Bill Lothian's Community Sport: Squash, sailing and table tennis

WHAT A RACQUET
Images from the 2018 National Masters Scottish Squash Championships, 11 March 2018 at Inverness Tennis & Squash Club, Inverness. Photo: Paul J Roberts | RobertsSports Photo. All Rights ReservedImages from the 2018 National Masters Scottish Squash Championships, 11 March 2018 at Inverness Tennis & Squash Club, Inverness. Photo: Paul J Roberts | RobertsSports Photo. All Rights Reserved
Images from the 2018 National Masters Scottish Squash Championships, 11 March 2018 at Inverness Tennis & Squash Club, Inverness. Photo: Paul J Roberts | RobertsSports Photo. All Rights Reserved

Colinton Castle Squash Club’s Chris Gray, 39, won the Scottish Masters over-35s title in Inverness and is pictured receiving his trophy from association president Jim Hay.

To claim his first age-group accolade Chris defeated Peter O’Hara and didn’t drop a game on the way through. Ian Ross (Grange) and Sim Boughton (Edinburgh Sports Club) won titles at over-45 and over-70.

BIG EVENT

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Around 50 entries have been received for Friday’s seventh East of Scotland Para Sports Festival at Forrester/St Augustine’s High School, with entries being accepted up to the last minute.

Activities include swimming, athletics, wheelchair basketball, tennis, goalball, and judo. For further information contact Neal Herbert on 0131 625 4414 or e-mail: [email protected].

BOOK LAUNCH

Friday sees Fisherrow Yacht Club launch a commemorative book celebrating their 60th anniversary with a clubhouse function. The book was originally due out last year in conjunction with a civic reception at Musselburgh Town Hall but as word spread additional material emerged.

The book recognises the importance of Fisherrow harbour as the linchpin for the club while its explorers and champions are celebrated. There are tales of challenging ocean crossings in small yachts including the account of the self-built yacht, Odyssey, which circumnavigated the world from New Zealand with Fisherrow, the birthplace of the builder/skipper, Sandy Livingstone the halfway destination.

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The club has also produced European dinghy racing champions and two Fisherrow teenagers, Stuart Angus and David Bain, became European Fireball Class Champions in 1979, subsequently finishing fourth in a world event. In 1997, a North Sea race to Norway was skippered by Stuart McDonald and two crew members, all three of whom had a disability. They placed third while raising raising £9000 for amputees in developing countries.

Fisherrow Yacht Club, Sailors’ Tales from the First Sixty Years, can be ordered, price £12.50 through Fisherrow Yacht Club https://fisherrowyachtclub.com

CREWS CONTROL

Edinburgh-based St Andrew Boat Club ladies first eight successfully defended the Small Clubs Pennant prize at the Women’s Head of the River race in London.

They are Lorna Scott, Amy Regina, Robyn Patton, Camilla Hadland, Hannah Walker, Becca Scott, Ellen Brignall, Charlotte Scott and Charlie Dobson. More than 300 international crews and 8000 individuals competed on the River Thames, making it the largest rowing event in the world. Other Capital highlights included:

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• Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Karen Bennett, from Edinburgh, being in the winning Leander Club crew.

• Edinburgh University men’s and women’s 1st eights both producing record performances to achieve top 10 finishes. The women were 7th overall and the men 10th.

• Edinburgh University men (pictured as, left to right, George Raynes, Tautvydas Skrolis, Harry McCaughey, Bruce Patullo, Stewart Bright, Alex Lambert, Callum Hay, Rory Milligan and cox Dan Baillache) winning the Academic Beginner Trophy and their beginner women finished in the top 100 overall.

• Heriot-Watt University produced club records across both their men’s and women’s squad.

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• Ailish Lurring of George Heriot’s School competed as part of a Scottish junior composite crew, racing as the Scottish Argonauts, that climbed nearly 200 positions to finish 74th overall.

FESTIVAL SQUAD

Primary seven pupils from King’s Park Primary enjoyed the Midlothian basketball festival at Gorebridge Leisure Centre. The squad are Harry Falconer, Archie Weir, Lucy Pearson, Jessica Miller. Front: Freyja Morton, Madison Cairns, Adam Douglas and Ellis Baker.

TOP BAT

John Hannah, of Murrayfield Table Tennis Club, secured one of his best results by taking the top prize at the Edinburgh banded event in Bathgate Academy from an entry of 71 players. Hannah’s achievement included overcoming top seed Johannes Laute (Edinburgh University).

VICTORY AT A STROKE

It was a historic day for Erskine Stewart’s Melville swimmers at The Bath Cup in the Olympic Pool, London. For the first time in the event’s 108-year history the Stewart’s Melville College boys’ team won the 100m freestyle relay and the Mary Erskine School girls’ team won the Open Freestyle Shield.

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The prestigious event attracted 144 independent schools from all over Britain and MES swimming coach Kirsty Mundell said she was “hugely impressed by the performances of the ESMS relay teams” and felt “honoured to be part of these historic gold medal victories”.

The Stewart’s Melville team went on to win a second gold in the Otter Medley Cup (50m medley relay) in a record breaking time of 1:48.54, with coach Stuart McMahon noting that the team’s “professionalism and dedication leading up to the event led them to their truly impressive double-victory”.The winning teams: Stewart’s Melville – Jamie MacDoland, Archie Goodburn, Joe Ewing, Iain Rose and Sonny Kennedy. Mary Erskine School – Niamh Ritchie, Katy Smith, Abby Orr, Katie Goodburn and Adele McDaid.

GOAL-GETTERS

Lorraine Nicholson-Bennett and Louise Corr hit hat-tricks as Eskvale Hockey Club improved their East League Division Two position with wins over, respectively, Boroughmuir 2nd and Erskine Stewart’s Melville 3rd. Lorraine was on target in a 3-1 win over ‘Muir while Louise starred in an 8-3 victory over ESM.

TROPHY

Centre back Millar MacLeod received his man-of-the-match trophy from Scott Thompson of sponsors Farmer Autocare after helping Musselburgh Windsor under-14s into the semi-final of the Kenny McLean Cup with a 9-0 victory over an Edinburgh City team unbeaten in the league. Windsor led 2-0 at half-time.