Ullapool 2024 news from our intrepid reporter Claire Cadoux.
Here we go again, heading north to wonderful Ullapool for their Rowing Club’s annual 2-day regatta. This year, 17 Clubs attended. Always exciting, always hard graft, always a treat and always inspiring. North Berwick Rowing Club makes these events all work smoothly, Skiff John B is packed and towed up two days prior by the Hanley Towing Team, the rest of us arrive, at any time, either falling out of a well packed car or exotically, off the ferry and into a boat, and occasionally nearly ‘last minute’.
After a gentle start for some on Saturday morning of otter watching on Loch Broom, it floating around on its back and waving the odd tootsy, and the faint embarrassment of trying to put Skiff John B on the water whilst it was still tied to a lampost, it was down to business for day one.
Off to the coxes briefing followed by the first race at 12 noon.
We check the orange windsock, not quite horizontal, so on this ‘there and back’ 2 kilometre course from the ferry berth with one starboard turn at the far buoys, the return will be felt all the harder this day, just when you don’t want it. No consolation it’s the same for all. Pre-race cox and crew discussions, then into the skiff, row to start line buoys, wait, “attention……go!”.
There’s a quietness when they have passed left to right. The return though, past our gazebo, can sound extreme, high decibels of shouting, screaming and whooping makes a difference say the rowers. Good, I did my best least catyelling noise.
Saturday’s racing continued smoothly, the wind started to drop. We did so good. Of eight entered races we won 4 golds, (three on the trot), one silver and 3 unplaced, strong nonetheless, well positioned…..after hard fought rowing.
Fantastic, well done to these rowers. Our final Saturday race (the 280 mixed which took the silver) had a age handicap, time added for years lacking (total ages do not add up to 280). We were 2 seconds behind the leaders. Good job everyone. Flipping awesome to watch, and be part of.
Saturday night, more exercising, (there’s no let up) flying around the event room at the Ferry Terminal to Ruaridh’s Ceilidh. That second completely unmanaged Strip the Willow, at the end of the night before the completely bonkers Auld Lang Syne, was pretty much the most chaotic, fast, furious one I have ever been in …., like human dodgems, you get up speed at the first spin, (thank you Ronan) and ignore other people’s feet and look for an arm. Tame it is not.
Sunday the day of sun. Also heat. Bit of a change to the bathloads of water falling on us from the skies in 2023.
Another coxes briefing, and 10 races. 2 more golds in the 40 + Women (Well done ladies!) and the Decades Women (great job!) a silver in the 60+ Women (you guys are amazing), and a great win for Jacqui who coxed the ‘who’s that’, sorry, ‘Andy’s Race’. A tribute race to a lovely man where it is our boat, our cox, but all crew are from elsewhere. Aw. I hope Andy would be somewhere laughing and cheering everyone on.
Honestly all rowers just did amazingly. So good to watch, thank you.
The feeling is, this Regatta weekend was more relaxed this year (racing is relaxing?) probably due to there being more coxes.
So we go home, races rowed well. The training, the strength, energy, enthusiasm and skills always amazes me. Well done to all…you were brilliant.
And well done to everyone at Ullapool for putting on such a great event again!
