Introducing the Faroese

The members of our crew are from the town of Vestmanna.  It is one of the oldest settlements in the Faroes, inhabited by people from Vestland - the western shore of Norway - as well as from the northern regions of Scotland.  It was a good place for a settlement, the bay makes a splendid natural port, there were wide stretches of pasture, grass covered bluffs, and cliffs teeming with birds.

The people of Vestmanna participated in all sorts of competitions, and at the beginning of the century were among the best.  In 1925 a crew of six oars entered the boat races at Torshavn, and so began a fine tradition of rowing excellence.

Victory in the boat races was a matter of civic pride, and over the years Vestmanna and Torshavn have been great rivals.  Other towns and villages have tried their hands at the sport too, and not without success.  Crews from the islands of Suouroy, Eysturoy, from the Northern Islands and elsewhere, have all participated.  The record is clear though, the statistics from the Saint Olav’s Day boat race show that the men from Vestmanna and Torshavn share the honours.

The Faroes are a small country, proud of our heritage, and now once again we are going to try our strength abroad.  The crew of the “Vestmenningur” are people who have been rowing ardently, and know their job. They were Faroese champions in 1995 and 1997.  We are eager to show our best to the world.

Back to Main Championships Page