Foxlake Pursuit Racing
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It has to be said a rowing event at Foxlake is definitely a regatta with a difference, especially at the John Muir Winter Festival. For starters the lake has swimmers and wakeboarders; the latter in their underpants apparently for charity, then there's the running dogs pulling owners along in liquid mud and the cycle races routed through the beer and crafts tent for entertainment. It was great fun being part of it all. Four East Lothian coastal rowing clubs were there, it's a short circular course with only centimetres to spare between the bank and fixed wakeboard jumps when using 14ft oars, so not easy for the coxes. Just as the rain came on at lunchtime there were festival goers eager to try rowing so Eskmuthe and NB took them for a spin.
There were 3 classes: men, mixed and ladies. Port Seton won the first two (so overall) and NB ladies of a certain age came first in their category. The prizes were tokens for use at Foxlake so hopefully a chance for an inter-club party in future. Huge thanks to Jacque for organising us all and to Foxlake for the seasonal mulled wine and great craic over the microphone.
Sunday Recreational Row
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Just the thing to wake you up on a November Sunday morning if you've had a shandy or two the night before
Social Rowing in October
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Lovely October Sunday morning, NBRC took two St Ayles Skiffs and a Haningfield three seater out to Fidra for a leisurely row where coffee and cake was served in lieu of breakfast.
Apparently there were dolphins close by, but I didn't see them, so may as well claim that we saw Kelpies.
Nith Navigation Race
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Whilst the Tiger Cup was going on in North Berwick with our St Ayles Skiffs, NBRC was also represented at the Nith Navigation Race (Dumfries) by the Wightman family rowing a double sculled skiff. The race is a six mile journey up the River Nith from Glencaple up to White Sands in Dumfries town centre. Crews enjoyed the delights of the Caerlaverock Tearoom on Glencaple pier as they watched the tidal bore moving up the river. There was a bit or drizzle as the crews boated, but the water conditions were flat with a decent tidal current helping the crews up the river.
North Berwick’s double scull Speedwell was first off the start, with crews joining in at 30 second intervals for the time trial event. Royal West’s class 2 Jolly Boat "Sprite" was built 120 years ago, and this was her first race for around 15 years. She is longer and sleeker than the St Ayles skiffs, which perhaps thrive in slightly livelier conditions. As it was Sprite managed to overhaul all the other boats on the course, apart from the North Queensferry Skiff. Sprite completed the course in 43 minutes and 15 seconds, a new record for the course, and was recorded as reaching a (tidally assisted) top speed of 9.8 miles per hour.
Being pushed the whole way helped the North Queenserry Boat to a win in the St Ayles skiff class, and they were presented with a quaich to take home to Fife. As ever the prizes for the event were fantastic, with a bottle of SCRA whisky for every finishing crew, and a selection of cheeses for the every crew, but special cheeses for the fastest overall crew and for the oldest crew to complete the course (Troon). As a first, at the prizegiving barbeque, the first SCRA conker knockout championships was held, won by Susan Wilson from the local town of Annan, who have a skiff ready to go on the water, and hosted an excellent harbour festival event in May.
Results
St Ayles Skiffs
1st | North Queensferry | 45:30mins |
2nd | Royal West | 47:15mins |
3rd | Carrick | 47:45mins |
4th | Troon | 50:00mins |
Coxed Double Sculls
"Speedwell" NBRC | 49:30mins |
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