Ullapool has been selected as the location for the Inaugural World Championships for St Ayles Skiff racing under the auspices of the The Scottish Coastal Rowing Association. The local Skiffie groups based on Loch Broom are delighted to co-operate in organising this event on behalf of all Skiffies and look forward to welcoming crews from many nations to Ullapool and area. This Website is intended as a central repository for all relevant information about the event. Content will be added as the detail of the event develops. Please keep an eye on the ‘news’ page for update advices.
So what is the St Ayles Skiff? - in simple terms a reworking by Iain Oughtred, renowned small boat designer, of the traditional Fair Isle Skiff for Clinker/Lapstrake Ply construction. 22 feet in length and 5ft 6inches in breadth she is big in the shed but soon shrinks when on the water with a crew aboard.
The design was commissioned by the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther following an inspired idea from Alec Jordan, the design was then digitized for kit manufacture by Alec Jordan of Jordan Boats. Using the Jordan Boats kit as the basis of the project means that all the boats should be very close in hull form and dimensions resulting in teamwork being the deciding factor in competition. Use of the kit also means that the cost of a boat is minimised - the maximum build cost is around £3,000, the build method means that it is well within the ability of an average DIYer. Having a Skiff built professionally in ‘real’ wood would cost around £10,000.
Who builds and races them? - Initially intended to be built by former fishing and mining communities on the North and South banks of the Firth of Forth, the possibilities caught the imagination of coastal communities right round Scotland from Berwick to Annan and all points in-between. Starting with the launch of the prototype at Anstruther in October 2009 there are now over 50 kits delivered with 25 Skiffs built and on the water - a quite remarkable response to Alec Jordan’s dream. In addition the design was selected by the American Magazine Wooden Boat for their supported boatbuilding programme (BARC) in Maine schools, the idea spread and there are now 17 kits supplied and 4 Skiffs launched on the East and West coasts of the USA. Four Skiffs are in build in the Netherlands and the first Australian Skiff is on the way. There are even a couple in England. Crew come from all walks of life, most with little or no previous experience, many have found the experience transformational and become addicted to the sport, rowing in all weathers just for the sheer exhilaration of being at one with the boat and the rest of the team. For some reason the sport seems to appeal strongly to women, maybe their multitasking ability helps develop a strong technique.
An association was formed in May 2010, The Scottish Coastal Rowing Association, to provide a managed framework to enable the multitude of clubs to function in a coordinated manner. Local regattas have taken place round Scotland for the last couple of years and with the growing International interest the time is now right to hold the first Skiffie World Championships.
