Just over twenty miles from Troon, Carrick Coastal Rowing Club’s regatta is a short hop from our home turf. The regatta is held in the idylic setting of Maidens.

The village of Maidens lies at the south end of Ayrshire’s Maidenhead Bay, six miles west of Maybole. The source of its name is often quoted as coming from “The Maidens of Turnberry”, a series of rocks in Maidenhead Bay which have long provided shelter to this end of the bay. There is an alternative view that it’s from a pair of iron age forts built a mile south-west of today’s village. It’s also the place where Robert the Bruce landed to start his reconquest of Scotland. Jumping forward it also grew in popularity due to golf and for many years had its own railway and station. I wonder if any of our members ever jumped on the train to Maidens?

At least the weather was reasonable for a late September regatta but those winds were growing by the minute! The day would be interesting.

Eleven members of Troon headed south to compete.

Nine clubs competed in the Carrick Regatta:

The regatta consisted of two main events, the Exciseman’s chase and the mini chase sprint.

The Exciseman’s Chase is an 8km timed pursuit race from Maidens Harbour to Gas House Bay, Culzean Castle and return to Maidens Harbour. To make matters more interesting, it required a complete crew change in each direction. Returning crews had to set off after the cox’s briefing to give plenty of time to walk to Gas House Bay to be ready to meet their outward crew and changeover.

The mini chase was down the length of the harbour with a starboard turn at the “teabag” buoy, round another buoy and back around the “teabag” before returning back to the harbour slipway.

The day was off to a quick start with the Coxs’ briefing and some quick planning to ensure the crew changeover at Culzean went as smoothly as possible. Tensions were high, the pressure was on. I know this because en-route to a wedding at Turnberry, I convinced Anne that we should go wish the guys good luck. The looks from other clubs were odd, surely this could be rowing gear of the future? Maybe Anne was right to stay in the car rather than head down the harbour in her long dress and high heels, but I thought the guys were worth it.

Each skiff was scheduled with three minute intervals between each departure. Troon were drawn to be the last boat to leave the harbour with their token in hand ready to hand over at Gas House Bay.

The first crew watched anxiously as boat after boat left the harbour. In the boat we had Adrian in the cox seat and Kevin in stroke. Christine C sat in 3, Adrienne in 2 and Neil in bow. Sitting ready waiting for the signal to go. Time to go, token in hand, gripped tightly just in case, they were off!

Kevin described the start of the race. “We set off nice and steady and got into a good rhythm, left turn out of the harbour and straight into 500mtrs of side-on swell tricky trying to keep a rhythm going. The next 2k was full on big waves, making progress for three or four strokes and then crashing to an almost stop at the bottom of a swell” All the guys talked about the “rollercoaster” experience. The North Berwick washing machine regatta was certainly good practice for the guys.  Christine expressed that she “enjoyed the challenge of rowing into the high seas but Adrian’s frequent shouts of ‘here’s a big one’ certainly kept us all concentrated despite having a few fresh air strokes!”.  Based on the feedback from all the crew “big one coming” was an often heard term from Adrian. Little did they know, or perhaps it was evident on his face, but Adrian “didn’t mind admitting that it was heart in the mouth stuff for me as the cox (as I could see what was about to hit us).  I was glad to get Culzean in one piece! “

Waiting on the shore at Culzean was Josie, the chief beach marshal for Carrick Coastal Rowing club. In true sportsmanship behaviour, she kept Lorna, Mike D and Julie warmed up by making them throw sticks whilst awaiting the arrival of the guys.

Back on the sea, the final 1k for the “boys and girls in the boat” eased slightly and the guys overtook one skiff then another and made ground with 500 mtrs to the shore. At the last buoy turn the waves got a bit more side on and wobbly but with a final overtake at the beach, and a real slick crew turnaround, the guys handed over their precious token. Kevin “felt like he, Christine, Adrienne & Neil had been through the wars and had given absolutely everything for each other on every single stroke and knew we could not have done more but it was out of our hands now”.

At Culzean, Christine jumped into the cox seat and Adrian went into stroke.  Julie sat in 3 with Lorna in 2 and Mike D in bow. Adrian said “the turnaround was almost F1 like and we were away in two shakes of a lambs tail”. Conditions were tough but on the return journey the guys had the wind at their back and Christine said “ the return saw us surf at a great rate and overtake another couple of skiffs”. Another valiant effort for the full 4k return journey and the guys had the end in sight. Crossing the finishing line, all they could do was wait to hear the results.

The guys had done it with a lead of four minutes. Looking across the timings above its clear that every team rowed their hearts out in such challenging conditions. A great win from our Troon rowers.

Next up was the mini chase sprint race. Christine was Cox for this event and got her crew ready. Despite the sunny day, like North Berwick, the wind was making conditions difficult and the course was hastily reorganised to suit the conditions.

For this race, Christine selected Lorna for stroke and Michael B in 3. Derek sat in 2 and Jacqui took bow. The precious token was taken and the crew climbed down the harbour wall to the pontoon. They were off! Jacqui was delighted with  “The great start they got and it being a TCRC speciality”.  The guys knew the pressure was on to retain the trophy and after the great result from earlier in the day. “The wind was strong and sea had swell and white horses from the North Westerly blowing” felt Derek and that it “was a well coxed race”. The guys could hear the other Troon members on the harbour wall and talked about it being a great motivator. The guys powered around the course and as they reached the slip, Jacqui quickly passed the token to Mike D who flew up the slip to hand over the token.

After an anxious wait, the guys found out they had won by a mere 45 seconds but were happy to take it and take the trophy home to Troon.

Another great regatta for TCRC and a great end to the season.

2024 Regatta Season

Its incredible to think that the 2024 regatta season is over and summer is gone, if you actually believe it arrived in the first place. What a season it has been and easy to forget how well we have done.

The first regatta of the season was back in early May at Port Seaton. We brought home medals from that but were stopped in our tracks by storm Kathleen. Shortly after this we were up the coast to Largs for the FOCCRs regatta.  We brought home a number of medals from this and won the regatta trophy, again. Still in May, we headed down to Dunure, secured more medals and another regatta trophy. In June we went to Prestwick for an ”interesting regatta”. At the end of June we travelled to Arran, collected lots of medals and brought back the regatta trophy, for a third year in a row.  At the end of June we launched our new darling, Marjorie Jeffrey and she had her first regatta at Royal West in early July.  More medals and another trophy headed back to Troon. At the end of July, a team headed to sunny Stranraer for their regatta. Rumour has it that their kit is still drying out two months later. MJ was on form and the crew collected medals and another trophy! Finally we managed to run our rescheduled regatta and what a great day that was. Yep, more medals and all the trophies on offer stayed in Troon. In July we crossed the sea to Northern Ireland to take part in Skiffie Fest. “Wow” doesn’t do it justice. A great regatta and our awesome 60+ ladies (and Mike R) brought home medals from that regatta too. At the end of August we travelled to one of our favourite places, North Berwick, where more medals were well earned and brought back to Troon. This final regatta at Carrick was a perfect ending to a great season.

We can all agree that competing and winning a regatta is a “whole club” effort. The boat build, boat maintenance, fitness training, regatta training, club administration and cheering from the sidelines all contribute to every trophy.  We all contribute in our own way and for our own reasons. For some its fitness, sawdust, community, just rowing or competing. They are all valid. We all got here through different journeys and are supported in different ways. For Jaqui it was through Letty, her mum, who taught her to row. For some it was walking along the prom watching the people in the bright marquees having lots of fun. Let’s work together to keep our club strong and better than ever.

North Berwick regatta has a special place in the hearts of many TCRC members. Its an iconic racing venue with a well run regatta and stiff competition. The scenery is not too shabby too. It’s one of those regattas where the best view is from the skiff but if you listen to the cox yelling “eyes in the boat, eyes in the boat, heads up, backs straight” its so easy to miss that incredible big rock!

Craigleith is a lava dome just off the harbour of North Berwick. Its part of a chain of four islands near North Berwick, along with Bass Rock, Fidra and the Lamb. Of these, it is the closest to the town’s harbour. Like these other nearby islands, Craigleith is a bird colony although with “eyes in the boat” I’ve never seen a puffin yet.

Fifteen members of Troon were due to compete but as ever, things change and plans need to adapt.

An impressive 21 clubs were scheduled to compete in the regatta:

The regatta consisted of 10 races with each race starting off the harbour and heading west around Craigleith (The Rock) and coming back to turn eastwards towards the finish line at the harbour wall. Races were all run across two heats and timed with no finals. Even with half the boats on the start line, it was an impressive sight.

Troon competed in eight of the ten races at the regatta. We did not compete in Race 3 – Under 18s or Race 6 – Mixed novices.

The first race of the day was the 45+ Men and Troon were drawn in heat 2. Christine C took the cox seat with Kevin in stroke. Adrian sat in 3 , Mike K in 2 and Neil in Bow. The guys looked focused as MJ slowly slipped away from the beach and headed for the start line. North Berwick is one of those regattas where you smugly reach for your binoculars because you realised the year before that once the boats are away from the beach, it’s impossible to see anything!

This was an endurance race wrapped in skill and covered in layers of determination. Attention! Go! The first heat was off and slogging its way to the rock. Less than 10 minutes later and the second heat, including TCRC, was off. Everyone watched the skiffs head towards Craigleith and watched the minutes tick by.  As they headed round the island, “the boys in the boat” were somewhat surprised to be faced with two local lads, fishing rods in hand, sitting in their wee boat enjoying the peace and quiet directly on the racing line. Disaster avoided, the guys continued around the rock into even choppier waters and yet another sea state.  The guys gave their all and left everything in the boat as the horn sounded and their race was over.

An anxious ten minutes later, the final results were posted on the North Berwick site. TCRC had secured an incredible third place in the overall race finishing on 19m 10s. The home team, North Berwick, finished first on 18m 36s and Alnmouth on 19m 02s.

The next race up was the 45+ Womens with Adrian in the Cox seat and Christine R in stroke. Christine C sat in 3, Adrienne in  2 and Kathleen in bow. Drawn again in the second heat, the ladies headed out into choppier waters. Hearing from the first crew of the “interesting” conditions, despite the sunny day, meant the ladies were going to have a bumpy row. Another anxious wait, watching from a distance, and hoping for glory. It was obvious from the guys when they reached the shore that it was a challenging row in changing and difficult conditions. “Now I know what its like inside a washing machine”, one of the crew  joked as they climbed out the boat.

The Troon ladies, like our first crew, had rowed for all they were worth and took another third pace for TCRC finishing in 21m 13s. Boatie Blest took first place in 20m 27s and Broughty Ferry secured second place in  21m 09s.

The next race TCRC competed in was the Mixed Decades. Christine C jumped back into the Cox’s seat and Adrian in stroke. Julie sat in 3, Lorna in 2 and Paul sat in bow. The chat was electric round the boat as the guys got themselves ready. Advice from returning crews was shared. “Avoid the fisherman”, “Get ready for the waves on your beam”, “Head further East when you come round the rock” but the guys were already in race mode and they were off.

It was clear from shore that the conditions were getting rougher and rougher. The tide was coming in, the winds were blowing a cold Easterly, the sun was shining and the white horses were dancing off shore. An anxious 30 minutes later and the guys returned to shore after a hard race in difficult conditions. TCRC finished fifth with a time of 21m 38s. Elie and Earlsferry finished first with a time of 20m 57s. North Berwick were second on 21m 7s and Eastern third on 21m 10s.

Race 5 of the regatta and Troon’s fourth race of the day was the Mixed Open. At this point everyone could tell that the conditions were getting worse and TCRC were going to be really tested today. Kevin sat in Cox and Christine R took stroke. Our first “improvise, adapt and overcome” moment arrived with Jacqui (who was scheduled to be in seat 3) but was currently in seat 1 on the A720 at that very moment. The team were resolved to forfeit the race until Julie, in a superwoman moment, declared she would take the place and do back to back races in the washing machine. Euan took seat 2 and Michael B sat in bow.

Another anxious wait as the guys headed away from shore. We could see that the boats were being thrown around in the ever turbulent bay. The guys were clearly doing well and we could see that they were in second place as they disappeared around Craigleith. Waiting with bated breath, we peered through binoculars watching for them to round the rock. Little did we know that the guys, whilst racing behind the rock, came to an unplanned emergency stop, as they captured a submerged buoy! Hanging over the stern with Christine hanging onto Kevin, the guys removed the offending rope and restarted the charge around the rock.  Unbelievably, after overtaking other boats, the guys finished 10^th with six boats slower in the overall race.

Despite the weather, the sun had brought everyone to the water with wild swimmers, kayaks, fishing boats, tourist day trips and the local sailing club regatta all vying for space. That made things even more interesting for our beloved skiffs.  The next race was the novice race and due to our ongoing successes, we passed on that particular race.

The next race for TCRC was the Mixed 240+ with Christine C in the Cox seat and Kevin in stroke. Adrienne sat in 3, Christine in 2 and Neil sat in the bow. Watching from the harbour wall was exhilarating, terrifying and with a sense of relief that we weren’t in that boat! The skiffs were being thrown around, waves crashed over the boats and at the last minute, whilst the guys were in the boat, they were told not to go around the rock and instead go around a buoy on this side of Craigleith. Another wild row with the washing machine in maximum spin mode, the guys raced around the new course. The guys raced for all they were worth and the finish was wild.

The TCRC raced across the finishing line taking fifth place with a time of 16m 9s. St Ayles secured first place with a time of 15m 32s and Eastern took second place on 15m 40s.

After this race, North Berwick took the sensible approach and paused the regatta hoping conditions would improve. After some time the next two races were cancelled and the regatta again paused. The first heat of the ninth race was the men’s open and was heading for the start line but it became quickly obvious that crews felt it was unsafe and headed back to shore. The regatta was cancelled at this point but everyone clearly had a great time and felt the right decision was made. Once everything was packed away, in a medal winning time, the crew headed to the lobstershack for a well-deserved treat.

TCRC were delighted to take home two third place awards from The North Berwick regatta against such strong competition. We were also delighted to be supported by Steven, Ronnie and Lorna’s daughter, Eilidh. Eilidh was a star and hopefully a future member, helping launch boats and keeping us all topped up with sweets.

Forthcoming Regattas

The next regatta is on Saturday 14^th September at Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club at Rhu. The guys would love you to join them and support TCRC at the regatta. Its also a great opportunity to have a wee look at some skiffs and spot any design changes that have been implemented by other clubs.

Strangford Lough is a large sea lough in County Down, in the east of Northern Ireland. It’s the home of Down Coastal Rowing Association (DCRA), the representative body of affiliated Coastal Rowing clubs within County Down. DCRA are the organisers of the annual Skiffie Fest regatta. Troon has a fantastic historic link to the association and was instrumental in its foundation. Back in 2014, just a few years after its foundation, TCRC journeyed across the water to show off Marr Voyager to an enthusiastic Northern Irish audience. Shortly afterwards, six skiffs were ordered for local clubs. You can see an interview with Jim and Harry online at:

https://www.facebook.com/downcoastalrowing/videos/interview-with-the-troon-coastal-rowing-club-during-their-recent-visit/269459416565866

The name Strangford comes from the Old Norse Strangfjörthr, meaning “strong fjord” and was a regular haunt of Vikings from the 7^th to 13^th century. What a fitting location for our own bunch of roaming warriors crossing the sea to battle on the waters of Northern Ireland.

Fourteen nervous Vikings caught the ferry from Stranraer across the Irish Sea. A first for many of the crew to visit Northern Ireland and a first to Skiffie Fest for some too! We had heard tales of regatta battles over campfires (Harbour bar) and wondered if one day we would fight on those shores. The time had come!

Fourteen warrior rowers joined the TCRC crew and set off to battle.

Fifteen Clubs participated across nineteen boats to join this national battle. Clubs from Northern Ireland, Scotland and England all competed on Strangford Lough.

The regatta consisted of a course running 1km North and around a marker buoy returning the 1km back across the start line. Most races would be run in two heats with the top 14 boats competing in a final race. A number of races went straight to single final races due to the number of competing clubs. The regatta ran over three days with 24 separate race categories covering under 17s up to 280+ crews. TCRC planned to compete in 10 of the 24 races across the three days.

After a ferry journey full of colourful characters, the crew initiated its battle plan with half heading to set up camp and the other half heading straight to the lough. MJ even had to breathe in when traversing some of the roads. The team got MJ in the water and the set up of a forward operating base ready for the forthcoming battle. The atmosphere was electric. The tension was high.

The first and only race of the first day was the 60+ women’s race with Mike R in the Cox seat. Christine R took stroke with Adrienne in 3. Jacqui sat in 2 with Christine C taking the bow seat.

Fourteen boats lined up on the start line ready for this epic battle. The wind was high and the tide was racing. Off to a great start, the ladies rowed their hearts out. It was clear from this first battle that competition over the regatta was going to be extremely high. Despite this, our crew fought for every metre on the water and finished an incredible third place behind Strangford and Golspie. A great start to the regatta rewarded with a champagne reception on returning to the TCRC camp.

First night at the TCRC camp  and much talk of rowing and tactics!  Nerves were dampened with the traditional beer and wine remedy. We understand that to this day, Christine R is still wearing that medal won on day one.

Early to bed and day two quickly followed. An early rise for all and preparations started for a fun packed day.

The first race for TCRC on day two was the 40+ Female heat. Mike R was Cox for this race. Louise took the stroke seat and Lorna in 3. Jacqui sat in 2 and Kathleen was in bow.

The guys were drawn in heat 2 and rowed like there was no tomorrow finishing with a decent time to take them into the final. Time seemed to be moving quickly in Northern Ireland and the next race was upon us. The race was the Open Mixed and TCRC was in heat 2. Mike R took the Cox seat with Kevin in stroke. Lorna took 3, Lizzie in 2 and Neil in bow.

Giving their all on the water, the team finished in a time that took them through to the final later in the day. Feedback from the team when they returned indicated that competition on the water was high and the return leg against the wind and tide was tough going.

The third race of the day was the 50+ Mixed. This was a single race straight to the final with 14 boats competing.  Christine C was now in the Cox seat. Adrienne took stroke and Adrian sat in 3. Mike K was in 2 and Kathleen took bow.

Yet another epic battle followed. TCRC were off to a good start but it was evident that these clubs were a cut above many others. The guys rowed like champs and finished a respectable eighth in the middle of the pack. Golspie Rowing Club stormed across the finishing line to take first place and bring some more medals back to Scotland.

The next race was another single race with no heats. The 40+ Male was coxed by Christine C. Kevin took stroke and Adrian took 3. Neil sat in 2 with Steve in bow.

With the youngest crew member in this race at 57, TCRC was at a bit of a disadvantage but up for the fight.  Conditions on the water were improving and the sun was out. Another decent start for TCRC. Christine C guided the guys towards the turning buoy and kept their heads up and eyes forward. 12 boats charging up the lough searching for victory and stories to tell. Golspie again grabbing first place with an awesome row. Troon with a fast time and finishing in ninth place. Competition was fierce and everything was left on the water.

Things moved at pace. The organisation was like clockwork. Every Troon crew returning from battle was applauded and hugged by their fellow TCRC rowers. People jostled for views across the lough watching for their clubs racing and returning.

Time for the 40+ Female final and the fifth race of the day for TCRC. 14 boats lined up on the start line ready to race. Another race where Troon were “giving away” quite a few years to the competition but again that didn’t stop these ladies. Yet another full on and fast race ensued with Ardglass Coastal Rowing Club romping home in a very fast time. TCRC finished thirteenth.

The last race for TCRC for the day was the final of the Open Mixed. Fourteen boats lined up chasing those elusive medals. TCRC fought from the outset but as we saw all day, the competition was on a whole new level. Eastern Amateur Coastal Rowing glided across the lough with an almost effortless stroke whilst Golspie fought hard against them. At the finish line Eastern took victory followed by Golspie 5 seconds behind them. Troon crossed the line in thirteen place.

An exhausted TCRC crew headed back to camp to reflect on a hard fought day. Six tough races against world class competition was awesome but also exhausting. Much rowing debate followed over a fabulous feast, interspersed with singing, wine, beer and the odd baby Guiness. The day ahead clearly needed a rethink with a potential of 10 races. This was sealed when, after too many hours perched in the Cox seat, Mike R had to bow out of the competition and watch from the sidelines.

Day 3 was here and it felt like we only arrived a minute ago. A few swapped seats and a dropped race reduced the overall burden and made the day look a bit more achievable. This was a valuable lesson for Worlds!

The first race of the day was the 40+ Mixed and TCRC was in heat 2.

Christine C took the Cox seat with Louise in stroke. Lorna sat in 3 and Neil in 2. Steve took the bow seat. Nine boats sat on the start line eager to row. From the outset, Eastern glided to the front of the pack. The Troon crew rowed for all they were worth but once again giving away too many years to the competition. A fast race followed with Eastern taking another first place ahead of the other boats. Unfortunately TCRC failed to reach the final despite their valiant efforts. Dundrum Coastal Rowing Club went on to win the final with Golspie taking second place and Eastern taking third.

The next race of the day was the 50+ Male.  Christine C took the Cox seat and Kevin was in stroke. Adrian sat in 3 and Mike K in 2. For this race Neil was in the bow seat. Troon was in heat 2 and 8 boats fought for a place in the final.

The Troon crew flew off the start line and comfortably finished in the middle of the pack with energy saved in the tank for the final later in the day. The next race of the day was the 50+ Female and Troon were in heat 2.

Adrian stepped in to take the Cox seat and Christine R sat in stroke. Christine C took 3, Adrienne took 2 and Kathleen sat in bow. This was another incredible heat with boats neck and neck towards the turning buoy. The Troon ladies flew across the finishing line with a time to take them into the final later in the day.

The fourth race was the Open Female and Adrian again stepped into take the role of Cox.

Louise sat in stroke with Lorna in 3. Lizzie sat in 2 and Jacqui took bow. This was another fast race with Sketrick leading from the start and finishing first in the heat way ahead of all other boats. Unfortunately our Troon ladies did not make the final with Ardglass, Sketrick and Eastern taking the top three places in the final.

The fifth race of the day was the final of the 50+ Male category. 13 boats lined up on the start line waiting for the signal. Christine C, in the cox’s seat, grabbed onto the starter buoy for dear life and waited on the call for attention and go. And they were off to yet another flying start. This was a quick race with great conditions on the water and Troon were in the pack. Eastern and Sketrick again showed their pace and powered ahead with Troon chasing the leading boats. The guys finished with an incredible fifth place with Eastern grabbing yet another gold medal.

The last race for Troon was the final of the 50+ female with Adrian again in the cox seat. 13 boats jostled back and forth on the start line eager to go. The ladies sat with anticipation knowing how tough this competition was. This was yet another fast race and as they disappeared into the distance every team watched hoping for victory. For Eastern and Dundrum it was battle from start to finish with an almost photo finish and Eastern grabbing a well deserved gold and winning by less than a second ahead of Dundrum and Strangford taking third. The Troon ladies got a respectable 9^th place with a fast time but unfortunately the competition were at the top of their game.

Skiffie Fest was over. We blinked and it was gone. Like a well oiled machine, the crew set about getting MJ out the water and breaking camp.

Back at camp, yet another feast was devoured. We were a team, even when cooking and cleaning. Spirits were high and we were genuinely proud of our achievements against world class opposition. Everyone was reflective and discussions quickly moved on to how we could progress as a team and as a club. We considered the world championships in 2025 and reflected on what was needed. As you walked through the house, every conversation was on techniques, boats, oars, fitness, training and in many cases awe at some of the other clubs we watched and admired.  The conversations continue to this day and we will find a way of expanding to the whole club and getting invaluable input to every single question.

Skiffie Fest was a well organised regatta and people were so welcoming to TCRC. I think it will form a special memory in every single person who attended from TCRC and strengthened bonds for future races. Thanks to our travelling supporters club (Steven Bargh) for joining us and one day you will leave that lycra behind and join us on the water.

Forthcoming Regattas

The next race is one of our favourites and is North Berwick on the 31^st August.  We would love for you to join us even if you aren’t on the water but want to come and look at boats and talk to other rowers and boat builders.

Stranraer was the next regatta in our busy rowing schedule, only two weeks after triumphing at Royal West. It was to be an early start for Marjorie Jeffrey and her merry bunch, departing Troon harbour at an unearthly hour.

Stranraer Coastal Rowing Club is a part of Stranraer Water Sports Association and is based on the shores of Loch Ryan on the beachfront in Stranraer. The club also has a sailing club dating back to 1844 when it had its first regatta. We hope the weather 180 years ago was much better than it was today!  Like many of the sites visited by TCRC on their escapades, Loch Ryan is rich in history. It’s the place where in 1307 Robert the Bruce’s brother was defeated by the locals who didn’t take kindly to Bruce’s invasion fleet. In more recent times, during world war two, it was the base for Catalina flying boats hunting submarines and defending the Atlantic convoys. You may have been fortunate to see one of those at a past airshow locally or even last week when one flew over Scotland to honour John Cruickshank, former Catalina pilot and the last surviving Victoria Cross recipient from that time. A historic loch and hopefully more history (on a slightly smaller scale) to be made in coastal rowing.

The Coastal Rowing club was formed in 2018 when they completed their first skiff, Lady Bay. The club then went on a mere year later to host Skiffieworlds with nearly 3,000 participants from around the world and  an estimated 30,000 spectators descending on the town. As you will all be aware, the club were successful in their recent bid to bring SkiffieWorlds back to Stranraer and they return in 2025.

A smaller regatta crew of eleven members were in attendance for the regatta.

Five clubs competed in the regatta including Stranraer, North Berwick, Portpatrick, Wigtown Bay and Troon.

The regatta consisted of a planned seven races each of approximately 2k in length around a triangular course with no lanes. There were two heats with Troon being selected for the second heat alongside Stranraer for each race. Well that was the plan and as usual it didn’t turn out that way.

The scene was set over a dull and overcast Loch Ryan with almost no wind and calm seas. There was a feeling that could change.

The first race of the day was the Open Men category with Christine C as cox with Kevin in stroke. Adrian took the 3 seat and Mike K took 2. Neil was in bow. The crew took off like lightning and raced around the course, with an ever duller Loch Ryan promising something extra. The guys raced across the finishing line an impressive 19 seconds clear of the hosts, Stranraer, who took second place in the overall rankings. Another win in the bag for TCRC and Marjorie Jeffrey.

The next race of the day was the Open Women. Mike R fresh from his mountaineering in the Alps, took the hot seat once more and was cox. Christine R took stroke (also via the Alps) and Christine C taking a break from shouting at crews took seat 3. Adrienne took 2 and Kathleen sat in bow.

It was at this point that Loch Ryan decided to make the day more interesting for its rowing visitors and remind us all that you can get wetter in the boat rather than out it. A valuable lesson for 2025. The mid race photo from our Sky News helicopter (aka Mike R)  shows how the weather had turned. The crews had to follow the safety boat to find the first buoy visibility was so bad. Mike R describes the race perfectly. “The open women’s race was neck and neck against Stranraer right round the course, with us just in front at the first buoy. At the second buoy, we lost the lead to Stranraer by a boat length. Down the final straight to the line, I pushed the ladies as hard as I could, pressured the whole way by the Stranraer crew. In the last 50 metres, we overtook them and crossed the line 2 seconds ahead. An absolutely valiant effort by the Dream Team.”

The ladies finished third overall with an impressive North Berwick ladies team finishing an unbelievable 38 seconds ahead of Troon. Wigtown Bay took second place.

By the next race it felt like it was even raining underneath the marquee. The third race was the Open Mixed. Kevin took the cox seat for this race with Paul in stroke, Mike K in 3 Jacqui in 2 and Kathleen in bow. Conditions were only getting worse on the water. Kevin described the horrible conditions that the guys had to row in but was clear that “they rowed their hearts out and gained a 4^th place” North Berwick finished considerably ahead of the rest of the pack and were 52 seconds ahead of TCRC.

At this point the organisers took the sensible step of pausing the regatta due to poor conditions including poor visibility. After debating with the clubs, a new plan was agreed with a new course using the home stretch of the original course of approximately 700m. There would be no heats and just a straightforward sprint to the finish line.

The regatta competition was back on and it was a close thing! North Berwick were leading overall with 13 points and Troon and Stranraer next with 10 points each.

This was easily the wettest regatta of the season and Jacqui, after three changes of clothing, realised that it was something Stranraer were clearly very used to and had all the appropriate equipment handy. Let’s add one of these to our equipment list when we eventually get a clubhouse.

The fourth race of the day with this new course was the 240+Men.

Christine C was cox with Kevin in stroke. Adrian took seat 3 and, just like previously at Royal West, Adrienne stepped in to take seat 2 and show the boys exactly how it should be done. Neil sat in the bow seat for this race. Attention. Go. They were off to a flying start and romped down the course to finish a solid first and gain vital points towards the regatta trophy. Wigtown bay took second with North Berwick getting a third place.

The next race of the very very wet day was the 240+ Women with Mike R taking the cox seat. Christine C took stroke with Jacqui in 3. Adrienne, just to show she really is a legend stayed in the boat and took seat 2. Christine R sat in bow. Kevin described it as “another phenomenal race with a great first place finish”. Stranraer took second and North Berwick took third.

The race was on! Troon were now one point ahead of North Berwick in the overall competition and it was all down to the next race!

The  last point scoring race was the 240+ Mixed and Mike R took the hot seat. Christine C was stroke with Paul in 3. Kevin sat in 2 and Kathleen took bow. No pressure guys!

It was a close thing and a hard fought race right across the finishing line. The cheers from the TCRC supporters, certain of the win, mixed with the North Berwick supporters who also thought they won. Talk about tension but eventually Troon were hailed as the winners of the race and therefore the overall regatta.

The last race of the day was the novice race but due to TCRC ongoing success we did not take part in this non scoring race.

Timings for the first three races are shown below. No other races were timed.

The overall race positions are shown below:

Troon finished overall first with 25 points and North Berwick were second with 23 points and Marjorie Jeffrey wins another regatta.

Forthcoming Regattas

The next regatta is the rescheduled Troon Regatta on Saturday 27^th July. We look forward to seeing all our club members at our home regatta.

Thanks also to everyone who attended Stranraer Regatta for their photos and stories.

The Royal West Regatta was held on Saturday 6^th July and was a wee bit special to TCRC. It was the first public outing for our new skiff, Marjorie Jeffrey. I think its fair to say, she didn’t disappoint, gained a few new admirers and travelled down the A78 with her head held high.

Royal West are located in Greenock and their regatta is always well run and a warm welcome is provided to their fabulous facilities on the banks of the Clyde. We love how stories permeate through the ages and love that the etymology of “Greenock” is apparently from “The green oak that stood on the banks of The Clyde where local fisherman tied up their boats”. To be honest we couldn’t find the green oak and the beach was fine for leaving our new darling. Let’s not bust that myth though and keep that image going.

The club has fabulous facilities that are surely the envy of any coastal rowing club.

The club was formed in 1866 and originates from when the houses next to the Clyde had access to the water for their boats. Many of the “younger gentlemen” residing here kept their rowing and fishing boats close at hand. Progress however got in the way when, during construction of the new Albert Harbour, the quarried stone was used to construct the current esplanade along the waterfront and cutting these individuals off from their craft. Not to be outdone, after a hastily convened meeting in a local hotel, and the appropriate people petitioned, the club was formed and a clubhouse proposed in its current position proposed. Not hanging about, the plans were submitted twelve days later, contracts awarded and construction organised. You won’t be surprised to hear the official opening was delayed due to rain. Even at that point, the opening was celebrated with a few small drinks! The club thrived with world class oarsman in its ranks and more than a few characters. In 1877 when Queen Victoria visited Loch Maree, the club provided her majesty with “the handsomest gig procurable in the West coast of Scotland”  (If only they could see MJ now perhaps we would argue that assertion). Victoria was “rowed across the loch by six stalwart Highlanders”. Some years later the club received its royal warrant and became Royal West of Scotland Amateur Boat Club we know today.

A healthy seventeen members of Troon Coastal Rowing club attended the regatta.

Seven clubs attended including Royal West, Troon, Prestwick, FOCCRs, Arran, Anstruther and Royal Gourock.

The regatta consisted of; Open Men, Open Women, Mixed Open and the Dan Kane Novice Race(In memory of one of the Royal West Rowers). These  were a 500m Sprint from a point East of the Royal West clubhouse to a finish line off The Royal West Beach. There were two heats with the first two in each heat then competing in a final. The first two boats in each heat remained on the water until the event was finished.

The Mixed 240 was a 1500m triangular course. The course from the bay in front of the club, North to Whiteforeland buoy with a starboard turn around it, then south east back to main course start buoy with a second starboard turn before racing west to the main course finish line. This race was timed.

Each club had the opportunity to play a Joker card which doubled the points for one of the main races (excluding the Andy race and the fun event). The Andy race was the same course as the 240 mixed, with each boat consisting of four rowers from other clubs. This race was also timed.

The “fun element” of the day was to have each boat demonstrating a 360 degree turn within the bay and further information provided on the day. More on this later.

The first race of the day was the Open Men category. Chrstine C was cox for this race with Kevin in stroke, Neil in three, Michael in two and Paul in bow. The guys turned on turbo power approaching the finishing line and won their first heat. In the final, the crew fought a hard race against Arran, who had played their joker, and crossed the line six seconds ahead of Arran to take the first race. Marjorie Jeffrey’s first ever victory was in the bag.

The second race of the day was the Open Women.

 For this race, Kevin took the cox seat with Christine C swapping her last seat for this one. Julie was in seat three with Lizzie in two and Kirsty W in bow. This was a tough race with strong opposition. The Troon ladies got through their heat but were pipped into third place, a mere four seconds behind FOCCRs and six seconds behind the formidable Anstruther ladies team.

The third race of the day was the Open Mixed with Christine C swapping seats yet again and jumping into the cox seat. Adrian was in stroke with Julie in three. Lizzie stayed in seat two for a back to back race and Neil joined them in bow. The guys won their heat and progressed through to the final against tough competition.  Just to make matters interesting The Waverly paid us all a visit and brought a travelling rain storm along with it heading “doon the water”.  As soon as it was out of sight, the sun popped out but left them tougher conditions. The guys were awesome in a tough race finishing nine seconds ahead of Anstruther and FOCCRs a mere second behind them.

The next race was the Mixed Novice race in memory of former Royal West member Dan Kane.

The success of our club has meant that we don’t have novices for too long which causes some problems when competing in a regatta. Days before the regatta TCRC had resigned itself to not being able to enter this race until our Troon Viking warriors stepped up and offered to join us. Christine C remained in the cox seat with Lee, one of our newest members on stroke. David B, with sailing activities slightly curtailed, took seat three. Silvia and Harriet both sneaked away from the kids for the day and took seats two and bow respectively. After winning the first heat, the guys went on to win and finished eight seconds ahead of FOCCRs and Arran one second behind FOCCRs. Novices no more. To say the guys were happy would be an understatement and the noise from the beach was deafening.

The next race up was the Fun 360 and we had no idea what to expect but it was a non-scoring little bit of fun that would be a laugh. Or so we thought just before we heard it was to be a scored event consisting of a 100 metre sprint with a 360 degree turn (in any direction) added at any point but not at the immediate start. A hastily formed crew was press ganged arranged and left the beach in a hurry. At this point everyone from TCRC had their own cunning plan on what to do and when to do it but, in good leadership style, our cox Christine C took charge. Port back paddle and Starboard paddle to get round after a racing start. The hastily organised crew was Paul on stroke, Jackie on three, Steve on two and Michael in bow. To say it wasn’t the prettiest turn may be an understatement but the boat turned. With a cracking start and a second great start after the turn, the boat romped home to win the heat and finish with the fastest time. Another race win for Troon and more vital points in the bank. The sixth race of the day, and the final scoring race, was the Mixed 240+. Paul swapped seats from stroke and moved into the cox position. Christine C, now feeling like she was living in the boat and understanding how Mike R often feels, moved from the cox seat to stroke. Adrian took seat three, Kevin seat two and Kirsty W sat in bow.

At this point the overall regatta scores were very close with Troon in the lead, FOCCRs close behind and then Anstruther. Troon had saved its Joker for this very occasion. The course was changed to the much longer 1500m triangular course and the clubs set off in two tranches. Troon, in the first group, taking care to avoid passing gin palaces, finished comfortably first with a great time of 10 minutes 28 seconds. The second group headed off and ploughed through the choppy waters of the Clyde. It was a nail biting finish but in the end FOCCRs won the battle finishing six seconds faster. The Joker however played its part and double points for second place were awarded to Troon and winning the regatta.

The last “fun” element of the day was the now famous Andy Race. Building boats is easy compared to getting seven clubs to line up and listen to an allocated number but in the end everyone knew where they were going.

Four “volunteers” from TCRC, Christine B, Jackie, Derek and Steve were allocate their boat with Steve lucky enough to be sent to MJ with Paul as cox (or so he thought). The course was the previous 1500m triangular course. To say it was an interesting row for Paul, Steve and MJ would be an understatement. To more mature TCRC members, think Errol Flynn repelling boarders with sword in mouth and to the youngsters, think Captain Jack Sparrow standing on the sinking boat. The cox in the boat next to MJ clearly didn’t believe in rules and repeatedly clashed oars, caused course corrections and finally tried to decapitate Paul with boats coming to a complete stop. Steely eyed Paul brought his crew under orders and raced on. It was all fun after all. The other guys had much more traditional races with both Christine and Derek winning medals in their boats.

Timings for each race are shown below and show how well the teams did on the day.

The final results for the day were:

Troon finished overall first with 45 points and FOCCRs were second with 39 points and Marjorie Jeffrey wins her first regatta.

It would be remis of us not to acknowledge the success of Marjorie Jeffrey. The sheer number of admirers was impressive and a testament to the many members involved in her construction. Its safe to say she wasn’t just the new girl on the beach but definitely the prettiest and fastest. We were particularly proud when a professional painter wanted to know all the details of her “incredible paint job”. The individual was clearly very knowledgeable and acknowledged the difficulties and skill involved in such a high quality finish. He had painted a number of skiffs previously and was simply in awe of our girl. 

TCRC supporters were again in attendance to support the regatta crew. Unusually, one of our supporters was Mike K, who would normally be found in the boat couldn’t keep away despite not competing. He brought along a “slightly reluctant and bored” Leeloo who politely watched the rowing whilst sniffing out any “lost” lunches or snacks.

In addition to these guys, we swear the seal that popped its head up mid race was the Troon seal heard barking “timing”, “together”, “timing”, or is that really Mike R.

Forthcoming Regattas

The next regatta is Stranraer Regatta on Saturday 20^th July. If you are interested in joining us for this or future regattas then feel free to talk to any regatta regulars and we will welcome you with open arms.

On Saturday 29^th June 2024, Troon Coastal Rowing Club launched the fourth craft in its magnificent fleet. Marjorie Jeffrey is the third St. Ayles skiff in our mighty armada joining her sisters, Marr Voyager and Ailsa Lass and her little cousin Lady Isle.

The story of her build and the characters in that wonderful tale are for another article but for now, it seems apt to record the news of her launch in this brief article.

Maybe launching a boat conjures up an image of a goliath towering above Glasgow tenements with saluting cranes and doth capped riveters but those days are long gone. Launching a St. Ayles skiff is clearly a different matter and one or two of our members have been here before, but for some of us it was a first.

Previous articles have emphasised the concept of Tradition within our past-time and launching boats and ships is steeped in tradition. The formal custom of transferring the vessel from land to water is an important naval tradition dating back thousands of years. Its not just a celebration and blessing of the boat but also of her future crews too. Our Viking personas that brought us recent regatta victories may have been fun, but back in their time they would select a slave and sacrifice them for good fortune and future victories. Before anyone suggests anything on that front, the committee have said no already! In more historic and sedate times, the King’s representative would name the ship and, sprinkle wine on the four corners of the boat, or key strategic places, and then throw the bejewelled goblet into the water. It wasn’t long before local worthies would be waiting for this key point and waiting for their opportune booty. In more difficult times, the representative would have someone hanging about with a net so they could move on to the next launch. Its interesting how even the 17^th century sounds like something a current government would do when launching a ship (or ferry). May be best nobody mentions the sacrifice idea if they have friends in Port Glasgow.

According to The Royal Museums Greenwich, the tradition of breaking a bottle of wine or champagne began in the 18^th century. We loved the earliest experience where the Princess of Hanover threw the bottle, missed the boat and hit a spectator who later sued the admiralty. Now that definitely sounds like something that would happen these days and to TCRC.

Whilst launching great ships is a nerve wracking experience and fraught with difficulty, launching our skiff was somewhat simpler. In wartime when grease was not available to smooth the slipway, shipyards would apparently  sometimes use bananas. Today no bananas were required but there was a fair bit of elbow grease used to move the girls down and back up the slip.

Our boat may not be of the scale of the mighty Clyde built ships but there are many small and mighty craft littering history. The incredible James Caird and its 800 mile journey with Shackleton covered in a previous article is a great example. The Husky Clipper that took the Boys in the boat to victory in the 1936 Berlin Olympics is another one. Even Grace Darling reverberates through time in her mighty seaworthy coble. Maybe one day future club members will talk about the mighty Marjorie Jeffrey. Let’s hope so.

The tales of her build in the famous chicken shed will no doubt grow arms and legs through the years. Mike K cutting through the power cable with a saw will be an explosive moment in the movie and Phil’s music will be the soundtrack. It may have been a two and a half year adventure but Spielberg will undoubtedly get it down to two fabulous hours.

Picking who will play Jim P and Morag K will be a challenge but Clooney and Julia are rumoured to be interested. Christine C has agreed to play her own part as they couldn’t find anyone who could shout at crews loud enough. Bill is painting the scenery as we type this article. The story of how he cut up the family’s antique 200 year old dining table for the boat will be legendary. What a movie that will be and the sequel of her race winning career will be even better.

The launch day was organised by Mike K and presided over by our chairman, Adrian. We heard about some of the adventures and about some of the club members who made the build possible. Adrian introduced Gavin Paterson who represented The Jeffrey Charitable Trust who helped towards financing our build. Gavin talked about their delight to support the project and also their previous support for our Lady Isle build.

Our launch was well attended by members and it was great to see so many there for this special occasion. It was also wonderful to meet some of the family members who “support” us too.

Once Gavin christened our boat with the marvellous Maclean’s Nose graciously supplied by the The Jar in Troon, she morphed from boat 238 to Marjorie Jeffrey. Who knows what she will become in the future, MJ, Madge or retain her full name. Time will tell.

There were lots of comments on the new girl and the word “stunning”, “beautiful”, “fast” and “light” were used frequently.

Another great day for Troon Coastal Rowing Club. Well done to everyone and lets help her bring back some trophies from far flung lands and tell her some tall tales whilst meandering in a small boat on the Clyde.

The latest regatta in our 2024 schedule was hosted by the fabulous Arran Coastal Rowing Club based in Lamlash. Lamlash lies three miles southward over the hill from the ferry port at Brodick. The club sits splendidly in an idyllic bay overlooking Holy Isle.

Eleven-ish members of Troon Coastal Rowing Club attended the regatta. More on that number later!

The original plan was for six clubs to participate in the regatta but a late call-off brought that number down to five. Royal West and FOCCRs combined their efforts and fielded a joint team. In addition to Arran, Prestwick, Troon and North Queensferry made up the remaining competing clubs.

The course was set to cover 1500m along the north shore of Lamlash starting from a transit line in front of the yacht club and heading northeast to individual turning marks where boats completed a 180 degree turn to return to the start / finish line

The first race of the day was the Open Women category. Kevin was in the cox seat with Christine C in stroke, Lorna in 3, Adrienne in 2 and Kathleen in bow. Troon were in the second heat and paired with Prestwick. This was the draw for the whole regatta. The fabulous Troon ladies raced like champions finishing first in their heat and with one of the fastest times of the day, finished first overall in this class. The crew were an incredible 46 seconds ahead of their nearest competitor. That was the biggest lead of the regatta.

The second race of the day was the Open Men category. Christine C was in the cox seat and Kevin was in stroke. Mike K took seat three, Neil in two and Mike D in bow. Racing against Prestwick, the guys got off to a flying start and rowed their hearts out finishing first in their heat. Troon again won the overall race and finished 43 seconds ahead of Prestwick who took second place.

The third race of the day was the mixed open.

Christine C stayed in the cox seat for this race. Lorna sat in stroke, Lee in three, Steve in two and Jackie in bow. The tide was turning and whilst the outward journey was getting easier, the return leg was tough going after the turn. Christine was an awesome cox and kept the team going every single row of the race. We weren’t sure if its part of cox training or SCRA guidelines, but hearing her yell at the top of her very loud voice  “keep going guys there’s a huge free buffet lunch on shore when you get back” certainly gave us renewed strength.  This was needed as Prestwick fought a tough fight throughout the race. Finishing ahead of Prestwick and second overall, the Troon team secured vital points for the regatta.

The next race was the Mixed Novice race which unfortunately Troon had to withdraw from. Or so we thought! Arran coastal rowing club had other ideas and made a supreme effort to fill the boat with novices from other clubs. The Arran ‘B team’ of novices took the Troon seats with Mike K as cox and took to the water.

What happened there? What do you mean Troon won and get the points?

They did! We did! Each member of the crew is now an honorary member of TCRC. We aren’t sure how welcome they are now by their fellow novices in their own clubs and even we couldn’t work out if technically they were still novices. Was it because of Mike K in the cox seat?  Was it because of our marvellous Marr Voyager?  Who knows but we won.

The fifth race of the day was the 240+ Women.

Kevin was cox for this race with Christine C in stroke. Jackie was in three, Adrienne in two and Kathleen in bow. Another tough race with the return journey after turning at the buoy getting tougher and tougher. Despite this, the guys rowed their hearts out and finished first in their heat and again, Troon won the race.

Race six was the 240+ Men and after a day of racing with a relatively small regatta crew, things were getting tougher. It was at this point we realised that the last race was going to be interesting with some difficult choices ahead. The call came in “I’m on my way and arriving at Brodick in 10 minutes”. Mike D was suitably despatched to pick up the 12^th member of the crew. Meanwhile the 240+ Men race commenced.

Christine C took the cox seat yet again and valiantly led the TCRC team. Kevin was in stroke, Mike K in three, Adrienne stepped in to cover two and Neil took the bow position. The Troon crew performed incredibly and comfortably won their heat and secured first position overall, leading their closest rival by 26 seconds.

The last race of the day was the Mixed 240+ and our crew options were limited.

As the sun came out, the crowd turned and looked to the road leading to the harbour. Two figures ran down the road towards the slip. One was easily recognisable as Mike D since everyone in the west coast has witnessed him running somewhere for something at some time. Most people swear it all happened in slow motion. A visiting American spectator was apparently heard to say “My god its David Hasselhoff from Baywatch” as they watched the character throw off a Bruce Springsteen t-shirt and leap into Marr Voyager in one athletic and impressive motion.

Adrian, The Boss, with the blessing of his understanding wife Morag, had came straight from the airport after visiting Barcelona to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. Leaping on a ferry and then picked up by Mike at Brodick, he joined the crew on the water.

Kevin took the cox seat with Christine C in stroke. Adrian was in three, Mike D in two and Kathleen in bow.  

As the team fought against the time and tide, and as they raced across the line, word came in that they had finished first overall. The guys finished 30 seconds ahead of Arran who were in second place. At that moment the sound of The Boss came wafting across the water:

Oh honey, champs like us

Baby, we were born to row

Come on with me, champs like us

Baby we were born to row

Timings for each race are shown below and show how well the teams did on the day.

The top 5 times for the days are posted below although its worth noting that as the day went on, the incoming current and conditions made the return leg of each race more challenging.

The final results for the day were:

Troon finished overall with 34 points. Arran were second with 26 points. Even after offering to discount the “novice race points”  TCRC won the Arran regatta.

As usual TCRC was supported by family and friends with Steven and Rodney insisting they were there for the cycling but we think they are secret rowing fanboys. We were also joined by Christine and Ronnie who majestically sailed across to join us. (But didn’t bring their otter friend). Thanks to them all.

Thanks to crew on the day who provided many of the enclosed photographs and input to this article.

Forthcoming Regattas

The next regatta is Royal West regatta on Saturday 6^th July. Feel free to add your name on our members area if you want to participate. If you are unsure then feel free to talk to any regatta regulars and we will welcome you with open arms. Novice rowers more than welcome.

It was a familiar dreich Ayrshire Tuesday night on the 11^th of December 1883, but at sea it was a different world! The night was dark as coal with no saviour lights visible through the rolling haar and tensions were high on the Valkyrien. The ship was a 381-ton Danish barque with all sails up and all 10 of the crew wishing for the storm to ease and a guiding light to pierce the wind, rain and clouds. The journey from Newport, Virginia bound for Glasgow had been uneventful so far, other than the usual crew issues. Peter Maersk Moller, the ships master, had faith in his ship and almost as much in his crew. The walnut timber stowed in her hold complained at every wave and growled as it broke free belowdecks. Then that noise. The tearing of sails and then quickly followed by that awful crashing of wood on stone and the human screams of terror. Only 800 metres from the safety of Dunure harbour, she had struck rocks.   

The cry went up and the small fishing village arose from its slumber. The cries for help carried across the turbulent seas. The rag tag bunch of clinker-built boats were quickly in the water. Not those modern wide beam Fifies favoured by their East coast compatriots but more than seaworthy for the Clyde. Too blowy for sail and not enough time. Lives were at peril. ”Out with the oars boys” Buckie Munro cries into the wind and to any of the other thirty brave Dunure fishermen within earshot. Oars in the water, row for their lives. Buckie and all race into the crashing waves, over the cruel sea and towards the Valkyrien before she leads the crew to Odin’s hall alongside previous Viking warriors.

The sight of the small boats leaping across waves, appearing and disappearing through the haar towards the Valkyrien looked to Moller and his crew like ghostly boatmen coming to collect their souls. Time stood still for those on the ship but not for those on the oars pulling, falling, crashing and screaming towards the wreck. No dignified exit from the doomed ship with people leaping from deck to boats. Back to shore with the wind pushing them in and the waves pulling them out. Safely ashore the men wept and the villages looked on at the pitiful saved souls. The cries intensified across the crew on discovery that not all were saved, with one crewmember not amongst the sorry gaggle of weeping grateful crew.

The sky exploded and even the beleaguered crew looked back to the furious sea. Nobody believed their eyes seeing the flare explode above the small modern tug as it straddled the rocks close by the Valkyrien. Responding to the distressed Valkyrien, the brave crew of the paddle tug, Iron Duke, had suffered engine failure and followed the same fate as the Valkyrien. Looking to each other, the hardy heroes of Dunure quietly cast knowing glances and ignoring pleading family looks, turned towards their boats once more.  Repeating heroic feats of strength and bravery returning to the cruel sea and beyond comprehension. McBride, the skipper of the tug, and his four crew thanked god they did. This time however, whilst returning to land, all were sombre with the knowledge that this time, one crew member, skipper McBride, paid the fateful price for the rescue. 

Many brave deeds occurred that night, but no books were written, medals awarded or movies made. The fishermen rose the next morning to go about their daily work and life went on for all.

Fresh from their recent victorious battle at Largs, the intrepid warriors of Troon headed for the southern port of Dunure. Battle readied and blooded from their last conflict, the crew were eager for more.  Leaping through history, the crew and regatta were rowing in honour of brave William ‘Buckie’ Munro and his fellow hardy souls on the oars.

Competing in the Dunure Regatta were:

The regatta is a relatively new one and was to be in two parts. The main race was to be a  gruelling 4nm timed course around a series of marker buoys. The second part of the regatta comprised a number of 500m sprint races with crews mixed across the competing clubs. The four clubs participating in the regatta were Troon, Prestwick, Carrick and Dunure.

The main race start line was to be at the Lighthouse where crews would head out towards a large triangular course buoy at a distance of 1.25nm. After a 180 degree starboard turn crews would row a further 1.5nm to the second buoy. Another 0.75nm to the third buoy before a second 180 degree turn racing the last 0.5nm to the harbour and lighthouse finish line.

As we all know, plans are one thing and reality on the water another. The day started with an ominous haar rolling in from a calmer sea than that night in 1883. The clock was ticking, waiting for an anticipated ease in the weather and sufficient tide to cover those treacherous rocks. At last the regatta was back on! A new course set. Racing 500m out the harbour to a new buoy and a quick starboard turn back to the harbour for a ‘Port Seton’ turn before returning to the harbour and the finish line. The course was approximately 1600m, shorter than planned, but enough to make life interesting.

Tension was high and nerves were on edge. The haar only served to accentuate matters. It was time for Troon to go. Christine C in cox with Kevin in stroke. Adrian taking 3, Lorna in 2 and Michael B in bow. Off to a good start the guys were off with Lizzie cheering them on from the harbour.

Leaving the harbour was like entering an unearthly world. “It was so spooky and when the harbour completely disappeared it was a bit eerie too” felt Lorna. The safety boat, whenever visible, was a welcome sight. After finding the buoy through the cloak of cloud and rounding it, the guys headed for home. Well that was the plan but the sea spirits had other plans. The brave crew rowed over the carcass of the Valkyrien and the Iron Duke searching for home. “Troon. Rocks. You are heading for the rocks” came the cry from the radio and through the haar. The cruel sea had tempted Marr Voyager and wanted her to join her fateful fleet. Quick thinking from the ‘heroic cox’ saved the day and after assertively encouraging the safety boat for a restart, the crew headed back to harbour to repeat the row like Buckie 141 years earlier. For a second time, the crew departed the harbour into the haar, into the cloak of invisibility and ever so more careful of those rocks and finding their way home.

“Best part of the day hands down was Christine coxing in very tricky visibility” said Michael. This was echoed by every one of the Troon team. Kevin emphasised that “Christine was the star of the day and “robustly explaining to the safety boat that it’s moving position was not helpful and Troon would therefore be starting again was brilliant.”  The guys also had their secret weapon with Lizzie on the harbour wall yelling for her life and guiding them home like ‘the Troon Coo’. (This reference can be explained by talking to one of our senior Troon resident members)

Crossing the finish line in a time of 10 minutes and 20 seconds it was a good time for a second run. With Lizzie jumping up and down on the harbour wall, the crew looked up for the ‘subtle thumbs up or thumbs down’. The thumb was up and Troon had secured victory. “It was also sweet when you see the results written on the board” said Christine, the hero of the day.

Buckie Munro would have been proud of their efforts and Marr Voyager would be safely returning to her home port.

The next races were the 500m sprints and comprised mixed crews from each of the clubs. Christine coxed Marr Voyager with Lizzie in stroke and joined by three guests from the other clubs. Michael, Lorna and Kevin all joined other boats.

“Having Lizzie in stroke for the mixed race was a real benefit to us” said Christine and these two were an unbeatable combination finishing ten seconds ahead of their nearest rivals. Another Troon victory.

With eight points in total, Troon secured the regatta victory with Prestwick two points behind in second place.

The regatta was well run and Dunure Coastal Rowing club did a splendid job in dealing with the changing conditions. Everyone was made very welcome and every crew member waxed lyrical about the incredible barbeque afterwards. Sea Bass, Lobster and Languistines were in abundance and nearly as exciting as the sea monster Lizzie saw as the Dunure boat came back into the harbour (a story for the next night out). For Adrian the whole day was special as Dunure holds a special place in his heart as he met his wife Morag there and spent many wonderful days there with her.

Buckie, his neighbours and the crews of the fallen vessels would undoubtedly have approved of the courage, tenacity and passion that everyone showed in their village.

Forthcoming Regattas

The next regatta is on the 1^st June at Prestwick. Another competition nearby so why not come along and join in the fun.

[Whilst a degree of poetic licence has been adopted in the historical elements of the Dunure adventure, the majority is based on known facts. Buckie’s cottage still stands in the village and he is remembered to this day. I think its clear from his picture above that if he had been around today, the results of the regatta may have differed. I suspect also that he would have approved of our pastime and its traditions, community and skills. All details on the regatta are true-ish]

Thanks to the crew for their photos and recollections of the regatta.

The scene was set for battle. Prior unseasonal weather had forced many changes, and the upstart invaders had little opportunity to practice their warrior skills. The last skirmish had borne well for this nomadic warring tribe but again, the weather cut that short too. The scene of this battle was immediately south of Gogo water in the small town of Largs. Two great forces came together to decide who would rule the west coast of Scotland. Weapons of war sharpened,  chariots adorned with tribal colours, and armies both nervous and exhilarated by what lay ahead. Battle commenced.

Okay, so maybe that described an event that happened 761 years ago but to me that’s what it felt like prior to FOCCRS regatta on Saturday 11^th May 2024. Like the unfortunate Norwegians, our journey started south of the field of battle, although King Haakon Haakonsson decided the A78 was likely to have roadworks and sailed to Largs instead.

The sun shone on the field of battle from the outset and the younger warriors eagerly showed their fighting skills waiting for their own moments to shine.

Twenty members of Troon Coastal Rowing Club attended the regatta.

Seven clubs participated in the regatta.

The course was 1k. with 2 gradual port turns and one 90 degree turn to the finish . Each race had three timed heats with no finals necessary. Lane draws were allocated on the day.

The first race was the Open Men’s with Christine C as cox, Adrian in stroke, Mike K in 3, Michael B in 2 and Euan in Bow. Troon were paired with Royal West in this and all heats and comfortably finished ahead of them. These mighty Vikings rowed the race of their lives and finished first overall by an impressive 26.24 seconds quicker than their nearest rivals, Arran. This turned out also to be the fastest row of the regatta.

The next race was the Open woman’s with Mike R in the cox’s seat, Christine R in stroke, Christine C in 3, Adrienne in 2 and Kathleen in bow. The ladies fought bravely and finished an impressive second behind our hosts FOCCRs.

The third race of the day was the Open Mixed.

Mike R was the cox for this race. Louise led her small band of fighters in stroke with Brian in 3, Steve in 2 and Lizzie in bow. The guys fought a brave fight and secured vital points managing a fourth place.

The fourth race of the day was the 240+ Men with Christine C as cox.

Kevin took stroke with Paul in 3, Derek in 2 and Neil in bow. The guys stormed home in first place overall with a 15.33 second lead over their nearest rivals.

The day was going well for TCRC. The sun was getting hotter and the competition was heating up between the warring tribes.

The fifth race of the regatta was the 240+ women and at this point every point was vital to the overall regatta outcome. Every competition has its high points and for Troon this was it.

Mike R was the cox for this one with Christine C in stroke. Jackie sat in 3, Issy in 2 and Christine B in bow. The ladies stormed around the course to take overall second place and finish a mere 4.5 seconds behind first place Stranraer.

The final battle for the day was the 240+ Mixed.

For this ultimate battle, Mike R took the cox seat and Kevin was in stroke. Adrian sat in 3 with Adrienne in 2 and Christine R in bow.

This final race would seal overall victory for the regatta and the team didn’t disappoint finishing first overall and 9.58 seconds ahead of the second place team.

Timings for each race are shown below and show how well the teams did on the day.

Reviewing the times for the day its even more impressive to see that Troon finished with three places in the top ten times of the regatta.

The final results for the day were:

As usual TCRC was supported by family and friends although we always suspected Buttons was more interested in her ball than the rowing.

So unlike King Haakon Haakonsson 761 years earlier, this invading band of brothers (and sisters) left the battlefield victorious and headed south eager for the next campaign in southern waters.

Forthcoming Regattas

The next battle regatta is only days away and just down the road at Dunure on the 18^th May. Why not come along and fight alongside your comrades or just to yell from the sidelines . You will be made most welcome.

In this latest article we will learn a little more about our fellow members through the topic of skills. In recent months we sadly lost the father of our pastime and man of incredible boat design and build skills, Ian Oughtred. Ian created over 120 designs of traditionally styled amateur built boats whilst also being an accomplished sailor. Publishing his first boat design in 1967, he then went on to an incredible life demonstrating his awesome skills including the Scottish inspired Caledonia Yawl in the late 80s to the St Ayles Skiff in 2009. An inspirational and skilled individual worthy of further reading.

Whilst we would argue that our club actually needs many different types and levels of skills, all of which are greatly appreciated, this article will primarily focus on the big wooden chariots that we create, love and care for.

Just a few years before our teenage crafts came into existence, humans set out on the water for more basic needs. The earliest known craft is the Pesse canoe which is around 10,000 years old and currently residing in a Dutch museum. This primitive craft was carved from a single Scots pine and, when found, experts argued it would never work. Before any of our “skilled boat builders” get an idea, it has already been built, tested and found to work perfectly well.

It would be remiss of this article not to acknowledge the relatively more recent boat building skills in Scotland where the term “Clyde built” became synonymous with quality, innovation and great ships like Queen Mary, QE2, Comet, Lusitania and Glen Sannox. Let’s not go there! Our ship building heritage may have been a bit blunted but it was incredible at one point despite its untimely demise.

The generals skills and trades associated with boat building may be diminishing but with the likes of the late Ian Oughtred and organisations like The Scottish Boat Building School within the Scottish Maritime Museum, they won’t be forgotten. Previous articles have explored tradition, community and leadership and its great to think of the success of coastal rowing and “time in the shed” contributing to this.

We have heard from a number of members in previous articles on their Rowing Dream Team for a slow row around Lady Isle. The purpose of these is simply to learn a little more about our fellow rowers and encourage wider club activities.

The next member we will hear from is Phil Davenport. Phil has been a member for 2 years although has been messing about on the water and “building death-trap rafts on the Cromarty Firth” since he was a schoolboy. He clearly has always had a taste for the water moving from competitive dinghy sailing through to coastal sailing both here and abroad. I suspect his adventures in the Turkish Aegean will have a few more tales than his adventures from Largs.

Phil’s companions on his Lady Isle trip are an eclectic bunch and I suspect, will quickly cause a stir before they even leave the slip. Phil has elected to take the Cox seat and I suspect so he can sit and watch the adventure unfold. In stroke is 50s model Betty Page who, I like to assume is for her later missionary work, just in case they find any inhabitants on Lady Isle. I may be wrong on that one! To support them and ensure they don’t starve, Phil has selected Nigella Lawson for seat 3. I bet the packed lunch will be fabulous! The sensational Alex Harvie is providing the entertainment singing “The Tomahawk kid” as they head for Lady Isle. There wasn’t any space for Captain Dan or Billy Bones though. To complete this “interesting” bunch of rowers we have Dave Courtney “celebrity gangster” in bow to sort out any disputes with the Arran ferry.

Phil’s Dream Team Rowers
Cox	Phil
Stroke	Betty Page
3	Nigella Lawson
2	Alex Harvie
Bow	Dave Courtney

Phil has spent the past months in the chicken shed re-polishing his “time served joiner” skills which has been fabulous for the club. He has continued to develop his experience into the boatie world and “enjoys working with unskilled volunteers willing to learn”. Just put “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” on the playlist and watch those Sheffield Steel chisels carve their magic. “Even a decent brush is a great piece of kit and a desire to use it” says Phil so get yourself along to one of the boat building and maintenance sessions.

Our next member to hear from is Morag Kemp who has been a member of TCRC since the launching of Marr Voyager in late 2011.

Morag’s crew is another “enlightening” selection which I think constitutes yet another interesting crew. Morag has reserved the Cox’s seat so she can head for choppy waters and experience the “challenge and unpredictability of the sea and the exhilaration and challenges it brings”.  All becomes clearer though when selecting stroke she picks Omar Sharif so she can “stare into the dark pools of his eyes and lose myself”. Perhaps in common with Phil’s stroke selection, the truth will out! Some of our members may wish to utilise Google to understand her choice of this fabulous actor, and his eyes apparently. In position three is Ellen MacArthur, hugely successful solo long-distance record breaking yachtswoman. Sharing the rowing duties with Ellen is Dame Katherine Granger, multi Olympic medal winning rower in seat two. I suspect these two will do all the rowing whilst Omar hypnotises Morag with tales of Lawrence of Arabia and those eyes. In bow Morag has selected Welsh bass-baritone Opera and concert singer, Sir Bryn Terfel “whose rich smooth singing voice would charm even the seals on Lady Isle”.

Morag’s Dream Team Rowers
Cox	Morag
Stroke	Omar Sharif
3	Ellen MacArthur
2	Katherine Granger
Bow	Bryn Terfel

Morag would argue that she “has no skills of any importance other than the fact that I just love rowing” but I think we all know that’s not true. Morag’s passion quickly led to “taking care of the boats which led in turn, to maintenance work and a gradual initiation from watching the skill and workmanship of those building the boats to hands on, albeit in a general capacity”. Morag is an great ambassador of TCRC through rowing, coxing, building, maintaining and her positive attitude. A multi skilled member.

The last member we will hear from in this article is Ray Dodd. Ray joined the club around 2013. Ray, like many other club members, has been on the water since schooldays where he learned to canoe and sail. “We built our own Enterprise dinghies and canoes in the technical department. We had a boathouse/dinghy park in Balloch Park, so I learned to sail and canoe on Loch Lomond almost 60 years ago.” Ray is at his happiest when “making sawdust”, and using his hands to “contribute something to the club and the community”.

Ray recalls his adventures back into boat building when at the formation of the Scottish Boat Building School, he and Bill Davies were involved in building the “Pride of Prestwick” in conjunction with a Duke of Edinburgh group. Easily convinced by Vince to come along to TCRC he hasn’t looked back with numerous boat builds under his tool belt. These are the guys Ray has selected for his dream team in recognition of this and the welcome by other members like Morag. Hope they all like listening to Neil Young though as that’s Ray’s choice of music for the trip.

Ray’s Dream Team Rowers
Cox	Ray
Stroke	Vince McWhirter
3	Bill Davies
2	Jim Palmer
Bow	Morag Kemp

Ray is keen for more people to “come along and learn new skills” of boat building work. ”They will be with you for life” and come in handy with all that work around the house.

So if you want to really understand more about our fantastic boats then why not get involved in the boat maintenance work that goes on every year.  Remember as Phil said, even willing use of a broom contributes to the teamwork.

It’s a great way of really getting to know the sometimes oddly named parts of our skiffs. Not that when Adrian asks you to “paint the hog” is in anyway confusing when standing in a chicken shed and their isn’t a piggy in sight!