FOR the third year Tamar and Tavy Gig Club entered a crew in the Eddystone Challenge, a grueling 28 mile round trip out to the Eddystone Lighthouse and back.
Plymouth based, Mayflower Offshore Rowing Club organise this annual event with up to 100 entrants for this race from the Mount Batten Pier to the Eddystone Lighthouse and back.
Only around 20 per cent of the boats launched are expected to finish within the time limit of six hours. In the two previous years, the conditions could not have been worse for the rowers.
On their first year, the course was changed upriver due to force eight gales and driving rain, last year the weather worked against them again with high swell and strong winds. So, it was with a certain degree of trepidation and a great deal of determination that the Tamar and Tavy eight strong crew of Jo Cameron, Carolyn Dawe, Sandra Anstey and Tricia Stewart for the women and Martin Painter, Tom Sargeant, Chris Hayes-Parry and John Rogers for the men set off in their gig Tamar.
Conditions were more favourable this year and Tamar and Tavy made it out to the lighthouse - third out of the five Cornish Pilot Gigs in a blistering 2 hours 8 minutes.
The Eddystone Challenge is difficult enough to achieve if the water is favourable, but on the return journey the wind picked up to a possible gale force with driving rain much of the way, making for a gruelling row back for the happy, if exhausted, crew.
Tamar and Tavy are always pleased to welcome new members of any age. For information visit its website at http://www.tamarandtavygigclub.co.uk">www.tamarandtavygigclub.co.uk