ROWING clubs from Dorset will be taking part in a national rowing championship this weekend.

Clubs from across the country will be taking part in the Super Vets Championships later today (October 5) in Swanage, with over five hundred rowers from gig clubs across the country taking part.

Super Vets rowers are those over fifty years old and are made up of people who are experienced rowers and those that have started later in life.

On Sunday, the National County Championships will also take place.

Unlike regular gig rowing regattas and championship fixtures, where rowers compete for their clubs, rowers will instead represent their county sides.

Dorset will be competing against Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Hampshire & London, Essex with Kent and Norfolk, Scilly, Somerset, Sussex. 

Racing will take place just offshore in Swanage Bay around a traditional triangular course and is being hosted by Swanage Sea Rowing Club, which is based at Shore Road in the town.

Adrian Charters, Swanage Sea Rowing Club chair, said, “This will be the first year that Dorset has hosted a National County Championships event and we are delighted to be hosting.

"We are holding the Super Vets Championships on Saturday alongside a Blues Festival. There will be a great deal going on in the town and we are also really hoping to bring a special atmosphere to the Adult National Championships event on Sunday.”

Gigs are 32 foot long traditionally built open wooden boats rowed by six crew and steered by a coxswain.

The sport has grown enormously since its revival in the 80’s, there are now eight thousand rowers in 90 clubs spread across the UK, with more in Europe and America.

The races will be live-streamed on the Gigrower YouTube channel. 

The Junior (Under 16’s) National County Championships will be held the following weekend (Sunday, October 13) in Plymouth.