World champion sets Clyde record
A world canoeing champion has set what he believes to be a new record for crossing the Firth of Clyde.
Andrew Morton, 69, from Dollar, Clackmannanshire, has been visiting Arran while training for the British Canoeing Championships and – having enjoyed a favourable westerly wind – believes he has set an unofficial record time for the Brodick to Ardrossan crossing with a time of one hour, 49 minutes.
Andrew, who will compete in the Reading World Canoeing Championships in two weeks, has spent the past few weekends coming to Arran with just a oneway ticket and his ultra light Marlin canoe before paddling the 13 miles from Brodick back to Ardrossan.
After his record attempt, he told the Banner: ‘I was tired at the end of the crossing but I am sure I have the unofficial record for the fastest crossing by a fair bit. Even 20 years ago I only managed one hour and 55 minutes in the flat calm. The training will help me.’
His latest training venture, in which he achieved the remarkable time of one hour and 49 minutes, included speeds as high as 10mph which were reached by surfing the waves that can be found along the route, some so large that the troughs were deep enough to lose sight of the land on the horizon.
Having spent a lifetime on the water with motorboats and canoeing, Andrew is often seen exploring the Clyde and Forth estuaries and regularly visits Arran where his wife worked in the 1960s and where they sometimes still take their holidays.
Andrew made his canoeing debut after entering the World Masters Championship in South Africa in 1998 where he was delighted to win a bronze medal. He has since competed in four other world championship events. He has won medals in each one, including a first place gold in 2006.