LYME Regis Gig Club held their AGM this week, and were able to take a little time and look back on a hugely successful year, in which new records were set.

The club's active membership now stands at 166 from Lyme and the surrounding area, making it one of the largest clubs in West Dorset.

The club has a growing number of youth rowers, many of these took part in the Jurassic Coast Junior Races last Saturday where 50 young rowers competed.

In veteran racing, the club is now one of the top outfits in the country, making the top 10 in three of the four categories at the World Championships.

The clubs origins stem from a desire for long distance ocean rowing, and in 2016 a division started up focusing on just this.

They have taken part in several long distance races and plan many more for 2017.

During the racing season, the club attended more regattas than ever before.

From the season opening Three Rivers Race in Plymouth to the season ender on the Helford and the Tamar last weekend, the club has sent crews to 25 separate regattas.

This means that all those who wish to compete have plenty of chance to race.

Furthermore, some club members will fly off to Bermuda this month to represent Lyme in the first ever gig races on the other side of the Atlantic.

There has been huge success in the regattas this year.

The men’s A crew have lead the way with wins in Weymouth, Ilfracombe, Bridport and Lyme and came in 14th out of 160 crews in the World Championships on the Isles of Scilly.

Not be outdone the men’s vets crew, who won in Weymouth, Bridport, Lyme, Ilfracombe and Teignmouth plus a fine second in the highly ranked Rame regatta and a brilliant fourth in the World Championships.

There were further wins for the men’s C crew in Dartmouth and the men’s supervets in Lyme.

Although fewer victories for the ladies, they have made up massive ground on the other clubs, progressing up through the ranks in great strides with the A crew becoming increasingly competitive.

The supervets tasted victory in Ilfracombe while the A team made the top 50 for the first time in the World Championships.

All the ladies' crews contributed to Lyme’s first ever club trophy in a regatta, winning the overall award in home waters back in August.

The competitive side of gig rowing has evolved beyond recognition in the last few years, with top crews becoming extremely fit, well trained and coached. So for existing rowers the challenge gets tougher, for new rowers there’s a great to opportunity take on a rapidly changing sport on the high seas.

During 2016 the club added two new boats to the fleet. A plastic gig named Prospero to allow access for even more rowers. To help the growth of the youth division a new fibre glass skiff named Storm Force was added. The club also invested in two sets of new oars and recently six new Concept 2 rowing machines to provide training opportunities for when rowing is cancelled due to poor weather and to enhance fitness for all, especially the competitive division.

13 trophies in total, 25 regattas attended, 10 crews attending the World Championships, 166 active members, two new boats and countless weekends, mornings and evening rows in Lyme Bay (last count was over 750 launches in the year!). It’s been a record season. Another great landmark comes up in the New Year as Lyme Regis Gig Club will celebrate its 10th anniversary.