With the wind blowing a herd of white horses across the Forth there was some trepidation about whether the Port Seton regatta, run by Boatie Blest, would go ahead on Saturday 13th August…..It was a go! and 9 clubs turned up to take part in an inspiring day of racing.
We had strong teams going into this, fresh from the success of Broughty Ferry, but Boatie Blest run a different event where full on sprint, with a couple of bouy turns thrown in, is the name of the game. This is a fast paced and fun regatta and this year did not disappoint. Very well done to all who came along to row, from novice to seasoned rowers and coxes! A good number of people came out to cheer us on, despite the weather, and even a seal wanted to get in on the action, risking being hit by a wild oar as it popped up to say hello.
Lining up to start at the hammer head between the inner and outer harbour was a challenge but the umpires did a great job of “adjusting” the start so every team was individually timed from their own start to finish! Coxes briefing suggested a Plan A and Plan B, but unknown to anyone a Plan C seemed to sneak in there too! All helping to keep the day flowing and complete all the categories.
A strong westerly wind meant having to keep the power on coming out of the inner harbour for fear of coming to a halt!
A fantastic effort was put on by all our rowers and North Berwick came through to win gold in Womens 50+, Mxd 240, Mens 50+, and silver in Mens open, Women’s open.
As always Port Seton put on a spread of cakes, rolls and hot soup to combat the wind chill and calorie deficit (real or imagined), much appreciated. Not to mention lobsters being taken home for dinner…..in a Trabant 😉
Thanks to Boatie Blest for sticking with it in tough conditions and leaving us wanting to come back for more!
Mary-Ann
PS – click here to view the Flickr photos and videos
