SALCOMBE Estuary Rowing Club (SERC) hosted their annual gig regatta on Sunday, June 22.

Mill Bay, Salcombe, was the venue with a mixture of sun and cloud and a very blustery south westerly. Eight clubs from the South West joined Salcombe for the day of racing and there was the usual local rivalry from neighbouring clubs at Dartmouth and Brixham.

The course was set from the Yacht Club Watch House start line and down the estuary towards Blackstone rock. The south westerly made the row out tough, but once you were round the two marks, with the wind behind you, it was very slightly easier with a determination to finish strong being the main driver.

Cheering and enthusiasm from the beach made for a welcoming finish line at Mill Bay. Despite the grumblings and quite a hefty number of disqualifications, it was a fabulous days racing.

Salcombe won the overall regatta on points, with five first places and three seconds achieved during the twelve races. A particular highlight of the day saw the newly-reformed junior section racing in both the Under 14s and Under 16 categories.

After a break of two years, it is great to see youngsters back rowing with the club with such enthusiasm.

The club raised £2,000 for Kingsbridge Food Bank from the raffle and Silent Auction (thanks to all who contributed) and the day was completed with a few beers and a tasty BBQ at SERC’s HQ – i.e. the gig shed on Gould Road.

They also would like to wish a thanks to all members for the support, the sponsors of the event (Salcombe Brewery and Cranches Sweet Shop), all the local business who kindly donated raffle/auction items and last but not least, the Harbour Authority and Salcombe Yacht Club for their continued support of our events.