2014 Kilchoan Pram Race

If the weather wasn't kind for this, the fifth annual Kilchoan Pram Race it didn't make the slightest difference to either the enthusiasm or ingenuity of the competitors or to the crowds that turned out to cheer them on.  And the organisers are rising to the expectations of this hugely popular event - witness the new grand prix-style start point, seen here with competitors for the Children's Race lined up for action.

The course took the runners to the parish church and back.  The winners, seen here pushing up the hill to the winning post, were Stuart and Ewan with a cracking time of two minutes and four seconds.

Picture (c) Hamza Yassin

The other two races, Juniors and Adults, with a total of nine competitors, were run at the same time, the course taking competitors from the Kilchoan Hotel start point to the Ferry Stores and back again, a gruelling distance.  Picture shows the competitors lining up for the staggered start.

There were some who had stripped to the bare minimum, to cut down on superfluous weight and to indicate how seriously they intended to take this race.  Another new feature was an interview of the competitors just before they started by compere Ricky Clark.

In the end it was probably the quality of their racing machine, named Where's Woolly?,  that won the event for Ben and Tim White, seen here approaching the finish line in what will be a time difficult to beat in the future - 8 minutes and 28 seconds.

Winners of the Junior event were Katy Curry and Claudia Watson in a time of 19 minutes 37 seconds, seen here with one of the two First World War 'planes entered, the Red Baron, hot on their heels.

But for laughs there was nothing to beat the entry of Justin Cameron and Alan Cameron-MacLachlan, in their bobsleigh, Cool Runnings, all the way from sunny Jamaica.  Their research was obviously impeccable - this is exactly how Jamaicans drive.

Picture Johnny Watson

The team that won the Junior Race are shown here with their prize, all wearing the new Kilchoan Pram race t-shirts, available at the Kilchoan Hotel, all proceeds to the West Ardnamurchan Jetty Association which maintains the jetty facilities and the moorings.

Picture Johnny Watson

Continuing the improvements to this year's event, the prizes were presented on the new grand prix winners' stand.  Picture shows the Adult Race winners, Ben and Tim White, with Katie Gane and Grant Cameron in second place (left), and Rosie Curtis and Morven MacLachlan in third.

Well done to the competitors and the spectators who turned out in such numbers, but special congratulations to the organisers of this great event.