MYC Rowers, Porthmadog took on the Menai Strait on Saturday, 27 April for the first competitive weekend of rowing in 2024.

The Royal Welsh Yacht Club at Caernarfon hosted the two-day event which began with the ‘Castle to Castle’ Challenge Row.

Twenty four Celtic longboats and three sculls from as far away as Ireland and England set off from the start at Beaumaris.

The 13-mile course took the rowers under the Brittania and Menai Bridges, passing through The Swellies which is the famous tidal race at the centre of the strait.

It can reach speeds of four metres per second during spring tides. The finish line was in the shadow of Caernarfon Castle.

MYC Rowing entered three boats with the ladies team winning their class of five other Celtics.

The ladies were 15th overall of the 23 Celtic longboats with a finishing time of 1 hour 50 minutes and 36 seconds.

MYC men’s crew came 7th overall in a time of 1 hour 47 minutes 2 seconds, being 5th Celtic home, coming 2nd in their class of Super Veterans (0ver 60).

The star of the show was Wendy Grainge who joined MYC last August, and completed the race in a single scull, picking up a certificate for 1st place in her class.

Wendy said: “I did have a few doubts at the start if it was a good idea as the waves washed over the boat. Glad to be still upright at Menai Bridge.”

Only 20 minutes separated all the Celtics from first to last.

Aberystwyth was first Celtic in a time of 1 hour 41 minutes and 50 seconds, and the overall race winner was Vartry from Ireland in a quad scull in a time of 1 hour 29 minutes and 15 seconds.

The Menai Strait is a channel of the Irish Sea between the island of Ynys Môn and mainland north west Wales and is notorious, with Admiral Lord Nelson reputedly saying “if a sailor can sail a ship through the Menai Strait, he can sail it anywhere in the world.”

The following day, spectators gathered on the Aber foreshore at Coed Helen, Caernarfon for the first Welsh Sea Rowing (WSR) Northern League race.

The first race was the ladies with a field of 13 boats, the conditions were excellent with a bright sunny day and calm water. Aberdyfi came 1st in 28 minutes 55 seconds., and MYC rowers came 6th in 31 minutes 55 seconds.

The mens race again saw Aberdyfi coming 1st in a time of 24 minutes 48 seconds and MYC came 2nd in their class, but 12th overall of 13 boats.

Aberdyfi were on form as they also claimed 1st in the mixed race in a time of 28 minutes 3 seconds and MYC came 10th out of a field of 17 boats in 32 minutes 20 seconds.

MYC were also represented in a double scull rowed by Bob Chamberlain and Mike James who completed the course in 28 minutes 20 seconds.

After the races the rowers and their supporters went to the Royal Welsh Yacht Club, located within the walls of Caernarfon Castle, for prize giving and a great catch up over a bowl of hot food.