Displaying items by tag: St Ayles Skiff

5th February 2023

St. Ayles Skiff Racing at Skiffiefest 2023 Returns to Strangford Lough This Summer

A country park doesn’t readily come to mind as a venue for a weekend of St.Ayles Skiff racing, but Delamont lies on the shores of Strangford Lough near Killyleagh and has proved an ideal base for this activity in the past.

St. Ayles Skiff (pronounced Saint Isles) is a four-oared rowing boat designed by Iain Oughtred and inspired by the traditional Fair Isle skiff. The boat is clinker built, 6.7 m long with a beam of 1.7 m. and is normally crewed by four sweep rowers with a cox.

This season’s event, hosted by the Down Coastal Rowing Association, is on the weekend of the 5th and 6th of August and will include land and water-based activities for the whole family.

The schedule is for 33 races covering several age categories.

A scene from the 2022 Skiffie Festival

1,500 rowers are expected to race in a mixed male and female format. David Larmour of the Association says, “As well as interest from eight or nine local clubs, we have had enquiries from fifteen Scottish clubs, one from England and a couple from Holland”.

The event is free to enter and supported by Newry and Mourne District Council and Sport NI.

In a great development for the St Ayles skiff class of Coastal Rowing Boat, four existing national associations have agreed to form an International Class Association, with a view to promoting the Class worldwide, ensuring the continuing success of SkiffieWorlds, and keeping the same high standards wherever St Ayles skiffs are raced. A Minute of Agreement was signed at SkiffieWorlds 2019 by Down Coastal Rowing Association (the Class Association for All Ireland), the Australian St Ayles Skiff Community Rowing Association, the Dutch St Ayles Rowing Association and the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association.

The agreement brings mutual recognition for each association and commits them to work together for the International Association.

For more information on how to enter or to see what's planned click here

Published in Coastal Rowing

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New Kilrush Skiff Honours Ukraine And Clare

When it came to painting the new St Ayles skiff Ealu built by Seol Sionnas (the owners of the much-admired traditional cutter Sally O’Keeffe) under the direction of Steve Morris in Kilrush Boatyard, it was “No Contest” as regards décor choice. For County Clare the Banner County shares the same distinctive blue and bright yellow colours with beleaguered Ukraine.

And as it happens, there are three Ukrainian girls staying in Kilrush who were keen to help with the painting job. The result is one very smart-looking craft whose attractive handling characteristics and performance potential eloquently explain why the numbers of this special Iain Oughtred design have reached more than 400 boats worldwide.

The new St Ayles skiff Ealu makes the traditional Kilrush maiden voyage of a sunwise circuit of the Holy Island of Scattery in the Shannon Estuary, rowing at “a comfortable four knots”. Photo: Trea Heaps

Ealu recently had the traditional Kilrush maiden voyage of a sunwise circuit of Scattery Island, and demonstrated that she can comfortably maintain a cruising rowing speed of four knots, so now “some fairly serious expeditions” are being planned with the able Sally O’Keeffe as support vessel.

The ultimate multi-tasker – Kilrush master shipwright James Madigan worked on the restoration of the Ilen and sailed on her, he is currently involved in the restoration of the Dublin Bay 21 Class, and he took time out to work in building Ealu, and is seen here rowing on the bow oar. Photo: Trea Heaps

Published in Coastal Rowing

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Flatpack Coastal Rowing Skiff Is All The Rage

#CoastalRowing - News comes from Scotland of an intriguing new coastal rowing craze that sounds like something from a Swedish furniture store!

As the Guardian reports, a traditional Scottish fishing skiff design provided the inspiration for the new flatpack coastal rowing boat, which began life as a prototype project for the Scottish Fisheries Museum four years ago.

Since then the St Ayles skiff concept swept like a wave across the UK and beyond - and examples of the DIY kit row boat, which is handmade in Fife, can be found as far afield as Australia.

Many of those international rowers are expected to converge in Scotland this simmer for the coastal rowing world championships off Ullapool.

The Guardian has much more on the story HERE.

Published in Coastal Rowing

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About the Golden Globe Race

The Golden Globe Race is the original round the world yacht race. In 1968, while man was preparing to take his first steps on the moon, a mild mannered and modest young man was setting out on his own record breaking voyage of discovery. Off shore yacht racing changed forever with adventurers and sailors, inspired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, following in his pioneering wake. Nine men started the first solo non-stop sailing race around the World. Only one finished. History was made. Navigating with a sextant, paper charts and an accurate and reliable time piece, Sir Robin navigated around the world. In 2018, to celebrate 50 years since that first record breaking achievement, the Golden Globe Race was resurrected. It instantly caught the attention of the worlds media as well as adventures, captivated by the spirit and opportunity. The original race is back.

The Golden Globe Race: Stepping back to the golden age of solo sailing

Like the original Sunday Times event back in 1968/9, the 2018 Golden Globe Race was very simple. Depart Les Sables d'Olonne, France on July 1st 2018 and sail solo, non-stop around the world, via the five Great Capes and return to Les Sables d'Olonne. Entrants are limited to use the same type of yachts and equipment that were available to Robin Knox-Johnston in that first race. That means sailing without modern technology or benefit of satellite-based navigation aids.

Competitors must sail in production boats between 32ft and 36ft overall (9.75 10.97m) designed prior to 1988 and having a full-length keel with rudder attached to their trailing edge. These yachts will be heavily built, strong and steady, similar in concept to Robin's 32ft vessel Suhaili.

In contrast to the current professional world of elite ocean racing, this edition travels back to a time known as the 'Golden Age' of solo sailing. Suhaili was a slow and steady 32ft double-ended ketch based on a William Atkins ERIC design. She is heavily built of teak and carried no computers, GPS, satellite phone nor water-maker, and Robin completed the challenge without the aid of modern-day shore-based weather routing advice. He had only a wind-up chronometer and a barograph to face the world alone, and caught rainwater to survive, but was at one with the ocean, able to contemplate and absorb all that this epic voyage had to offer.

This anniversary edition of the Golden Globe Race is a celebration of the original event, the winner, his boat and that significant world-first achievement. Competitors in this race will be sailing simple boats using basic equipment to guarantee a satisfying and personal experience. The challenge is pure and very raw, placing the adventure ahead of winning at all costs. It is for 'those who dare', just as it was for Knox-Johnston.

They will be navigating with sextant on paper charts, without electronic instruments or autopilots. They will hand-write their logs and determine the weather for themselves.

Only occasionally will they talk to loved ones and the outside world when long-range high frequency and ham radios allow.

It is now possible to race a monohull solo around the world in under 80 days, but sailors entered in this race will spend around 300 days at sea, challenging themselves and each other. The 2018 Golden Globe Race was a fitting tribute to the first edition and it's winner, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Background on Don McIntyre (61) Race Founder

Don is an inveterate sailor and recognised as one of Australia s greatest explorers. Passionate about all forms of adventure and inspiring others, his desire is to recreate the Golden Age of solo sailing. Don finished 2nd in class in the 1990-91 BOC Challenge solo around the world yacht race. In 2010, he led the 4-man Talisker Bounty Boat challenge to re-enact the Mutiny on the Bounty voyage from Tonga to West Timor, in a simil