SEVEN coastal rowing clubs descended on Fisherrow in Musselburgh for an afternoon of fierce competition and fun to celebrate Eskmuthe’s 10th anniversary regatta.
The recent event took place on the Back Sands, almost 10 years to the day since Eskmuthe Rowing Club launched its first boat from Fisherrow in 2013.
The home club was joined by neighbours Row Porty and Eastern, both based a short row along the coast in Portobello, as well as Queensferry, Boatie Blest (Port Seton) and North Berwick. The final club, Alnmouth, travelled up from Northumberland to join the fun.
There were nine different races, which all ran smoothly despite a torrential downpour in the middle of the programme.
The medals were made by Eskmuthe members from driftwood collected from the beach and emblazoned with “Esky 10th 2023”.
Six of the races included members of the individual clubs, in categories for novices and various age categories up to “250+ mix” (a category in which the crew’s total age has to be at least 250 – an average of 62.5), while three races were “mix-ups”, in which each boat had rowers from four different clubs.
Regatta organiser David Lee said: “It was a fantastic day, with a great mix of fun races and hard rowing.
“Coastal rowers are well-known for being a tough lot, so when the rains came down we just kept calm and carried on.
“It was a wonderful way to celebrate our 10th birthday and a huge thank you to all the Eskmuthe club members who rallied round to create a great event, and to all the companies who sponsored races.”
It was the first time Eskmuthe has held a regatta since 2018, largely because of the Covid-19 pandemic and a packed rowing calendar.
David explained: “Coastal rowing has grown massively since the first boats were built in 2011, with Eskmuthe’s Honesty launched in August 2013.
“The club’s second boat, Steedie Falconer, named after one of the last surviving local fishwives, first took to the water in May 2015.”
Eskmuthe club chair Gaynor Allen said: “It was brilliant to hold a regatta on the Back Sands again and to see so many friends, old and new.
“All the money raised from sponsorship, catering and tombola will help us to pay for fitting out our new boatshed, which we hope to officially open towards the end of the year.
“Our 10th anniversary exhibition is on at Musselburgh Museum until September 23 and we’re holding a 10th birthday social at Musselburgh Rugby Club on September 8, so it’s all go!
“There’s more rowing, too – we’re practising hard for the North Berwick regatta, around Craigleith, on Saturday and we’re joining other clubs for a row to the Bass Rock the following day.”
The sponsors for the Eskmuthe regatta were Knight Chiropractic, Red McGregor, Fairnie’s Fresh Prawns, FLUID Environmental Consulting, PA Cooperative, Caskie Co, Rock n Rose Hairdressing, Edinburgh Property Photography, Selling with Sylvia, Strathesk Resolutions, Blossoming Gardens, Almond Park Nursery, Earth, Mother & Soul, and The Mercat Grill.
To find out more about the club, email eskmuthe@gmail.com
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