Strathpeffer & District Community Rowing Club set to expand fleet with Ness yawl as members look back on a hectic season
AN adventurous Ross-shire coastal rowing club is expanding its "fleet" with the addition of an historic vessel.
Strathpeffer & District Community Rowing Club has already built two St.Ayles skiffs, launched in 2018 and 2022 and is now well on the way to completing the latest addition – a Ness yawl.
The design is based on traditional boats used for the haaf (deep sea) fishing in the Ness area at the south end of Shetland mainland.
The boats were designed to be both sailed and rowed during fishing and the Strath Yawl will have a gunter rig with a foresail and mainsail.
With sailing being a new activity to the club, coxes will be trained to take out crews safely. It's expected to raise a lot of interest as it is similar to the sailing vessels which used to be seen in large numbers in the Inner Moray Firth in the 1800s.
The club took a skiff and crews to the Orkney Rowing Club regatta last month in very windy conditions at Scapa Beach.
It held its own regatta at the end of August on a stunning sunny day with Chanonry, Collieston, Cromarty, Nairn and Golspie Clubs taking part. Ullapool and other clubs crewed the ROW (Rest of the World) skiff. Golspie were the overall winners.
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The main umpire was Lindsay Watt from the Golspie Club and safety boats were provided by Andrew Pennington of Invergordon Boating Club - another great example of how clubs help each other out and coastal communities are connected.
The club raised £850 from a raffle and clubwear stall and the Storehouse Restaurant fully supported the event and the RNLI Invergordon lifeboat attended
Hazel Inglis, vice-chairperson of the club said: "The regatta was a fantastic day and great to welcome our fellow coastal rowers who are always enthusiastic and good humoured and like us, enjoy the wonderful sport of coastal rowing in which people of all ages and abilities can participate".
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