LYME’S Atlantic rowers will be taking on the Channel next week in a bid to forge links with a French town.

The Corinthian Atlantic Challenge team will be rowing to Barfleur on Wednesday, June 15, weather permitting, as part of the Lyme Regis/Barfleur twinning initiative.

Talks are well underway to formally link Lyme with the French fishing port, and earlier this year local residents Rob Michael and Sheila Poupard travelled to Barfleur to meet the community.

They presented a plaque to the town from former Lyme Regis mayor Michaela Ellis, and the Corinthian rowers will this time take local produce as a gift to the French town.

Food and drink will come from the Town Mill Brewery, Town Mill Cheesemonger, Thursday Cottage, Lyme Bay Winery, and Otter Brewery.

Rowers Chris Walters, Brian Fletcher, Tony Short and Elliot Dale, who will take on the Atlantic Challenge in December, will return on Sunday, June 19 with produce from Barfleur, which will be presented as a gift to the town of Lyme Regis.

But while the Channel will be a shorter journey than the Atlantic, the crossing could prove to be just as tough.

Team administrator Andrew Pocock said: “In many ways the Channel crossing poses a more difficult task to achieve than crossing the Atlantic. “Deep water oceans do not present the same regular tidal flow direction changes, busy shipping channels and land hazards in the same way.

“In particular, Channel tidal flows can run much faster than the average three knots per hour the Atlantic boat can be rowed.”

People may have noticed moored in the harbour the Corinthians’ loaned ocean-going Atlantic rowing boat Oyster Shack, which will be used for the Barfleur run. The team’s brand new, state-of-the-art carbon fibre boat Spirit of Corinth is now due to be launched in Lyme in late July or early August, dependent on the completion of the final fitting-out phase of the build.

The Corinthians would like to thank the suppliers who are sending produce and they still have some space if any other traders would like to be included.

Businesses can also advertise on the hull of Spirit of Corinth, please call Andrew Pocock on 01297 445453 for details.

The Corinthians said: “We are delighted to be part of the Lyme Regis/Barfleur twinning initiative and are happy to give something back to our local area where the people of Lyme have been so supportive of our challenge to row across the Atlantic this coming December.

“Many thanks to the local businesses that have provided produce for us.”