Oarsome Chance hosted our latest ‘Portsmouth Pull’ rowing challenge, a 10km fundraising row around the world-famous Portsmouth Harbour on Saturday 18th May and a fantastically exciting it race it turned out to be!
This row-of-a-lifetime was taken on by five teams, who each completed a lap of the historic naval harbour. The race started and finished at Oarsome Chance’s HQ at St Vincent College on the Gosport Peninsula and took in Portsmouth’s most iconic landmarks including the Spinnaker Tower, Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, Portchester Castle and Gosport’s Millennium Bridge.
We’d like to say a huge thanks to the teams who took part who all raised sponsorship to help fund our work.
The winning team from Hardway sailing club have been training hard and their efforts were rewarded with an impressive new lap record of 1 hour 2 minutes and 19 seconds. Also competing were a team of students from St Vincent Sixth Form college, Team Seahorse from Gosport’s own Seahorse Bar and Restaurant and two home teams from Oarsome Chance, including an all-women team, who set the new all-women record at 1 hour 30 minutes and 50 seconds.
The 23-ft wooden skiffs that went head to head on Portsmouth Harbour were each crewed by four rowers and a cox and four three-metre long oars propelled each of the boats. Three of the skiffs were built in the Oarsome Chance workshop by young people on our programmes.
“The conditions today were perfect and yet again we had a great day’s racing with some fierce competition between the teams. Hardway have worked hard to take on their record, so their win was well deserved. But all the teams did brilliantly. Which is fantastic, as these events are great fun to take part in but also help to raise money to support our vital work with disadvantaged young people,’ John Gillard, Oarsome Chance Principal, said.
This is the first Portsmouth Pull event of the year with more events planned for September and November this year – spaces are limited, so if you’re interested in taking part then get in touch ASAP – [email protected] or visit www.oarsomechance.org/portsmouth-pull.
As Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Clipper Race Founder and Chairman, said of the Portsmouth Pull, ‘Pulling a boat is an energetic way to view Portsmouth’s lovely harbour.’
Go to the photo gallery to see the amazing pics from Oarsome Chance volunteer photgrapher, Jason Brodie-Browne
