Scouts training for big row

A GROUP of Northside sea scouts are currently undergoing intensive training for an ambitious fundraising venture.

Several rowing crews from Malahide Sea Scouts will attempt to row from Holyhead to their home town next month.

‘The Big Row Home’, which will be sponsored by corporate and individual sponsors, will contribute towards the refurbishment of the scout den on St James’s Terrace in the village.

The refurbishment, which will cost approximately

?¬600,000, will get underway in the autumn and it is expected it will take around 12 months to complete.

The refurbishment is necessary as the fabric of the scout den’s structure is now 35-years-old. The group is determined to provide modern facilities and changing rooms for young people in line with best current practice.

The scouts will leave Holyhead on Friday evening (June 26) and row through the night towards home.

They are planning to arrive in Malahide estuary on Saturday afternoon (June 27) where they will be greeted by other group members, parents, friends and well wishers.

It is anticipated that the row will take between 14 and 20 hours. Scouts as young as 14-years-of-age, right up to scout leaders will be taking part.

Over 30 group members will be involved in rowing. Support vessels and shore crews will be monitoring their progress.

They expect to be rowing for approximately five hours in darkness as they tackle the middle of the Irish Sea, out of sight of both Wales and Ireland.

Shortly after sunrise the coast of Ireland will appear, and the target for the crews will become more visible.

During this time GPS navigation will guide them from the support boats, as well as monitoring their progress and the fitness of each crewmember.

Colin Lynch, a Malahide Sea Scouts Group leader, said the row was a very ambitious project to undertake.

“It is the first time the group have attempted such a crossing,

? he said.

“It is no less ambitious than the den project itself, the benefits of which will be shared by the young people of Malahide for at least another generation.

?