One of the summer season’s most eagerly anticipated events - Lifeboat week in Lyme Regis – got off to a sun–soaked start with organisers hoping for a record seven days.

TV personality Jules Hudson, presenter of the BBC’s Escape to the Country, officially opened the week praising the lifesaving volunteers of the RNLI for their dedication to saving lives at sea.

A welcome display at sea by the crews of the Lyme Regis inshore lifeboat and the all-weather lifeboat from the neighbouring station at Exmouth followed the opening ceremony.

By contrast to the skilled performances of the lifeboat crews the popular old favourite, the bathtub race, was next. Once again the Lyme Regis fire and rescue team won with their colleagues from Charmouth coming second. The Lyme Regis lifeboat crew paddled their way to third place.

A revival since 2006 of the conger cuddling event – without the use of a dead conger eel – rounded off day one. Organiser Brian Street explained: “It’s a sort of human skittles with the last team still standing the winners.”

Ken Lavery, chairman of the Lyme Regis and Charmouth Lifeboat Supporters, said: “Our only disappointment was the last minute cancellation of the Wednesday display by the Red Devils parachute team due to their operational commitments, but with some lovely weather forecast we are hoping for a very successful week.”