Monday 4 November 2024
 10.3°C   SSW Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Sport / New blood sought for yoal rowing

Pictured in Lerwick on Sunday, from left to right: Emma Harper (Bigton Rowing Club), Mairead Travins (Nesting Rowing Club), Andrew Anderson (Lerwick Rowing Club and rowing association), Ewan Tait (Burra Rowing Club) and Kerry Tait (Eid Rowing Club). Photo: Dave Donaldson

PEOPLE are being encouraged to think about trying out rowing as clubs in Shetland look for new members.

It comes as the first competitions of the season were held in Lerwick at the weekend.

Shetland Yoal Rowing Association commodore Andrew Anderson said there are both physical and mental benefits to getting out on the water.

“It’s a really social sport, and a generational sport,” he said. “It can also be a focal point for communities.”

Anderson, who has rowed since 2001, said clubs naturally tend to go through dips in numbers.

“It is peaks and troughs, but there’s probably been a slow downward trend unfortunately,” he said.

For example photos of inter-club races back in the 1990s showed 17 or 18 boats involved – but in Lerwick at the weekend there were four.

The yoal is a clinker-built boat used that has traditionally been used in Shetland.

There are yoal rowing clubs dotted around Shetland, including in areas like Burra, Nesting and Bigton, who train and compete in events.

Anderson said each race can be relatively quick, adding that teamwork is key.

“You need stamina because you’re reasonably flat out during that five, six, seven minutes,” he said.

“But you’ll get lots of practices. Most clubs will have one or two practice nights a week.

“To be honest the key to rowing in my view…it’s timing, and the technique. That’s what makes a big difference.”

With the Tall Ships Races visiting Shetland in July it is perhaps an apt time to raise awareness of yoal rowing.

The crews of the visiting tall ships will also get a chance to try their hand at yoal rowing on one of the days too.

“We have to think about what we can do to raise the profile and promote yoal rowing,” Anderson said.

“I think there’s a real lot of benefits from the physical side, the social side, the mental side – all of that, and the community side of things.”

Anyone interested in trying out yoal rowing can access information via the Shetland Yoal Rowing Association Facebook page.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Categories
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.