Members of the Bridport Gig Club were lucky enough to experience a very different style of rowing last Sunday.

Visiting rowing club, Navigatio Santander, from Spain, brought their 12m long trainera (Spanish 13 man rowing vessel) to West Bay as part of their annual UK tour. 

Having visited Chichester, Glasgow, Oban, Mumbles and Bristol during the previous 12 days the 6 Spanish rowers together with 12 Bridport club rowers launched “Pilgrim” into the harbour watched by many curious bystanders.

The manoeuvre was very different to the usual launch of Bridport gigs with the 12m long boat being “flipped” from trestles to rollers then moved off down the slipway and into the water. 

Sea conditions seemed normal to our Spanish visitors but nail biting to the Bridport hosts, not use to the pitch and roll of a much longer craft.

“Pilgrim” now moves on to Chichester and then London for  the annual Great River Race, a 22 mile rowing marathon up the Thames on Saturday where she might again meet up with Bridport gigs “Blaez” and “Dagger” also participating in the event.