17 skiff rowing clubs will be competing for the honours at the Skiffie Fest starting this Friday 1st August through to Sunday
Final preparations are underway for this year’s Skiffie Fest 2026 which promises to be bigger and better than previous years at Delamont Country Park.
“20 St Ayle’s skiffs will be competing for the Narrows Challenge Trophy which is currently held by the Skiffie World Champions Dundrum Coastal Rowing Club,” said Ann Fee, spokesperson for the Down Coastal Rowing Association.
A total of 17 Skiff clubs from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands will be invading East Down to compete in this prestigious annual competition.
Racing commences on Friday evening and continues all day Saturday and Sunday. Entertainment will be provided on and off the water on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, so come along and try out skiff rowing and kayaking.
“There will be musical entertainment and the Rolling Grind, Hup Street, W&C Catering, 2 Taps and Brennans ice cream will be on site for ice cream lovers.
“All-in-all this promises to be a huge gathering of our International Skiffie family come along and join us, enjoy the racing, the scenery and the ambience at Delamont Country Park”.
What is a St Ayles Skiff ?
The St Ayle’s skiff is rowed by four rowers with a cox at the stern.
Miners in East Fife in Scotland use dto make these boats from wood from the coal mines and they had an annual race day up to the 50s. The Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther decided to build a skiff with local students in the museum’s boatyard and Alec Jordan, a boatbuilder in Scotland was tasked with the reconstruction.
Shortly after, a boat designer called Alan Oughtred was commissioned to design a skiff made with plywood and this translate dinto kit form. Jordan and his team built the first skiff in 7-weeks.
In 2009 the prototype took to the water and there was considerable public interest. Jordan then travelled around Scotland with the skiff and almost everywhere local communities decided to build their own boat.
The orders for skiffie kits came flying in to Jordan Boats and before long he had up to 34 skiff kits sold mostly across Scotland.
In May 2010, the first regatta took place with six skiffs. But since them, local coastal communitie shave build skiffs at a steady pace in cow shed and fishermen’s sheds.
The interest in skiff building extended to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Spain and farther afield.
In 2013, Ullapool hosted the first World Skiffie event.
And Ardglass saw the first building of the ‘Ardglass Lass’ in Northern Ireland from a St Ayle’s skiff kit a few years later supervised by Ricky le Bloas, boatbuilder.
Skiffie clubs have since formed in Ardglass, Kilclief, Dundrum, Killyleagh, Strangford, Skettrick, Portavogie, Donaghadee and in other communities and run their own local regattas.
All the clubs welcome new members and can provide trial rows for those interested in rowing. Many club members row for recreational purposes, but there is a serious friendly competitive edge to St Ayles’ skiff racing… come along to Skiffie Fest 2026 and enjoy the craic.
