ABERDYFI ROWING CLUB

In May 1997 Charlie Bartlett, a commercial skipper running sport fishing trips out of Aberdyfi, was asked by Aberystwyth rowing club to be a support boat skipper for the Celtic Challenge (A 90 mile rowing race from Arklow in Ireland to Aberystwyth in Wales). During the race, he had on board as help a Barrister living in Aberdyfi called Andrew Clarke and as a result of the race, they decided that it would be brilliant if Aberdyfi had a team in the Celtic Challenge, but for that to happen there needed to be a rowing club in Aberdyfi... So they convened an open meeting in the Neuadd Dyfi to see if there was enough interest to start up a rowing club. Aberystwyth Rowing club then came to Aberdyfi on a couple of weekends in support of this effort to get people interested by offering anyone the opportunity to try rowing one of their boats. A number of individuals paid in £100 each to become life members and create a starting capital for the club.