Racing in Paris and Hamble

The London2Paris Challenge climaxed early this morning, with the Gravesend/Medway/Langstone crew first across the line followed by Reivers12 and the Outloars. It was an eventful race, brought to a sudden halt in Herne Bay when horrible weather howled in. Gravesend's boat was swamped.
The boats were recovered and the expedition bussed to Le Havre to restart the race up the Seine. At this point, the organisers started a very strange system of pursuit races, imposing massive handicaps on the faster crews. Gravesend managed to overcome this, rowing to victory in several stages despite the handicap. At the end, the Outloars, the slowest boat, won the pursuit section and Gravesend won the overall championship.
My sympathies are with Rievers12, who came away with nothing despite being second.
Anyway, congratulations to all the crews, who all rowed the same distance in a gruelling event and came out with credit. And particular thanks to Mike Gilbert and Colin McPhee for letting us know what was going on through their Twitter feeds.

I took part with fellow Langstone Cutters Mark and Jenni in the Hamble River Raid, a distance of just four miles, and we came away with the prize for the oldest crew in the race - despite the fact that our cox, Nick Hands, is just 11. This picture, which I have fearlessly stolen from Max Taylor's Bursledon Blog, shows us starting out.

London to Paris 2010 in Seine

After the dispiriting abandonment of the cross-channel leg of the Challenge because of the high seas, the three crews started off up the Seine from Le Havre early this morning. After a couple of hours, Gravesend had drawn ahead - those little dots behind are Reivers12 and the Outloars, in this pic taken by Colin Mcphee on his Blackberry. Clearly, sinking in Herne Bay has not slowed Gravesend up. Well done guys!

UPDATE: Drama off Herne Bay

SUNDAY: Blogger Captain JP got this spiffing shot of the Gravesend boat leading the London2Paris Challenge as they powered down Barking Reach. He writes:

Only managed to get shots of one of the teams. You’ll be glad to hear we were at anchor at the time they went by but when the other two got to us we were practising getting positional fixes with hand compass so wasn’t able to go into pap mode.

Not quite as mad as the rowing the Atlantic but even so, rather them than me!

Many thanks JP!

MONDAY: Later that night Gravesend's boat capsised off Herne Bay. All the crew were recovered and the boat taken in tow. Mike Gilbert twittered from his BlackBerry this morning:

"Interesting experience being trapped by the leg under water in an upturned boat, in the dark in rough seas! However, I wriggled out, the life jacket worked, and Colin helped get me out. Scary moment that!! Happy days!!"

Reivers12 and Outloars also stopped in Herne Bay and all the boats are now in Ramsgate. A Force 8 is forecast and the French have yet to give permission, so a crossing today is unlikely.

Up the Itchen

I've never rowed the River Itchen before, mainly because it doesn't look very attractive seen from the bridges that I drive over in my rare visits to Southampton. It is lined with dead wharves and shipyards, and filled with monster but lower-end plastic boats belonging to people who can't afford the mooring fees in the Hamble.
So I rowed up this morning just to tick it off my list of rivers rowed, putting in at Netley, a village on Southampton Water. I was pleasantly surprised.

Southampton Water is a slightly alarming waterway because you have to share it with things like this.

What's it like to live under a bus route?

But what makes the Itchen great is that all Southampton's rowing clubs are based on its banks, and they were out in force. Coastal fours were strongly in evidence, a few single shells, one eight being rowed by a geezer crew that I strongly identified with, and this funny.

This is Southampton Amateur Rowing Club. Clubs on the other bank include the splendidly-named Itchen Imperial RC and Coalporters ARC. Soton University boat club is further up.
So I did eight miles and felt knackered.
Which makes me even more open-mouthed in admiration at the three crews rowing the London2Paris Challenge, who are well on their way on the first stage from Westminster Bridge to Ramsgate, a distance of 75miles. Gravesend is about 1.5 miles in the lead - see the positions online here, and Mike Gilbert's Twitter feed here.

London to Paris 2010

The London to Paris row starts tomorrow, departing past Big Ben and 0900hrs. This punishing six-day race to the Eiffel Tower was won in 2008 by Langstone Cutters (pictured going under London Bridge on the way up to the start line) and two members of that crew, Mike Gilbert and Colin Mcphee, are turning out for the Gravesend and Medway boat this year.
Mike is twittering from his BlackBerry here mikedoesL2P, and Colin from his BlackBerry here colindoesL2P. Official updates will be posted here.
Best of luck you guys!