Saturday 19th July saw ten keen and eager members of Deganwy Rowing Club arrive in Beaumaris ready to give their all in the WSRA Puffin Island Challenge Race.
BIG THANKS to Beaumaris Rowing Club for organising the event and their generosity in time, spirit and keeping the many crews of all 21 boats so well fed, all day!
To ensure that energy levels started off and remained high, a hearty breakfast was first consumed (even by those not actually rowing – team cohesion needed to be maintained, despite any obvious personal sacrifice. You’re welcome…)
Then we’re off . . .
The coxes briefing urged against taking a course too close to the rocks: rescue boats and the attendant tedious paperwork would invariably ensue…
Then at 11am, all 21 participating boats set off in a flurry of oars and flexing muscles, ready to circumnavigate Puffin Island – avoiding the rocks! – to complete the 14-mile race.
Deganwy’s two coxes, Sue Blunt and Kate Halliday, both ensured their respective boats kept a steady line, avoiding being snared in the throng of competing boats, watching out for the bemused Atlantic Grey Seals and adhering to the course being followed by the lead Beaumaris boat: exploiting their local knowledge of potential watery snares.
Both teams maintained an impressively industrious effort as the miles were steadily notched up; team work being obvious…from the shoreline (many thanks to Simon H and his binoculars!).
The Mary Meldrum crew played cat and mouse with ‘Ceridwen’, the Aberystwyth boat, finally pipping them at the post by the closest of margins – one second! – and, through sheer grit, finished an impressive 3rd out of a field of 21, in 1hr 36mins and 43 secs. Very well done! – especially noting that the first two boats were all-male crews, whereas our very own Mary Meldrum was crewed with 3 men and Bethan (‘take no prisoners’) Jones. We salute your iron resolve and pneumatic muscles, Bethan! Chwarae teg…
With our Tal Y Fan crew completing the not insubstantial race distance in under 1hr 55mins, huge congratulations go to the coxes and crew of both our racing teams, some of whom had never before participated in a race, let alone such a long one! Very well done Deganwy Rowers – you did us proud!
By Deganwy Rowers’ Roving Reporter – Gaynor
