First mass participation human-powered boat race to take place on Loch Ness

Monster the Loch will involve various craft from Olympic class boats to pedalos.

The start is likely to be from Fort Augustus at 9am on Saturday, thanks to a westerly wind being forecast.

Around 60 boats with around 250 competitors are entered including some from the USA, Canada, Sweden, Germany and Peru as well as UK.

Inverness Rowing Club has a four-woman crew plus cox of Jenny Baird, Lesley Ronald, Jude MacManus, Orla Farrell and Julie Doorly taking part in a coastal boat, with Hazel Smith and Hazel Geddes taking part in a composite crew with two other Scottish clubs.

Going for a record time is a GB8 of elite rowers including Black Isle Olympian Alan Sinclair.

His father Roy, president of Inverness Rowing Club, said: “The forecast is good so they are hopeful of doing it in under two hours with the record standing at two hours 26 minutes.”

The RNLI is the official charity for the event.

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