SUN, sea and skiffs made for great partners at the second annual Colintraive Regatta, where by all accounts, a great time was had on the land and the water.
Five skiffs joined the Colintraive-Glendaruel Boat Club skiff, arriving by sea from Rothesay and Tighnabruich and by road from Gourock and Strachur.
The sun, blue skies and light wind from the east made for simply perfect rowing conditions.
Four well contested races exercised all the rowers. ColGlen Boat Club won three, including two very close finishes with the Isle of Bute Seasport Club coming second within a boat’s length.
The Isle of Bute Seasport Club won the men’s race. In addition, ColGlen Boat Club retained the Kyles Skiff Trophy against Kyles Coastal Rowing Club, which was last contested at Tighnabruich in 2016.
ColGlen Club secretary, Alistair Macleod, said: “It was a very good day. The weather and the conditions were great. Everyone had a good time.”
The Colintraive skiff, St Modan, was built over a couple of years by skilled craftsmen. Their work was paused at times by the Covid pandemic.
Mr Macleod said: “Otherwise, it could have been built over a couple of months instead.
“The skiff is a St Ayles model from Fife and is in common use right around the British coast.”
He added: “Peter Macalister-Hall, Col-Glen club chair, was a leading light in the building along with a number of others who all brought great skills to the job.
“Kenny Black did a great job, calling on his own background in boat-building”, Mr Macleod told this newspaper.
There are around 50 members of the ColGlen club, but Mr Macleod said there are always opportunities for others to join. “It’s a great club”, he said. “We generally go out on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.”
Asked if he enjoyed going out himself, Mr Macleod laughed and responded: “Yes, I absolutely enjoy it’. It’s very good craic in a very sociable club. And we also do a mean barbecue.”
The skiff has been on its travels beyond Colintraive, taking part in racing events at Rothesay in the past. But the club concentrates on working its base waters.
“It’s a fine stretch of water here”, said Mr Macleod. “Other people tend to want to come here, rather than us want to go elsewhere”, he smiled.
The chair of ColGlen, Peter Macalister-Hall, presented the model skiff trophy award to Shona McKellar (pictured) after the win against Tighnabruaich.
