Lyme Regis: Gig club rowers take part in Turn of the Tide Festival (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)
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Lyme Regis: Gig club rowers take part in Turn of the Tide Festival
12:30pm Wednesday 13th June 2012 in Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis gig rowing club
OARSMEN and women from Lyme Regis travelled to Northern Ireland to a Turn of the Tide festival.
Lyme Regis Gig Club was invited to the event at Strangford Lough, which is a 25-mile stretch of inland water south of Belfast.
The festival is part of a regeneration initiative to encourage communities to build, row and race their own gigs.
Caroline Nolan of The Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership and director Roy Heayberd asked the Lyme Regis Club for help with promoting a gig-building project to link the six towns and villages on the shores of the Lough.
Lyme club members travelled with their gigs Rebel and Black Venn for the festival.
The club was invited to showcase their gigs, built by Lyme Regis boat-builder Gail McGarva, to offer advice and take local people out for taster rows.
Gail presented a gig-building talk and club chairman Marcus Dixon explained the Lyme Regis club’s history to councillors and regeneration organisations, outlining the community appeal and benefits to local people.
The Turn of the Tide Festival included a race between the two Lyme Regis gigs across the Strangford Lough narrows, renowned for their strong tides and currents.
More than 100 Strangford Lough residents and members of other communities and organisations took up the opportunity to row the Cornish pilot gigs, accompanied by Lyme Regis rowing members.
Experienced World Championship, Isles of Scilly gig rower Eamonn McNamara from the Strangford Lough area, taking part with his two brothers, praised both the initiative, and the support being given by Lyme Regis Gig Club.
