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Ullapool named rowing world champions in under 19 women's category at the SkiffieWorlds in Kortgene in Netherlands


By Iona M.J. MacDonald

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Ullapool world champions for U19 Women's category
Ullapool world champions for U19 Women's category

Young women from Ullapool win gold at the St Ayles Skiff World Championships, held last week in Kortgene, Netherlands.

The team was made up of Sarah Robbins, Bina O’Flaherty, Aurelia Zielínska and Megan Loftus, with Anthony O’Flaherty as cox. The team finished with a record time of 13:37.1

In the championships, Ullapool Coastal Rowing Club competed alongside boats from 53 other clubs. Ullapool ran the first SkiffieWorlds in 2013 and has attended all SkiffieWorlds since: at Strangford in 2016, Stranraer in 2019 and Kortgene this year.

Other Ullapool crews also won medals, including bronze for the Under-26 Women, bronze for the Under-17 Mixed and silver for the Under-19 Mixed.

RELATED: WATCH: Golspie roared to victory in Netherlands

Tom Grant, the club convenor, said: ‘We’re so proud of our young crews who did outstandingly well at these championships. This just wouldn’t have been possible without great local support, Wester Ross Salmon Fisheries and Ullapool Harbour Trust both generously helped our youth rowers get to the worlds."

Ullapool had one of the largest squads and crews participated from all age groups, taking 50 club members, competing in over 25 age categories. The club overall finished in 5th for the whole world. Commenting on the event, Tom Grant said: "The Dutch provided a great setting, with excellent facilities including a grandstand for spectators. After 18 months during lockdown when rowing was limited it’s good to be back on the water together. We’re now looking forward to upcoming regattas at Avoch, Orkney and Strathpeffer.’

The four-oared St. Ayles skiffs are built as community projects from plywood kits and are based on the traditional Fair Isles’ yoal, a clinker-built fishing boat.

This is part of an initiative launched by the Scottish Fisheries Museum with the aim of re-connecting coastal communities with the sea by encouraging them to build their own rowing boats for racing and social occasions. Inter-community rowing competitions used to take place between towns around the Scottish coastline, and the introduction of the St. Ayles skiff has prompted a resurgence of interest in coastal rowing in Scotland and, around the world.


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