LYME Regis Gig Club has launched its fourth wooden boat, built in the town by Gail McGarva.

But the vessel is a very different boat from the previous three Cornish Pilot Gigs built for the club by McGarva.

A traditional Cornish skiff was commissioned for the club’s fast-growing youth section, with generous funding from the trustees of the former Lyme Regis Club for Young People.

It will enable young people from eight years old to learn the skills of sea rowing in a craft suitable for this age group, and appropriate for the local sea conditions.

The build itself was history in the making, the lines being taken from one of the oldest surviving Cornish skiffs.

The launch began with the new boat proceeding to the slipway escorted by those involved in the build and members of the Youth section.

They were greeted by a large crowd and the lively sound of the Shanty Singers, with traditional songs and a new shanty composed by Sue Beckers, especially for the skiff.

After a welcome from club chairman Marcus Dixon and a talk from the boat’s builder, club vice president Ken Whetlor expressed his thanks to the trustees of the Lyme Regis Club for Young People.

Mayor Cllr Sally Holman named the boat Gale Force and it was then blessed by Rev Keith Vivian.

The boat was carried through an arch of oars, proudly held by the club’s youngsters, into the water and rowed out to sea by Dixon, accompanied along the swim line in by Lyme’s three other wooden gigs, crewed by the youth rowers.

After the formalities several eager young rowers were then able to try out their new boat.

n Lyme attended Sidmouth’s inaugural Regatta.

The men’s B team came in a very clear first, while the mixed crew were second, after storming along in first place and being pipped to the post in the last seconds by Weymouth.

Both crews brought Lyme into an overall third position on the day.

A club spokesman said: “Hospitality and organisation were second to none and we all had a great day.”