Raised so far
$1,832
Our goal
$20,000
The Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club is proudly off to the Stranraer SkiffieWorlds 2025.
Taking place from 6-12 July more than 2,000 rower are expected to compete as the triennial world championship event returns to Stranraer, Scotland. This will be the largest gathering of St Ayles coastal rowing boats in history with 79 rowing clubs from Europe, North and South America and Australia registered to compete.
The Club is taking this opportunity to raise awareness and funds to support Youth Focus. They'll be supporting WA Youth, one oar stroke at a time and every stroke will make a difference.
Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people
Tragically, suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people (aged 15 – 24) in Australia. by fundraising, you’ll be helping to ensure that young people across Western Australia have access to local support services to help them navigate through mental health challenges.
William just donated $54.12- Gavin just donated $211
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Jill Downard just donated $5.17- Rach just donated $2
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FAQs
Who is Youth Focus?
Youth Focus exists to support young people who experience mental health challenges. We deliver services and programs for people aged 12 to 25, at no cost to the young person or their family.
Our vision is a world where a young person’s mental health does not get in the way of them being who they want to be.
What is Mental Health Month?
Mental Health Month is a national month celebrated each year in October to coincide with World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
Who is Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC)?
Overlooking gorgeous Freshwater Bay, Peppermint Grove and the Swan River in Perth, RFBYC is ideally placed to host boating and rowing activities. You can learn more about RFBYC at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club.
St Ayles Skiffs at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC)
The Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth has actively embraced the St Ayles Skiff movement.
Club members built two skiffs, Dotsie and Ripple, which were launched in 2016 and subsequently gifted to the club. These skiffs conform to the standard design and are crewed by four rowers and a coxswain, with another Shadow joining shortly after.
RFBYC's skiff Dotsie achieved early national recognition by winning the inaugural Australian St Ayles Skiff Championship at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club's Wooden Boat Festival in 2016. The club has also participated internationally, with an RFBYC team hiring a St Ayles Skiff to compete in the prestigious Great River Race on the Thames in 2019.
A local tradition at RFBYC is the "Parmelia's Ball Challenge Trophy Race," an annual sprint race held on the club's Opening Day using the St Ayles Skiffs. This event has been a feature since 2017. It has also won previously and are current holders of the Margaret River Cup (Margs Mug) Blackwall River Challenge and was this years runners up in the Australia 5 (Australia wide St Ayles Competition)
Looking ahead, RFBYC is set to continue its international involvement, with 6 crews entered to compete in the SkiffieWorlds 2025 in Stranraer, Scotland, over 50s Masters crews, veterens crew (over 70s), all ladies crew and a mixed crew.
What are the Stranraer SkiffieWorlds 2025?
Sunday 6 July to Saturday 12 July 2025
The 5th St Ayles Skiff World Championships, widely known as SkiffieWorlds, are scheduled to take place in Stranraer, Scotland, from Sunday, July 6 to Saturday, July 12, 2025.
This major international regatta is being organised by the Stranraer Water Sports Association in collaboration with St Ayles Skiff International (SASI). Stranraer, next to the picturesque waters of Loch Ryan previously hosted a highly successful SkiffieWorlds in 2019.
The 2025 event is set to be the largest gathering of St Ayles Skiffs to date, with a record-breaking 79 rowing clubs having registered to compete. More than 2,000 rowers are expected to participate.
Competitors will travel from four continents, with teams confirmed from Australia, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Europe as well as a significant number of crews from across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
From Australia, the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC) will be sending six crews.
The SkiffieWorlds 2019 event brought an estimated 40,000 people to Stranraer with this years organisers estimating over 50,000 supporters and competitors.Read more about the World Championships here.
What is a St Ayles Skiff?
Communities build boats; boats build communities.
The St. Ayles Skiff is a 22-foot, four-oared rowing boat designed by Iain Oughtred and inspired by the traditional and ancient Scottish "ness yoal" skiff which for centuries transported people and goods between the Scottish Isles.
Commissioned in 2009 by the Scottish Fisheries Museum as part of The Scottish Coastal Rowing Project, the boat was designed to be accessible for community groups and amateur builders. This accessibility fostered the motto: "Communities build boats; boats build communities". The initiative aimed to revive the traditional and historical coastal rowing and foster community engagement, particularly along the Scottish coast.
By 2019, the international growth of the class led to the formation of St Ayles Skiff International (SASI). Hundreds of St Ayles Skiffs have since been built and are rowed by communities orldwide, including in the UK, USA, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand. South Africa, and France.
