Our club took part in the regatta at Largs Yacht Haven organised by Firth of Clyde Coastal Rowing Club(FOCCRS).14 clubs took part from around Scotland and also from Ireland and Holland.In perfect weather conditions a series of sprints were held.No medals for Troon but a great day out.The day ended with a Tug of War(onshore) between all clubs.
Interesting sea conditions at Prestwick regatta made rowing a challenge but the return surfing to the finish line was fun. No medals for Troon at this regatta but an enjoyable time was had by all. Thanks to Prestwick for organising a great day and supplying superb catering all day finished with an Indian curry spread at night. Congratulations to Arran on winning the overall regatta.
On Saturday 23rd September both our skiffs took part in the 13 mile race from Dumbarton Castle to the Finneston Crane as part of the Clydebuilt Festival at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow. 75 boats took part including 45 St Ayles skiffs from all over the UK and also Ireland and Holland. Troon’s skiff Marr Voyager came fourth in its class in a time of 2 hours 11mins and was 21st overall.
Nine clubs including two from Northern Ireland took part in the annual Excisemans Chase organised by Carrick Coastal Rowing Club. The Excisemans Chase is a enactment of the past when smugglers landed contrabrand at the Gas Bay beach below Culzean Castle. It involves rowing from Maidens harbour to the Gas Bay and collecting contraband and then returning to the harbour to land the illegal goods. Due to heavy seas the race was shortened and kept within Maidens bay but otherwise followed the same format with crews changing halfway. All teams were timed and the winners this year were Skelrick in a time off 34 minutes. Troon came equal sixth place in a time of 39 minutes. The day ended with a Hog roast and other refreshments supplied by the host club. This was the largest turnout yet for the Excisemans Chase and apart from the high seas at Gas Bay the weather was great and all had an enjoyable day.
We took our lovely skiff Marr Voyager and joined 16 other St Ayles skiffs and over one hundred other boats of all types at the official opening of the new Queensferry Crossing bridge. It was a fantastic, magical event with a great feeling of achievement being felt by all.
On a blustery late June Saturday in Lamlash Bay our club beat five other local west coast coastal rowing clubs to be crowned overall regatta champions. Out of eight races we came first in five. A wonderful performance and congratulations to all members who took part. This is the first regatta our club has won and look forward to many more successes in the future. On the Sunday all the skiffs rowed round the Holy Isle,which took around two hours. Arran Coastal Rowing Club supplied a wonderful barbecue and catering and disco on Saturday evening.
I have written before about our members’ love of rowing in new locations and also how friendly and supportive the coastal rowing community is. On the 21st Feb this year we were able to combine these two by supporting Stranraer Coastal Rowing Club at their open day club launch. Five of our members took our lovely skiff Marr Voyager down to Stranraer and were naturally given coffee and cakes before launching her. Once launched we took her into the harbour and moored alongside a pontoon. Several local people wished to have a go at rowing so we took them, two at a time, just for a short row within the harbour area. It was lovely to see the reaction of people that a) they could row and b)how stable the skiff was. Once everybody had rowed we chatted with the organisers who told us their hopes and plans and how they hoped to host the 2019 World Championships! Certainly Loch Ryan, being a wonderfully sheltered stretch of water, would provide a stunning location. We wish Stranraer Coastal Rowing Club well.
The plans for Troon Water Sports Centre have taken another step forward with the announcement of a public consultation event in the town. The team behind the project have confirmed that they are holding an information session in the town’s Walker Hall on Sunday 9th of April from 1pm – 4pm, putting their plans on display and giving short presentations at 2pm & 3.30pm.
The proposal for the £2m not-for-profit community facility first went public at a recent Troon Community Council meeting and now the project team want to give everyone in Troon and the surrounding area the chance to hear more about the ambitious project. Members of the group behind the project, which includes Ayr & District Sea Cadets and Troon Coastal Rowing Club, will be on hand to answer questions and talk members of the public through the plans.
With a design that includes workshop & maintenance facilities as well as space for training, it’s hoped the centre can become a hub for a wide range of water sports from dinghy sailing and windsurfing to sea kayaking and coastal rowing. Visitors to the consultation event will have the chance to see some of the boats from local clubs who hope to use the centre as a base in future.
Chair of the Water Sports Centre project group, David Michelson said:
“The Water Sports Centre will be a huge asset for Troon. Our main goal is to get more people out on the water, enjoying Troon’s fantastic coastline, which is why we’ve designed the building with space for training and coaching. This includes building on past work by Troon Coastal Rowing Club and South Ayrshire’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to enable school pupils to learn boat-building, and woodworking skills as part of their qualificationâ€
“This consultation event is a chance for people to hear more about the project and, most importantly, give us feedback. This is a community project and we want to hear people’s ideas and hopefully find some more people and organisations to get more involved in the project.â€
For more information, visit www.troonwsc.org or www.facebook.com/troonwsc or, to get in touch with the project team, e-mail contact@troonwsc.org
eat day out.The day ended with a Tug of War(onshore) between all clubs.
