Skiffie Worlds 2016 is now up and running after months of preparation. It is located at Delamont Country Park near Killyleagh and the international coastal rowing event is now in full swing and will end on Saturday with a prize ceremony.
Councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick, the Chairperson of Newry Mourne and Down District Council, said: “I am delighted to be here to open Skiffie Worlds with the Mayor of Ards today. It is a fantastic achievement to have fifty clubs represented mainly from Scotland but from across the world.
“In the past two years we have build seven St Ayles skiffs in County Down and the clubs are having a lot of fun with these and getting into the boat-building mode which is one o the aims of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association.
“This is a week long event and ends on Saturday. I hope you all enjoy your stay here in this part of County Down which is an Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty, and it holds many conservation designations such as ASSI’s, and the Lough itself is a marine nature reserve.”
And Councillor Deborah Girvan, Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council speaking at the opening ceremony at Delamont Park: “This is a wonderful venue for the world skiff championships and I would like to welcome you all here to the shores of Strangford Lough to Skiffie Worlds 2016. There are teams here from Tazmania, Canada, the USA, the Netherlands, Scotland, England and Wales as well as Northern Ireland.
“It is great to see the two local councils working with the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership and the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association to bring this event about. I hope you all enjoy our local hospitality and visit Strangford and Portaferry on the Lough.”
Robert Wightman, Conveynor of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association, thanks the previous speakers and said: “It was great to be involved in an initiative that pulled together so many small coastal communities in international friendship.
“We designed our first skiff with the help of an American, Australian Scotsman in 2009 and launched our first boat in 2010. Then we launched one in Ullapool in 2013. We now look at these communities from a new angle and see our similarities, not our differences.
“We are all rowing together. And we build communities together. We really have a lot in common. And it is amazing that more than 52% of four members are actually women who row in female and mixed teams!
“We are very grateful to our hosts this week and thank them for their fantastic support in making this event such a success.
“And lastly, I would just like to thank all the competitors who are taking part this week. They have all made a huge effort in getting here today and ensuring their skiffs are in tip-top condition.”
Isabel Hood, chairperson of the Strangford Lough and locale Partnership board ended the opening ceremony and said: “This event has been a long time in the planning and it has arrived quickly upon us. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed this week to the success of this event which is a credit to everyone involved.”
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Background:
In 2009, the Scottish Fisheries Museum wanted to stimulate interest in boat-building activities and discussions were held with Jordan’s Boats. In the Fife coastal mining communities there was a long history of rowing and sailing regattas and the idea of improving community cohesion through rowing grew.
The St Ayle’s Skiff was designed by well-known boat designer Ian Oughtred who was commissioned by the Scottish Fisheries Museum with assistance from Museums galleries Scotland.
The traditional St Ayle’s skiff is 22-feet long with a beam of 5 feet 8 inches. The boats are designed to have a coxswain and four rowers. The actual name ‘St Ayles’ (pronounced St Isles) derives from the name of a 16th century chapel which stood on the Scottish Museum courtyard.
The prototype skiff was called the Chris O’Kinnaird and was build in 2009 and is part of the Scattish Fisheries Museum’s national collection. IT is rowed by the first rowing club set up, the St Ayle’s Rowing Club from Anstruther.
In 2010, the sport of coastal rowing took a major leap forward with the formation of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association set up to promote boat-building and coastal rowing and skiff racing.
www.scotfishmuseum.org
www.scottishcoastalrowing.org
www.jordanboats.co.uk/JB
www.oughtredboats.com
