For several years Sidmouth Gig Club has entered teams in the Sidmouth Swimathon, which this year is being held on Saturday (October 6), writes Nick Thompson.
However, this year the date clashes with the Head of the River race at Helford in Cornwall, so a group of gig club ladies decided they’d make their own contribution a week early, and it would be an epic row rather than swimming.
The final Sunday of September saw seven ladies make a 9am start from Sidmouth beach to row five-and-a-half miles to Budleigh Salterton in their newest boat, Little Picket.
On arrival, they took a brief rest and then rowed another five-and-a-half miles back – eleven miles of rowing in three hours! That’s quite an achievement, and also good training for the Helford race, which is a mere seven miles.
Other members of the club, including some of our youth rowers, will be swimming in the Swimathon on Saturday. We’ve set a target of collecting £1,000, and still have a way to go. If you’d like to support us, please go to our website or Facebook page for details.
Sidmouth Gig Club welcomes new members for both social and competitive rowing, no previous experience is necessary.
Please contact the secretary, Stephen Gray, at sidmouthgigclub@gmail.com or search ‘Sidmouth Gig Club’ if you would like to find out more or try a taster row.
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