Last night we held the first "Trades Cup", where organisations or trades within the town race against each other.

The finals were a three way round robin, with teams representing Plumbers, Homeworkers, and North Berwick Rugby Club battling it out for the honours. The course was a sprint of around 750meters, with a 180 degree turn in the middle. The first round saw a very tight race between the Homeworkers and the Plumbers, with a Homeworker's crab caught at 50m allowing the Plumbers to pull away and take line honours. However in the second race the well drilled Rugby Club crew were able to establish a lead over the plumbers before the turn, which they built on in the second half of the race. In the final race, the Rugby Club again proved too strong for their opposition, although the Homeworkers put up a spitited row, and considerably improved upon their time for the first race.

The Trades Cup was therefore presented by Craig of the Auld Hoose, who kindly donated the trophy, to Susan Ferguson, Jason Logan, Russell Freer and Jo Thomson representing North Berwick Rugby Club.

Photos here

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Chippy McNish and St Baldred attended the flatwater Scottish Rowing Championships at Strathclyde Country Park, to show the St Ayles skiff to the sliding seat rowing community.  With most of the St Ayles fleet busy at Cockenzie and Port Seton Regatta, it was second boats from North Berwick and Royal West that attended.

The boats sat slightly lower in the fresh water, but with no waves, that did not really pose much of a problem.  The race was from the finish line of the Olympic standard course, up to the 250m mark, with a 180 degree starboard turn followed by a sprint back to the finish.  Our river racing friends were surprised at the turn of speed.  North Berwick borrowed a couple of slide seat rowers, and just managed to overhaul a gutsy young crew from Royal West, who promise much for the future.