ESSIE Stone and Tim Girling of Bridport Gig Rowing Club have been selected to represent Team GB in the 2018 Atlantic Challenge.

The competition takes place in Antrim, Northern Ireland in July, with the team consisting of youths from England, Scotland and Wales. They will race against 14 other nations at the International Contest of Seamanship.

Crews row in 10-oared gig boats, replicas of an 18th Century 38ft-long captain’s gig. Team GB’s gig, Intégrité, was built by the late John Kerr, Boatbuilder and founder of the Atlantic Challenge GB. Intégrité has been refurbished in Lyme Regis by boat builder Gale McGarva.

Girling and Stone learned to row with Bridport Gig Club’s junior programme and now also compete in senior events. They had huge success at last year’s Newquay Junior County Championships. Coxed by Kevin Batchelor, the mixed crew achieved sixth place in the final – their best-ever result against the very best crews in the UK.

The pair will soon begin training with the rest of the Atlantic Challenge team, and will attend a training camp at Portland in July.

Between them, Essie and Tim have done various fundraising events including cake sales, a curry and quiz evening and a Concert at St Johns Church, West Bay to raise over £2,500 to allow them to take part in the challenge.

They feel very privileged to have been selected. Girling said: “I’m really looking forward to it, it’s a fantastic opportunity. I’m particularly looking forward to training and meeting the crew. I think it will be good fun.”

The pair have both had to juggle studying, exams and building up their fitness with general life. Those at Bridport Gig Club wish them and Team GB the best of luck in Antrim.

The next fundraising event is a pudding night on Friday at the Salthouse, West Bay. Tickets can be bought by emailing juniorcoordinator@bridportgigclub.org

Any juniors interested gig rowing should get in touch with the club via www.bridportgigclub.org