Well…..the racing finally got underway and what an eventful day it was! All sorts of weather and sea conditions. We started with a still bracing wind and choppy waters which felt very familiar, then moved into fairly humid and sunny conditions during the middle part of the day and eventually ended early evening in very calm and driech conditions with a flat sea and hardly any wind.
NOB 40+ Women (our club code for the week = NOB) started in amazing fashion cruising in their heat to defend their world champion status. Our crew defended their crown to the ver last keeping Strangford and Lossiemouth in check to achieve a creditable 2nd place and a silver medal behind the relatively unknown Ardglass crew. Well done Ann H (cox), Lizzie (stroke), Amanda (3), Jude (2) and Jen in bow!!
Next was the Men’s 40+ crew, a truly scratch and ‘mature’ team replacing many of the 40+ crew who had to return home when racing was cancelled for the Monday. Like the 40+ women they got through to the final and in a strong lineup came a creditable 9th in much calmer but hot and humid conditions. A great effort led by Ross the only remaining member of the actual crew……and congratulations to neighbours Eastern on winning the gold medal.
Next our 280+ Women put in a good shift in their heat which was a time trial (so no final) and came 15thscoring 66 championship points for North Berwick in the overall club competition.
Our 280+ Men scored 73 club championship points by getting 8th position in conditions that were getting calmer and calmer all the while and again the format was time trial.
Not everything went to plan and during the turn on the 50+ Mixed heat SJB’s rudder decided to separate itself from the boat causing numerous issues which eventually led to our beloved boat being towed back to the beach and NB being ‘DNF’ed’. Work will be going on now to find a way to fix the rudder and get SJB back into the competition. Hard luck to the Mixed 50+ crew who had put a pile of work in to prepare for the World’s.
And then in the gloom of the day, in Blackadder, with the dreich mizzle doing its worst over calm seas along came our 280+ Mixed crew to snaffle a bronze medal spurred on by some event commentary from Norma who noticed nobody was holding the mic. Congratulations to Jo Drewitt(cox), Johnny MacNair, Sandy Wallace, Ann Hume and Sheena Robertson on their medals and 78 points for NB in the club competition.
Oh, and our USA club went racing in Blackadder and had a great time, even roping in Dave Hanley to take part in the 50+ Mixed. Its great to be hosting them.
You can find all the results here https://stranraerwatersports.com/skiffieworlds2025/full-results
And don’t forget you can watch the event here https://www.sportvolgen.nl/events/
And more stuff on Instagram, Facebook and Flickr in due course.