Portobello Regatta 2011
On Saturday 3oth and Sunday 31st July 2011, Portobello Sailing and Kayaking Club will host Rowporty's second Portobello Rowing Regatta, on Portobello beach, Edinburgh.
(photo by Lee Kindness: launch day races)The skiffs races will be held on Saturday. They will gather on the sands at the foot of Bath Street from 10am, racing straight out to sea then round a triangular racecourse with one of the turns offshore from The Dalriada, then back towards the finishing line – just offshore from the Beach House. This will give onlookers on the beach plenty of racing action to watch close-up.
(photo by Patsy James: Icebreaker)
There will be music, cake stalls, raffles, entertainment and food outlets along the prom, circuit training on the sands with the Swimming Pool staff, and safe areas to paddle or swim away from the boat lanes. Bring a picnic, bring your camera, bring a bucket and spade, bring your friends! Help us cheer the competitors to victory – especially Portobello’s very own skiffs Icebreaker and Jenny Skylark.
Sunday 31st is a chance for the competitors to relax, with fun rowing and sailing for all sorts of boats out on the water, including the sailing club dinghies, currach, visiting yachts, kayaks and the century-old jolly boats.
(photo by Morag Edward: the Tollcross currach)
Saturday's competing skiffs are all clinker-built five-person rowing boats of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project's new St Ayles design, built in the past two years by local communities as part of a recent resurgence of recreational rowing and racing in regattas around Scotland. The first of Portobello’s racing skiffs was built last year by members of Rowporty, a project of PS&KC. She was named Icebreaker by the children of Towerbank Primary School, and launched in Spring 2010. Work began on Jenny Skylark in autumn 2010, and she was named and launched in April 2011 just in time for this year’s regatta season.
(photo by Max Blinkhorn: Portobello's sister skiffs)
Last year’s Portobello Regatta was the first held in the area for over thirty years. Teams from all over Scotland will be coming to Portobello to race, including many successful competitors from last year such as Achiltibuie, North Berwick, Anstruther, Port Seton and Cockenzie, but there will also be new skiffs recently completed by their community groups.
Races are for teams under 25, open, over 40 and over 50, with men’s, women’s and mixed categories. (psssst, I'll be racing at 12 noon. If you're wondering why I'm in the men's team it's because the coxwain doesn't get a gender or age)
(photo by Morag Edward: view from the bow)
Please join us on Portobello beach and along the prom on the last weekend of July. All welcome – and it’s free! For more information about Saturday’s races, as well as photos and footage from previous regattas round the country, visit http://www.rowporty.org.uk/
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There are also details on how to take part in Rowporty, how to invite the boats to take part in community events (see below for pic from Red Nose Day) or to hire the club to give a talk on Portobello rowing history and rowing boat restoration.
(Red Nose Row for Comic Relief Day: photo by Max Blinkhorn)
