RFBYC’s first name was the Freshwater Bay Boating Club.
In the early days of the Club there were actually more rowing events than sailing ones.
In Ken Tregonning’s history of the Club he explains that on Opening Day 1898, there were two yacht races with four boats in one race and six in the other. He goes on to explain;
“These two afternoon races climaxed a Regatta that had begun at 10-30am, with dinghy oar races, sculling races, a model yacht race and a duck hunt.” ( A duck hunt is a four oared boat but no coxswain, chasing a one person dinghy).
It is nice to think we are going back to the roots of our Club with the construction of these two skiffs.
Maybe we can even have a Duck Hunt at Opening Days in the future.