It was an early nine o'clock start for rowers competing on Sunday at Newport in the latest round of the Dale Sailing Longboat League Championship. With three events already cancelled this season due to bad weather, there was obvious relief amongst the competitors that finally a race was going ahead.

The ladies were first to race, with eight teams competing. After a good start they set off for the first turn a mile out to sea. The Neyland, Little Haven and Tenby teams pushed ahead from the rest as they turned for the second buoy in the triangular course followed by teams from Aberystwyth, Llangwm and St. Dogmaels.

As the race progressed, the on form team from Neyland pushed ahead leaving Aberystwyth, Tenby and Little Haven to fight it out for second spot. Neyland rounded the turn with a good lead, followed by Little Haven gaining two lengths on the rest of the field due to an excellent turn by their cox Andy Grey.

By the final turn for home, the team from Tenby, cox Simon Griffiths, and rowers Ann Rowell, Jane McDonald, Anna Worley and Leslie O'Neil, had maintained their good lead and crossed the finish in style, maintaining their number one position in the league. They were followed in by Neyland second, just ahead of Little Haven. Fourth were Aberystwyth, fifth St. Dogmaels, sixth Llangwm, seventh Gwbert and eighth Solva.

The second race of the day was the men's. With 12 teams on the startline, they set off for the first turn in the five-mile race around Newport bay. After only a few minutes into the race it was obvious that there were only two teams vying for the lead as Aberystwyth and Tenby pushed ahead of the rest of the boats.

By the first turn, Aberystwyth were holding a length ahead of Tenby, followed by a close pack of teams from Solva, Gwbert, Aberdyfi, Llangwm, Fishguard and St. Dogmaels, doing their utmost to avoid collisions as they rounded the buoy.

Having turned the second mark and heading for the final turn, Aberystwyth could do nothing to hold off Tenby as they powered past them over a very short distance to compile an impressive 20-length lead by the final turn.

Further back, the team from Gwbert were rowing well to hold on to third, followed closely by Aberdyfi and Llangwm A, just ahead of the teams from Solva and Little Haven, with the Fishguard veterans, captained by Bill Fowler, putting on their best performance of the season in close contention.

At the finish, the team from Tenby, coxed by Tina Griffiths, and rowers Gary James, Simon Griffiths (capt), Brian O'Neil and Gerald Hewitt, were first from Aberystwyth second. In third were Aberdyfi, just ahead of Gwbert, having lost a good lead after getting caught on sand close to the finish, fifth Llangwm A, sixth Solva A, seventh Little Haven, eighth Solva Vets (winners of the veteran class), ninth Llangwm C, 10th Llangwm B, 11th Fishguard Vets and 12th St. Dogmaels.

The juniors were next to race and with the wind strengthening it was decided to finish the race out at sea, so as to avoid boats crossing over the dangerous bar. With two under 18 boys and two under 18 girl teams competing, they got off to a good start around the two-mile course. The two boys teams from Fishguard and Llangwm pushed ahead of the girls from Aberystwyth and Fishguard.

By the turn it was the Fishguard team that was ahead of this season's unbeaten team from Llangwm, followed by the girls from Aberystwyth and Fishguard. With the teams well spread out by the finish, Fishguard came in first from Llangwm boys second, Aberystwyth girls third and Fishguard girls fourth.

The next scheduled mixed race had to be cancelled due to lack of water. Thanks go to the Newport Boat Club for a well organised and enjoyable event.

The next league race will be held at Solva this Sunday, August 18, at 12 noon.