Cockleshell Challenge 2022
Published 01:00 on 24 May 2022
On the 22 May a team of Gig Rowers from MRSC took Part in the Cockleshell Challenge. This is an event organised and hosted by Eastney Cruising Association to commemorate the Cockleshell Heroes of WW2 and also to raise some money for the Royal Marines Association. ECA were fantastic hosts, the event was well organised and the weather was really benign. The race itself is an open sea row or about 9 miles starting at ECA, heading west parallell with the beach to Lumps Fort, then turning south to and around Horse Sands Fort. We then headed east to pick up the fairway into Langstone Harbour with an ECA club finish.
Perry Stowell Kindly agreed to Cox the row for us, this event needed an experienced sea cox. I think everyone who took part would agree that this was a hard and demanding row. For many of the crew this would have been their longest sustained row and also the first time rowing in open sea conditions. Even though there was very little chop this is a lot more demanding than rowing in the harbour! We completed the course in about 1hour 40 minutes, near the back of the pack, tired and sore!
Everyone that took part should be proud of their effort and again, thanks to Perry for agreeing to cox, I think we all learnt something from the day.
Our next Scheduled events are Langstone Pilot Gig Club Reggatta on the 30th and The Round the Island race on The 31st of July. In the meantime we are going to put Nerthek back in the water on the pontoon for regular club rowing. Please keep an eye out for any Open rowing/ training dates in the club calendar where all members are encouraged to row/have a trial row, so sign up! As with all Club assets and activities, success depends on involvement of members, so get involved.
Please feel free to contact myself or Rowing captain (Matt Walton) if you have any Gig Rowing queries.
Stuart Winter-Rimmer (Rowing Coordinator)
