Truro River Surfboat Race 2015
Saturday 18th April - Mens crews row up the river, Womens crews row down
Men start time at Mylor Beach 16:00 hrs
Women start time at Boscawen Park tide gate 17:30 hrs
This 10km race first began with Truro River Gig club organising a race from Mylor Harbour to the Vickery Holman building situated by the basin at Truro. The event was scheduled for the Easter saturday each year. Because of the increasing size of the World Gig Championships at the beginning of May on the Isles of Scilly crews have to ship their gigs to the islands earlier and therefore they have difficulty attending the Truro event, now scheduled for later in the year.
The April date suited the surfboat crews with rolling seats installed in the boats. It gave crews an opportunity to contest a distance race before the boats returned to their respective beaches.
Surfboat crews agreed to alternate the course rowed each year between the mens and womens crews. The timing of the race is scheduled to ensure that crews reach the flood gate at Truro on the high tide.
Report for the Truro River Race 2015
Due to 40mph gusts of easterly winds, organisers erred on the side of caution and moved the Mens start from Mylor to Loe Beach, Feock. The overall times reflecting the shortened course. The Womens race would also finish at Loe Beach.
The mens crews were started in a line facing into the gusting winds. This proved to be entertaining as the starter - Becky Knowles UKSRL Sec encouraged all crews to stay in line for the start signal. St Agnes mixed novice crew were given a 10 min start. All other crews started together and upon the signal, Portreath and Porthtowan Blue Bali made strong progress into the headwind and onward to Truro rivermouth. Porthtowan Blue Betty forged ahead of the Perranporth Blue crew with Perranporth White as the tail enders. In the final sprint for the finish line only 5secs seperated Blue Bali from Portreath.
Once crews had swapped over, the womens event started from the Boscawen floodgate on a 1min handicap basis. Once again due to the easterly winds the womens crews set off into a headwind which would only move around in their favour once all the crews had negotiated the bend at Malpas. At this point the handicap began to close and all the crews came together on the bend, with the stronger crews forging ahead. By the Smugglers Cottage - Tolverne the Perranporth Scilly Girls had just established a lead from the St Agnes crew with Porthtowan in third. At the tailend of the race the Perranporth Minions U17s crew managed to hold off a late charge by the Perranporth Ladies crew.
A big thank you to Alan Richards for his shepherding of the crews and reassuring safety cover.
Map of the course
2015 Results
Mens race results (up)
Blue Bali 39.29
Portreath 39.34
Blue Betty 42.30
Perranporth blue 46.32
Perranporth white 47.12
St Agnes Mixed 55.00
Women's race results (down)
Perranporth Scilly Girls 45:55
St Agnes 47:15
Porthtowan Blue Bali wmn 47:30
Porthtowan Blue Betty wmn 49:17
Perranporth Minions u17s 58:34
Perranporth Ladies 60:33
2014 Results
Womens Race (up)
Perranporth Pixies------------------- 1:01:43
Perranporth Poissons-------------- 1:02:23
Porthtowan Ladiesofacertainage1:03:56
Perranporth Students--------------- 1:14:43
Mens Race (down)
Porthtowan 3men1women--- 0:54:01
Perranporth Parrots------------ 0:55:15
Porthtowan Ion Boys----------- 0:55:51
Portreath-------------------------- 0:56:10
Perranporth Needtobebetter 0:58:55
Perranporth Oldandyoung ---1:03:15
2013 Results
Mens Race (up)
Porthtowan Blue Betty--- 0:59:56
Porthtowan Blue Bali---- 1:02:56
Portreath White------------ 1:05:45
Perranporth White-------- 1:12:17
Perranporth Blue--------- 1:12:32
Womens Race (down)
Perranporth White----- 0:54:58
Perranporth Blue------ 0:56:45
Porthtowan Blue------- 0:58:11
Perranporth Maidens 1:03:28
2012 Results
Women's race (up)
Perranporth White boat-------- 01:05.22
Perranporth Blue boat--------- 01:06.41
Porthtowan Black and Blues 01:07.25
Bournemouth-------------------- 01:16.30
Porthtowan------------------------ 01:23.17
Men's race (down)
Porthtowan Blue Bali------ 51.45
Perranporth White boat-- 54.28
Porthtowan Blue Betty--- 55.28
Perranporth Blue boat-- 56.55
Bournemouth-------------- 57.02
2011 Results
Men - up the river
Porthtowan Blue Bali 48:57
Bude Barracudas....... 50.31
Perranporthh Probables 52.48
Porthtowan Blue Betty.... ....... 52.53
Perranporth Porkers. 54.05
Women - down the river
Perranporth Phoenix...... 55.28
Porthtowan Pure Blue. 55:40
Porthtowan Blue Rinsers..... 56.02
2010 Results
Women - up the river
Bude Runners..... 53:24
Perran Rebel Angels 55:29
Porthtowan Blue something 56:26
Perran Fallen Angels 57:45
Bude Newbies.............. 58:36
Men - down the river
Bude Barracudas. 48:41
Porthtowan Blue Bali 53:15
Perran Old Farts... 56:24
Porthtowan Blue Betty............. 57:05
Perran Mixed..... 58:36
