ROWERS gathered on the shores of the historic town of Beaumaris to take part in the annual Puffin Island Race on Saturday. Nineteen Celtic Longboats and four sculls entered the event, with clubs from afar as Shrewsbury (Shropshire Adventure Rowing Club) and Portsmouth (Langstone Cutters). The iconic 10-mile route, takes the rowers along the Menai Strait, famous for its unique tidal waters and open to the Irish Sea, around Ynys Seiriol (Puffin Island) an uninhabited island famous for its wildlife, just off the coast at Penmon Point.
The race started 15 minutes before low water, with all 23 boats lined up in the strait. The tidal flow was strong towards Puffin Island and with a tail wind the boats found it hard to hold the start line. Porthmadog manager delighted as Danny Brookwell stays on Bala Town bolster squad ahead of European campaign Paulo Mendes and Matty Hill join Caernarfon for European adventure Caernarfon Town sign experienced midfielder Sam Downey Maxine Jenkins, cox of MYC Rowing ladies boat ‘Fleetwing’, said: “It was a low cloud, misty Menai Strait with a light drizzle.
I could hardly see Puffin Island in the poor visibility as we lined up with the other boats. When the hooter announced the start we shot off within the first three boats, which gave us an advantage as the race progressed.” As the race headed off, the fleet stayed together as they navigated the waters to the island.
The first boat to Puffin Island was a quad scull called ‘Cwch y Cedyrn’.
