St Ayles Rowing Club
... based in Anstruther Fife, bringing the fun and excitement of
coastal rowing to the community.
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All about the Project...
The St Ayles Skiff origins
In 2009 as part of The Scottish Fisheries Museum’s strategy to stimulate boat-building activities, discussions were held with Jordan Boats to develop a new kit.
Alec Jordan and Museum Trustees were inspired by the community involvement and participation in the historical tradition of Fife miners’ rowing and sailing regattas and looked to develop a boat that could engage communities in the same way.
Who designed the St Ayles Skiff?
The Scottish Fisheries Museum aided by funding from Museums Galleries Scotland, commissioned renowned designer Ian Oughtred to produce a new design based on, the Fair Isle Yoal.
What is a St Ayles Skiff?
The St Ayles Skiff is 22ft (6.7m) long, with a beam of 5’8″ (1.7m). The standard crew is four rowers, each with a single oar, and a coxswain.
Why the name ‘St Ayles’?
The name ‘St Ayles’ (pronounced Saint Isles) comes from the sixteenth century chapel which stood round the site of the current Scottish Fisheries Museum courtyard.
Which was the first boat?
The prototype boat ‘Chris O’ Kanaird’, was built in autumn 2009; owned by the Scottish Fisheries Museum as part of its nationally Recognised Collection it is rowed by the St Ayles, Anstruther Rowing club.
Scottish Coastal Rowing Association
SCRA was formed on 29th May, 2010 to encourage boat-building and rowing and to act as a governing body for skiff racing. www.scottishcoastalrowing.org
Six clubs and Skiffs made it to the first regatta in Anstruther in May 2010 and the movement has grown since then.
Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther
The Museum, situated in the historic East Neuk of Fife, depicts the fascinating story of Scotland’s sea fishing industry and its communities. It is delighted to have been the stimulus and birthplace of the Coastal Rowing movement and to have been part of re-engaging individuals and communities with the sea through the building and rowing of the St Ayles Skiff.
The Club
The club is made up of a diverse group of people of all ages and is
open to both men and women ageing from 18 +. A crew consists of 4 rowers all taking one oar each and the cox
who ensures the correct timing is kept and the safety of all on onboard.
We have regular training sessions for the members, weather and tide
permitting, and welcome interest from local people to come along and
have a go and see how much fun this can be.
The Scottish Fisheries Museum
As part of the Scottish Fisheries Museum we have the benefit of being
able to use the Museum facilities and have built up a great relationship
with the people in the Museum. The first skiff built is our own Chris o
Kanaird designed by Ian Oughtred and commission by the Museum. Find out
more about the project .... more
Our Achievements
2019 has been a busy year with trophies being won at Greenock regatta
and Newhaven Midsummer Challenge with the highlight being the World Championships
where we successfully returned with Silver medals for the Under 40
Men & Womens' and Bronze medals in the Womens' Open and Mix 280+
categories.
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