Small team of rowers from Perth represents Australia on world skiffie stage

As dawn breaks in Perth, a small group of rowers launch their boats into the Swan River at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club.

These aren't typical competitive rowing boats. They are 155 kilogram wooden, hand-built coastal rowing boats called St Ayle's skiffs, also known as skiffies.

They can be traced back to the 19th century mining communities of the famous Scottish town of Fife.

And the rowers aren't your run-of-the-mill athletes — they are Australia's representatives at the World Championships taking part on Scotland's south-west coast in July.

"We're now taking 16 rowers over to to Scotland. We are all over 50 and the age range goes up to 79," said Mark Endersby, the club's skiff race director.

"This is male, female and mixed. So we've entered teams, crews, for the over 40s, over 50s, over 60s and the 280.

"280 is the age group. The combined age of the rowers, so an average age of 70."

The decision to compete at the World Championships happened over a cup of coffee after a row one morning, but if it weren't for a chance encounter a decade ago, and the influence of a famous figure in Australian sailing, the club may never have ventured into the sport.

From Australia II to a rowing boat

John Longley is a huge figure in the sailing world, courtesy of his crucial role in Australia II winning the 1983 America's Cup.

He was the campaign's project manager, a crew member, and was instrumental in developing the teams strategy that ultimately led to the famous victory.

But long after his success on the global stage, Longley can add the wide adoption of skiffs to his list of achievements.

"I'd gone to the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart in 2013 and while I was there, I literally stumbled across one of these boats that was partly under construction," he said.

"I was very taken with it and I realised that the way the whole thing worked was that these boats were built by community for community.

"I thought, you know what, this would be something that could really work at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club."

His initial suggestion was met with resistance.

"There was a little bit of a 'well, you know, John, we're a sailing club'," Longley recalled.

"I pointed out that in the early days of the club, there were more rowing races than there were yacht races and the the club very quickly I thought it was a good idea, and adopted it."

The adoption of skiffs — small boats typically propelled by oars — has grown across Western Australia, and boats are built across the South West.

Community built and owned

The modern incarnation of skiff racing began in 2009, as a way of encouraging coastal Scottish communities to re-engage with the ocean.

To take part, clubs purchase a marine plywood kit to build the boats, which must be done by hand.

The boats are more than six metres long, have fixed seats, and the oars must be wooden.

The Royal Freshwater club has three boats, but won't be taking them to Scotland. They'll be supplied boats for the event.

While skiff racing has become a passion for the rowers, its impact goes beyond just getting on the water and keeping fit.

Endersby arrived in Australia from England in 2023, and as a new migrant, knew just one person in Perth.

"I was suffering from some mental health issues," he said of his decision to move across the world following the COVID pandemic.

"It had been a really tough period for everybody, not just myself, and I had the opportunity with the kids going off to university and I thought I needed to look after myself.

"I go back to when I first arrived here, and you can be quite lonely in places and that's a common feature of mental health issues."

The person he knew invited him to the Royal Freshwater club to get out on the water.

He gave it a go, and was drawn to more than the physical aspect of rowing.

"It's created the community for me, and that community has has grown and grown and grown."

The team is also using the World Championships to raise money for the mental health not-for-profit Youth Focus through its Row for Youth initiative.