Rowing with a purpose

Rowing with a purpose

9 May 2012

TRADITIONAL hand crafted coastal rowing boats from Cornwall will feature in this year’s Turn O’ The Tide Festival.

These boats are part of a wider project to revive interest in coastal rowing around the Ards and Lecale. The hope is that communities all around the coast will get on board to build their own craft and use them for fun and community rowing challenges during the June festival.

Organisers hope the event will draw the same interest as experienced in Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, where the Cornish rowing boats, or ‘gigs’ are used for Gig World Championship racing — drawing in huge crowds and boosting the local economy.

Local people, and especially younger people aged over 16, are invited to put together teams of four rowers who will have the chance to row in the Narrows with the experienced Cornish team members. No previous experience is needed but all teams will undertake a short fitness test on a rowing machine.

With some of the strongest tidal currents in the world, beginners will be kept well clear of these daunting waters but the challenge to ‘beat the tide’ will be irresistible to those with experience and especially to visiting teams from Lyme Regis.

Organised by the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership, the festival be held across the Narrows, Strangford and Portaferry, on Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3.

“Rowing is a great way to experience our maritime heritage, have fun and keep fit,” said Sian Maxwell, from Strangford, who is one of the people behind the project.

“I am delighted that the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership has helped to bring not only the rowing team but also a boat builder across from Lyme Regis to give us a flavour of what can be achieved in the long term for people’s health and their wealth.

“Thanks also go to both Down District and Ards Borough Councils who are helping us to host the Cornish teams.”

Caroline Nolan, from the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership, said: “We would be delighted to hear from anyone living around the Ards and Lecale, young or old with an interest in getting involved in either boat building or rowing.

“At this stage we have not secured funding for the long term project but hosting the community rowing challenge within the Festival is a great start. We will have teams of all ages but a percentage will be allocated to younger teams as part of our on-going Turn O’ The Tide Young Sea Dogs programme, funded by the Heritage Lottery, which aims to give young people better access to water based activities, our scenery, our wildlife and our maritime culture.”

Teams will be assessed for fitness in advance of the challenge and places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Contact the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership on 028 4272 8886/ 9005 or e-mail sllpadmin@strangfordlough.org.

The Turn O’ The Tide Festival, part of Lough Lively, is also packed full of family activities including shore explorations, art exhibitions, local seafood, boat tours, traditional music, and the Exploris 25th Birthday Bonanza complete with puppet shows and workshops.

See www.strangfordlough.org