LYME Regis Gig Club dominated their popular Masters Regatta with podium finishes in all but one category in an event described as a ‘festival of rowing’ by some of the participants.

Lyme won two events and claimed second place in three others, with Rame, Torridge, Bristol and Falmouth also taking victories.

The event featured 16 visiting teams and a total of 19 boats taking part, with Lyme Regis fielding three teams during the mixed races.

Lyme Regis, Bridport, Sidmouth, Exmouth, Swanage, Appledore, Brixham, Bristol, Boscastle and Crackington, Falmouth, Flushing and Mylor, Helford, Lewis, Rame, Tamar and Tavey, Torridge, Age against the Machine all competed.

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Weather conditions were ideal for gig rowing along Monmouth Beach with a traditional diamond-shaped course of around 1.6km laid out, enabling spectators the length of the beach to view the whole race.

However, the crews all had a hard final leg back into the wind to the finish line.

The format of the races had both men’s and women’s races split into two heats, with the first four from each heat progressing to the final, while the remaining four teams from the heat then took part in a plate final.

The mixed crews were split into two races for B and A teams.

The men’s final saw Lyme Regis, Helford and Falmouth strongly competing, with Lyme narrowly getting to the first turn ahead of the others.

From there they led the way and pulled ahead of Helford and Falmouth who battled for second place, with Helford securing second. Bridport’s men in Blaze rowed hard throughout the final, finishing seventh ahead of Flushing and Mylor.

The women’s final saw Falmouth, Rame and Lyme competing for the top slot.

Falmouth stretched out comfortably ahead with Rame in second. Due to the Falmouth crew being made of a composite crew, the result was given to Rame, with Lyme in second.

In the women’s plate final, Lyme were leading almost all the way to the finish in the last leg of the race, only to be caught and just pipped at the final moment by Bristol.

Bridport women rowed a solid race finishing fourth behind Flushing and Mylor.

The two Brixham crews had a race within the race with both their A and B teams battling side by side for nearly the whole race, with perhaps some clashes of oars thrown in. Brixham A won this encounter in the end, finishing fifth with Brixham B just beaten into last place.

The mixed A race saw 15 boats on the start line. Lyme Regis were beaten to the first turn by Falmouth ahead of a strong pack and were made to work all the way round the course.

Lyme chased hard but Falmouth kept ahead to take victory. For all participating in this race it would have been their third competitive row of the day.

The B team race had two crews from Lyme competing in the race, with Lyme B winning outright and Lyme Regis C in fifth.

Bridport men finished back in 12th beating the Age Against the Machine composite crew and Boscastle.

Heather Prior, organiser of the regatta for Lyme, said: “This is our second Masters regatta. We are so pleased that we could put on such an amazing event for all the teams and have been supported by clubs across the South West”.

Results – men’s final winners: Lyme Regis A; Women’s final: 1. Rame; 2. Lyme Regis; Men’s plate: 1. Torridge; 5. Lyme Regis B; Women’s plate: 1. Bristol; 2. Lyme Regis; Mixed A: 1. Falmouth A; 2. Lyme Regis; Mixed B: 1. Lyme Regis B; 5. Lyme Regis C.