Mike B writes: The tides are not very helpful to us this coming week – only two rowing slots available in the evening during the week.
The social rowing slots are as follows: Tuesday 20th of July: Slot 1, 18:30 – 20:30, Ferry Maid; Slot 2, 19:15 – 21:15, Ferry Lass Saturday 24th of July: Slot 1, 11:00 – 13:00, Ferry Lass; Slot 2, 11:45 – 13:45, Ferry Maid
If you would like to take part in any of these rows, please email me directly on mikebreewood@gmail.com.
If you are driving down to Port Edgar, you can park in the non-charging car park by driving up to the barrier and telling them that you are with Queensferry Rowing Club.
Marianne writes: The Committee and Mike B have reviewed and discussed the current rowing arrangements. We’ve had slots specifically for ‘limited exposure’ and ‘shielding rowers’, but those crews rarely get out together, if at all, for a variety of reasons. We’ve decided to change this arrangement, and from this week, all social rowing slots on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays will be open to everyone.
We hope that this will allow more flexibility and a greater number of rowers to get out. We should emphasise that if anyone who is in these groups wants to organise a row, we will try and help that to happen.
Photo by Rory McIntyre
Outwith social rowing times, please remember that ANYONE can call a row (including youth rowers!). Mike B is, as ever, there to help you with your booking. We’re all very grateful to Mike B for all his hard work in helping us book boats and get out on the water.
We want you to be out as much as possible, particularly while the weather is good (always there’s nothing quite like a frosty winter row!) and the nights are light, so we hope this will help you do just that. We’ll continue to keep arrangements under review to make things as easy for everyone as is possible.
The coming week’s social rowing slots
Mike B writes: The tides in the coming week are mostly favourable to us, with the exception of next Sunday afternoon, when low tide forces a bit of a gap in the rowing.
The slots for the forthcoming week are as follows:
Please remember to turn up at the Shed at the start of the slot time, not before, and please be ready to row, as we cannot use the Shed for changing currently.
As ever, please email me directly on mikebreewood@gmail.com to book your place on any of the rowing slots. I will normally confirm your booking and then, closer to the time of the rowing slot itself, I shall confirm with you whether there is a complete crew for the row or not.
Outwith social rowing times, the boats are available for self-selecting crews to book – again, just email me directly on mikebreewood@gmail.com .
Finally, if you want to view the current state of play on any slots or bookings, you can view the calendars for Ferry Maid and Ferry Lass on https://queensferryrowing.org/rowing-schedule/ . The calendars update in real time, so whenever I make a change in any entry it shows at once.
The weather looks good for the week ahead so please do make the most of the rowing slots available!
Other news
Marianne writes: In other news, congratulations to Alan Sutherland, our newest RP! Having completed the course and buddy rows, Alan can now skipper the skiffs. Well done Alan!
And well done to the Men’s 60+ for taking part in the Five Miles from Home virtual race, with a time of just over 53 minutes for the row.
Men’s 60+ crew cross the finish lineThe crew after their five-mile race. Photos by Barbara
Great to see new members continue to join! It’s a shame we can’t show you the more social aspects of the club, but hopefully that day is coming. No one makes a Saturday morning bacon roll quite like Peter!
New rowers Holly and Ruth in the old harbour with Donna and Lesley. Photo by cox Rory
As ever, if you wish to take part in any of these rowing slots, please email me directly on mikebreewood@gmail.com.
Louise coxes a crew on a row to Inchcolm and back on 30 June – “Easy row for us there 1hr 25mins. A lovely picnic and easy row back 1hr 30 mins,” writes Rachel, seen here in stroke.
Club captain Dónal writes: It is with regret that I have to bring you this news, but unfortunately after consultation between the Committee and the Regatta Sub Committee it has been decided to cancel this year’s Regatta on 22 August.
We weighed up the factors that are involved, and due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Covid it would not be feasible to have a regatta. Our biggest issue was the numbers of rowers that would attend, along with the crowds that would already be in Port Edgar on the day. We would also not have been able to use the shed as we have done in the past.
It was also felt that we need to focus on our own Club in the short term and get rowing back to some kind of normality. Hopefully the easing of restrictions that are due to come towards the end of next month will help us do that.
However, we do intend to have a very small Youth event in the form of a return fixture with North Berwick and Eastern, following last week’s successful event. As the rules pertaining to youth rowers are more flexible, it was felt this would be the best option. The provisional date is 22 August, and will be a row in company with a route yet to be finalised.
QRC’s Youth Regatta in 2019 attracted crews from all over Scotland, and from Northern Ireland
Sadly ours is not the only fixture to be cancelled this summer: We have received word that Shieldaig’s Regatta on the weekend of August 7th and 8th has been cancelled. The organisers cited the uncertainty around the Pandemic as the reason for cancelling.
They have pencilled in August 6th and 7th 2022 for next year’s Regatta. I know many of you had bookings made for accommodation in Shieldaig, I hope this gives you enough time to cancel if you so wish.
The Maid at Shieldaig in 2018. Photo by Christine Thomson
