Wormit Boating Club sail off with prestigious award

Community-based Wormit Boating Club has been named Club of the Year at the East Fife Annual Sporting Awards 2020. The award, sponsored by Howe of Fife Rotary Club, is presented to the club that has made a significant impact on the development of its sport, which for Wormit includes sailing and rowing. The group uses wooden St Ayles Skiffs, built by members and based on a traditional East Neuk design. The club welcomes people of all ages, encouraging non-rowers to try ‘taster sessions’ when current restrictions allow. The sailing season runs from April to October, and rowing continues throughout the year. As well as being strongly tied to its community roots, the club takes part in competitions and regattas across Scotland and beyond, including the SkiffieWorlds World Championships at Stranraer in 2019. Their first significant trophy was the Fife Cup at the 2019 Gathering at Lochore Meadows. Other activities include an annual Perth to Wormit row, which brings together clubs from across Fife and beyond, and starts the rowing season. The club also has a long-standing friendship with 333 Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Every year, squadron members visit Woodhaven, the base for their Catalina flying boats during the Second World War. The Norwegian flag is still flown regularly at the club, and the Skiffs, Catalina and The Flying Boat, are named to acknowledge the Squadron’s ties with the town.