ALTHOUGH the gig racing season is coming to a close, Tamar and Tavy Gig Club have had a busy two weeks.

On October 12, the club were proud to have four rowers representing Devon in the Inter County Championships held at Mountbatten in Plymouth Sound — Tom Murrin and Rowan Egerton competed in the U15 crew; Jason Grylls in the U18 crew and Anya Anstey in the ladies’ A crew. In only its second year, this new championship is a reflection of the fast growth of gig rowing as it spreads from the South West into new counties and Tamar and Tavy’s rowers did well, coming second in all their races.

On the same day, the club entered a ladies’ supervets crew in the Tamar Challenge, a nine- mile handicap pursuit race up the River Tamar from Saltash to Cotehele. The ladies got off to a great start and, despite being followed by younger crews, including men’s crews, they could not be caught, arriving at Cotehele Quay as the first boat to finish and winners of the Tamar Challenge. The crew were Debbie Farmer, Lynn Renton, Denise Nixon, Mel Cotton, Lucy Bryant and Helen Samson-Hill. Most of the ladies headed off to Swanage to represent the club at the annual Supervets’ Championship on Sunday. They finished overall 12th out of 27 crews and second place in the Shield Final.

The Tamar and Tavy men’s supervets came in at second in the plate final and 22nd overall. The club is looking forward to starting the Tamar Winter League in November.