A team of Celtic longboat rowers formed from different clubs from around the Welsh coast, including rowers from Wiseman's Bridge, Aberaeron, and Caernarfon, ventured over to The Gulf Week in Morbihan.

Around 2,000 traditional and character boats divided into flotillas, sailing every day to various ports and anchor points, resulting in a maritime festival and bringing alive the whole of the Golfe of Morbihan.

The week-long event gathers boats of every size and every maritime tradition, sail and oar craft. Most of them come from the French Atlantic coasts, but this year had the pleasure of its first Celtic longboat!

Andy Firth, organiser of the Welsh crew, has taken part in the event twice previously, but this was his first time competing in a celtic. The crew themselves were even surprised at how well they performed against other rowing boats, such as The Cornish Gigs, when they found they were unstoppable in the rowing race.

All the crews who take part (almost 5,000 in 2013) are pure amateurs who come for the mere pleasure to sail and row in the gorgeous surroundings and a genuine maritime atmosphere.

Seventeen harbours welcome sailors and visitors offering exhibitions and demonstrations with food specialities, music of all kinds and evening entertainment and concerts.

The event was incredible from the opening parade followed by the famous Journee de I'lle D'Arz, where hundreds of crews take part in the ritual picnic. But most breathtaking was the closing great parade where all the flotillas converge before setting sail up the main channel, this is the theatre of a gorgeous maritime performance which finishes with fanfare in the capital of Vannes.

Wiseman's Bridge rower, Nikki Nelson, said she looks forward to returning with more crews from even more clubs next time... they won't know what hit them!