that were able to run.

The success of the racing that did take place was a testament to the flexibility and commitment of everyone involved. Organisers, safety teams, and volunteers worked tirelessly to adjust schedules and ensure that racing could proceed safely, while competitors demonstrated impressive resilience in the face of the conditions.

Results Summary Race Winner Men’s Drag Race Speedwell Women’s Drag Race Speedwell Mixed Double Georgie Rose Men’s Double Speedwell Men’s Solo Pascual Women’s Double Flossie Women’s solo      Selkie Class Results Class Winner Teifi Flossie Vintage Skiff Georgie Rose Picnic Class Pasquale Wemyss Skiff Wee Boat Skur Eupheme Special Prizes Award Recipient Single Rowing Award Jan Dawson Driving of the RIB in All Conditions James Freshwater Special Navigational Skills Merrily Surviving Extreme Exposure (Umpires) Umpire Team Although the championships did not unfold exactly as originally planned, the inaugural event can still be considered a strong success. Meaningful racing was achieved, the small boat community came together, and the foundations were laid for what promises to become a key event in the Scottish rowing calendar. The 2026 Small Boat Scottish Championships will be remembered for battling through snow, wind, and uncertainty—but above all, for the spirit in which it was conducted. With lessons learned and enthusiasm high, future editions will look to build on this promising start—hopefully with kinder weather, but with the same determination that defined this first championship. Thanks to the SCRA for their financial contribution to the event and also thanks go to Loch Insh Water Sport facility for allowing the event to be held there and for providing a much needed feast on the Saturday evening. With no rowing the next day the Small boat community certainly took advantage of the charms of the Beach restaurant. Every cloud as they say!

 

The Fleet :

 

Bow Tow Wemyss Skiff Newhaven Puddock Wemyss Skiff Portsoy Artemis Wemyss Skiff Lossiemouth Little Bustard Wemyss Skiff Catterline Merrily Wemyss Skiff Alness/Invergordon/Rosskeen The Wee Boat Wemyss Skiff North Queensferry Speedwell Teifi Skiff 2x+ North Berwick Flossie Teifi Skiff 2x+ North Berwick Moonshine Whitehall 2/3x+ Isle of Arran Twister Whitehall 1x (picnic)2x Kinghorn Sprite Vintage Double Skiff Firth of Tay Georgie Rose Vintage Double Skiff Firth of Tay Tammy Norrie Skur 2x+ Firth of Tay Eupheme Skur 2x+ North Berwick Pascual Drake 17/ Picnic Class Portobello Selkie Drake 17/Picnic Class Portobello Flashboat/ Daylight Picnic Class Ullapool

 

For images on facebook see Alan Stott: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18NiuDrADL/

(Image attached  – calm before the storm!)

We would like to advise all our clubs members that we have been made aware there is another website advertising the GRR 2026 on the 6th September.  The entries for this race should be made through www.greatriverrace.org.uk and this has the correct race date of 12th September.  Entries should not be made through any other website to ensure you have entered correctly.

SkiffieWorlds-2028-Host-Criteria

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All clubs should have been notified by their club contact that SASI have announced the commencement of the 2025-2026 Review of the International Measurement and Racing Rules.

All National Class Associations have been asked to consult with their members and put this information forward for SASI to review. A survey has been created for participants to complete.

All club replies have to be made to SCRA by the 31st January

More Information see here SASI Rule Review below

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Portmahomack Coastal Rowing Club chose a beautiful day to celebrate the launch of their new skiff, Mingulay! After an in depth refurbishment and repaint to the Club colours, Auricula, their first boat, and Alness and Invergorden Coastal Rowing Club celebrated the inaugural row of Mingulay with an oar salute and a rendition of the Mingulay Boat Song led by Don Don from the shore. A lovely community club event in the sun. Their new boat increases the Club’s rowing capacity for their existing members and for new members too and will be used as a springboard to attract new members and increase community engagement.

Sylva Rybanska enjoyed rowing with Cromarty Rowing Club but due to circumstances had to move away from the area to Invergordon. As she really enjoyed being part of a community group, she felt that having a rowing club closer to home within the area, that it would be a benefit both to the local community and herself.

Over 18 months ago, the thought of a Coastal Rowing Club in the communities of Alness and Invergordon was a small seed sown and within the communities, a number of people got together to start to put a plan in place.  It has taken a little more than a year and a half for the
vision of a Coastal Rowing Club in the communities of Alness and Invergordon to become a reality.

In 2023 a St Ayles Skiff kit was kindly donated by Invergordon man John Henderson who had seen the remarkable growth and community involvement in coastal rowing throughout Scotland. So a new Skiff was born. John along with a number of others (to many to mention) started on the building process of the yet to be names skiff. David Skea, a generous Alness businessman allowed the group, which has now become a charity, to use a unit he
owns for building of the now named Skiff Averon.

Like every skiff build process around the country there were many things to learn along the way and stories of what went on and was said in the build shed will remain in the build shed (unless a dram or two loosens the builders tongues) Fortunately we were able to call on a couple of the local clubs for advice and assistance when required.

The launch of  Averon was attended by over 100 people including members of Skiff rowing clubs  from Portmahomack, North Kessock, Cromarty, Strathpeffer, Avoch, Golspie and Burghead and many locals watched as a 15 year old Dalmore whisky was used to anoint the new skiff  and also enjoyed a small dram as they toasted the naming and launch of Averon.

The group, known as AIR (Alness and Invergordon Rowing) invited four of the neighbouring rowing clubs from Portmahomack, North Kessock, Cromarty
and Strathpeffer to bring skiffs along and join them on the water for the launch at Rosskeen slipway where a traditional salute with oars was given as the new boat slipped into the water. Afterwards crews and many of the locals and sponsors enjoyed coffee, cake and a barbeque lunch before all the skiffs, with Averon  leading the way rowed round to Invergordon for the RNLI open day.

Sylva the AIR club captain along with the many others in the build process and committee would like to thank all their sponsors and the people who supported them throughout the ups and downs build process. She said “that now getting out on Averon has been such a joy after the many of my own and the builders battles have had in recent times and is so looking forward to being part of the greater Skiffie family community”

 

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We are sorry to say that we will be unable to run this event on the 14th September as we had previously hoped. We are still looking into possibilities of running this event but at a different time of year. We are working with people in the area to work out the logistics and establish the best time to be able to do this, taking into account the number of people and skiffs who are likely to want to take part.

We will post up more information on the website and Facebook as and when we have more details.