A bumper crop of crew members are introduced today. Check our Facebook page Wigtown Bay Coastal Rowing Club, for clips of these intrepid rowers talking about their training experiences, leading up to this big event.
Ann McClure “A keen and slightly obsessed rower, I will openly admit to being in my 60s (OK well into my 60s), only because I have nothing to hide and everything works remarkably well – so far.
I’m living the retirement dream in the Isle of Whithorn, where mornings involve sea air, boats and muscles I didn’t know I had, rather than lie-ins or sensible hobbies.
I love rowing. Properly love rowing. I love it enough to give up my evening glass of wine when rowing demands it, which everyone who knows me will agree is a very serious commitment. The wine is not gone, just postponed. I’ve rowed in several regattas and in the SkiffieWorlds but am still wondering how I thought this challenge rowing to the Isle of Man was a good idea.
Before discovering oars, I spent a lifetime in marketing, specifically direct marketing, enthusiastically selling things from ads and catalogues to people who never knew they needed them. After being exiled south of the border for 35 long years, I finally escaped to my homeland, where the air is fresher and the accents much kinder.
I’m a fiercely proud mum of three great kids and two fabulous grandkids. I think my family view my rowing adventures as equal parts inspiring, embarrassing and highly entertaining. Long may it continue – life is for living!”
Simon McClure “I’m “Pink” Simon. So called because I regularly wear this pink Gloucester Rugby top that my son, James, bought me and despite being 6’2” and 14 stones, I don’t even qualify to be called “Big” Simon as there is an even bigger Simon in the crew.
I’m 60 and used to work in Logistics Management for large retailers.
I’ve been coming to the Isle of Whithorn with my wife, Ann, since the mid-nineties and we moved up here in 2021.
I’ve been rowing with Wigtown Bay Coastal Rowing Club since 2022, representing them in several regattas and in the World Championships in 2025 where I competed in five categories.
I’ve had heart rhythm problems since I was 30, culminating in having an ICD or “Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator” fitted in 2020. Ann tells me I’m “battery operated.”
I hope that by completing the challenge of rowing between the Isle of Whithorn and the Isle of Man, I can prove to others suffering from heart failure that it doesn’t mean you have to give up setting and achieving your goals.”
Simon Messinger “I am Simon Messinger, also known as ‘Big Simon’! I come from a farming family in Northamptonshire about as far from the sea as you can get! I worked for the NHS for over 25 years and took the opportunity to retire early from Northampton General Hospital as their maintenance manager a couple of years ago and am now in my early 60s. I have always loved playing competitive sport, particularly Rugby. Since I retired from playing, I have kept fit mainly in the gym, during covid I made my own gym in the garage and work out there now most days.
In 2022, along with my wife Bev and our dog Bryn, we made our first visit to Dumfries and Galloway. We travelled along the coast in our motorhome and were blown away by the scenery, the coastline, and the people. We stayed one night in the Isle of Whithorn, behind the Steam Packet, and fell in love with the village and started to think it might be a great place to put down some roots. In December 22 we bought our cottage on Main Street and now spend half our time in the Isle and have become part of the community, joining the Rowing Club, the Sailing Club and taking part in as many village activities as we can.
I had never been in a skiff before and the only rowing I had done was in the gym, but I saw the rowing at the Isle and was keen to have a go. I seemed to do okay and soon went from leisure rows to competitive rowing events, culminating in taking part the World Championships 2025 at Stranraer and being in the team that set a club record!
Obviously, I can’t train as much as the local rowers, but I am putting an extra shift in my gym to compensate, and I think I am the only rower who has done the 3-hour long training row on Loch Ryan twice in three days! The training was fine but suffered from a very numb bum! I have now designed a padded seat which hopefully ease the predicted 6-hour journey. I am not worried about the distance or time it will take, but as everyone knows I eat a lot, and I am busy working out how much I can fit into my food hamper for the journey!
I consider this a good challenge for myself and a great opportunity to raise money for the club.”
Isle of Man Challenge – Our Terrific Sponsors..
These local businesses have been generous enough to sponsor our rowers for their challenge. Their support means we can ensure we have safety boats on the water and supplies needed to keep the crews going. Thankyou so much for your kind support.
