Portishead saw an unusual race take place this weekend, with the local gig club taking on the running club. Starting at the Pier just outside the lockgates, two crews, male and female each took on a team of runners to see who would make it back to the pier in the quickest time.
Rowing against an incoming tide, the gigs had to work hard to reach the sailing club at Sugar Loaf Bay, navigating tricky tidal eddies and heavy shipping traffic before turning wider into the channel to row back with the tide. The runners followed the coast path, running to Battery point, past the lake grounds and on to the sailing club before tracking back the same way. The weather was perfect, with little wind and a clear sky. The runners were the first to reach Sugar Loaf Bay followed by the men’s crew in their wooden racing gig Black Nore. Clever navigation on the return leg saw Blacknore making up good water but it wasn’t quite enough, with the runners reaching the pier first, only two minutes ahead of Black Nore. Phoenix followed on, narrowly beaten by the final runners.
“It was a fantastic morning of local competition, which we hope we will be able to do again”, said Nancy Averis of Portishead Gig Club, “it did take quite a bit of organizing and planning the right route for both the runners and rowers but it was really successful, even if we didn’t win!”
“It was great fun to take part in, and naturally we always thought we would come first, but it was really close. We are definitely looking forward to a rematch soon”, said Simon James from Portishead Running Club.
