PORTLAND Gig Rowing Club are not only having a good summer when it comes to competing but they have been giving groups the opportunity to try the sport.

Young adults and leaders from the Prince’s Trust project joined members to experience gig rowing within Portland Harbour, while the club also hosted a group from the Dorset Volunteer Centre.

On the water, Portland took part in the mixed and veterans’ championships at Saltash. The mixed vets and mixed supervets both advanced to the semi-finals with the latter finishing third overall in the final.

The ladies’ vets rowed their way into the semi-final and the men’s vets reached the plate semi.

Following on from their success at Saltash, the Langstone Gig Regatta also provided very competitive racing for the island club.

The men’s vets won their race and received medals at the presentation.

Portland also entered a team to race around Hayling Island in Pulpit Rock. And after experiencing some big waves the team completed the challenge in two hours and 38 minutes, making them the second fastest vets crew.

Portland Gig Rowing Club also worked with Dorset schools to enable youngsters to sample gig rowing and represent their school in a regatta.

The club trained youngsters from IPACA and All Saints, with 36 pupils then competing in the Dorset Schools Games event hosted by Weymouth Rowing Club.

Finally, Portland travelled to Cawsands for the Rame Regatta where rowers and spectators enjoyed the racing and hospitality.

As always, the regatta was friendly and very competitive, resulting in good placings for the Portland crews.

Anyone interested trying gig rowing should visit portlandgigrowingclub.co.uk