Rowers successfully bringregatta trophy home
Anstruther could only play catch-up. Arran crossed the finish line first to cheers from the watching crowd only to be disappointed to find out that Troon had beaten them into first place by one second in the first heat but which nevertheless brought Arran another silver.
The following race was the mixed decades, a category in which each rower must be in a different decade of life and which is becoming more and more popular as it brings younger and older rowers together in the same boat. Arran’s four were between their late 30s and early 60s and came away with an impressive win in the fastest time of the day, edging Arran ever further forward in the competition.
The penultimate race of the day was the men’s 220+. Very strong Troon and Largs crews battled it out for first place while Arran and Greenock fought valiantly on the home straight for third, the latter just managing to pull away, giving the home side a very useful fourth position.
And, last but not least, was the women’s 220+. Despite having two ladies very new to regatta rowing, this determined crew fought well against strong competition to secure a seventh place. So in addition to the three golds, two silvers and two fourth places, things looked very promising for the hosts.
Time to freshen up and gather for the prize-giving. Bathed in sunshine and with a backdrop of Holy Isle and the Arran skiffs sitting proudly on their double trailer, the table loaded with medals looked resplendent: gold, silver – handmade soap thanks to Friederike Lorenzen – and bronze – hand-turned laburnum mini fenders thanks to Rory Cowan. In addition, there were miniatures of Arran whisky for each winning crew very kindly supplied by the distillery and a handsome looking rope fender for each participating team made by John Baraclough.
The chairwoman of ACRC, Cecilia Paul, announced the winning teams and to much joy and applause the well-earned
fruits of hard labour were presented to the smiling rowers. Everyone waited with baited breath for the announcement of the winning club, which when it came was met with a roar of applause: Arran CRC were the overall winners of the regatta by an impressive margin and proudly accepted the trophy.
To round off the ceremony, the magnificent Arran Trophy, designed and created by Steve Garraway and won last year by Troon CRC, was presented to the new winners by their chairman, Harry Risk.
Now it was time for fun – the bar opened and the evening’s entertainment began with a much praised barbecue, for which many thanks to Yolly Campbell and her helpers for the magnificent and much enjoyed spread. Once everyone had their fill, the winners of the raffle were announced and the party started, the yacht club resounding to a great selection of music from DJ Steve while dancing, singing, chatting and drinking went on until late at night.
Sunday morning saw the rowers congregating again for a hard-fought 6km race around Hamilton Rock and after the presentation of the medals and a fine, new trophy (thank you, Dave Ingham) to the strong Largs crew, the clubs reluctantly departed with much talk of a fantastic event and promises to return next year in even greater numbers.
The committee would like to send their heartfelt thanks to the whole club and their families and friends for working tirelessly to make this event a highlight in the coastal rowing calendar. They would also like to thank Arran Distillery, Arran Deliveries, the Brodick Co-op and Wooleys for their very generous support. And, of course, a very warm thank you to all the wonderful rowers who came from far and wide to take part.
If you would like to know more about coastal rowing and want to give it a try, visit the website arrancoastalrowing.co.uk or email secretary Friederike Lorenzen at secretary@arrancoastalrowing.co.uk.
After months of preparation, the day of the second Arran Coastal Rowing Regatta arrived on Saturday and began early in the morning with a hive of activity in the pouring rain.
As the last crews arrived on the first ferry, Lamlash Yacht Club was buzzing – gazebos going up, rowers welcomed with hot drinks, the course laid and the hard standing quickly filled up with a long row of brightly coloured skiffs belonging to rowing clubs from throughout Scotland – South Queensferry, Anstruther and Portobello from the East Coast, while the Clyde was represented by Stranraer (at their first ever regatta), Troon, Largs, Prestwick, Greenock and Cumbrae, and from Arran’s northerly neighbour came a team from Islay.
Despite the downpour and Holy Isle enveloped in mist, everyone was in good spirits and chatted with old friends and new, all the time crossing their fingers that the forecast for brighter weather later in the day would be proved right. By the time the first race started at 11 o’clock, the rain had eased up and the first open men’s race was set in motion on the 1.5km course around the moorings.
Despite some strong rowing in the first of two heats, the Arran men put their winter training very firmly into practice by storming through in the second heat to a well-deserved gold medal.
Next up was the open women and, as a few rays of sunshine began to peek through the cloud, the Arran ladies looked strong and confident. They knew their work was really cut out in a heat with Anstruther, the longest-established club in the skiff world and renowned for the power of their female rowers. Rowing with all their heart, the Arran lasses kept tight on Anstruther’s heels and secured an impressive second place.
Any rower who hasn’t won a race at a regatta is termed a novice and it was them who were on stage next. The second heat of this mixed race (two ladies and two men) was a cliffhanger and, despite giving their all, the Arran rowers narrowly missed winning their heat and came in a very respectable fourth place overall.
Particular mention should be made to Caroline McGinlay, who was rowing in her first regatta and did a great job.
The last race of the morning session before the officials on the water had a chance to warm up and get some lunch was the open mixed. By now the sun was ever more present and all the participants were drying off and enjoying the warmth. In a tightly contested fight with a strong Greenock crew, Arran maintained their initial lead and pulled away on the home straight to a hardfought first place. So far, so good – the local club had accrued two golds, a silver and a fourth, which put them at the top of the table going in to the break.
Many thanks go to the magnificent team of volunteers who put on a fantastic spread for lunch, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Like all good things, though, the time of rest and recuperation was over and after 45 minutes the rowing battle recommenced in sunshine and with an appetite for more success.
Starting the afternoon session was the Mixed 240+. As with the other races, holding a line on the start was challenging due to a strong southerly wind. The skiffs got off to a good start in the second heat and with an experienced crew made headway immediately. Anstruther were also on top form and were quick to challenge Arran on the starboard side.
Arran’s cox foiled the Anstruther attack by keeping a wide line on the approach to the all important first turn. The local crew got there first, claiming the advantage and from there