Oars at the ready for 50th Sark to Jersey

Wednesday 08 June 2016

The Reds will be sticking their oars in in a bid to claim back the title in the Willis Towers Watson 50th Sark2Jersey next month.

More than 250 rowers will be taking part in the hotly-contested inter-insular on Saturday 2 July and Jersey will be hoping the tide has turned for them after losing the race last year.

Organisers are hoping to get veterans of the tough race involved in this year's big event.

Jersey Rowing Club Captain Clive Russell said: “We want lots of old faces down on the beach, we’ve got a few in the race, some that haven’t stopped, some with 37 or 38 races under their belt. We’ve got one crew with a 79-year-old in it.

"We’ve had a special 50th Sark to Jersey medal struck and everyone who finishes the race will get one and there’s a commemorative polo neck as well."

All the competitors will set off from Sark's Dixcart Bay, rowing across what can be rough open water to the Paternosers reef where they will turn and follow Jersey's north coast. By the time they reach the finish line in Bonne Nuit Bay after lunch they will have put in about 19 nautical miles.

You can get a good look at the race from the cliff paths at Devil’s Hole, Sorel Point, Ronez, New North Road and Fremont Point and if you want to cheer them on, the winners should be turning the Cheval Rock at Bonne Nuit at about 1.45 pm.

If you want to head down to the beach to see the fleet come in, you can hop on the shuttle bus from Les Platons car park. 

(Picture credit: Jamison Ford Photography)