Return of Viking Ship Race regatta at Loch Insh a success
The “corporate gauntlet” has been thrown down by an Aviemore solicitor after Saturday’s rip-roaring Viking Ship Race at Loch Insh.
Duncan Swarbrick said: “Come and take our title from us next year, all you professionals!”
He and his crew reigned supreme at Kincraig, twice battling their way through wind, water and snow against seven other rampant teams to claim a trophy fashioned by boat-builder Alex Lyddon to mark the return after some three decades of the Badenoch “regattaaargh!”
“It was fantastic fun,” said the skipper of “Swarbrick Law” as he flourished his trophy in one hand and his winning drinking horn in the other.
“I’m told the Sailing School want to make it an annual event again and next year I want to challenge all the other corporate businesses in the strath to join in.
“Where are Tiso? Ellis Brigham? All the others should think about getting a team together to see if they can wrest the title from us!”
His winning crew of Scott and Findlay McNeish, Jack Swarbrick and Kai Beattie were clearly up for the challenge.
So too are Jonny Freshwater and his team at the Boathouse, which revived the race day as one of a series of 2019 events marking the business’ golden anniversary.
“It’s amazing to think we’ve been here for 50 years now,” he said, “but this is has certainly been a successful start to the jubilee.
“Everyone’s had a fantastic day and the blizzard this morning just made the perfect atmosphere – far from deterring people it’s really inspired them to get out there and take on the challenge.”
No fewer than 32 Vikings turned up for registration and the four specially prepared boats were shared among them in a series of races which culminated in a grand final.
One of the early contenders was, funnily enough, another corporate team – indeed, one referred to by a local friend as “a bunch of geeks, really!”
Norse Code had been put together by colleagues from Aviemore’s Quarch Technology.
The company, based in Dalfaber Industrial Estate, is renowned for its innovative, globally respected technology for testing drives, storage systems, networks and management software.
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Yet on Saturday its “geeks” were more than ready for the physical fray against the marauding hordes.
From Monday to Friday they are world-beating boffins in physical layer automation, but on Saturday the lads from Quarch seemed to cope well enough on the water once they had all got their oars the right way round.
But that was for the home leg.
As with all the racers, the men of Norse Code first had to fathom the mysteries of wind power.
All the racers began under sail, gracefully tacking their way to a red marker a third of the way across the loch.
Then they had to turn, negotiating their way around the buoy while folding up the sail and tying it firmly before rowing like mad back to the shore.
The Quarch crew – company founder and outdoor sports advocate Mike Dearman, Pedro Leao da Cruz, Keith Waldthorn and Kyle McRoberts – gave a good account of themselves but were just pipped on the return leg.
Teams came from around the strath and some individuals from as far afield as Aberdeen and Elgin.
“It’s great to see such a good turnout. In fact the more the merrier,” said Mr Freshwater as the sailors piled into a hearty lunch of stovies and spare ribs, quaffing Cairngorm Brewery ales.
