It’s not like it was in 793 when the Vikings plundered Holy Island! 1,230 years later ACR was delighted to welcome members from Assens Roklub, Denmark to our shores and our boats this summer.
We enjoyed an action-packed week introducing our Scandinavian neighbours to rowing skiffs in Northumbrian waters, and our beautiful coastline did not disappoint!
ACR is celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2023 and this visit was another highlight in a great year so far. Assens Roklub was established in 1917 and at 106 years old offers its 120 plus members a variety of boats to enjoy in a spectacular location.
The Assens crew are used to more traditional rowing boats, which they refer to as ‘sildigblomstrendes’. Our fixed-seated skiffs required a very different rowing style to their normal and it was great to see how quickly they adapted to our boats.
The week started with a ‘skiff familiarisation’ session, rowing up the River Aln to Lesbury, followed by the essential ‘welcome to Northumberland’ beer or two.
On a second day of fabulous weather the ACR and Assens rowers headed north out of Alnmouth Bay to change over crews at Boulmer and then onto Sugar Sands to enjoy a picnic on the beach.
There our guests presented Rhoda Foote, ACR Chairman with their Assens Club flag, which is a tradition of visiting Clubs in Demark. Following the return row back a review of a great day was shared over another beer!
Over 20 of us had a fabulous row out of Craster north around the spectacular Dunstanburgh Castle and into Embleton Bay. The week culminated with a regatta of some serious and not-so-serious races – the blindfold row was particularly challenging! One of our now famous ACR BBQs rounded off the celebrations.
It was a great week, brilliant memories and new friendships made and a promise to do a return to Assens Roklub, where we will have to get to grips with the sildigblomstrendes’!
Our gallery shows some more great pictures from the week and from Assens Roklub – enjoy!
