About SkiffieWorlds
SkiffieWorlds is the world championship for the St Ayles class of coastal rowing, and it has been held every three years since 2013. The racing involves teams of rowers who will race a 2,000m multi lane course, with a turn at the halfway point. The standard crew is four rowers, each with a single oar, and a coxswain.
The idea for SkiffieWorlds came from Ullapool Coastal Rowing Club which, after a competitive bid process, were selected by the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association to host the first SkiffieWorlds in July 2013, where 35 skiffs competed.
SkiffieWorlds 2016 was hosted on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, SkiffieWorlds 2019 on Loch Ryan, Stranraer, and SkiffieWorlds 2022 was held in Kortgene, The Netherlands.
With its record-breaking entry, SkiffieWorlds 2025 will be the biggest regatta of St Ayles skiffs there has ever been.
More than 2,000 individual rowers from 79 clubs have entered, taking part in 101 races across six days of racing. Teams from Australia, USA, Canada, the Netherlands and South Africa have travelled to the south of Scotland to compete alongside a strong home contingent from the UK and Ireland.
SkiffieWorlds 2025 is hosted by Stranraer Water Sports Association (SWSA), a community run charity that wants to see Stranraer become a major water sports destination.
Speaking about the selection of Stranraer as host for SkiffieWorlds 2025, Topher Dawson of Scottish Coastal Rowing, said:
"What makes Stranraer such a perfect venue is the combination of Loch Ryan's sheltered waters and the town's exceptional hospitality. After the outstanding success of SkiffieWorlds 2019, rowers from around the world have been eager to return. The record number of entries for 2025 speaks volumes about Stranraer's standing within the international coastal rowing community."
Wendi Cuffe, Trustee of Stranraer Water Sports Association (SWSA), said:
"To be hosting the largest ever gathering of St Ayles skiffs is testament to both the growing popularity of coastal rowing worldwide and Stranraer's growing reputation as an exceptional venue for water sports events. We are looking forward to welcoming competitors and spectators alike to what promises to be an extraordinary celebration of coastal rowing."
The world championship is now overseen by St Ayles Skiff International (SASI), the governing body of international competition, which comprises of a board of representatives from four national class associations.
Stranraer Water Sports Association (SWSA) is proud to host SkiffieWorlds 2025 on behalf of the St Ayles Skiff International. Dedicated to promoting watersports, we’re passionate about bringing people together through events like this.
About St Ayles Coastal Rowing
The St Ayles coastal rowing boat was invented in Scotland 15 years ago and the sport is now one of the fastest growing water sports in the world.
The inspiration for the community built coastal rowing boat came from the regattas of mining communities along the Firth of Forth, held regularly until the early 1950s, where the miners built their own boats and raced them during Gala weeks.
Boat manufacturer Alec Jordan learnt of these races when he moved to East Wemyss in 2005, and he came up with the idea of boat kits to be built and raced around Fife. After the Scottish Fisheries Museum approached him for a kit to be built in the Museum boatyard, he proposed the idea as a use for the finished boat.
The Scottish Fisheries Museum endorsed the idea and commissioned Iain Oughtred to design a boat based on the Fair Isle Skiff, resulting in the beautiful boats we have today. Before the build at the museum got under way, Alec and Chris Perkins built the prototype skiff to demonstrate the boat around the Forth and further afield. She was launched officially on the 31st October 2009 at Anstruther. The first regatta was held at Anstruther on the 29th May 2010, and the rest has become coastal rowing history.
There are now more than 350 St Ayles skiff boats registered around the world, each of them having been built by the local communities and clubs who row them.
