BRIDPORT Gig Rowing Club are set to complete a sponsored row to Lyme Regis.

The event, which is to take place on Saturday, March 18, is to raise money towards equipping the two new boats which the club has recently ordered. This will see the club’s fleet grow from three to five boats; three wooden racing gigs and two fibreglass general training boats.

The new GRP fibreglass boat will be ready for use in April and the wooden boat will be arriving in July, part way through the racing season.

The new boats will allow the club to put on more rowing sessions every week, expand membership and increase the number of crews that can be entered into races.

Estimated costs of equipping the new boats is £7,000, as safety equipment, seats, radios, fenders and many other items have to be bought. The club currently has £3,000 in the pot at present, and will be working hard over the next few months to raise the remainder.

The Row to Lyme begins at West Bay at 10.30am (weather permitting), and will return from Lyme at 1pm to reach West Bay between 2.30 and 3pm.

All three boats, Bucky Doo, Dagger and Blaez will be in action with crews swapping over at Lyme Regis.

Depending on wind, tide and sea conditions the row can take between 45 minutes and two hours to complete. Crews will be a mixture of general, squad and junior rowers. In previous years, this event has been a great success, with crews showing their competitive side and pulling hard to be the first boat in.

If you are interested in getting involved with the club or giving rowing a try, we are having an open morning with breakfast on Sunday, March 12.

n If you are interested in sponsoring one of the crews, contact general rowing captain, Jan Thorne on generalrowing@bridportgigclub.org, or visit bridportgigclub.org