A quick reminder that while club kit is selling in our online store, we still have some “old” kit on hand – and it’s being sold at a good discount. A limited range of sizes is available.
Sweatshirt: £11.20
Hoodies: £12.48
Zoodies: £13.20
Polos unisex: £12.24
Polos ladies: £12.24
T-shirts: £8.64
Keith is organising this, so email him directly to find out what’s still available.
The Superlogo store offers a wider range of kit, including fleeces, waterproof jackets and bags. Some clothing is only available in unisex sizes, but we have been able to offer women’s-fit hoodies, and some items in youth sizes for our smaller rowers.
The shop is an experiment initially. Prices are more expensive, but this is in the context of a very affordable membership fee. You can order directly, so we do away with the need for someone to manage orders and also avoid club funds being tied up in kit. The Club doesn’t receive any income from kit sales.
Club captain Marianne writes: The Marina have been in touch to let me know that the waterfront area from our Shed past Haggis Homes to Coast to Coast Rigging is going to be used for filming from Wednesday 31 Aug to Friday 02 September, inclusive.
Having spoken with Eileen, Mike and Anne P, I’ve decided to suspend rowing for the period of filming. The side of our Shed facing the water will be part of an area dressed as a down-at-heel garden centre (yeah, I know….). Given the people and equipment that will be in the area to support filming, it won’t be practical to do our normal activities. The businesses affected will have to be accommodated, so the best thing is for us to be out of the way.
I’m assured that the Shed will be left as it is after filming. The Club won’t be receiving any donations, and there won’t be any opporchancities to promote the club or rowing. We will, however, get a warm fuzzy feeling from being a good neighbour and helpful to our landlord!
Not QRC’s first brush with film crews… back in 2016, the Maid and crew had a starring role in a Channel 5 documentary about the Forth Bridge.
Any questions, let me know, but unless the filming schedule changes, the Shed won’t be accessible and rowing will be suspended during the dates above.
Club captain Marianne writes: We’ve been busy welcoming visitors recently!
Last Saturday we welcomed Jenny Bath from Augusta, Western Australia, and her sister Alison for a row under the bridges. The sun stayed away, but we gave them a very warm welcome in the Shed.
Jenny (in the blue cap) enjoys a close-up of the bridge
A week past Saturday, Donna brought her entire online yoga class to give coastal rowing a try! They threw themselves into the experience with huge enthusiasm, and generously made a donation of £140 to club funds. A wonderful afternoon!
Peter’s grandson, Archie, has been out a fair bit recently. He’s coxing as part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award and we are delighted to support him in this.
Locke the Younger at the helm
We’re looking forward to our favourite club day out at the North Berwick regatta on Sat 27 Aug. We might not win many medals there, but we usually clean up on the tombola! Who’ll get that bottle of ouzo this time?! Do come and support us even if you’re not rowing.
A QRC crew – Donna, Calum, Ally, Lynn and Mark C – successfully made an oar-dacious (did you see what I did there?) rescue bid after a family on a powerboat became stuck on the muddier side of the marina. The irony of a powerboat being towed by rowers was not lost on the grateful family! QRC. The ‘Forth’ Emergency Service.
And finally, we’re holding a club ‘pot luck’ BBQ tomorrow – after the Lass has been around the town in the Ferry Fair parade. Full details in the earlier email. I hope we’ll see as many of you there as possible for an afternoon of rowing, food and good company!
Club vice-captain Mike B writes: I’m afraid that the tides are pretty poor for us this week. We will not be able to have any social rowing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, nor can we have social rowing on Saturday morning.
On Saturday morning though, can I encourage you all to meet at the shed at 09:00 to help prepare one of the boats for the Ferry Fair parade!
The bunting’s ready, the leaflets are printed…
Peter Locke will be supervising the preparations and will advise on the parade. All volunteers to help distribute leaflets alongside the parade will be very welcome. It’s always a very happy occasion taking part in the parade. The weather is forecast to be overcast, with a light breeze and to be very pleasantly warm but not too hot!
After the parade, the tides will be good for rowing, if anyone wants to take a boat out (RP needed of course!).
On Sunday, we shall have turn-up-and-row sessions in Ferry Lass from 13:00 onwards. Ferry Maid will be used for Youth rowing from 13:00 to 14:00 and then for social rowing bookable slots at 14:00 and 15:00. Long distance training will be in Ferry Maid from 16:00 to 18:00.
Social rowing this month
If you would like a space in the bookable slots, please email me directly on mikebreewood@gmail.com.
If you would like a space in the long distance training row, please contact Keith Thomson on keithrmcethomson@yahoo.co.uk directly.
QRC captain Marianne writes: A few things to update you all on.
New Skipper and coxes
Congratulations to Beth Christie on becoming our newest skipper. Well done also to Scott Boyd, May Macleod and Val Alexander, who passed the coxing course. Thanks also to everyone involved in making this happen.
5 Miles from Home
Well done to the three crews, the Skua Chasers (W50+), Ferry Scratchers (Mixed) and the Ferrymen (M60+), who represented QRC in the 5 Miles challenge, all in the most testing of conditions. This is a unique challenge in that’s more about participation than times as everyone is rowing in a different place. Special mention to the Skua Chasers, who had to complete their race in the marina because it was so wild out there, but who won a special ‘Plate of Spaghetti’ award for their inventive course!
New Door
Thanks to Douglas and Alan for hanging the new door, sourced by Maria. New keys are reaching skippers, while there is one for members to use in the keybox on the side of the Shed. Please replace the key as soon as you’ve opened/closed the door.
Broughty Ferry Regatta Report
We went to our first regatta in over two years last Saturday. Broughty Ferry is a stiff test at the best of times, and Saturday was no exception – in the morning the stiff wind was against us on the outward leg, the strong tide against us coming home. We took a team that included a number of new members and I applaud you all for your positive can-do attitude! We also included three of our friends from North Queensferry in what we all hope will be the start of closer interclub club co-operation.
Photo by Cheryl White
Well done to everyone who came. We may not have come home with any medals, but it was a great club day out and everyone’s enthusiasm and good humour was second to none. In lieu of a formal regatta report, check out the fabulous interview with Michelle by our roving reporter Elspeth, on our Facebook page and Twitter feed!
Future Events
We have regattas trips to North Berwick (27 August) and FOCCRS (Largs, 10-11 September). Sign-up sheets are in the Shed. We’re also planning to send two crews to Castle to Crane, the long distance race between Dumbarton Castle and the Titan Crane in Glasgow (3 September). Again there’s a sign-up sheet in the Shed.
Queensferry Community Event
We took part in a Queensferry community event to showcase clubs to local people Ferry on Sunday 1 May and made a few friends! We made a little on bridge T-shirts and monkey-fist merch. Some exciting news coming on monkey-fists later!
Youth rowing
Really pleased to see a new, enthusiastic young rowers coming along. We supporting our young people in Duke of Edinburgh Awards and Scout badges, as well as introducing them to what we hope will be a lifelong passion! Thanks to everyone involved.
Club kit
We’re aware there have been a few issues with the new kit shop. These are being addressed but be aware that changes in suppliers to Superlogo mean that some items may differ slightly in colour and there are limits to what we can do about that.
And finally…
Our fiesty little friends, the terns, are back from their winter holiday off in southern Africa and are busy with nesting on the raft at the far end of the marina. Keep clear, or risk a pecking! Swallows are also back, swooping round the Shed, and as there’s evidence that eiders are nesting on the breakwater again, we’ll hopefully soon see eider creches bobbing about in the marina. The Forth is internationally important for seabirds – we row in a very special place!
