South Devon Winter League On The Dart

Thanks to Rupert Kempley for this round up of the most recent instalment of South Devon rowing rivalry.

What is it with these gig rowers? The harder it rains the more they smile. Saturday 7th February was Dart’s turn to host the moveable feast that is the South Devon Winter League. The day opened with a deluge combined with a feisty South Westerly breeze. Outsiders might have expected a last minute cancellation, but the show was on.

Twelve races were scheduled, the course starting at the fuel barge with a long run past the temporarily suspended higher ferry, to two tight teabag turns by Noss and a final spurt for the line. The opening two events, Senior Women’s A and B, took the brunt of the weather in cheerful fashion, Dart putting in a strong effort despite the appalling conditions.

For the home crowd the regatta sprang into life at Race 3, the Women’s Vets. Brixham, Paignton, Salcombe and Yealm lined up alongside the Dark Destroyers in their maroon flagship Lightning. The initial stages were competitive, the boats moving in a tightly packed echelon against a fast flowing tide. Incrementally, Salcombe, The Bar Breakers, inched ahead, the mark was called in their favour and Bolt in electric blue efficiently made both turns, grazing the teabags. Dart at no point gave up and harried the leaders to the line in a great race.

Race 5, the Women’s Super Vets, took place soon after in gently improved weather. This contest was a two-horse race between Teign and Salcombe, six boats took part with Dart in a competitive field managing a determined fourth.

The Juniors provided the greatest entertainment of the regatta for the eighth contest. Seven craft stretched across a lumpy and treacherous river. Teign made a bold start on an adventurous inside line and for a while it looked like they would win the crucial race within a race to the first mark. However, they were slowly muscled out of place by Brixham, The Fishers, in the subtle eggshell blue of their new gig Florence. The maroon youngsters, aboard Lightning, took advantage of this and slipped into second, which they held to the end. The Fishers ultimately triumphed by over ten lengths.

Race 9 was the marquee attraction of the afternoon, the Open Senior A. Teign, having watched the electrifying start of their juniors only minutes before, emulated them by taking a risky place on the start line hard by the Dartmouth shore. For a long time they rowed almost entirely separately from the racing fleet who jostled metres away to their right, but fairly quickly the plan bore fruit as they took a decisive lead. Pedants might quibble that they took an illegal line to the left of the third teabag; they did, however, cross the finish line first.

The Open Vets wound up the regatta. Dart was unfortunately disqualified in the C race for navigational malfeasance and took a lesson in humility in the Open Super Vets category with third.

Tribute must be paid to the sliding seat rowers of Dartmouth who provided a welcome haven from the conditions by lending their clubhouse to the giggers and to the starters and organisers of a fine day’s sport.

Watch the racing on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@DartGigClubOfficial/streams.

All photos: Dart Gig Club