Salcombe Estuary Rowing Club Regatta

Salcombe Estuary Rowing Club's gig-rowing ­regatta took place a month earlier than is traditional this year, on May 31. But the uncrowded estuary allowed them to welcome a record 20 clubs to compete in the 11 races.

With around 400 rowers in attendance, Cliff House Gardens was packed, and the weather was much better than predicted and provided perfect racing conditions – not too hot, not too cold, and with a slight swell around Blackstone to make things interesting.

All the races started and finished at the yacht club line and raced out around three marks in the estuary mouth, with crews taking between 15 and 18 minutes to complete the course.

Salcombe fared very well, with most of the 13 crews competing finishing in the top three, which in a field of 20 is a very good record indeed, and especially among the high standard of rowing found in the ladies' and men's A races, with Salcombe finishing third in both.

In terms of points scored, Salcombe only missed out to Caradon in the number of points accrued. Caradon, from Saltash, are always a force to be reckoned with and tend to sweep up medals wherever they go.

Regatta day is a fantastic spectacle and one of the best on the gig-racing circuit for spectators, with the start, most of the race and the finish all visible from the elevated viewpoint of Cliff House Gardens.

Around 50 of Salcombe's 130 or so membership took part in at least one race, and with racing categories for ladies, men, under-16s, under-14s, ladies' and men's veteran races and super-veterans, there was good competition for everyone.