Killyleagh Coastal Rowing Club Regatta
27 September, 2015 Killyleagh is proud to announce that it will be holding its rowing regatta on Sunday the 27 of September. There will be six races, an endurance race, The Town Rock Challenge (5.3km) and five 1km sprints in the following categories: Over 60 mixed crew, Under-45 Men, Women, Over-45 Men and Junior (mixed under 19). The briefing for all coxswains will take place at Killyleagh Yacht Club at 10:30am with races starting at 11:30am. Refreshments will be available for teams at the briefing and after the racing.
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The building of six St Ayle’s skiffs through Down Coastal Rowing with three more to come has put Country Down on the rowing map.[/caption]
Prizes will be awarded after the races in Killyleagh Yacht Club at 5.00pm. As well as a prize for each race there will be a prize for the best team on the day.
For further information please contact: Ann Fee Chairperson at:
e-mail: ann_fee@hotmail.com
or Dougie Marr Secretary mob 07860 891399 or email: drmarr@hotmail.co.uk
Strangford Lough has become the focus for building and rowing St Ayles Skiffs in Northern Ireland. In 2014 seven communities were supported by the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership (SLLP) and the Police Service Northern Ireland to build St Ayles Skiffs and they have since formed their own coastal rowing clubs.
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In pristine condition: an interior view of the St Ayle’s skiff that visited from Troon just before the boat building programme commenced in 2014.[/caption]
Killyleagh’s Skiff, called the Skart, was launched one year ago and since winning the inaugural Narrows Challenge the club has taken part in races which have been held locally at Dundrum, Portaferry, Strangford, Kircubbin and Donaghadee as well as racing in the Dalriada Festival and Greenore Maritime Festival. Killyleagh’s Skiff along with the one from Ardglass, has featured in the Game of Thrones fifth series. We have also appeared on BBC’s Countryfile which was filmed in Ardglass and on Irish TV when we were interviewed and filmed in Killyleagh.
The Scottish Coastal Rowing Association was formed in 2010 and the sport is growing internationally. It is the international class association for St Ayles Skiffs, as well as co-ordinating the efforts of its member clubs within Scotland. There are groups all round mainland Scotland and the Hebrides, from Eyemouth to Wick and from Annan to Lochinver. The St Ayles class has spread internationally, with groups set up to build and use the boats already well established in Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, USA and Canada.
The St Ayles skiff is a 22-foot coastal rowing boat which community groups can build themselves. The skiffs are supplied in Kit form by Jordan Boats of Leven, Fife, (and their agents overseas). The Scottish Fisheries Museum at Anstruther supported the initiative, and commissioned the design of the St Ayles skiff from Iain Oughtred. The estimated completion cost of one of these boats is around £3000.
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