29 members waited anxiously on Sunday morning here whether Eskmuthe Regatta would go ahead. Following a final email confirmation, we were off to Fisherrow for a day of racing.
At the coxes’ briefing we were warned of the variable conditions with a gusting westerly wind resulting in choppy conditions, but reassured with the presence of a safety boat. The 2km OW and OM races were shortened to the shorter course, same as the rest of the races of 800m, after the recently deployed turning buoy was last seen heading towards Fife!!
The novices bravely kicked off the racing and quickly proved there would be no issues coping with the challenging waves – even if they did return absolutely soaked, but still smiling! But that’s what coastal rowing is all about…isn’t ?
As the adventurous racing continued, our strong support team waited on the shoreline for returning crews to steady the boat, while others huddled in their new boathouse enjoying Eskmuthe’s fantastic hospitality – hot soup, home baking, sandwiches and a welcome bit of shelter from the wind.
The highlight race of the day had to be the Open Mixed, with a running twist. Our runner Jess, selected thanks to her speedy Strava stats (which she may regret sharing in future!), had to ‘sprint’ 1km before leaping into bow seat to start rowing. Meanwhile 2 non-rowers on shore, spun the boat around and launched them back into the race. Jess admitted it took until the buoy to recover, but somehow the crew still stormed across the line in a brilliant first place.
Unfortunately, worsening conditions near the shore meant the relay race at the end of the day had to be cancelled, as getting crews safely in and out of boats would be difficult. And we’re sorry for those rowers that ultimately didn’t get to race.
Our NB crews came away with gold medals in the 240 mxd, 40+ mxd, 60+ W and the Open mxd categories. Silver medals followed in the OW and 50+ mxd, alongside a bronze in the OM.
Despite the uncertain start, the day finished on a high, and we thank Eskmuthe for reigniting the racing bug in NB once again!!!
Amanda
Lots of photos on flickr below
