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Gourock rowers set to compete in the Skiffie World Championships
HARD-WORKING rowers from Gourock are getting ready for launch as they prepare to take on teams from around the world in an international championship.
The Royal Gourock Yacht Club's coastal rowing team are travelling to Stranraer next weekend to compete in the week-long Skiffie World Championships.
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Up to 20 members will be competing against 78 teams from all around the world, with rowers coming from as far as Australia and South Africa to the Scottish town.
The Royal Gourock Yacht Club's coastal rowers (Image: Alex Craig) Competitors will take part in 2km out-and-back races on a multi-lane course on Loch Ryan in what is known as a St Ayles Class coastal rowing boat.
Representing the club in each race will be four rowers, all led by a cox, who steers the boat.
Three years ago, five RGYC rowers travelled to the Netherlands to take part in the event.
This year the club are entering mixed and female teams in the over 40s, 50s and 60s categories, as well as a team in the 280+ event, which requires the total ages of the four rowers to add up to 280 years or more.
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One of the club's conveners, Justine Campbell, has been rowing with the club since the team started in 2021, and says the group is more than just a way to keep fit but a great way to make new friends.
Justine told the Tele: 'Before the pandemic a group of people looked into the possibility of getting a skiffie to start the club. They got one of the boasts professionally built in Irvine, which some members helped make, but our second skiffie was built by members themselves.
'We have really come a long way, and we continue to attract new members because a lot of people see us rowing up and down the Gourock shores.
'It is a great way of keeping fit and it's all outdoors in the fresh air. It is also a good social activity.'
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The event is the culmination of months of practice dating back to January.
Justine added: 'The course is 2km, so it's a reasonable distance, but we have done much longer races and intense training to get ready for this.
'Some people are taking part in three or four events, so they have been training a lot recently.
'When we have been looking at our results from training, it should take our teams less than 13 minutes and some other teams about 16 minutes.
'We have got a turn in the course as well so that has been a key part of the course to focus on.
'The conditions have been quite lumpy for practice; the water has been pretty hard going, so we know it is not ideal, but the race is in Stranraer so there could be quite a northerly wind that we are up against.'
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The week-long event begins on Sunday, July 6.
Those who are interested in joining the Royal Gourock Costal Rowing Club should contact rgyccoastalrowing@ to find out more about training days and social rows.
