Boats

Môr Wennol

Anonymous — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 15:28:33 +0000

Môr Wennol Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 28/12/2025 - 15:28

We have a double yole, Môr Wennol, made by Swift Racing.

For racing, Swift Racing Coastal/Offshore boats are FISA certified and have close to the maximum allowed waterline, in order to optimise boat speed, as well as a sturdy ‘rocker’ for excellent surfing potential.

The strong lip joint construction around each boat increases overall durability and stiffness, whilst making the boats easier to carry, and crucially helps to repel water when rowing through waves. Sweep and Sculling riggers are available.

Swift Racing Coastal/Offshore boats are built using sandwich construction with fibreglass cloth and Lantor coremat, with carbon tape reinforcing the areas of highest stress.

All coastal racing boats weigh in right at the FISA minimum weights allowed.

They have a tough gel coat finish, with light grey hulls and a choice of 4 colours for the upper section.

Designed to Perform

As is standard with the FISA design, there is an open transom, for immediate discharge of water inflow, with a minimal area for water to remain in the cockpit.

There is also a lightweight flap at the stern to prevent the inflow of water from a following wave.

All boats feature a lightweight throw line/tow line in a yellow throw-bag, which is in an easy-to-reach position just behind the bow rower, as well as non-slip surfaces for stepping into the boat, for maximum safety.

Ease and convenience – there are handles both at the bow and stern for easy boat carrying, as well as netted areas to hold small items/drinks and buoyancy aids/life-jackets.

Tag

Boats

Image

LiteRace

swiftarf — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 21:02:33 +0000

LiteRace swiftarf Wed, 25/10/2023 - 22:02

We have 2 LiteRace single sculls.

The 1X is a FISA approved coastal rowing racing boat with a white (RAL 9016) hull and a white deck. The boats are lightweight and strong and made of a carbon/fibreglass mix. Its hull, designed by naval architect Sam Manuard, gives it exceptional glide in all water conditions, whether calm or rough. As this boat meets the FISA requirements, and can compete in both endurance and beach sprint events.

Tag

Boats

Eirianell

swiftarf — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 16:17:31 +0000

Eirianell swiftarf Thu, 17/03/2022 - 16:17

Our new Celtic longboat "Eirianell" was delivered to the club in September 2020. She is so named in honour of the Morris brothers, the polymath champions of the Welsh language who lived just to the north of Moelfre.

There is a celtic cross which was erected in memory of the Morris brothers in September 1910. The cross has been erected on land within the farmstead of Pentre Eirianell, former home to the four brothers who were renowned scholars, historians and surveyors in the early C18.

Lewis Morris

Lewis Morris (1701-65) was a poet and scholar; DWB notes that he "by the middle of the 18th cent., was the highest authority on the language, acknowledged as such in Wales and outside it".

Richard Morris (1703-79) was founder of the Cymmrodorion Society.

William Morris (1705-63) was scholar of the Welsh language and botanist.

John Morris (1706-40) was a sailor who died during an attack on Cartagena.

Tag

Boats

Joseph Rodgers

swiftarf — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 11:54:03 +0000

Joseph Rodgers swiftarf Thu, 17/03/2022 - 11:54

Our first Celtic longboat is named in honour of one of the heroes of the tragic wrecking of the steam clipper, the Royal Charter.

Joseph Rodgers (Guzeppi Ruggier) was a Maltese seaman and crewmember of the doomed Royal Charter. When the ship was wrecked off Moelfre in the worst storm in the 19th Century he, in an act of great heroism, was able to reach the shore with a line. This enabled the setting up of a Breeches Buoy/Bosun's Chair and, with the courageous efforts of the locals who formed a human chain in the waves, led to a number of lives being saved.

Of the 376 people aboard the Royal Charter only 18 passengers, 5 of 11 riggers working their passage, and 18 of the crew were saved before the line parted (no women or children survived). Without the bravery of Joseph Rodgers, many more lives would surely have been lost. Rather than by drowning, most fatalities were caused by the trauma of being dashed against the rocks and wreckage- despite the risk of the same fate befalling them, Joseph Rodgers and the local villagers braved the breaking seas to try to save the lives of the rest of the crew and passengers.

The shipwreck is also notable for the impetus it gave Captain Robert Fitzroy, Royal Navy, head of the Meteorological Office, to develop the first gale warning service. The data gathered from across the country for the speed and direction of the winds defined a 'perfect cyclone'. The diagram was used to illustrate the Board of Trade Wreck Returns for 1859.

More about Joseph Rodgers can be found on his decendant, Prof Raymond Agius', website (which is the source of these photographs).

Tag

Boats

Celtic Longboats

swiftarf — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 11:51:04 +0000

Celtic Longboats swiftarf Thu, 17/03/2022 - 11:51

The Celtic Longboat is a 4 person coxed rowing boat used for racing, training and recreation. Racing this type of boat has a long and interesting history on the West Wales coast.

Since the 1970's local coastal villages have put up teams to compete for what has often been relatively large cash prizes in the traditional 'pulling races'. The longboats started in 1978 when Tom Sutton, working on Ramsey Island, St Davids found the remnants of an Irish Curragh (wooden frame, tarred-skinned rowing boat) washed up. With friends Des Harries and Robin Pratt, he decided to re-skin the boat and enter it in the local Solva Traditional Boat Rowing Race, for prize money of about £200 - and came second. They thought that if they made the same shape in fibreglass it would be even faster. Des, the carpenter, carved a plug out of a solid piece of timber, to similar dimensions, and cast a mould from which they made the first Pembrokeshire Longboat. 1979 - they entered the Solva race again and won easily but were told not to come back as fibreglass boats were not wanted in that race. Soon interest in the new boat was growing - they made a couple more for locals and held races around Ramsey Island (a race considered too dangerous now!). From this developed the Pembrokeshire Longboat League.

The original mould was sold to Dai in Cardigan in the early 80's who went on to produced over 30 Pembrokeshire Longboats using the 'Old Mould' and later, when the old mould 'died', the 'New Mould' which was taken off one of the best of the old mould boats. The sport continued to develop in fits and starts with the interest spreading from Pembrokeshire to Cardigan where Dai was based. The Welsh Longboat League Cymru was formed to try and standardise the boats, rules etc. and bring together the boats from both areas. At this time every boat varied in weight and finish as Dai would often sell a bare hull for the buyer to finish themselves, giving the lighter boats an unfair advantage with many of the top boats being 'cut' to make them narrower and faster. These boats raced around the potentially treacherous coastline of West Wales and even race across the Irish Sea and are still some of the fastest at 'the Great River Race' in London.

In 1996 it was decided to approach Sportlot for a grant for a new mould so that at last all the boats could be standardised. This developed into a full blown bid for over £100,000 to finance the mould, 18 new longboats and a junior training boat. Several companies were approached to submit proposals to design and build a the new boat, the brief was simple, the boat should be faster than the best of the existing boats, and at least as sea worthy and all should be identical.
After much deliberation and debate Dale Sailing from Neyland were selected as the new builder in 1999 and to date the over 22 boats have been built (4 of which have gone to Dubai) with over another 12 on order. The new boats have caused a resurgence of interest in racing as now everybody will be able to compete on level terms in the new one design Celtic Longboat.

Thanks to Pat Morgan for this historical information (From "Celtic Longboat Information". rendell-attic.org. Retrieved 13/04/2017)

Tag

Boats